NAGING SULTAN SI PILANDOK

Ang kinagigiliwang Juan ng katagalugan ay may katumbas sa mga Maranaw - si Pilandok.Si Pilandok ay nahatulang ikulong sa isang kulungang bakal at itapon sa dagat dahil sa isang pagkakasalang kanyang ginawa.

Pagklipas ng ilang araw, ang sultan ay nanggilalas nang makita si Pilandok sa kanyang harap na nakasuot ng magarang kasuotan ng sultan. Nakasukbit sa kanyang baywang ang isang kumikislap na ginituang tabak.
"Hindi ba't itinapon ka na sa dagat?" nagtatakang tanong ng sultan kay Pilandok. "Siya pong tunay, mahal na Sultan," ang magalang na tugon ni Pilandok. "Paanong nangyaring ikaw ay nasa harap ko at nakadamit nang magara? Dapat ay patay ka na ngayon," ang wika ng sultan.

"Hindi po ako namatay, mahal na sultan sapgkat nakita ko po ang aking mga ninuno sa ilalim ng dagat nang ako'y sumapit doon. Sila po ang nagbigay sa akin ng kayamanan. Sino po ang magnanais na mamatay sa isang kahariang masagana sa lahat ng bagay?" ang paliwanag ni Pilandok. "Marahil ay nasisiraan ka ng bait," ang sabi ng ayaw maniwalang sultan. "Nalalaman ng lahat na walang kaharian sa ilalim ng dagat."

"Kasinungalingan po iyan! Bakit po naririto ako ngayon? Ako na ipinatapon ninyo sa gitna ng dagat. Ako na ikinulong pa ninyo sa hawla ay naririto ngayon at kausap ninyo," ang paliwanag ni Pilandok. "May kaharian po sa ilalim ng dagat at ang tanging paraan sa pagtungo roon ay ang pagkulong sa hawla at itapon sa gitna ng dagat. Ako po'y aalis na at marahil ay hinihintay na ako ng aking mga kamag-anak." Umakmang aalis na si Pilandok.

"Hintay," sansala ng sultan kay Pilandok. "Isama mo ako at nais kong makita ang aking mga ninuno, ang sultan ng mga sultan at ang iba ko pang kamag-anak."

Tatawagin na sana ng sultan ang mga kawal ngunit pinigil siya ni Pilandok at pinagsabihangwalang dapat makaalam ng bagay na iyon. Dapat daw ay mag-isang pupunta roon ang ultan sa loob ng isang hawla.
"Kung gayon ay ilagay mo ko sa loob ng hawla at itapon mo ako sa gitna ng dagat," ang sabi ng sultan. "Sino po angmamumuno sa kaharian sa inyong pag-alis?" ang tanong ni Pilandok. "Kapag nalaman po ng iba ang tingkol sa sinabi ko sa inyong kaharian sa ilalim ng dagat ay magnanais silang magtungo rin doon."

Sandaling nag-isip ang sultan at nakangiting nagwika, "Gagawin kitang pansamantalang sultan, Pilandok. Mag-iiwan ako ngayon din ng isang kautusang ikaw ang pansamantalang hahalili sa akin." "Hintay, mahal na Sultan," ang pigil ni Pilandok. "Hindi po ito dapat mlaman ng inyong mga ministro."

"Ano ang nararapat kong gawin?" ang usisa ng sultan. "Ililihim po natin ang bagay na ito. Basta't ipagkaloob ninyo sa akin ang inyong korona, singsing at espada. Pag nakita ang mga ito ng inyong kabig ay susundin nila ako," ang tugon ni Pilandok.

Pumayag naman ang sultan. Ibinigay na lahat kay Pilandok ang hinihingi at isinakay sa isang bangka. Pagdating sa gitna ng dagat ay inihagis ang hawlang kinalululanan ng sultan. Kaagad lumubog ang hawla at namatay ang sultan. Mula noon si Pilandok na ang naging sultan.

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Pilandok in the Kingdom of Maranaw Sea

There was once a kingdom, where a selfish, cruel, and greedy king ruled. His name was Datu Usman. In that kingdom also live a young man named Pilandok, of whose great cleverness thought and made ways of fooling and getting even with the terrible Datu. Because of this, the Datu’s anger grew more and more.

When the Datu spotted Pilandok in the kingdom, he ordered the guards to capture Pilandok, then the Datu placed a punishment upon him. Pilandok was to be tied, placed inside a cage, then thrown into the sea. The palace guards were doing so, but the weather was hot and the sea was far away. The guards then, went to the coconut trees and rested. Until, they fell asleep. At that lucky instant, a merchant was passing by so Pilandok thought quickly of a clever idea. He cried and cried saying he doesn’t want to be married to the Datu’s daughter. The merchant heard him, and he thought Pilandok was being foolish. Who doesn’t want to be married into a wealthy royal family? And the merchant got greedy.

The merchant approached Pilandok and offered to trade places with him. Pilandok agreed urgently. So the merchant freed Pilandok, exchanged clothes with him, and went inside the cage. Pilandok even adviced the merchant to shout, “I agree now to marry the princess!”

The guards only laughed at the merchant and they threw him into the deep blue sea.

After a few days, Pilandok returned to the kingdom, and the Datu was shocked. “Why are you still alive?!” he said angrily. Pilandok explained that when the Datu ordered for him to be thrown into the sea, Pilandok rather landed in a kingdom under the sea! He also found out that the ruler of the Kingdom of Maranaw Sea was his long lost cousin, and who gave him lots and lots of riches. Datu Usman believed Pilandok because Pilandok indeed was very alive and didn’t drown when thrown into the sea. He believed Pilandok even more when Pilandok said that his cousin, who ruled the Kingdom of Maranaw Sea, was inviting the Datu. And the Datu was greedy.

Datu Usman immediately ordered his guards to prepare a cage for him, inside of which he will be thrown into the kingdom at the bottom of the sea. But when they reached the seashore, the Datu was scared. What Pilandok did was he dove into the water, and when he surfaced, he was now carrying a beautiful giant pearl. And the Datu was greedy.

The Datu went inside his cage and ordered his guards to throw him into the sea. He just reminded his guards to pull the cage’s rope when it moved. But they didn’t. Pilandok was stopping them, saying the Datu and his cousin were just having fun that’s why the rope was moving.

When the roped suddenly stopped moving, the guards panicked. They pulled the rope and were shocked upon seeing that the Datu was almost dead. His stomach got so huge from drinking lots of water.

When the Datu awoke, he was mad and searched for Pilandok. But Pilandok was now nowhere in sight.

The clever Pilandok escaped once again, and had tricked once more the greedy Datu.

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Source: Pilandok in the Kingdom of Maranaw Sea
by AeDechavez in Folklore, August 9, 2009

What is SINGKIL?

SINGKIL is from the Lake Lanao region, the Singkil is a popular dance performed during celebrations and other festive entertainments by Meranaw princess and her maidens. Performed as a female only dance, the Singkil serves as either a conscious or unconscious advertisement to would-be suitors for her future marriage. The ladies graciously step in and out of clashing bamboos poles arranged in either a parallel, rectangular, or criss-cross fashion while manipulating either apir (fans), mosala (scarves), or even just their bare hands. Singkil means to entangle the feet with disturbing objects such as vines or anything in your path. It takes its name from the epic tale that the Meranaw people trace the origin of their culture. It goes as follows: In the land of Bembaran lived a brave and handsome hero prince named Paramata Bantogen. He would often leave Bembaran in search of beautiful princesses from far off lands, thus leaving Bembaran vulnerable with its most bravest warrior absent. This would make the diwatas, the guardian spirits of Bembaran, very angry. In an attempt to get Bantogen to stay, the diwatas kidnapped Princess Gandingan, a local princess with bewitching beauty whom Prince Bantogen had not yet seen. The diwatas then placed the princess in an isolated forest where Bantogen would pass on his way to the lands of his favorite ladies. As he passed through this forest, the diwatas caused in earthquake. In her freight, Princess Gandingan began to run for safety. Despite the fierce earthquake causing boulders to fall and all of nature to shake, Princess Gandingan gracefully stepped, hopped, jumped, and hurdled the little rocks and swiftly passed through the trembling trees. The valiant prince saw the frightened princess, chased her, and lead her to safety. Soon after, the earthquake stopped, leaving Prince Bantogen to admire the charming and beautiful princess and forget the beauties of other lands. Thus, Singkil mimics the trials and gracefulness of the legendary Princess Gandingan as she avoided entangling her feet in the cursed forest.

THE LEGEND OF MARIA CRISTINA FALLS

Once a upon a time, Lake Lanao in hands of Omaca-An, A giant monster, eating human beings and animals and even fishes in the water. There were thus a few people around the lake because of the monster that ate everything he saw. Many years passed when Rajah Indarapatra came with his beloved brother Rajah Solaiman. Rajah Solaiman was the first to come and he fought the giant but was killed. Rajah Indarapatra followed, looking for his brother Solaiman. Indarapatra encountered the giant Omaca-an and killed the giant man eater. On land, he looked for the ring of his brother by asking the small and b ig animals he met. On water, however, he went swimming everyday and gathered both big and small stones beneath the water. He stayed for several years along the shores of the lake, but still he did not find the ring. He constructed an irrigation system that went very far and covered a big distance which later became a river (now the Agus River). The river had a portion which dropped down a deep ravine now the Maria Cristina Falls.

Many years passed, and there lived in Maria Cristina Falls two loving sisters, namely : Maria the younger and Cristina the elder. These two beautiful ladies loved each other very much. Maria gazed everything she had to Cristina, her beloved sister. Many People knew they were the ones living near the falls. They also loved their neighbor as they loved themselves. Datus and Sultans came to ask for their hands in marriage but the sister refused. There was a man, however, son of a prominent Sultan living somewhere beside the Lake Lanao. For many years he was unhappy because he could not find a suitable partner. He roamed around the lake until he saw the two maidens of the falls. He fell in love with the two sisters but the two sisters did not know whom he really loved. Many days passed and Maria discovered that she loved him very much, which made her very sad and she went to the top of the falls and jumped. When Cristina found out the Maria was dead, she likewise went to the top of the falls and threw herself down the deep ravine. When the handsome young man discovered the situation and found the bodies, he buried them carefully under the falls. After the death of the two sisters, he never married until also died. He also named the falls, Maria Cristina after the two sister he loved.

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Source: The Legend of of Maria Cristina Falls
by Victoria J Adeva