DARAGANG MAGAYON: Woman victim or warrior

01 September 2006

By Ephraim Aguilar
Legazpi City

BEHIND MT. MAYON, rising 2,462 meters above Bicol, is a legend telling people that at the core of this magnificent and world-famous volcano, which has been restless since 1999, is the heart of a woman longing to be free.

Mayon was derived from the Bicol word magayon, which means “beautiful,” and was used to name one of the most active volcanoes in the country and one of the natural wonders of the world for its near-perfect cone shape.

According to folklore, Daragang Magayon (Beautiful Maiden), the only daughter of tribal chief Makusog (Strong), grew up to be so beautiful and lovely that men from other tribes vied for her affection.

But she was indifferent to all her suitors. Not even Datu Pagtuga (Eruption), a powerful chief and great hunter, could win her heart even if he showered her father with gifts.

One day, Ulap (Cloud) came after a long walk to see for himself the celebrated beauty of the maiden. Unlike other suitors, Ulap waited patiently until love blossomed between them.

Sensing that his daughter was in love, Makusog did not object to the betrothal and asked his people to prepare a wedding feast.

The news enraged Pagtuga, who abducted Makusog and sent word to Magayon that unless she married him, her beloved father would die and that war would be waged against her tribe.
Magayon could not do anything but give in to Pagtuga’s demand.

Informed about the unhappy turn of events, Ulap, along with his warriors, arrived in time for the wedding rites and killed Pagtuga.

This was not the tale’s happy ending, though. As Magayon rushed to embrace Ulap, she was hit by an arrow and fell to Ulap’s arms. A follower of Pagtuga hurled a spear at Ulap’s back, killing him instantly.

The tragic lovers were buried in one grave which, as time passed, was transformed into a hill. Rumblings, quakes and huge boulders sprouted from the top of what is now Mt. Mayon.

Dr. Juliet Borres, a literature professor and assistant dean at the Bicol University College of Arts and Letters, said folk legends were created by early natives to explain phenomena around them.

The story of Daragang Magayon has different versions, but in each of them, she always died—from an arrow aimed at her or her lover.

According to Borres, the story portrays how women were treated in ancient times—like those of the lower class—their lives determined by men around them and without freedom to speak for themselves.

In the early 1990s, a significant twist in the myth arose after Bicolana poet Merlinda Bobis redefined the character of Daragang Magayon, from being a victim to a woman who bravely battled against oppression. She was transformed into a woman guerrilla.

Bobis has received various prestigious awards, such as the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature in 1987 and 1989, and the Gawad Cultural Center of the Philippines for Literature in 1990.

In her graduate thesis that analyzed Bobis’ Bicol epic “Cantata of the Warrior Woman Daragang Magayon,” Borres stated that in the early part of the narrative, Magayon was presented as well-loved, pampered and adored by people around her.

She was a typical girl who feared blood, was weak and vulnerable. She suffered rejection not only by other people in the tribe but also by her own father.

“The elders in their tribe, who took advantage of the weakness of her aging father Makusog, planned that Magayon be forced to marry Pagtuga as more of a political strategy for the benefit of the tribe. When Magayon learned of that, she decided to transform herself into a warrior to the delight of his father who told her, ‘Indeed you are of my own blood,’ ” Borres said.

Unlike in the traditional legend where Magayon decided to marry Pagtuga in exchange for the freedom of her father, in Bobis’ version, she asked for guidance from the goddess Maguindara.

“The women in the tribe did not want Magayon to marry Pagtuga because they thought he was an enemy, a symbol of oppression against women during their time. When Magayon inquired from Maguindara, she answered her question with another question: ‘Anong sira an dai nagsasabat sa sulong (What is the fish that doesn’t go against the current)? Magayon knew the answer, ‘Tigbak na sira’ (Dead fish),” Borres said.

“What Magayon is trying to portray in her character redefined by Bobis is that, ‘I am not just beautiful. I am not just a weak and typical princess but I am more than that,’ ” she added.
The maiden decided to fight for her father’s freedom. as well as her freedom to love. She was no longer a victim who depended on her tribesmen and Ulap to be rescued.

“In the end of the epic though, it was implied that both Magayon and Ulap died in the battle. But Magayon here died in unsurrendered struggle. She was fighting till the end,” said Borres.

Mayon Volcano has been on a “mild and quiet” eruption for more than a month now, keeping nearly 40,000 villagers confined in government-run shelters away from its shadow.

Knowing the behavior of Mayon now, Borres remembered what Bobis said: “Just like Daragang Magayon, she appears to be gloriously beautiful, calm, and placid but when you listen closely, you will hear murmurs of stories untold about her endless struggle.”