Karmihan sa atin ay lumaki sa mga kwentong pambata. Naaalala ko pa noong aking kamusmusan, ako’y nagbabasa ng mga kwento nila Jack and the Beanstalk, The Princess and the Pea, Sleeping Beauty, at marami pang iba.
Ngunit naalala ko rin na hindi lamang puro istoryang pang dayuhan ang ipinakilala saaakin ng aking mga magulang. Natatandaan ko pa noong inuuwian ako ni mama ng mga mga librong Adarna o di kaya Ang Mga Kwento ni Lola Basyang, at matatapos ko ito sa isang upuan lamang.
Ang mga kwentong Pilipino ay di hamak na mas nakakakilabot, kahit mga pambata pa ito. Siguro kasi masyadong pamilyar at malapit saatin ang mga nangyayari at tagpuan na nahahanap sa mga alamat na ito.
At siyempre, walang tutumbas sa mga tinatawag na “halimaw” ng ating kasaysayan, na hanggang sa kasalukuyan ay pinaniniwalaan pa din ng karamihan—tulad ng mga kapre, aswang, dwende, at engkanto, bukod pa sa ibang mga bagay.
Halos lahat din ng mga bagay sa ating kapaligiran ay may kwento. Bundok man ito o halaman, palaging may alamat na nakapaligid dito. Ito ang rason kung bakit nakakahumaling ang mga istoryang Pilipino, dahil nakabaon ang karamihan sa mga pang araw-araw na pamumuhay ng mga tao. Sila’y naka base sa mga karanasan at kutlura ng isang Pilipino, at sa mga bagay na palagi nating nakakasalubong.
Ngayong Buwan ng Wika, balikan natin ang mga istoryang nagbibigay kulay sa ating kapaligiran at mga karanasan bilang mga kasapi ng lokal na komunidad. Kung hindi ka pamilyar sa mga kwentong Pinoy, ito na siguro ang pinaka angkop na panahon upang tumangkiling sa ating sariling wika at kultura—sa pamamagitan ng mga kwento ng ating mga kapwa-Pilipinong manunulat. Mga kwentong hinugot mula sa kasaysayan ng ating bansa, at hinuhubog ang ating mga tradisyon at ugali hanggang sa kasaulkuyan.
Narito ang ilan sa mga klasikong kwentong-pambayan na karapat dapat balikan:
Ang Alamat ng Piña, The Story of the Pineapple
Si Pinang ay isang napakaganda ngunit napakatamad na binibini. Isang araw, siya’y inutusan ng kanyang sakiting ina na hanapin ang kaldero, nagdabog ito at nagreklamong hindi niya daw makita. Sa sobrang galit, isinumpa si Pinang ng kanyang ina na tubuan siya ng isang daang mata para lang mahanap niya ang mga bagay sa bahay. Kinabukasan ay biglang nawala na lamang si Pinang, at may nahanap na isang panibagong prutas sa kanilang bakuran na mag isang daang mata.
Ang Pambihirang Buhok ni Lola, Lola’s Extraordinary Hair
Ang kuwentong bayang ito ay hindi basta tungkol sa napakahabang buhok ni Lola, mas nakatuon ito sa kakaibang kabutihan at lakas ng mga Filipina. Isang malakas na bagyo ang nagbabanta sa isang matandang bayan, at si Lola ang sumubok na iligtas ang lahat. Nang dumating ang bagyo sa barrio, hindi natakot si Lola at itinali ang kanyang buhok sa lahat ng bahay at gusali, pati na rin sa mga tao at hayop para maligtas ito.
Ang Babaeng naging Isda, The Girl Who Turned Into a Fish
Ito ay isang napaka importanteng istorya ukol sa kagandahan at banidad ng isang babaeng nabaon sa kayabangan. Ipinalaki siya ng kangyang mga magulang na laki sa layaw at walang ginagawa. Lumaki ang ulo ng magandang babae, at isang araw, habang tinitigan niya ang kanyang aninag sa may tabing ilog ay naakit niya ang puso ng haring alimango. Ngunit ng makita niyo ito, sumigaw siya at ipinhiya ang hari—tinawag din itong pangit at hindi kaakit-akit. Sa sobrang galit ng haring alimango ay kinamot niya ang babae sa mukha ng paulit ulit, at isinumpang maging isda na puro kaliskis. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit sinasabing sa halip na humanga sa kanilang aninag, ang mga isda iniiwasan ito.
Sina Adlaw at Bulan, The Sun and the Moon
Noong unang panahon ay may mag-asawang si Adlaw at Bulan malakas na nagmamahalan. Nagkaanak sila ng maraming bituin, ngunit pinagbawalan ni Bulan si Adlaw na yakapin ang kanilang mga anak dahil sila’y matutunaw. Ngunit isang araw, inutusan ni Bulan si Adlaw na tingnan muna ang mga bata habang siya’y mamamalengke lanmang. Habang pinapanood ni Adlaw ang kanyang mga anak na bituin at hindi niya napigilang yakapin ang mga ito, bunga ng kanyang pagmamahal. Ngunit natunaw ang ibang mga bituin at ikinagalit ito ng kanyang asawang si Bulan. Isinumpa ni Bulan na hinding hindi na makikita ni Adlaw ang kanyang mga anak, kaya ngayon, ang araw at ang buwan at mga bituin ay hindi na makikitang magkasama sa kalangitan.
Ang Alamat ng Makahiya, The Legend of the Makahiya
Ang mag-asawang Mang Dondong at Aling Iska ay mayaman at may kaisa-isang anak na si Maria. Napakabait at masunuring bata si Maria, ngunit sa kabila nito, siya ay napakamahiyain. Ayaw niyang makipag-usap sa ibang tao kung kaya’t nagkukulong lamang siya sa kanyang silid para lamang makaiwas sa mga ito. Isang araw, ang kanilang bayan ay pinasok ng mga bandid, at itinago ni Maria ang kanyang mga magulang sa likod ng mga halaman. Ipinagdasal ni Aling Iska si Maria sa Diyos na panatilihing ligtas. Nang mahuli ang mga bandido ay hinanap ng mag-asawa ang kanilang anak sa bakura, ngunit wala ito doon. Ang natagpuan lamang nila ay isang bagong uri ng halaman na tumituklop pag ito’y hinahawakan. Ang Makahiya.
English translation:
Most of us grew up with fairytales. I still remember my childhood as I read books like Jack and the Beanstalk, The Princess and the Pea, Sleeping Beauty, and many more.
But I also recall my parents not only introducing me to English stories, but to local Filipino folklores as well. I remember my mom bringing home Adarna or Mga Kwento ni Lola Basyang books, and I would finish all of it in one sitting.
Most Filipino stories will certainly give you the creeps, even if they’re meant for children. Maybe it’s because the settings and circumstances are just too familiar, and are about things that we encounter daily.
And of course, nothing can beat Filipino mythical creatures or what we call halimaws—that a lot of people still believe in up to this very day. Like kapres (giants of sorts that reside in trees), aswangs (basically flying vampires that can split their bodies in half), dwendes (dwarves but not cute ones), and engkantos (enchantress), among others.
Almost everything around us has a story. Whether it be a mountain or a plant, there are always legends surrounding these elements. This is the reason why Filipino folklores are so addicting. They are rooted in the lives of everyday people, and are based on experiences and cultures of the Filipino.
This Buwan ng Wika (Filipino language month), let us go back to the stories that gives color to our cultures and experiences as members of the Filipino community. If you are not familiar with Pinoy stories, this is probably the best time to delve into our own language and culture—through the tales written by our very own Filipino writers. These stories are rooted in our history, and shapes many traditions and values until this very day.
Here are some classic Filipino folktales that are worth getting into:
(The Story of the Pineapple) Ang Alamat ng Piña
Pinang is a very beautiful but very lazy lady. One day, her sick mother asks her to look for their ladle in time for dinner, but she screams and throws a tantrum, complaining that she couldn’t find it. In anger and frustration, Pinang’s mother curses and wishes that she grows 100 eyes so that she is able to find things at home and help around. The next day, Pinang was nowhere to be found besides an unknown fruit with one hundred eyes in their backyard.
(Lola’s Extraordinary Hair) Ang Pambihirang Buhok ni Lola
This folktale is not just about Lola’s extremely long hair, but is geared more towards the strength of a Filipina. One big typhoon is threatening a small old town, and Lola is the one who attempts to save everyone. When the typhoon arrives, Lola bravely ties everything and everyone (even the animals) with her long hair to keep them safe and upright.
(The Girl Who turned into a Fish) Ang Babaeng naging Isda
This is a very important story of beauty and vanity of a young woman who was very full of herself. Her mother and father raised her to do nothing but become spoiled. One day, as she was looking at her reflection in the river, a king crab fell deeply in love with her. But as he approached her, she scorned him and pushed him away, calling him “ugly.” The young woman made the king crab very angry, and in haste, he scratched her face so many times and cursed her as a fish with countless scales. It is said that this is why a fish always swims away from its own reflection.
(The Sun and the Moon) Sina Adlaw at Bulan
Long ago, Adlaw and Bulan were deeply in love. They bore many children—the stars, however, Bulan forbade Adlaw of ever embracing the kids for they would melt with his touch. One day, Bulan tells her husband to watch over the kids as she goes to the market. And while Adlaw gazes over his children as they played, he is swept by overwhelming love and affection that he could not help himself: he hugged all of them together, causing some of them to melt. Bulan came home and was very heartbroken and angry by what happened. She cursed Adlaw and vowed that he will never get to see her and his children ever again. This is why the sun, the moon and the stars are never in the same sky together.
(The Legend of the Makahiya) Ang Alamat ng Makahiya
Mang Dodong and Aling Iska bore a very beautiful daughter named Maria. She is sweet and kind as she can be, always obeys her parents, but is the shyest. She does not like talking to others, and often licks herself up in her room to avoid conversation. One day, their town was taken over by bandits who killed anyone in their path. To save her parents, Maria hid them in the bushes and ran off. Aling Iska prayed to God to save her child, and when the bandits were arrested, they searched everywhere for Maria. She was never found, but an unknown plant was seen in their backyard, one that would fold into itself when touched. They named it the Makahiya.
Photo courtesy of Smart Parenting
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