Origin Myth:
Mansaka Babarawon
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Photographer: Jacob Maentz |
The term “Mansaka” derives from “man” meaning “first” and “saka” meaning “to ascend,” and means “the first people to ascend the mountains or go upstream.” Considered as one of the 18 indigenous ethnolinguistic Lumad groups in Mindanao, the native Mansaka continued their way of life during the hundreds of years of migrations and inter-marriages of the Malays, Indonesians and the Chinese. Although the Mansaka people evolved over time, they were never heavily influenced by the Spanish during their colonization.
The following
is a paraphrase of a Mansaka tale regarding creation:
One day,
while Taganlang was sitting on a rock, he suddenly thought of enlarging
the universe. He called his bird Oribig and asked him to collect soil from the farthest
corner of the universe. When Oribig returned with the soil, Taganlang began his work
by kneading the soil and placing it on a rock. The kneaded soil became the world, from
where nature emerged. Not satisfied, Taganlang collected some kasili and bangoy
wood from which he fashioned the first man and woman, respectively. He then
covered his designs with leaves which he later removed to disclose the first people in
the world. Taganlang then taught the first man and woman the names of animals and
things (Magaña 1972:367-368).
Another Mansaka babarawon is the flood myth which tells of the peopling of this
world after a flood destroyed the earth. A long time ago, there was a flood which
destroyed everything on earth except for a pregnant woman living on the top of
Kandaraga Mountain. The woman gave birth to a son who became her husband.
Later, they begot six children—three boys and three girls—who married each other.
One couple went out to sea, the other to Maragusan, and the third disappeared. The
cause of the flood was the absence of Manaul, the bird guarding the sea passage which
was clogged by driftwood, forcing the water back. When Manaul returned, he tried to
remove the clog but broke his leg instead. His mother came to his rescue and
successfully removed the clog. Everything returned to normal and the woman with
her son-husband and their children descended from Kandaraga to multiply and people
the earth (Magaña 1972:368-369).
corner of the universe. When Oribig returned with the soil, Taganlang began his work
by kneading the soil and placing it on a rock. The kneaded soil became the world, from
where nature emerged. Not satisfied, Taganlang collected some kasili and bangoy
wood from which he fashioned the first man and woman, respectively. He then
covered his designs with leaves which he later removed to disclose the first people in
the world. Taganlang then taught the first man and woman the names of animals and
things (Magaña 1972:367-368).
Another Mansaka babarawon is the flood myth which tells of the peopling of this
world after a flood destroyed the earth. A long time ago, there was a flood which
destroyed everything on earth except for a pregnant woman living on the top of
Kandaraga Mountain. The woman gave birth to a son who became her husband.
Later, they begot six children—three boys and three girls—who married each other.
One couple went out to sea, the other to Maragusan, and the third disappeared. The
cause of the flood was the absence of Manaul, the bird guarding the sea passage which
was clogged by driftwood, forcing the water back. When Manaul returned, he tried to
remove the clog but broke his leg instead. His mother came to his rescue and
successfully removed the clog. Everything returned to normal and the woman with
her son-husband and their children descended from Kandaraga to multiply and people
the earth (Magaña 1972:368-369).
References:
Magaña, Antonio S. “Mansaka Forms of Oral Literature.” In Dialogue for
Development. Edited by Francisco Demetrio. Cagayan de Oro: Xavier University,
1972.
Archive -
Photographer Jacob Maentz. (n.d.). Retrieve
from https://jacobimages.photoshelter.com/image/I0000rsTYWLPzXw4
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