Agyu

(English version of a Manobo epic)

The main source of livelihood of the Ilianon was collecting wax. They exchanged the wax to the

Moros with their basic needs such as rice, salt and sugar. Agyu had a long rift with a Moro datu over a debt of one hundred mound of wax. To avoid bloody confrontation, Agyu and his household left Ayuman and went to Ilian. But the Moros would not let them live in peace until their debt were settled. They followed him to kill him and his family. Agyu and his household fought bravely and emerged victorious over the Moros. After their victory, Agyu decided to leave Ilian and set for Mount Pinamatun. They clean and toil the land and built their houses at the floor of the mountain.

One day, Agyu went to the forested mountain of Sandawa to hunt for wild boar. He went home with a prize catch while his brother Lono and sisters Yambungan and Ikwangan found a beehive full of sweet honey. They divided the wild boar and honey among themselves and their servants.

Why don’t you take some fresh meat and sweet honey to your wife in Ayuman, Banlak? Agyu asked his brother. Banlak’s wife Mungan was left behind at Ayuman because she had leprosy.

Banlak did not approve of the idea. Lono volunteered to go to Ayuman with the meat and honey for Mungan. There he heard a loud and thundering voice asking Mungan to accept immortality by eating a food for the gods.

When Lono returned to Pinamatun, he told Agyu and Banlak what he heard from the loud and thundering voice. Banlak wanted to see Mungan but Agyu halted him. Instead, Agyu trekked down to Ayuman to see Mungan but he was too late. Mungan had been ascended to the heavens. What was left was a golden house. When he returned to Pinamatun, they again abandoned the place for Tigyangdang. But they would not find peace in Tigyangdang. There were many enemies who wanted to drive them away from Tigyangdang. And no matter how hard they fought, they could not subdue the enemies.

On the fourth day of fighting, his brave and intelligent young son, Tanangyaw, approached him.

Allow me to fight the enemies, father, he asked him.

But you are too young, son, he said to him.

Agyu is the immortal epic hero of the Manobo people of Southern Philippines. The Agyu or Olahing is a three part epic that starts with the pahmara (invocation) then the kepu’unpuun (a narration of the past) and the sengedurog (an episode complete in itself). All three parts narrate the exploits of the hero as he leads his people who have been driven out of their land to Nalandangan, a land of utopia where there are no landgrabbers and oppressors.

Agyu is an epic hero who is known to most of the indigenous tribes of Mindanao, such as the Bukidnon and most Manobo subgroups. His adventures which are recounted here are those belonging to the Ilianon epic cycle.