◈ Creation Myth • Tagalog

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The world began with no land. There was only sea and sky, and between them was a kite.

One day, with nowhere to alight, the bird grew tire of flying so she stirred up the sea until it threw its waters against the sky.

The sky, in order to restrain the sea, showered upon it many islands until it could no longer rise, but only run back and forth. Then the sky ordered the kite to settle on one of the islands to build her nest, and to leave the sea and the sky in peace.

After some time, the wind and the sea breeze got married and had a child which was a bamboo. When this bamboo was floating about on water one day, it struck the feet of the kite which was on the beach. The bird got angry, and pecked the bamboo. She bore a whole on it, and out from one section came a man, and from the other a woman.

The universe had noticed the presence of the two, and an earthquake called on all the birds and fish to see what could be done with the two. It was decided that they should marry. After the marriage that was consented by the universe, the couple born many children and from there came all the different races of the earth.

After a while, the parents grew very tired of having so many idle and lazy children around and they wished to be rid of them, but they know of no place to send them to. Time went on and the children became so numerous that the parents enjoyed no peace.

One day, in desperation, the father seized a stick and began beating them on all sides. This frightened the children that they fled in different directions, seeking a place to hide. Some concealed themselves in the walls, some ran outside, while others hid in the fireplace, and several fled to the sea.

From there, those who went into the hidden rooms of the house later became the chiefs of the islands, and those who concealed themselves in the walls became slaves. Those who ran outside were free men, and those who hid in the fireplace became who were called the Negros people. Those who fled to the sea were gone many years, and when their children came back, they were the white people.

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