![]() Their names were Mentail, Micael, Mintlafis, and Osman Ali. Then he called for his four brothers from the four corners of the world. “My sister has been envious of my works again,” muttered Sualla, and he felt sorry. “The king of the demons took it away from me,” replied the man. “What did you do to the medicine I gave you?” Sualla asked. The wife again sent her husband to their creator, this time to ask for a burial place for their dead son. When he arrived home, the omat gave the medicine to his boy. As soon as Sualla’s creation had back what he thought was his medicine, he hurried on. The omat did not answer, so the king of the demons grabbed the medicine and deftly changed it. “What do you have in your hand there?” the king of the demons asked. On his way the omat met the king of the demons who had been sent by Sinonggol, the sister of Sualla. Do not let him see or take hold of the medicine I have given you.” He gave the necessary medicine for the sick boy.īefore sending the man away, however, Sualla said, “You will meet a man on your way. When Sualla heard that his omat (man-creation) was in distress, he was sorry and said that he would never again directly increase his human creations. The woman sent her husband to Sualla to ask medicine for their sick child. He became sick, and the parents were much worried. His cry was so loud that it was heard throughout the universe. But, alas, the boy would never stop crying. Not long afterwards a very good looking son was born. But the first man was always sad and lonely, he took one of the man’s ribs and made a woman of it. The khnenentao he touched was given life and thus the first man was created. When he arrived, Sualla touched one of the central figures. The eight khnenentaos were made from the pith of a very hard wood, and had been there since the beginning of time. One day Sualla went to the palace of the rising sun to visit eight khnenentaos (statue) which stood against the walls of heaven. Both Sualla and his sister were very powerful, and were able change any object to other forms. Sualla had a sister who lived in Bonggo, the kingdom of the dead. In those days of long, long ago, there already lived in heaven a being whom the Tirurays knew as Sualla (or Tullus-God). The Creation of the EarthĬountless ages ago, there was no land throughout the world. Otley Beyer pointed out regarding the flood myths of the Philippines, “I see no good reason why the story should not also be a native development in spite of its similarity to the Hebrew myth.” It is likely, of course, that this aspect was taken from a biblical story brought by Christians several generations past but it was incorporated into something uniquely native. The Tiruray ‘Creation of the Earth’ tale is no exception as it includes how woman was created from the rib of the first man. According to the second chapter of Genesis, Eve was created by God (Yahweh) by taking her from the rib of Adam, to be Adam’s companion. Some people tend to discount Philippine myths that incorporate Christian motifs, but I personally find them fascinating. The influence of Christianity and Islam can be seen in some of their creation myths. However, many still keep the old beliefs and practice indigenous rituals. The Roman Catholics and the Episcopalian church have been working among them for a long time and many ‘modernized’ Tirurays have been converted. Tirurays who have close contact with the Muslim Maguindanao were influenced to believe the Islam faith. Indigenous beliefs and practice, customs and rituals are animistic. The majority of Tiruray habitations are in Upi, South Upi, Dinaig, and Ampatuan in Maguindanao (ARMM), plus scattered populations in Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato (SOCCSKSARGEN Region). Their language, another distinct ethnolinguistic group, is structurally related to those of the Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian family but is unintelligible to their immediate neighbors. In fact, Tiruray is a combination of tiru (“place of origin, birth, or residence”) and ray (from daya, meaning “upper part of a stream or river”). There are coastal, river, and mountain Tiruray groups, each of which has variations in dialect.
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