In the beginning the sky was very low; it was possible to touch it with a long bamboo pole. Because of this proximity, everything on earth was burnt by the intense heat of the sun. The rivers and the seas were boiling tremendously.
Then suddenly, from nowhere, a huge man appeared on earth. This enormous being was called Maykapal. Some of the ancient Tagalogs said that Maykapal was the lord of the universe who came down to earth to correct some mistakes in his work. However, unable to get rest from the intense heat, Maykapal got mad one day. With his hands, he raised the sky to its present height.
In spite of this change, however, the heat from the sun was still unbearable. In those days, it was said that the sun had two eyes and the heat it gave was twice as much as we have now. In his disgust, Maykapal took his bolo and pierced one of the eyes of the sun. As a result of this incident, the old folk say, the sun became one-eyed and it was this reason that, since then, it generated just enough light to sustain life on earth. But despite this well-regulated heat from the sun, Maykapal was not contented with his handiwork. The sight of the cold and barren earth made him lonely. So one day, he took some curious looking seeds from his pocket and sowed them. Then he tore the clouds and the first rain came. A few days later, the earth was covered with plants and flowers.
With these innovations completed, Maykapal decided to furnish the world with light. The enveloping darkness at night made him feel insecure. He knew he was alone but he could not understand his own feelings. So he picked up some queer-looking and glittering shells from the beach, willed that they should have light, and hung them in the sky. These became the stars and the moon. Contented now, he returned to his abode by way of Mount Arayat.
*NOTE: The Tagalog ‘creator’ has been mentioned as Bathala, Bathala Maykapal, Maykapal, and Lumikha. These could be regional and time variances or misinterpretation from the chronicler. Yes, the image is very ‘Greek’, but this was the style of komik artists at the time.
SOURCE & IMAGE:
Outline of Philippine Mythology
F. Landa Jocano
Centro Escolar University, 1969
ALSO READ: The TAGALOGS Origin Myths: Bathala the Creator
Jordan Clark is a Canadian born descendant of Scottish immigrants living on the homelands of the Lekwungen speaking peoples. His interest in Philippine myth and folklore began in 2004. Finding it difficult to track down resources on the topic, he founded The Aswang Project in 2006. Shortly after, he embarked on a 5 year journey, along with producing partner Cheryl Anne del Rosario, to make the 2011 feature length documentary THE ASWANG PHENOMENON – an exploration of the aswang myth and its effects on Philippine society. In 2015 he directed “The Creatures of Philippine Mythology” web-series, which features 3 folkloric beings from the Philippines – the TIKBALANG, KAPRE and BAKUNAWA. Episodes are available to watch on YouTube. Jordan recently oversaw the editing for the English language release of Ferdinand Blumentritt’s DICCIONARIO MITOLÓGICO DE FILIPINAS (Dictionary of Philippine Mythology) and is working on two more releases with fellow creators scheduled for release later this year. When his nose isn’t in a book, he spends time with his amazing Filipina wife of 20 years and their smart and wonderful teenaged daughter.
