LINK TO BLOG TO READ THE FULL MYTH: https://thepinaywriter.com/myths-from-the-philippines-hinulugang-taktak-a-tagalog-story-from-antipolo-rizal/
Today let’s discuss and learn about an old Tagalog folk story, which in my opinion looks like it could have once been an old epic that was chanted and passed down orally through generations.
This particular folklore is from Antipolo, Rizal Province in Luzon. It talks about the creation of Hinulugang Taktak, a popular waterfall in Antipolo, and a protected national park. Today there are several folk tales regarding the waterfall, such as a large bell that was thrown into the waterfall sometime in the 15th or 16th century because the locals thought it was too loud.
But this tale is much older and is practically unknown to folks today. It involves everything that one can find in a classic epic from the Philippines. A story of love, the spirits, anito, deities, men fighting for the love of a beautiful woman. To be honest, it’s such a classic example, that I truly do believe this folk story, while summarized, was actually once an elaborate epic that probably took hours to chant and recite.
This folk story involves the characters, Liwayway, the beautiful daughter of the chief, Ka-likasan, and her suitors: Malalim, the spirit of the lake, La-am, the spirit of the river, Banaag, the god of the mountains, and Sikat, the son of the supreme deity, Bathala. It also involves a sworn oath to the deities and anito, a beloved and prized gold crown, the spirits, and the anito Kidlat (lightning) and Kulog (thunder).
A tale of romance, a stolen princess, yearning for ones heart, and a tragic, but hopeful ending to the tale.
To read more about this lost Tagalog folklore and mythology from Antipolo, Rizal, check out my latest post on my blog!
