S9E5 - Bikol and Tagalog Me Back

stories featured in Greaking Out are usually original adaptations of classic Greek myths.

This week's story features arguing Pixie sisters, many dialects, strategic lullabies, and why it's never a good idea to sleep on the job.

Yep, it's field trip time again here at Greaking Out.

And this time we are going to the other side of the planet.

We are traveling all the way to Southeast Asia and the Philippines.

The nation of the Philippines is made up of 7,641

different islands.

It is the sixth largest island nation in the world.

And there are over 170 languages spoken in the Philippines.

That's amazing.

And it's very important to keep that in mind as you listen to our stories today.

Since the Philippines is a country made up of different islands, they all had slightly different cultures.

And some of these cultures didn't interact with each other until more modern times.

So this means that some of the regions of the Philippines have different languages, different religions, and different folktales.

Today, we're going to tell you stories from two different regions of the Philippines.

Tagalog and Bicol are two different languages spoken in the Philippines.

A standardized version of Tagalog called Filipino is generally considered to be the national language, while Bicol is only spoken in a specific region of islands in the Philippines.

So we're going to start with an old school Tagalog folktale about the moon and the sun and the stars.

It's actually two folktales, but I'm sort of combining them together here.

Many good storytellers take creative liberties and rearrange stories for a more compelling listening experience.

Right.

Thank you, Oracle.

I wasn't talking about you.

Oh,

K.

But I respect your initiative and appreciate you trying something new.

Okay, well,

thank you anyway.

You are welcome.

This is the story of why the sun shines brighter than the moon and how the stars came to be.

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful pixie who had two beautiful daughters.

Pixettes, if you will.

I won't.

Whatever.

Aro, the older one, was kind and caring, but her younger sister Buwan

was...

not so much.

Buan was very beautiful, no doubt about that, but she couldn't help comparing herself to her older sister, and Buan felt jealous a lot of the time.

After a while, this jealousy made her bitter and mean.

Sometimes her behavior was simply unacceptable and downright icky.

One night, their magical mother had had enough.

She overheard the two sisters arguing and saw for herself the cruel and nasty way Buan was treating her older sister.

You know, like using all the hot water on purpose so her sister had to take a cold shower or eating the last cookie even when she wasn't hungry.

You get it.

So the girl's mother prayed to the creator god Batala for help.

Now Batala knew that her daughters were both destined for immortality and great things.

But before he would bestow such an honor upon these two young pixies, Batala decided to put them to the test.

He wanted to make sure that they were right for the job.

So Batala traveled to Earth and disguised himself as a beggar.

He approached the two sisters as they were walking home from the market.

Donations for the poor?

The old man asked.

Of course, said Aro.

I only have a few coins left, but you are welcome to them.

Oh, and you can have this pandesal.

It's fresh.

Pandesal is the traditional bread of the Philippines.

It is semi-sweet bread that has been part of traditional Filipino breakfasts since the 16th century.

The beggar thanked the young lady and then turned to her sister.

Buan rolled her eyes and just stared at the man.

Ew, she said, you definitely need a bath.

I'm going to go stand over there, down with.

Donations for the poor?

The old man asked again.

Get lost, Buan replied.

My perfect sister already gave you some money and really good bread.

I'm not giving you anything.

Buan was about to walk away, but it was at that moment that Batala decided to reveal his true form.

There was a bright flash of light, and the beggar's tattered clothes vanished.

In their place was a bright shining light and a handsome god.

The two girls started trembling with fear, but Batala told them not to worry.

He was there to bring them gifts.

He rewarded Aral's generosity and kindness with a beautiful shining diamond, a jewel that sparkled brighter than anything in the world.

Diamonds are formed hundreds of miles underground.

They are typically brought to the Earth's surface through the force of volcanic eruptions and activities.

This one, obviously, came from somewhere else.

Okay, so you have nothing for me?

The girl asked indignantly.

You saw no beauty in me when I was just a poor beggar, Batala replied.

Your heart is full of anger, and that anger clouds your ability to see the truth.

Also, that pandasar was really excellent.

I mean, there's nothing like fresh bread, am I right?

And with that, the god vanished.

As the girls continued on their journey home, Buan became more and more enraged.

This is so unfair, she complained.

Well, maybe we could share my jewel, Aral suggested helpfully.

That's not the point, her sister replied and stormed off.

She could not let this go.

So that night, after everyone had fallen asleep, Buan used her mother's magic to travel to Batala's home and actually stole a diamond for herself.

This will show them that I am just as worthy as my sister, Buan said.

But when she returned to Earth, she noticed that her diamond, while beautiful and bright, did not shine quite the same way that Aral's did.

It was gorgeous, no doubt, but her sister's was even more gorgeous.

Gorgeser?

Gorgeous.

Is that a word?

Gorgeouser?

It's well, it was better.

Diamonds can vary greatly in size and appearance.

There are diamonds in a variety of colors.

The red diamond is considered the rarest.

There are only 20 to 30 true red diamonds in existence.

Right.

And when Buwan realized that her sister's diamond was prettier, Buwan flew into an uncontrollable rage.

She charged at her older sisters and a fight began that was so loud and so raucous that even the angels heard it.

Their mother begged for Batala to intervene.

And so, once again, he came to Earth to stop the fight.

But Buan's rage was great.

And Aral's determination to defend herself shouldn't be underestimated here either.

I mean, you know, she put up a fight.

So in order to stop things, Batala was forced to fling both daughters into the sky.

keeping them as far apart from each other as they could possibly be.

And there they remained remained and still remain for all time.

Aral's diamond shines so brightly every day that she became the sun itself and Buan became the moon shining all the way on the other side of the sky, still forever jealous of her sister.

Although they look to be about the same size, The moon is about 400 times smaller than the sun.

Oh, I bet Buwan didn't like that.

The moon can appear to be the same size as the Sun because it is 400 times closer to Earth.

Okay, well, maybe it all shakes out then.

Now, you would think that it would be the end of the fight right there.

But no, there's actually a little more to the story.

You see, even though the Sun and the Moon are on opposite sides of the world, Aral noticed that her sister was starting to creep into her territory.

Every morning after the Sun came up, the Moon would linger in the sky a little longer than it should.

And sometimes, in the evening, Buan would show up in the sky early, well before sunset.

Many creatures in the world noticed this and seemed delighted by it, but this did not sit well with Aro.

This time, she was getting a little taste of jealousy herself, and she did not like it at all.

She complained to the god of wind, Li Hanyin, and asked him to go to Buan and speak to her.

Li Han Yin was more than willing to help.

He went to the moon and asked her if she would simply stay in the night sky, but a smirk crept across Buan's face.

So now my sister knows how it feels, she said.

Naturally, she refused to stay only in the night sky, and the next morning, the moon stayed in the sky even longer than usual.

Aro was furious.

Why was her sister still there?

This was not the way the sun and the moon were supposed to behave.

She She insisted that Buwan leave, but Buwan, of course, refused.

And just like before, there was a giant fight.

The two sisters traded blows back and forth, back and forth, until finally Batale intervened and separated them.

But Arro and Buwan had fought so violently that they actually managed to break each other.

I mean, don't worry, they were okay and everything, but pieces of the moon and the sun broke off into the sky and they remain there to this day.

We call them stars.

Contrary to popular belief, stars don't actually twinkle.

The twinkle effect is caused by the different elements in the Earth's atmosphere.

Really?

So the whole twinkle, twinkle, little star thing is a lie?

Pretty much.

Okay, that's weird and a little sad.

But anyway, in the end, the moon was allowed to continue to shine upon the world in the early morning and early evening, but she would never be the same.

After the fight, Buan wasn't her full self, and sometimes she could only show part of herself in the sky.

There are eight phases of the moon.

When only a small sliver of the moon is visible in the sky, it is called a crescent moon.

That's pretty cool.

So, that's the story of the sun and the moon and the stars.

It's a myth from the Tagalog region of the Philippines.

Okay, wow, look at the time.

Where has the episode gone?

We're going to take a short break and we'll be back on the other side with more Greaking Out.

Hey, parents, if you're interested in more stories based on Filipino mythology, check out The Spirit Glass by Roshani Chakshi, a book for kids 8 through 12 from Rick Riordan Presents.

Available wherever books are sold.

Okay, back to the story.

More Greaking Out.

Now our next story comes from a little further south, the Bicol region of the Philippines.

And it's one of those folktales that has something for everyone.

Adventure, love, monsters, witches.

Snakes?

If there is something for everyone, there had better be snakes.

Well, as yes, as a matter of fact, Oracle, there are snakes.

Actually, snake, just one.

Only one?

Well, it's a very big snake.

Fine.

Maybe I can sneak in a few more.

I'll see what I can do.

Whatever.

This is another Filipino myth.

It's the story of hanyong an oreo

many many years ago there was a beautiful peaceful kingdom named ibalan it was surrounded by a lush forest with an ocean nearby and the people were protected and ruled over by a popular king named hanyong

everyone loved hanyung he was wise kind brave and handsome Even the animals in the forest loved and respected him.

He was an excellent hunter, a talented fisherman, and generally respected by all of the creatures.

Plus, he was remarkably good-looking and generally a decent dude.

But Hanyoung was worried.

He tried hard to be the good king that he knew he had to be, but he knew his people were in danger.

You see, every month when the moon was full, Monsters would come down from Mount Hantik, sneak into the forest, and then attack Ibelo.

There were monsters of all kinds.

Giant crocodiles, spiders, wild giant buffalo called carabao.

Snakes.

Okay, sure.

Yeah, there were probably snakes.

And even Punong, a one-eyed, three-throated frog creature, which seems kind of impossible to me.

I mean, how can you have three throats?

Some frogs' throats expand when they make noise.

A giant frog with three throats could probably make a deafening sound.

Well, that's a good point.

Anyway, all of these monsters were led by a giant serpent named Oreol.

Oreol was cunning and smart and determined to destroy the kingdom of Ibalan.

So one night, she commanded her army of monsters to attack the kingdom under the full moon.

But Hanyong fought them off with his sword and his spear.

Wave after wave of creatures launched themselves at the city walls, but Han Jung and a small band of warriors fought bravely.

And eventually, as dawn broke, the monsters retreated back into the forest.

Handyung exhausted was finally able to rest.

Until the next full moon, of course.

Why do these monsters want to destroy his kingdom so badly?

Well, that goes back to the giant snake Oriol.

You see, Oriel wasn't always a giant snake monster thing.

Many years ago, she was a beautiful lady.

In fact, she was the most beautiful woman in all of Ebalon.

And she was kind and

and smart.

But while this made her popular, it also made her easy for others to envy.

In particular, an evil witch named Hilong.

He Long became wildly jealous of Aureol.

She wanted to prove that the woman's kindness and joyful spirit would be destroyed forever if she wasn't beautiful.

So the witch changed Aureol into a giant serpent.

But not...

Totally.

For some reason, this kind of magic curse always seems to have an escape clause.

It's like there has to be some opportunity for the hero to get out from under it.

This is a common trope, a story element, in magical stories.

So the witch made her curse and stored it in a pitogo seed.

Pitogo trees are native to the Philippines and are similar to palm trees, but smaller.

Right, and the magic was stored in this little pitogo seed and the witch made Oreo hold on to it.

The seed would keep the spell going until Oreo found true love.

But how could that happen if she was a giant snake?

Well, fortunately, she wasn't a snake 24-7.

Every night at midnight, Auriol would change back into the form of her beautiful self.

But Auriel only saw how the villagers were terrified of her in her snake form and tried to scare her out of the village.

She thought they were kind to her because of who she was, not how pretty her face happened to be.

But as a snake, they all hated her.

After a while, the change to snake and back no longer mattered just as the witch had hoped the curse began to warp ariel's heart and she was filled with hatred for ibalan and she held on tight to that pitogo seed even though she no longer really understood why

deep in the forest the monsters were angry and frustrated every time the people of ibalan managed to escape The monsters blamed each other for their losses.

The snakes yelled at Punong, the giant frog.

You're so noisy, everyone could hear you coming from a mile away.

Instead of three throats and one eye, you should have three eyes and one throat, they said.

You wouldn't even be here right now if it wasn't for me, the triple-throated frog replied.

While Hangung was trying to strangle one of my throats, you all slithered away.

The crocodiles complained about the carabaos.

The carabaos were upset with the snake.

The arguing went on and on and on until Oriol commanded them all to be silent.

Carabao is the Filipino term for water buffalo.

Thanks, Oracle.

This is not to be confused with what we call a buffalo in America.

Those are actually more accurately called bison.

Right, two completely different animals.

Quiet!

The snake queen hissed.

It is clear that we will never break through the village walls fighting this way.

Handyung is too powerful and strong.

We will need to find another way.

I need to think.

The monsters were quiet for a bit, but it wasn't long before they began bickering and arguing among themselves again.

So, frustrated, Uryo decided to use her magic.

She sang her enchanted serpent song and within moments, all of the creatures fell into a deep sleep.

But Uryo wasn't the only one who had to come up with a plan.

Handyung had decided it was time for a new approach as well.

Instead Instead of waiting for the monsters to attack on the full moon, the handsome king decided to bring the party to them.

His plan was simple.

He would go hunting in the forest and kill every monster he found.

And so this is how Auriol and Hand Young met each other deep in the forest in the middle of the night.

Aureol had transformed into her human body.

By now, she had almost forgotten what this meant.

Whether she was human or giant snake, she was still obsessed with destroying the kingdom of Ebalon.

She was pacing back and forth by a small stream, trying to formulate a plan when she heard a noise far off that she knew didn't belong in the forest.

Silent as a snake, Oriol moved through the underbrush until she found what she was looking for.

Up ahead, she saw a figure.

A man.

Tall,

muscular.

Ridiculously good looking, cleft in his chin, spear in his hand, the works, the whole thing.

And he was trying to move very, very quietly through the forest.

She knew in an instant this man must be Ibilan's king, Handyung.

But instead of feeling rage or anger, Auriol felt strangely confused.

She was literally just trying to come up with a plan to destroy this king and his entire kingdom, but now that she was here in person with him, her feelings were changing.

Her heart fluttered a bit in her chest, and without even realizing it, Oriol let out a slight gasp.

Instantly, Handyang swung around towards the sound.

He had his bow out and an arrow notched so quickly, Oriol didn't even see it happen.

She let out a small cry and threw herself to the ground, forgetting for a moment that she was no longer a snake.

Wait, the man said.

It's okay.

We won't hurt you.

We're here to hunt monsters, not people.

Handyang moved carefully toward the young woman and offered his hand, helping her to her feet.

Once again, Ariol looked at his face and felt confused.

Her heart began to beat faster, and she found herself unsure of what to say.

What are you doing out here alone in the forest?

The king asked her.

Don't you know these woods are full of monsters?

It's dangerous here.

At the mention of monsters, Auriol regained her composure.

Her rage and determination came back to her quickly, and she swiftly tried to shake off the image of the handsome king's face.

She remembered her purpose and her plan.

Oh, I do not need to fear the monsters that roam these woods, Aureol replied.

I have an enchanted song that I use when I need it.

I can cast a spell and make them do my bidding, even lull them to sleep.

Handyung was impressed.

In fact, it almost seemed too good to be true.

That kind of ability would be very convenient right about now.

Follow me, the woman said, and I will show you where the monsters sleep.

So Oreol led Han Young and his small band of warriors deep into the woods.

They marched for a long time, and just as Han Young was about to ask where they were going, the trees gave way to a large clearing.

Through the glow of the bright moonlight, Han Young could see that there were sleeping monsters all around the clearing.

crocodiles, wild buffalo, snakes, and even Punong, the giant toad with one eye and three throats.

The hunters drew their swords and notched arrows in their bows, ready to slay the monsters in their sleep, but Handyong would not allow it.

It was dishonorable to kill an enemy in such a fashion.

No, they would wait until the monsters awoke.

Besides, the handsome king found that he wanted to spend a little more time with this mysterious and beautiful woman of the woods.

So you're a sorceress?

Handyong asked.

I have never seen a spell like this.

That's because it's not a spell, Oreo replied.

It's more of a song.

And no, I'm not a sorceress.

Let me show you.

And with that, the woman began to sing.

It was a sad and beautiful lullaby with a warm melody and a comforting rhythm.

Although none of them could tell you what the song was about, each of the hunters was instantly enthralled.

And within moments, their eyes became heavy, and they all, too, fell soundly asleep.

Although we have previously discussed the false claims depicted in common lullabies, they are incredibly effective at putting babies, children, and hunters to sleep.

All except Han Yong.

He laid down comfortably, but he didn't fall all the way asleep.

It wasn't that the spell didn't work on him.

It was more that he was under the influence of something a little more powerful.

Love.

As much as he wanted to close his eyes, he found that he couldn't remove them from the beautiful Auriol as she sang.

A small grin played across Hanyoung's face, and Auriol smiled down at him as she began the final stanza of her song.

By this time, all of the hunters were deeply asleep and snoring soundly, and Auriol knew her plan had worked.

as Handyung laid down.

Once she got rid of Handyung and this small group of warriors, it would be easy for her monsters to lay waste to all of Ebalan.

She had one.

She had just one more unpleasant task left to do.

Auriol began to change back into her serpent form, trying best not to look back at the sleepy grin on the face of the king so she wouldn't lose focus on the task at hand.

She had to bite and kill each of these warriors one by one.

Well, if Oriol had decided to take a peek at the king's face, she might have noticed the look of pure horror that had replaced his sleepy grin.

Unlike the other men, he had not fallen asleep as she had assumed.

So when she slithered up to make him the first victim, Handyung surprised the serpent, grabbed it by the throat, and began to squeeze.

The serpent hissed and raged, but could not escape the grip of the mighty king, and slowly she began to lose consciousness.

But she did not die right away.

Instead, the serpent became a woman once more.

And Hand Young discovered that instead of choking a giant serpent, his hands were now wrapped around the throat of a beautiful woman.

He immediately let go and stepped back, horrified by what he had almost done.

More horrified than he had been when he saw the woman change into a snake, in fact.

He scooped Uryul up into his arms and laid her down on a bed of soft leaves.

Despite all that she had done, Hand Young found himself begging for forgiveness from the woman.

He gazed upon her lovely face, and when her eyelids fluttered and opened a bit, he actually smiled.

The two looked at each other for just a moment.

Were they enemies?

Were they friends?

As if to answer the question, they both leaned in and kissed each other at the same time.

Why didn't he kiss the snake?

Snakes can be beautiful too.

Okay, I'm just going to say this real quick to our audience.

Don't kiss snakes.

Not only will they be confused and maybe grossed out, they also carry diseases that can make people sick, like salmonella.

And I know you have something to say about that, Oracle, but we left the story in the middle of a kiss, and we got to get back to it, okay?

Without even realizing it, Aureol let drop a small pitogo seed that she had been carrying in her hand.

As the king helped her up, he accidentally crushed the seed beneath his sandal.

There was a loud whoosh in the clearing, a burst of wind, and a flash of light which stirred the men and the animals from their sleep.

Aureol began to awaken as well with a new clarity.

Her memories of a life before the forest came flooding back to the forefront of her mind.

Her friends and community, the kingdom, the jealousy, the witch, the curse, the monsters.

The monsters!

The monsters were awake.

Oreo looked around and realized that the monsters were no longer under the control of her spell.

Oreo, Handyung, and his men were now in the center of the clearing, with the monsters snarling and prowling around the outside, just deciding who would pounce first and when.

Oreo tried to command the beast to step away, but it was clear she was no longer in control.

Handyung immediately regretted his decision to spare the monsters while they lay sleeping peacefully.

Now the monsters were snarling, anxious to finally trap and kill the man who had defeated them so many times before.

They also felt a bit betrayed by their queen.

We are no longer under your spell, Bunong cried out.

Now we see you embracing their king.

We will destroy you all.

Aureo thought fast.

Well, of course, you will, Bunong, she said admiringly.

You are the mightiest and most fearsome.

You would, of course, draw first blood.

Him?

A crocodile replied.

He doesn't do anything but croak.

Crocodiles are the most fierce.

Quite right, Oriel agreed.

Not right, the Karaboas explained.

We do all of the hard work in battle.

And we are the most dangerous, hissed the snakes.

Once again, the monsters took to arguing among themselves.

Aurel used this time to her advantage and secretly showed Handyung's men where the heart was located on every beast.

Casually, so as not to be noticed by the arguing monsters, the hunters picked up their spears and notched arrows in their bows and then launched an attack at the exact same time.

Arguing is a natural part of the social condition, but it is a very ineffective tool in battle, especially when you're arguing with your own side.

One by one, the monsters fell.

They fought back, snapping with their powerful jaws, hissing and striking, but Han Dyang and his men won the day.

Tears streamed down Oryol's face as she she watched the demise of the creatures she called friends for so many years.

Han Jong went to comfort her, but she began to wipe the tears away on her own.

They were never really my friends, Oriol decided.

When the evil witch Hilan cast her spell on me, I lost all of my real friends and family at home because they thought I was a snake.

Right then and there, Han Jong proposed to Auryol.

He begged her to return to Ibilan with him and be his wife.

Happily, Aureol agreed.

There was a great feast to honor the happy couple, and Oreol and Handyung ruled for many, many years, and Ibalan lived on in peace and prosperity.

Thank you for listening to Greaking Out.

Next week, we travel back to Greece for some minor myths.

National Geographic Kids Greaking Out is written by Jillian Hughes and Kenny Curtis and hosted by Kenny Curtis, with Tori Kerr as the oracle of Wi-Fi, audio production and sound design by Scotty Beam, and our theme song was composed by Perry Gripp.

Paul Villanova is our subject matter expert.

Emily Burkette, Lori Boda, and Juliana Schiavo are our producers, and Emily Everhart is our senior producer.