Posts

Showing posts from April, 2024

[Cordillera Folktales - Hungduan, Ifugao] 【1】BANBANLIT, A POOR MAN

Image
BANBANLIT, A POOR MAN Storyteller: Darwin Tiyab Translation: Richard Hangdaan Kinnud  Record: August 18,2023 at Lubo-ong Elementary School, Lubo-ong, Hungduan, Ifugao Province, Philippines   Banbalit was a child, and you would pity him for being an orphan. He was still a child when the father died, and soon the mother followed. He was then taken care of   by his grandma. When he grew up—when he could go from one place to another, gather firewood, and climb the mountain—his grandmother died. So Banbanlit was by himself. In their place, there is an occasion called the  imbayah , a festivity hosted by the so-called rich people that  goes on  several days. One time, one rich family in the neighborhood held this celebration. Banbanlit, because he was lowly, could only try to sneak into the occasion especially on the days of the so-called  nabah , the time when people dance. On the first day of  nabah  when he sneaked in,  there were  a lot of people gathered, most probably the rich ones. Th