ULAHINGAN

Region 12 : SOCCSKSARGEN

Prepared by : Leah Jane Aniasco

Province Capital

South CotabatoKoronadal City

CotabatoKidapawan City

Sultan KudaratIsulan

SarangganiAlabel

General Santos City

Region 12 : SOCCSKSARGEN

ULAHINGAN

(1) Agyu and his relatives are the characters in Ulahingan.A conflict develops between them and their rulers,usually Muslims, because of a forced tribute and thekilling of the ruler. They flee, guided by a diwata orspirit, who promises them immortality after they haveovercome various obstacles. They leave behind Mungan,the wife of Banlak who is Agyu’s brother, because shehas leprosy. Mungan, however, is the first among themto become immortal. It is she who tells Agyu and theclan to go to Aruman to await the sarimbar/salsimbaror magical flying boat that will take them to paradise.

Characters

Baybayan

Agyu

Banlak

Mungan

Midlimbag

(2) When the appointed day comes, Agyu and his relativesascend to heaven. A diwata showers them with the oil ofimmortality and gives them the betel nut of immortalityto chew. He blesses them, but tells them that theMidlimbag, the Highest God, sends them to live inNalandangan, an earthly paradise, and not in heaven.That is their reward for enduring and having confidencein the Midlimbag.

(3) However, Baybayan, Agyu’s son, does not join them in Nalandangan.Three incidents in the past explain his exclusion. He did partake of aboar which Agyu and his men had killed with the help of a meresenetew, a heavenly messenger. His withdrawal from the feast signaled thathe would not join them on their trip to paradise. Consequently, he istasked to go around the world seven times to gather converts before hecan enter paradise. A similar incident happened in Kituyed, whereBaybayan was absent in the distribution of a dead fish. Agyu againdecrees that Baybayan should circle the world and win converts beforehe can join them in heaven. Before Baybayan can start on his journey,however, Agyu’s grandfather tells him to dance the sa-ut, a circular wardance. Instead of circling three times as dictated by tradition, Baybayancircles seven times. The grandfather then declares that Baybayan mustcircle the world seven times.

(4) In his wanderings, Baybayan encounters many adventures,converting many peoples, including Chinese and Muslims. Heand his followers would stop journeying every seven days. In oneepisode, his followers run out of food and drink. They stop by atree laden with fruit. Baybayan performs the first ulahing, andthe fruit falls from the tree and turns into linepet, leaf wrappingsof rice. A bowl of viand appears beside each linepet. Baybayanand his followers feast on food, which do not run out. After morewanderings, they are finally lifted to heaven in the salimbar,where the highest katulusan, a divinity, makes them immortal.Midlimbag gives them powers of a different nature than those hehas given Agyu, and provides them with another paradise to stayin. He exhorts Baybayan to inspire mortals to perform theulahing so that they may not forget Agyu.