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;_ 'i{ I TUWAANG TUWAANG Published lgSB; 7925. Transcriber, E. Arsenio Manuel, The Maiden."f !: Buhong Sky, a Co,;ii;;, Song From the Bagobi FoIk Epic ho_oong, euezon Cty: UP Press, 195g. Transcriblr, E. Arsenio Manuel, llrwaang Attends.a_Wedding, euezon City; Ateneo University Press, 1925. Tuwaang is the- epic of the Manobo, a group occrrpying the boundary area of Cotabato, BukiXnon, and Davao in Mindanao, near the areas occupied by lTl"g:l and Tagbanwa. There are over 5O Tuwaani songs, but thus far, only two songs from the epic havE been published. Both aie in the Nianobo language and are perfon4ed during wa.kes,. weddings, tdikrgfi; , rituals, and hunts. The first is Mangiaayt nuhing ni Langit (The Maiden of the Buhong"Sky), .e"o.auf, ny E. Arsenio Manuel an-d publish"? *iin an Englisir translation in a_ journal in 1952. It was publishe? in book form in 1958. The other is Midsakip Tnbpopa- *o!..quy^ang Attends a Wedding), recorded ind published with an English translatiJn by E. Arsenio Manuel in 1975. Manuel,s principal source for the two songs was Saddani pagayaw, hiJcompanion in Davao. Pagayaw dictated the songs or, sepa.ite occasions. He never-sung them, but learned them from one who did, a. bard named Inuk, who belonged to a family of "pi. singers. Inuk, in turn, had learied Midsakop fab)o_ poruoy from another bard, Itam. . fuI song of the Tuwaang epic is inhoduced by the singer with a proem or prelude known to the Manobo as the tabbayanon, which, intum, has twoparts: thetabbayanon proper, which elicits interest and often expresses the singe/s loves and dreams, and the bantangon, which announces the beginning of the song proper. The Manobo T=.urp".i{y receptive d.unng epic singing. Th"y express their reaction-s Eo"gh the ondion, hth; formof sighs, crie_s, a1d yells. Sometimes, their reaction lc expresied, within hearing qf the sitrger, in words of appredation or encouragement, from a simple word or phrase to a com_ plete poetic line. .Tu-!.rl sorg is about Tuwaang getting himself a wife. .Hq fu fust presented as un*uitirun""dept at making leglets, at engraving finger rings, ancl at mold_ ing chains of gold. One day, hJte[s lis sister that the wind has informed him about the Maiden of the Buhong Sky. She has come to Pinanggayungan, the counhy oi Batooy, but she refuses to talk to iny of the gallants there. Although his sister is fearful of what may result, Tuwaang_soon gears himself to journey to Batooy,s country. Transported by lightning, bedecked with iris warrior's cosfume and headdress, and armed like a gallant, he becomes the object of admiration of the maidens of pinanggayungan. He is received in the house of the young.Man- of pangavukad, who iour_ neys with him to the house of Batooy. There, Tuwaang is received. As he lies sleeping near the Maiden of thi Buhong Sky, the Maiden ,p"""kr, disrobes, and plucks a strand of Tuwaang,s iowlick. The Maiden tells Jurlaang her story: she has been running away from the Young Man oi pangumanon, a giant whose head_ dress reaches the clouds, who waits to marry her, Becauee. she rejected him, the young Man of n"r.,g.r_ manon has burnt her kingdom. Reckilssly pursued"by the gi;rnt, she has soughi shelter in the earthworld. No sooner has she finished her tale when the Young Man of pangumanon, enyeloped. in flames, arrives, killing Batooy,s people. The Voung Man oi Panga.rukad, Tuwaang,s companion, is among the last he slays. Next, he attaiks Tuwaang. The two warriors fight, but neither one of them gXins an advantage. Shields are smashed, ancl spelrs and blades are broken. 'Ilren, the young Man of pangumanon calls on his,pan.turru, a span-long-iron bar endJwed with super_ natural properties, and coils it around fuwaang. bhe pantung bursts into flames, but when Tuwaanglaises his- right hand, the fire is put out. In turn, Triwaang calls on his own pantung, i skein of gold. He calls oi the wind to fan the flames of his pantung, which gngulf tl.re Young Man of pangumanon and kill him. Tlyuung revives the dead folks by his spittle. Then, riding the lightning, he carries the Maiden on his shoulder to his country in Kuaman. Tuwaang,s sister greets them with betel chew, After resting for five days, a stranger brings death to Tuwaang,sJollowers and challenges Tuwaang. 1'hey fight, aid Tuwaang overcomes him. The hero revives his followurc ur,i takes another five-day rest. Afterwards, he gathers his people to take them to the country of Katusan, the land without death and one of the heaventy lavers of the skyworld. The people ride the sinalinfua, an airboat. Tuwaang places his,, sister and the Maiden on his shoulders and follows the sinalimba to Katusan. In the second song, Tuwaang is a wedding guest who becomes the wedcling groo*. Several motifs found in the first song r"cu. ir, Midsakop Tabpopa- ruoy, such as the announcement of the problem'by the wind, the lightning rides, and Tuwaang,s making friends along his way. Tuwaang tells his aunt that the wind has informed him about the wedding of the Maiden of Manawon. Although the aunt foresees trou_ ble, he is determined to attend the wedding, having given his y9.d. He prepares himself for thJjoumeyl taking with him his 6lade, his dagger, his shield, and his spear. Riding the lightning, he arrives at the kaw- kawangan grassland, where h1 rests and hears a bird 379
