Talaga, Tanauan, Batangas: Historical Data Part II
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| Historical data from the National Library of the Philippines. |
PART II
PART I | PART II
[p. 7]
The people wondered at this. But the same work was never forgotten. From that time, the fairy could not be seen. Perhaps, he believed also that it was a bad omen to have a compadre from persons on earth.
2. There was a cave supposed to be dwelt by fairies. Everything the people of the village celebrated like weddings, fiestas and baptismal parties, they could harm [?] silverware and furniture from these fairies. A day before the fiesta, very poor families who could not afford to kill a pig approached the fairies and their requests we're always granted. During the rights [rites?], the fairies themselves took charge in the washing of [the] plates after the fiestas. The people of the village had to return those borrowed things immediately after the next day. These practices of dares were strictly followed for almost a scarce [?] of years. As time went on, majority of the people changed their minds. They became dishonest about their promise. Some refused to return borrowed things while others denied they had borrowed. Due to these practices, the fairies became angry with them. Things borrowed disappeared. The fairies themselves refused to appear before any man. They did all their best but were in vain. Because of the people’s dishonesty, they were never able to see fairies from that time.
3. There was an old bachelor who was a sacristan of a priest. Several times, he witnessed a balete tree near the banks of a river lighted by hundreds of fireflies at night. At about twelve o’clock on Good Friday, he walked around the tree clockwise. After the third round, a huge being grasped him. For a few minutes, they wrestled. Bearing in mind his talisman, he uttered a few Latin words of his talisman. Suddenly, the enchantment was weakened and asked for forgiveness and promised to give the man anything you liked just so he could be set free. The man would not loosen him unless he was very sure of his purpose. This enchanted being revealed his secret name and in case that the man [was] to be [of] service to him. So, from that time, the enchanted being was under the man’s command.
One night, the man went on serenading the most beautiful woman in the neighboring village. Several songs wear song but still they were not allowed to come up. It seemed as though they refused to get up from bed. The man uttered a few words and came the enchanted being to shake the house. It seemed as if it was the strongest earthquake. The house was almost torn to pieces when the father of the woman, shouted stop. The man stopped his friend. Since that time, they were afraid of the man’s powerful-strength. Sometimes, they weeding the rice fields. This enchantment did the work for them. In caingin making, where there are large stumps of wood, this enchanted being could help them pull off the trees. For a few years, this enchanted being was a great help. As years passed by, the man begin to steal. He abused his power too much. In revenge to him, the enchanted being was never seen by him or by any other man on earth.
Legend: Long ago, there was a group of houses inhabited by a few people in a village which lies between Janopol and Bilog-bilog. It had no name. Late in the afternoon, a group of Spaniards happened to pass by some men carry water in bamboo tubes. The Spaniards inquired the name of the barrio. The natives where astonished to hear [the] Spanish language they had not heard before. They were frightened and answered in concert, “Talaga.” This was settled unconsciously. From that time on they called it Talaga.
Beliefs:
1. It is believed that the sun is fixed, the world is round, and it revolves around the sun in one year.
2. That during showery dark nights, fledging lamps could be seen hovering above the Elem. School Building.
3. That Maria Makiling is still living.
4. That Apolinario Mabini is a saint because his body has never become spoiled.
5. That Apolinario Mabini is still living but refuses to be seen by living people.
6. During rainy days and the sound of a rice mill is heard far away in the western barrio, dry season will follow.
7. That when either the wedding ring slips and falls, shows early and sudden death to the victim.
8. That on the fourth day of the death, his soul wanders in the house at night.
[p. 8]
9. That when thunder is heard first, it will not rain that very time.
Origin: In the beginning, before the creation of heaven and earth, there arose in God’s mind a king thought would you called “Gumamela Celis,” which meant flower of heaven, or “Rosa Mundi” the “Highest.” From this thought of His, He wanted pious spirits that would help Him in His creation. His first plan was that large and tall trees would bear large fruits while small trees, vines, and creeping plants will bear small fruits. Upon His second thought, He realized that it was not the correct idea, so, He reversed his plan. The small trees should bear larger fruits while the tall trees should bear large fruits while the tall trees should bear small fruits, because in the course of time, when these ripen, passers-by who might happen to [take] refuge [or] shelter under the shady branches might endanger themselves. The large fruits might fall and hurt them. That was the first time God distraged [?] His thoughts of plan for the creation.
While He was thinking again for the second time, His right side perspired. Upon wiping it with His right hand and dropping it, the twelve drops became eight spirits. Again, wiping the perspiration from His left side and doing the same, eight drops where transform to eight spirits. Out of these twenty-four spirits, God selected only three who would aid Him in His creation. These were the Holy Trinity.
It what Sunday when God first created hell or “Averni,” a place where the evil spirits would dwell in the days to come. The following day, heaven was created. At first, the earth was without form or void and darkness, was up on the face of the deep. Upon seeing that, he ordered it [to] rotate and move above. He divided the light from the darkness, then He called light day and darkness night.
The second day, He created the firmament amidst the water which divided the waters from the waters. He called the firmament heaven. He ordered all the water under the heaven [to] be gathered together and He called it seas, lakes, and oceans. He ordered running water which continued supplying the larger bodies of water. These He called rivers. Water from different sources where either fresh-salty or bitter. From these different bodies of water, God ordered fishes of different kinds to inhabit these places. But before water was ordered, there were different land forms like valleys, plains, plateaus, hills, rushes in these features could be seen underwater as what we see on land. From these different land forms, God ordered kinds of grasses, plants, and trees of different kinds to grow on them. He ordered different insects, birds, fowls and animals, some of which would be tamed and domesticated, while others would remain in forests and mountains and remain fierce. God ordered each pair of these to multiply.
Natural caves could be seen because they became the shelter for fears animals like lions, foxes and others to shelter themselves for protection against the supposed created men and women. Then, God made a sign of the Divide, four months, seasons and years. There were two lights, while the moon, to rule the smaller light, the night. There were the moon, sun and stars and planets like Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto, Mars and Mercury.
It was on Friday when God got a handful of soil and shaped it like His image. He breathed life into it and [it] became the first man, Adam. Upon seeing that Adam was lonely, because he was alone, He ordered him to sleep and while sleeping, God took one of his left ribs. He breathe life to eat and [it] became Eve, the partner of Adam. Then God ordered both of them, “Ye go out and multiply. You will dominate over the water land and fields, birds and animals.” He ordered [them] to have supreme domination over the Garden of Eden, where varieties of fruits and foods abounded. These two were supposed not to have suffered hunger, heat, tiredness. But because they had violated God’s will, they were punished and cursed. From them, we inherit our hardships, lamentations and death. Death for every living being was sentenced upon reaching the destined time.
In the long course of time, people of different kinds settled in different places like continents, countries and islands. Some lived with the love of God while majority refused to recognize God’s power so that calamities sent every now and then to remind people of the last belief in God. Some of the punishments are epidemics, floods, or typhoons, droughts and war. When majority of the people in the place are doing evils, God since earthquakes, lightning, and thunder. These remind people that there is one God
[p. 9]
Almighty who causes all the things around us. God ordered changes in climate due to the position of the earth and its rotation and revolution around the sun. These cause the variation of crops growing and different places in the world.
The Origin of Eclipses: When the moon passes between the earth and sun, and its shadow falls on the earth’s surface, that portion of the earth has an eclipse. When the sun is hidden from us, then we say we have a total eclipse, and when only a part, we have the partial eclipse.
The lunar or moon eclipse is the result when the earth passes between the moon and the sun and the shadow of the earth strikes the moon. When the moon, the earth and the sun are in a straight line, there is a total eclipse. When only a part of the moon is covered by the shadow of the earth, we say we have a partial eclipse of the moon.
12. Popular songs, games and amusements:
1. The common songs in the barrio are those sung in school. Mostly, the present mothers are products of the public schools, so the songs are school songs.
2. Aside from those songs, we have also the following:
b. Dalagang Silangan
c. Bayan Ko
d. Dalagang Filipina
e. Sa Dakong Sikatan
b. Games:
b. Games of the children.
c. Amusements::
b. Gambling
c. Going to the show in the poblacion.
d. Playing cards:
2. Ungguyan
3. Rive
4. Pakito
5. Split
13. Puzzles and Riddles:
1. Nagtanim ako ng dayap sa gitna ng dagat, marami ang humanap, isa lamang ang nagkapalad.
2. Itinapon ang bigas, kunuha ang hugas. (Coconut)
3. Maitim na parang uwak, maputing parang busilak, walang paa’y naglalakad, at sa hari’y nakipag-usap. (Letter)
4. In water he can be drowned, in fire he cannot be burned. (Shadow)
5. Tatlong magkakaibigan, magkakalayong bayan, kung magkainan, ay magkakaharapan. (Ikmo, Apog, Bunga)
6. May puno, walang sanga, may dahon, walang bunga. (Ladle)
[p. 10]
7. Alin ang itlog na may buntot? (Lisa)
8. Isang senyora, nakaupo sa tasa. (Kasoy)
14. Proverbs and Sayings:
1. What will you do with the grass if the horse is already dead?
2. He who goes with the wolf learns to growl.
3. If I lost my ring, I still have my finger.
4. Little leaks sink big ships.
5. God helps those who help themselves.
6. Remember that time is gold.
7. Before you cross the river, see if there is any crocodile.
8. A hero who is wounded in battle becomes braver.
9. If you plant wind, you will harvest [a] storm.
10. Do not do unto others what you do not want others [to] do unto you.
11. Work, work, work is the key to open the door to plenty.
12. Better late than never is not half as better as better never late.
13. A sleeping shrimp is carried by the stream.
14. If it [is] really a sugarcane, it is sweet up to the end.
15. The earth hears, the news has wings.
16. There is no such high fence for one who is frightened.
17. An act of kindness drives away sorrows.
18. A happy face brings joy around.
19. If you can’t fly, you crawl.
20. One who does not look back from where he came from will never reach his destination.
15. Methods of Measuring Time:
2. By the use of the shadows.
3. By looking at the position of the sun.
4. By the crowing of the rooster at night.
5. When the chickens perch on the trees in the late afternoon, it is 6:00 P.M. and when they go down in the morning, it is 6:00 A.M.
6. With the use of the stars and the constellations.
7. By looking at the pupils of the eyes of the cat.
16. Other Folktales:
Part Three: Other Information
17. Information on books and documents treating of the Philippines: None.
[p. 11]
18. The names of Filipino authors born or residing in the community:
1. Author: Apolinario Mabini
2. Writings:
a. The Rise and Fall of the Philippine Revolution (This book was sold to the Phil. Gov’t for ₱2,700.00. It is now found in the National Library and Museum.)
b. The Ten Decalogue.
c. The Malolos Constitution.
PART I | PART II