1
one of the stories about the creation of the world, which the old folks of panay,
especially those living near the mountain, do not tire relating, tells us that in the
beginning there was no heaven or earth—only a bottomless deep and a world of mist.
everything was shapeless and formless—the earth, the sky, the sea, and the air were
almost all mixed up.
2
then from the depth of this formless void, there
appeared two gods, —tungkung langit and alunsina. just
where the two deities came from it was not known. however,
it is related that tungkung langit fell in love with alunsina
and, after so many years of courtship, they got married and
had their abode in the highest realm of the eternal space
where the water was constantly warm and the breeze was
forever cool. it was in this place where order and regularity
first took place.
3
tungkung langit was an industrious, loving, and kind
god whose chief concern was how to impose order over the
whole confused set-up of things. he assumed responsibility for the regular cosmic
movement. on the other hand, alunsina was a lazy, jealous, and selfish goddess whose
only work was to sit by the window of their heavenly home, and amuse herself with her
pointless thoughts. sometimes, she would go down from the house, sit down by a pool
near their doorstep and comb her long, jet-black hair all day long.
4
one day tungkung langit told his wife that he would be away from home for
sometime to put an end to the chaotic disturbances in the flow of time and in the
position of things. the jealous alunsina, however, sent the sea breeze to spy on
tungkung langit. this made the latter very angry upon knowing about it.
5
immediately after his return from the trip, he called this act to her attention
saying that it was ungodly of her to be jealous, there being no other creature living in the
world except the two of them. this reproach was resented by alunsina, and a quarrel
between them followed.
6
tungkung langit lost his temper. in this rage, he divested his wife of powers and
drove her away. no one knew where alunsina went; she merely disappeared.
7
several days after alunsina left, however, tungkung langit felt very lonely. he
realized what he had done. somehow, it was too late even to be sorry about the whole
matter. the whole place once vibrant with alunsina‘s sweet voice, suddenly became
cold and desolate. in the morning, when he woke up he would find himself alone and in
the afternoon when he came home, he would feel the same loneliness creeping deep in
his heart because there was no one to meet him at the doorstep or soothe the aching
muscles of his arms.
8
for months, tungkung langit lived in utter desolation. he could not find
alunsina, try hard as he would. and so, in his desperation, he decided to do something
in order to forget his sorrows. for months and months he thought. his mind seemed
pointless, his heart, weary, and sick. but he must have to do something about his
loneliness.
9
one day, while he was sailing across the regions of the clouds, a thought came
to him. he would make a big basin of water below the sky so that he can see the image
of his wife, if she were just somewhere in the regions above. and lo! the sea appeared.
however, alunsina was never seen.
10
after a long time, the somber sight of the lonely sea irritated tungkung langit.
so he came down to the middleworld and created the land; then he planted this with
grasses, trees, and flowers. he took his wife‘s treasured jewels and scattered them in
the sky, hoping that when alunsina would see them she might be induced to return
home. the goddess‘ necklace became the stars, her comb the moon, and her crown the
sun. however, despite all these alunsina did not come back.
11
and up to this time, the folks in panay say that tungkung langit is alone in his
palace in the skies. sometimes, he would cry out of his pent-up emotions and his tears
would fall down upon the earth. the people say that rain is tungkung langit‘s tears and
that is why in some localities in the island of panay, the first rain in may is received with
much rejoicing and sacrifice. incidentally, when it thunders hard, the old folks also say
that it is tungkung langit sobbing, calling for his beloved alunsina to come back –
entreating her so hard that his voice thunders across the fields and countryside.
