HUMITAU

In Luzon, the great flood was believed to have some because of the abduction of Humitao, a sea maiden guard of Tau-mariu, lord of the sea, by Aponi-talau, god-hero of the Tinguian, a mountain people in Abra. This was how the world was flooded.



One day Aponi-tolau, bored by the sight of the lonely mountainsides, went down to the lowlands. He wandered aimlessly through the plains until he reached the seashore. The calm blue sea, massive and yet helpless beneath the morning sun fascinated the young man. Unable to resist the beauty of the dancing wavelets, he made a rattan raft and rowed seaward.



On and on he rowed until he came to the edge of the world. There, in a place when the sea and sky met, Aponi-tolau saw a towering rock, home of Tau-mariu, lord of the sea. It was guarded by nine beautiful daughters of the seaweeds. The radiance of the ocean light reflecting silver and gold upon the greenish hair of the nine guards, as they played around the palace gates, chasing one another in gay laughter, attracted the mountain lord's attention.



Gathering courage, the Tinguian warrior went nearer the palace gates. However when he inquired what place it was, the maiden-guards laughed and lured him, instead, further inside the palace walls. This made Aponi-tolau very angry. Taking the magic hook, he lashed it at the unsuspecting maidens. The hook hit the youngest and the most beautiful among them, Humitao. The young diwata gave a loud piercing scream and struggled desperately to free herself from Aponi-tolau's grip. However, all her efforts were in vain. The magic oil which the mountain lord had placed at the tip of his hook came in contact with her blood and soon she was helpless and weak.



A wild uproar followed as the guards screamed and fled the gates. Aponi-tolau hurriedly picked up unconscious body of the sea maiden, loaded it on his rattan raft, and rowed shore-ward. Shortly after the Tinguian hero had left the Bauwi gates, Tau-mariu went out of his abode to see what commotion was all about. But he was too late. Apono-tolauwas already very far away.



In his rage, Tau-mariu summoned the waves and the tunas of the sea and ordered them to bring back the intruder. The waves lashed at the raft of the mountain warrior and tunas pushed it back.



Alarmed, Aponi-tolau cried out his mother, Langaan of the Kadalayapan, mistress of the wind and air, for help. The great goddess heard her son's pleas and immediately sent strong winds to pull Aponi-tolau ashore. Despite the fury of the waves and the efforts of the Tunas, the Tinguian warior was able to reach the shore unharmed.



Back in his deep ocean home, Tau-mariu saw what happened. He was furious. He immediately called a meting of the gods and demigods of the sea and the ocean. The divinities, after having been apprised of the whole matter, agreed to punished the dwellers of the land for what Aponi-tolau done.



From the sky, Langaan learned of the plans. she immmediatly called for the northwind and him to warn her son of the impending flood. She instructed the mountainlord to go to the highest peak of the codillera mountains fo safety. Obediently,

Aponi-tolau took the members of his household to the mountaintop and waited.



Accordingly, the flood came. From his abode Aponi-tolau saw mighty waves swept across the plains, filling the valleys and destroying the crops and working animals of the inhabitants. Higher and higher went the water until it covered all the mountaintop but a few square meters where Aponi-tolau and his household were.



Frightened, Humitau gave a desperate cry. She knew that she could no longer swim or live in the water after having tasted the mountain food which her husband had given her. The charm removed her sea powers. She implored Tau-mariu to save her.



Despite his anger, the water lord took pity upon his favorite Humitau. So he called back the water and the waves. But he promised that hence for the would sink men's boats and drown passengers until Aponi-tolau's crimes would be appeased. When the water subsided, Aponi-tolau and his wife went down to the

lowlands and from them came the people of the world.