Folklore from Malolos
Tagalog Paper No. 575 FOLKLORE FROM MALOLOS By: Claro T. Martin - - - Classification 1.- TAGALOG: Malolos, Bulakan Province 2.- Summary: Folklore: Legends. - - - Manila January 22, 1925
Juan and His Rooster
Juan was a busy farmer who lived with his lazy, stiff-necked wife. He began work on the farm from dawn to sunset. But when he came home, his wife would neither talk or show him any single sign of love. His clothes which are practically raggy as compared to or in contrast to his wife's decent clothings for she has many" camisas" and "sayas". Every day such is the atmosphere of Juan's cottage. But one day, while he is in his poultry yard feeding his foals— for he has fifty hens and one rooster— he heard the conversation of the rooster and the turkey-gobbler who seems to envy the lot of the rooster. “Why do you enjoy your life on this farm? You seem to be content and happy," was the turkey's question. "I am only one rooster here and I am their chief who holds the absolute sway all over them. None would dare to disobey me," was the rooster's reply. Struck by the reply of the rooster on the superiority of man over his wife, Juan immediately took his whip, looked for his wife and upon seeing her he whipped her until the wife made her submissive entreaty. From that time on Juan had a happy farm life with the helping hand of his wife.
Juan, the Greedy Boy
Maria was a bibingkera (seller of bibingka) in a little barrio who had a son called Juan. Everyday Juan was sent to the neighboring barrios to sell bibingkas. For about a month, Juan always came with his empty basket but no money in his pocket. He told his mother the cause of this. He said that his “sukis” were buying the bibingkas on credit. But still the mother could not believe his son. So one day she followed Juan and she found out that Juan never went far but hid behind some bamboo thickets where he usually ate the bibingkas. In payment of this foolishness of Juan, he was given a cavan of whip and to plow the field in punishment.
The Tiyanaks
The tiyanak is a spirit of the underworld. It was formerly the current belief that they are the spirits of childs who die unchristened and of those sinful persons. Those spirits do no harm the people but they play with them in a way they please. According to stories, they appear frequently in dark, solitary places where there are few people. And during nights when the moon is rising with a little shower they are believed to appear even around the homes and others say that this is the most favorable time for their recreation.
If a person invades the haunts of these black spirits, he surely is at their mercy of being played with. The fishermen and farmers of the remote barrios are often victims of the tiyanacs. Sometimes the farmer catches many fishes and when he reaches home, he finds out that they are only blocks of wood or pebbles. Sometimes they would stop the banca of the fishermen and do lead him astray. Some people believe that one can prevent such whims and jokes of the tiyanaks by making the sign of the cross and reciting the Ave Maria.
Gusting na Vivos
Gusting (Agustin) was the son of a farmer. He was nicknamed "vivos” because of the fact that he interpreted commands too literally. One day, he was asked by his father to clean their yard. He did what he was told to do and afterwards piled the dirts which he had swept near the cottage. Then the father saw that the dirts were piled very near their cottage, and so he told Gusting not to pile them there again but instead at the nearby bamboo grove or "Meycawayan".
The other day, Gusting was naked again to clean the yard. After piling the dirt on one side of the yard, he took their cart and put all the wates on it. Then he harnessed the carabao to the dart and then proceeded on his way. For two days Gusting, the card and the carabao were being looked for by his father. But on the third day, Gusting arrived with carabao and the cart. On being naked he had gone, Gusting replied that he had been to Meycawayan ( a town’s name, which means, near the bamboo). Gusting did this foolishness as a joke to his father. And so as a punishment for it he was given a cavan of whip.
Another of Gusting's stories is an incident between him and the priest. One Sunday morning, Gusting went to town riding on his carabao. It happened that day was the town fiesta. And while he was passing near the “patio” of the church, a “verso” was fired. On hearing the verse, the carabao ran wild leaving Gusting behind. The carabao entered the church where a mass was being held. Then Gusting followed it there. The priest noticed the commotion and asked the “Mayor” in a silent way to look into the matter. So the “Mayor” did so and found out the trouble Gusting was causing.
After the mass the priest, who was a cure, scolded the naked Gusting for what he had done. And in punishment he told Gusting to set his feet on any piece of land belonging to the church. The Sunday Gusting was riding on his cart, dream again by his wild carabao. On the floor of his cart were earths dug from their yard. He entered the church on his card and was soon by the “Mayor”, who reported him to the oars after the mass. Then he was called again by the cura,
Gusting was being asked why he was on his domain again, he replied that the earth on whuch he was stepping does not belong to church but theirs. And there upon the cura laughed and asked Gusting to dine with him.
Saze Gold
Malolos proper had formerly two churches. The large one was destroyed by fire during the battle between the insurgents and the Americans. And during that period of being ruined, a small church was built which was again demolished after the rebuilding of the ruins of the old— which is how the present Roman Catholic Church, in Malolos proper. There was a story current among the old people about these two churches. It is said that under the altar of these two churches, there are golds which do not appear as mine or ingots as we take gold to be, but they existed in the form of animals.
Under the altar of the large one, there was a gold crocodile and gold hen with her gold chickens under the altar of another one. Many old superstitious people of the town said that formerly, they saw the crocodile and the hen appearing in dark nights. This was accepted to be true by ignorant people by the remote barrios, especially farmers. But now (the old folks) say that they are no longer there and have sunk deeper underground. Some say that they were carried away by the “Americans.” It was formerly the common belief of the barrio people and especially farmers that gold exists in the form of animals and not as mines in the form of ones. But now, they accept tge existence of gold mines and reject the old belief.
Pedro’s Courtship
Pedro was an old bachelor. He was very eager to find a wife, but he did not know how to court a lady. For one to help in his hardships especially in courting, he had a best friend named Juan. Whenever Pedro wished to make an interview with the lady he loves he had Juan as his assistant who speak for him – in other words Juan is courting by proxy, he courts the lady for Pedro. But in many cases, it was not Pedro who was loved or who won the girl but Juan.
But at last Pedro won the love of Maria. They agreed that they would elope. On this matter, Pedro asked the advice of Juan, and then later gave him many. One of which is that whenever he feels something hot that falls on his body, he must be sure it was a bullet and somebody must be on the watch, and that he must immediately run away.
The appointed courting came. Pedro waited for Maria under acacia where a lion was resting. When he saw that Maria was coming, he rejoiced very much but unfortunately for him he felt something hot on his back. Upon feeling it, he shouted and ran away leaving Maria. This disappointment of Maria made her change her mind and she rejected Pedro. So Pedro lost his hope did not try anymore to court any lady.
Laki, the Man in the Moon
One there lived a couple in the mountains. They had a son whose name was Laki. Laki was boy of thirteen who was not ugly nor handsome. But this boy was very ambitous of being handsome and tall at the same time. One day, while Laki was playing with the animals of the forest and the birds, a “duende” (dwarf) appeared before him. The “duende” are believed to have the power of transforming man into any form they wanted. Struck by the loveliness of Laki and his kindness to the animals around him, the "duende" asked him what he wanted to be. And Laki replied that he wished to be tall and large and handsome. So the “duende” transformed Laki to the form, the later wished himself to be. Afterwards Laki went to a nearby pond and looked at himself. He was very much surprised at seeing a very handsome boy on the pond – this was his image. When he went home, his parents were surprised at seeing the tall, handsome boy – they could not believe the boy at first but the boy explained the matter.
Years later, the people of the moon happened to need a king. They wanted a king who was tall and handsome. And Laki was seen by the people of the moon, so they asked him to be their king. Laki with sadness accepted the offer.
He left the earth on a charlot of solid gold drawn by four white horses. For many years until at present, Laki is on the moon as the ruler of the people there. And at every half and quarter moon, he shows himself in the form of a profile at the interior arc to the people of the earth.
Sinukuan
Many old people especially in Central Luzon believe that every mountain had each enchanter or enchantress. Thus, the enchantress of Mt. Arayat is Sinukuan; of the mountains of San Mateo as the enchanter; of Mt. Makiling. Makiling is the enchantress and of Taal Volcano. Taal as the enchanter.
But among these enchanters and enchantresses, Sinukuan is signified by the word of the most powerful. It was believed that all animals and plants in the realm of Sinukuan were extraordinarily large. And that she had the power of transforming man to any form she wanted.
San Mateo came to her one day and paid her a visit. In this visit to San Mateo, his purpose was to court sinukuan. As she did not feel any liking to San Mateo, she made fun of him by changing him into a rooster and led him to San Mateo Mountains where hers ascended his original form.
But Taal being a handsome enchanter was accepted by Sinukuan and they were married. One day a household conflict took place between the two. Taal went back to his Mountains. Taal Volcano was then only a solid volcano. Because of Sinukuan’s fury, she threw large pieces of stone to Taal Volcano. The stone struck the mountain and it was broken into smaller mountains. So that now, the Taal volcano is not a single solid mountain.