Mitolohiya: Filipino Deities and Where to Find Them

◈ Creation Myth • Tboli

As far as the eye can see, in the beginning, the stillness made everything desolate. No mountains exist, there was only water, spread out in all creation.

The D'wata, a spirit, seeing all these said to himself, "I'll create land for all the creatures so that they will have a place to live."

As he called upon the sky, a hawk fluttered and landed beside him.

"I need you to find me soil, alright?" With a nod, the hawk set out to travel a great distance over the oceans. Despite the journey though, he could not find it.

Then the D'wata approached the dove, asking her the same. With a bow, she set out through the sky, flying continuously for eight days. Yet, like the hawk, she returned failing to find any soil. Lastly, the D'wata turned to a small and swift flying bird, the Betoti, and asked the same request they gave to the other two winged beings.

The Betoti bowed, but before setting out on his adventure, he left a message.

"If I return in eight days, it means that I have seen soil. If, however, I do not return for sixteen days, it means that something evil has happened to me," he said.

With that, the small bird searched tirelessly through the vastness, and returned as promised. He was lucky to find some soil, returning with it tucked under his wings. The D'wata opened his hands to examine the amount, thanked the Betoti, said, "we will have to spread the soil so the water can recede. Each place where you hop will become dry land."

Returning the soil to the Betoti, the small bird hopped backwards and forwards for eight days and eight nights. After those days, half the world was covered with land. Although exhausted, he was happy with what he had achieved.

"How wonderful it is to have a place to stay. Let all the snakes, pigs, horses, and other animals live in this place," he exclaimed. All the animals then moved to that place, and began to make it their dwelling.

All was peaceful with the animals living together. After a while, one beast approached the Betoti, suggesting that they should have someone to look after them.Thoughtfully, the Betoti then formed sixteen clay statues, eight male and eight female. As he was forming them, he wondered how he could make them move or speak. He turned to the D'wata. He knew about Betoti's idea, and assured him that he would help. After eight days, one of the male statues began to move. Betoti looked at the man with delight, and helped him to walk, but he could not get the man to speak even after eight days.

Finally though, the man learned, and the first words out of him were, "what a privilege it is to be called to care for the Earth and the Sky."

Though he could move and speak, the man thought to himself, "lately, it doesn't seem to be enough to merely watch over the animals. It's nice, but it does get lonely. I wish I had a companion."

As he spoke, the female statue moved, and thus became the man's partner and companion.