Oral Traditions and Expressions, Including Language

AN EVIL SPIRIT lives in a spring near the kalangbanwa (big house) in honor of Ampu, the
river Tabunganan. Tuwan Putli, with her Master of the Rice. Gongs are played and the

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cousin Ambaynan, goes there to fish. One ladies dance.
day, Tuwan Putli disappears in the river.
Ambaynan sees blood in her fish basket and The Young Man of the Clouds hears the
returns to report the disappearance. Tuwan music and joins the celebration. However, the

udaman Epic
Putlis husband, Muta-Muta, was ordered by dreaded Ilanun army also hears the music and
her father to search for her but he disobeys. decides to test Kudamans mettle. Kudaman
Muta-Muta turns to the Young Man of the calmly waits for the Ilanun and invites them,
Clouds for assistance, who accepts on the but they reject the invitation. Angered, Muta-
condition that Tuwan Putli will become his if Muta attacks them, joined by the Young Man
he succeeds. The Young Man of the Clouds of the Clouds. They fight for seven years,
finds a fragment of Tuwan Putlis toenail in the taking them to several levels of the world, but
PALAWAN, SOUTHERN PALAWAN ISLAND PROVINCE, CENTRAL teeth of a crocodile that accidentally ate Tuwan Kudaman wins in the end.
PHILIPPINES. This is one of the epic poems of the Palawan of Palawan province. Putli. The Young Man retrieves the fragment
Composed of six songs, it takes about seven days to chant this epic. The first night introduces and puts this in a golden chest. Later, they Kudaman and the Young Man of the
the epic; each of the songs takes one night to perform. The hero, Kudaman, appears after hear the voice of Tuwan Putli from the chest, Clouds return home together, passing by
begging to be let out. She emerges bathed the house of Limbuhanan, his first cousin.
the introduction.
in golden light. Learning of the events, she The Lady of the Agoho Tree offers to
consents to live with the Young Man of the accompany the heroes back home. Upon
Clouds. arrival, the celebration resumes where jural
matters are discussed regarding marriage
Later on, the Young Man of the Clouds falls rules, relationships and others. Kudaman finds
in love with the Lady of the Sea-Beings, the himself in a state of stupor from the drinking,
wife of Kudaman. The Young Man wins her and is transported to another universe. He is
love, alienating Tuwan Putli, who leaves him. brought back to consciousness to see the face
Kudaman decides to bring the Lady of the Sea- of the Lady of the Hooks, whom he proposes
Beings to her father, Surutan Tamparan, the to marry. He chews betel and spits at the
sultan of the seacoast. On his journey back on dead Ilanun army, reviving them, who then
board Linggisan (the Purple Heron), Kudaman surrender to him.
meets Tuwan Putli who accepts a betel-nut
from him. She becomes his puun or principal Earlier, there was conflict over Tuwan
wife. When Surutan Tamparan finds out that Putli between Kudaman and the chief judge
his daughter has left Kudaman, he beheads her, of Pinagsaraan. The Lady of the Luray Tree,
but she emerges from death lovelier than ever. the wife of the chief judge of Pinagsaraan,
proposed that Tuwan Putli be cut in two.
Muta-Muta, Tuwan Putlis first husband, and Kudaman slices her. Each half, however,
his brother, Datu of Ligayan, visit Kudaman became a lovelier Tuwan Putli.
and offer a blood compact that reminds Muta-
Muta that Tuwan Putli is now Kudamans wife. The epic continues with Kudamans travels
Muta-Muta asks to stay in Kudamans place to to other lands where feasts are held. In one of
Renato S. Rastrollo / NCCA - ICH (Estrella, 2011)
which the latter agrees and builds him a house. these, he drinks one hundred and eighty jars of
The mythical river, Tabunganan, where the story of the epic chant of the Palawan people, began. They celebrate with tabad (rice wine). tabad after which he plummets into the navel
of the earth where he wrestles with himself.
Kudaman goes on subsequent journeys, He meets the Lady of the Young Men, who
riding on Linggisan, initially for seven years, becomes his fifth wife. He wins other wives
where he collects three additional wives: the subsequently. The epic ends with the final
Lady of the Wild Green Pigeon, the Lady of celebration of his tenth marriage.
the Sea-Beings and the Lady of the Ginuu
Tree. They celebrate the building of his new JTP
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