Mitolohiya: Filipino Deities and Where to Find Them

◈ Creation Myth • Panay

The earth began as nothing but a bottomless pit and a world of mist. There was no heaven, nor was there earth. Everything was shapeless and formless—the earth, the sky, the sea and the air were mixed beyond recognition.

Then from the depth of this formless void appeared two gods, Tungkung Langit (Pillar of the Sky) and Alunsina (The Unmarried One). Just where these two deities came from, it is not known.

Tungkung Langit fell in love with Alunsina, and after so many years of courtship, they got married and lived in the highest realm of eternal space where the water was constantly warm and the breeze was forever cool. It was in this place where order and regularity first took place.

Tungkung Langit was an industrious, loving and kind god whose chief concern was how to impose order over the whole confused set-up of things. He assumed responsibility for the regular cosmic event. On the other hand, Alunsina was a lazy, jealous, and selfish goddess whose only work was to sit by the window of their heavenly home, and amuse herself with her pointless thoughts. Sometimes, she would go down from the house, sit down by a pool near their doorstep and comb her long, jet-black hair all day long.

One day Tunkung Langit told his wife that he would be away from home for sometime to put an end to the chaotic disturbances in the flow of time and in the position of things. The jealous Alunsina, however, sent the sea breeze to spy on Tungkung Langit. When he found out, this made him angry.

Immediately after his return from the trip, he called this act to her attention saying that it was ungodly of her to be jealous because there was no other creature living in that world except the two of them. This reproach was resented by Alunsina and a quarrel between them followed.

Tungkung Langit lost his temper. In his rage, he divested his wife of powers and drove her away. It was unknown where Alunsina went, all that's known is that she merely disappeared.

Several days after Alunsina left however, Tungkung Langit felt very lonely. He realized what he had done. Somehow, it was even too late to be sorry about the whole matter, but he did realize he took things for granted. The whole place that was once vibrant with Alunsina's sweet voice suddenly became cold and desolate.

In the morning he wake up and find himself alone, and in the afternoon when he came home, he would feel the same loneliness creeping deep in his heart because there was no one to meet him at the doorstep.

For months, Tungkung Langit lived in utter desolation. He could not find Alunsina, try hard as he would. And so, in his desperation, he decided to do something in order to forget his sorrows. For months and months he thought. His mind seemed pointless, his heart, weary and sick. But he must have to do something about his loneliness.

One day, while he was sailing across the regions of the clouds, a thought came to him. He would make a big basin of water below the sky so that he can see the image of his wife, if she were just somewhere in the regions above. And lo! the sea appeared. However, Alunsina was never seen.

After a long time, the somber sight of the lonely sea irritated Tunkung Langit. So he came down to the Middleworld, and created the land. Then he planted this with grasses, trees and flowers.

He took his wife's treasured jewels and scattered them in the sky, hoping that when Alunsina would see them she might be induced to return home. The goddess' necklace became the stars, her comb the moon and her crown the sun. However, despite all these Alunsina did not come back.

And up to this time, the old ones in Panay say that Tungkung Langit is alone in his palace in the skies. Sometimes, he would cry and his tears would fall down upon the earth. It was said that the rain is Tungkung Langit's tears, and that's why in some localities in the island of Panay, the first rain in May is received with much rejoicing and sacrifice. Incidentally, when it thunders hard, the old folks would also say that it is Tungkung Langit sobbing, calling for his beloved Alunsina to come back⁠—begging so loudly that his voice thunders across the fields and countryside.