Category: Mandaya

The Sun and the Moon

This myth explains the celestial and natural phenomena of the Sun, Moon, stars, tides, and lightning. The Sun, depicted as quarrelsome, chases the Moon eternally, symbolizing their cosmic dance. Their children include the scattered stars, created from a violent act, and a colossal crab responsible for tides and lightning. The crab’s hostility toward the Moon is thwarted by humans’ protective actions during lunar eclipses.

Source
Philippine Folk Tales
compiled and annotated by
Mabel Cook Cole
A.C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, 1916

► Themes of the story

Origin of Things: The tale explains natural phenomena, such as the creation of stars from the Sun’s actions and the behavior of tides and lightning attributed to their crab offspring.

Cosmic Order and Chaos: The eternal chase between the Sun and the Moon symbolizes the balance and tension in the cosmos, reflecting themes of order and disorder.

Mythical Creatures: The inclusion of a gigantic crab with supernatural abilities introduces a mythical being that influences natural events.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about Philippines peoples

The Sun and the Moon were married, but the Sun was very ugly and quarrelsome. One day he became angry at the Moon and started to chase her. She ran very fast until she was some distance ahead of him, when she grew tired and he almost caught her. Ever since he has been chasing her, at times almost reaching her, and again falling far behind. The first child of the Sun and Moon was a large star, and he was like a man. One time the Sun, becoming angry at the star, cut him up into small pieces and scattered him over the whole sky just as a woman scatters rice, and ever since there have been many stars.

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Another child of the Sun and Moon was a gigantic crab. He still lives and is so powerful that every time he opens and closes his eyes there is a flash of lightning. Most of the time the crab lives in a large hole in the bottom of the sea, and when he is there we have high tide; but when he leaves the hole, the waters rush in and there is low tide. His moving about also causes great waves on the surface of the sea.

The crab is quarrelsome like his father; and he sometimes becomes so angry with his mother, the Moon, that he tries to swallow her. When the people on earth, who are fond of the Moon, see the crab near her, they run out of doors and shout and beat on gongs until he is frightened away, and thus the Moon is saved.

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The Children of the Limokon

In ancient times, the limokon, a powerful talking dove, laid two eggs along the Mayo River. From these hatched a man and a woman. The man, lonely by the river, discovered a woman’s hair and followed the river upstream, finding his companion. They married and became the ancestors of the Mandaya people who still live along the Mayo River today.

Source
Philippine Folk Tales
compiled and annotated by
Mabel Cook Cole
A.C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, 1916

► Themes of the story

Creation: The tale explains the origin of the Mandaya people, detailing how the first man and woman came into existence.

Ancestral Spirits: The narrative underscores the connection between the Mandaya people and their mythical ancestors, emphasizing the significance of lineage and heritage.

Sacred Spaces: The Mayo River serves as a sacred location in the story, being the birthplace of the first ancestors and the homeland of their descendants.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about Philippines peoples

In the very early days before there were any people on the earth, the limokon (a kind of dove) were very powerful and could talk like men though they looked like birds. One limokon laid two eggs, one at the mouth of the Mayo River and one farther up its course. After some time these eggs hatched, and the one at the mouth of the river became a man, while the other became a woman. The man lived alone on the bank of the river for a long time, but he was very lonely and wished many times for a companion. One day when he was crossing the river something was swept against his legs with such force that it nearly caused him to drown.

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On examining it, he found that it was a hair, and he determined to go up the river and find whence it came. He traveled up the stream, looking on both banks, until finally he found the woman, and he was very happy to think that at last he could have a companion.

They were married and had many children, who are the Mandaya still living along the Mayo River.

Running and expanding this site requires resources: from maintaining our digital platform to sourcing and curating new content. With your help, we can grow our collection, improve accessibility, and bring these incredible narratives to an even wider audience. Your sponsorship enables us to keep the world’s stories alive and thriving. ♦ Visit our Support page