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The Great Flood Myth

The Tingians, a group of pagan people inhabiting the interior hills of Abra have their own story of the

Great Deluge.

The tragic incident began with the abduction of Huitau, a sea!aiden guard of Tau!ari!u, lord of the

sea, by Aponi!tolau.

"ne day, Aponi!tolau, god!hero of the Tingians, went down to the lowlands. He wandered ailessly

through the plains until he reached the seashore. The cal blue sea, assive and yet helpless beneath

the orning sun which #ooded it with golden light, fascinated the young an. And unable to resist the

beauty of the dancing wavelets, he ade a rattan raft and rowed seaward.

"n and on he rowed until he cae to the edge of the world. There, in a place where the sea and the

s$y eet, Aponi!tolau saw a towering roc$, hoe of Tau!ari!u. lord of the sea. %t was guarded by nine

beautiful daughters of the seaweeds. The radiance of the ocean light re#ecting silver and gold upon

the greenish hair of the nine guards as they played around the palace gates, chasing one another ingay laughter, attracted the ountain lord.

Gathering the courage the Tingian warrior went nearer the palace gates. However, when he in&uired

what place it was, the aiden guard laughed at hi and lured hi further inside the palace walls. This

ade Aponi!tolau very angry. Ta$ing his agic hoo$, he lashed at the unsuspecting aidens.

The hoo$ hit the youngest and the ost beautiful aong the, Huitau. The young diwata gave a

loud and piercing screa and struggled desperately to free herself fro Aponi!tolau's grip. (ut the

agic oil which the ountain lord had placed at the tip of his hoo$ wea$ened her blood and soon she

was helpless.

A wild uproar followed as the guards screaed and #ed the gates. Aponi!tolau hurriedly pic$ed up the

unconscious body of the sea!aiden, loaded it on his rattan raft and rowed shoreward. )hortly after

the Tingian hero had left the bauwi * native hut + gates, Tau!ari!u went out of his abode to see what

was the cootion was all about. (ut he was too late.

%n his rage, Tau!ari!u suoned the waves and tunas of the sea and ordered the to bring bac$ the

intruder. The waves lashed at the raft of the ountain warrior and the tunas pushed it bac$.

Alared, Aponi!tolau cried out to his other, ang!an of -adalayapan, istress of the wind and rain,

for help. The great goddess heard her sons plea and iediately sent down strong winds to pull

Aponi!tolau and e/orts of the tunas, the Tingian warrior was able to reach the shore unhared.

(ut Tau!ari!u was furious. He iediately called a eeting of the gods and deigods of the seas

and oceans, who agreed to punish the dwellers of the land for what Aponi!tolau had done.

Fro the s$y, ang!an $new the plan. )he iediately called for the north wind and sent hi to warn

her son of the ipending #ood. )he instructed the ountain lord to go to the highest pea$ of the

0ordillera ountains for safety. "bediently, Aponi!tolau too$ the ebers of his household to the

ountain top and waited. The #ood cae. Fro his bauwi Aponi!tolau saw ighty waves sweeping

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across the plains, 1lling the valleys, and destroying the crops and wor$ing anials of the inhabitants.

Higher and higher went the water until it covered the ountain top but for the few s&uare eters

where Aponi!tolau and his household too$ shelter.

Frightened, Huitau gave a desperate cry. )he $new that she could no longer swi or live in the water

after having tasted the ountain food which her husband had given her. The char reoved herseapowers. )he iploted Tau!ari!u to save her.

Despite his anger, the water lord too$ pity upon his favourite Huitau. )i he called bac$ the water and

waves. (ut he proised that henceforth he would sin$ ens boats and drown passengers until Aponi!

tolaus crie appeased. 2hen the water subsided, Aponi!tolau and his wife went down to the lowlands

and fro the cae the people of the world.