Myths and Youth

To further elaborate on this point, take for instance our creation myths. We have at least three different creation myths—The Visayan Creation Myth, The Story of Bathala, and Malakas at Maganda. These stories established a whole Pantheon of gods like Bathala, Maguayan, Kaptan, Kabunian, Diyan Masalanta, Galang Kaluluwa, etc. These stories may come with different names for the gods because each tribe has a story to tell, although the premise of the stories don’t change. Due to the Christian and Islamic influence in the 17th Century, most Filipinos believe in a single Supreme Being, albeit follow the ancient traditions.

These myths were created even before the different colonisers came to Philippine soil. Take for instance the different stories surrounding Maria Makiling, which tells of a beautiful maiden or Diwata who inhabits the forests of Mount Makiling and protects the animals and creatures from those who desire to harm it. In folklore she is often presented as kind and generous toward mortals, often giving them gifts and blessings. However, when she is wronged by selfish humans she flies into rage and withdraws from the mortal world, never to be seen again.

There is also the Legend of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, which shows family oriented values in the different character. The legend tells us of a Father Sun who longed to kiss his children, the stars, but every time he got close to his children he melted them and deformed them. The Mother Moon worried about her children constantly nagged the Sun to stop doing so because she did not want her children to suffer. One day, the Sun no longer wanting to hear the Moon’s constant nagging flew into rage and struck her leaving her with craters and holes. Afterwards, the Sun and Moon, who took their children with her, became estranged and only took the sky at different times of day never to see the other ever again.

Another example is the Legend of the Sugarcane. The story tells of an accomplished...