Long ago where beliefs of our ancestors were strong that some unknown beings existed. Celestial creatures such as stars are believed to be immortal beings who can come down on land and live with mortals.
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In a very young village where the sweetest of camote/sweet potato was cultivated and the smoothest of "hanglit"- raw syrupy sugar made from sugar canes were made, there was a widower but skillful hunter named Amlahang. As skillful as he is that he would always brings home a good catch after a day's hunt. As his usual routine as a hunter after field works were done and attained he went to the mountains to hunt.
He spent the whole day looking for wild animals but he had seen nothing. Midnight came but he still has nothing to bring home and he was already at the deeper part of the forest where he did not wander before. Believing that it was a misfortune, he decided to take a rest inside the forest. He had not rested well yet when he heard ladies playful giggles not far. With doubt and surprise, he followed the direction of the noise. He thought,"who would in their right minds would come this far at this hour of the night?" Until he came near a lake,unbeknownst to him that there was a wide and beautiful lake in this part of the jungle. He was even shocked to see beautiful, naked women swimming on the lake. He watched them until he noticed wings and their "pite/tapis"(a woven wrap around native clothing for women) not afar. He taught of stealing a pair of wings so that whoever owns it could not leave and then he would invite her to be his wife.He hid in the bushes and tall grasses and waited for them to do their business.
At last,nearly day break the ladies finished taking a bath so they came off of the water to wear their "pite" and wings so that they would return to the sky where they came from. One of the lady was astonished when she found no wings for her to wear. They looked and looked but their was none.The others started to bid her goodbye for they cant do any otherwise.
Amlahang then came out from where he was hiding.He got near the woman and noticed her weeping. He talked to her and pretended as if he knew nothing of the thing the woman was lamenting of. He then convinced the lady to go with him to the village and be his wife because she can't stay in the forest forever. Left with no choice, they went down to the village. The woman then learned the ways of life of the villagers.
Years passed and they had three sons.
One day, the woman went to the field to clean the sugarcane plantation. When she was cleaning,she came to a spot with a big stone and noticed a rotten thing covered by it.Rolling the stone away, she recognized the thing to be her wings. She was so disappointed with her husband because she knew it was him who hid it. She took it with her in their house to mend it. She did not tell her husband about the thing she discovered. From then, she planned to make four pairs of wings out of her original wings so that she and her sons could return to the skies where she came from.
Everyday, whenever her husband was out to the fields,she would work on the wings not letting him know anything.Of course Amlahang wondered why but he didn’t ask the reason why his wife won’t go to the fields with him. Until all four pairs of wings were done. She then retrieved her husband’s "vangko"(spear) and called her sons out of the house. She helped them wear their wings and with the aid of her husband's spear she asked the eldest to stand on one end and lift it up telling her son to spread his wings and fly to the sky..She did it too with her second son successfully. Finally,it was the youngest turn to fly. Just as his brothers did,so did he but he failed on his first attempt. He came crushing down to the ground with a thud. Second and third attempt but to no avail. Their mother was saddened by it and so was her son. She then told her son, "You may stay to be with your father and accompany him on land. Rest assured that we will be the stars watching and looking after you and your father."
When Amlahang came home from the fields,he was saddened by the news his youngest son has met him with.
From then on Amlahang called the lake "Hiniblawan Talo" or Siniblawab Talaw by other locals.Hiniblawan meaning swimming or bathing while Talo means star. Thus,making it a "place where the stars bathed.
The boy who was left on land was believed to be one of our village ancestor.
A little knowledge about this magical place. It was believed that 2 big eels have guarded this lake before as hunters told about seeing this enchanted creatures lurking but on a second glance the creature would be gone. The lake was once clean from mosses with beautiful wild flowers around it. But,today this lake was covered with very very thick moss. Villagers believed that the enchanted eels living and protecting the said lake were gone when hunters and locals begin to frequently visit this magical place especially during the call for rain when el niño struck the village.
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The lead image was the picture of the mythical lake. Credits to the rightful owner
I actually have written this in mix Ilocano and English and sent this story on one of the facebook page when they held a contest for folklores on November 2019. It may have not won but atleast I was able to share our legend also.
Sadly, it was copy pasted by some even the introduction that I have heard it from my grandfather, and posted it on their timeline without giving credits.
09-13-21
z_graeden
our local folklores are deeply rooted to the skies and stars for some reason yet this is pretty cool to know about OwO