Aponītolau

“ Let us chew betel-nut,” said Aponītolau. “No, for it is not my custom,” said the girl. But Aponītolau compelled her to chew betel-nut with him. “You tell your name first,” he said to her. “No, it is not good for me to tell my name first, for I am a woman. You are a man. You tell your name first.” So Aponītolau said, “My name is Aponītolau of Kadalayapan who am the son of Langa-an and Pagatipánan, who came here to wash my hair. It is good fortune for me that I met you here washing your hair.” “My name is Gimbangonan of Natpangan, who am the daughter of It-tonagan, who is the sister of Aldasan.” ”

“ His parents celebrate Sayang and invite many people, hoping to learn identity of girl at spring. She does not attend, but Aponitolau finds her among betel-nuts brought him by the spirit helpers. They chew betel-nuts and learn they are related and that both possess magical power.
After their marriage Aponitolau goes to his field. There he keeps many kinds of jars which act like cattle. He feeds them with lawed leaves and salt. While he is gone, the woman to whom he was first betrothed kills his new wife. He restores her to life. Takes her and her parents to the field to see him feed his jars. ”

“ As soon as Aponītolau had killed Gīambólan he again commanded his spear and headaxe to cut off the heads of all the people in the houses and the headaxe and spear went and Aponītolau sat by the town waiting for them. As soon as the spear and headaxe had killed all the people who lived in the town they went back to him and Aponītolau said, “You heads of the people gather in one place, but you heads of Gīambólan and you heads of the women be separate from the others. ”

“ Woman hides belt in rice granary, but it reveals self by shining like fire. Aponitolau is suspicious and determines to find owner. As guests arrive for the celebration, he tries belt on each until he finds right one. He cuts off his head and it flies at once to his wife's breasts and hangs there. She flees with her children. They reach town, which is guarded by two kinds of lightning, but they are asleep and let them pass. They sleep in the balaua and are discovered by the owner of the place, who turns out to be an afterbirth brother of the woman. ”

“ On return journey Aponītolau is followed by enemies. He commands his flint and steel to become a high bank which prevents his foes from following. Upon his arrival home a great celebration is held; people dance, and skulls are placed around the town.
8 Aponītolau and his wife decide to celebrate Sayang, but he goes first to take the head of old man Ta-ōdan. He uses magic and arrives at once where foe lives. They fight and Ta-ōdan is beheaded. While Aponītolau is gone, an Ilocano comes to town and tries to visit his wife. ”

“ When the spirit messengers arrived by the balaua where Aponītolau of Kadalayapan was lying down, “Good morning,” they said. “How are you,” said Aponītolau. “I came here because Ilwīsan of Dagápan sent me to get you, for they make a big party, for they have returned from fighting.” “This is the first time I have heard of a town called Dagápan,” said Aponītolau. “You people who live with me, come with me and we all will go to Dagápan, because Ilwīsan will make a big party, for he has returned from fighting; all you ladies who stay in the house come also.” ”

“ So when he gave his consent, they put him in the basket and flew away with him, leaving Aponibolinayen very sad and lonely. After that Aponitolau made many trips to the earth, but at Gaygayoma’s command he always returned to the sky to spend part of the time with her.
One day when Takyayen was a little boy, Aponitolau took him down to the earth to see his half-brother, [43] Kanag. The world was full of wonders to the boy from the sky, and he wanted to stay there always. But after some time while he and Kanag were playing out in the yard, big drops of water began to fall on them. ”

“ Not long after Aponītolau heard that Aponībolinayen was with her brother in Dona. He went to follow her, for he intended to live with her again. Ebang and Pagbokásan took Balbalaōga and Aponībolinayen to Kaodanan, and they used their power so that all the things which the alan had given to Balbalaōga went to Kaodanan. ”

“ The people came from all parts of the world, and while they played on the gongs and danced, Aponitolau called to Kanag and said:
“Come down, my son; do not stay always in the tops of the trees. Come and see the pretty girls and see which one you want to marry. Get the golden cup and give them basi to drink.”
But Kanag answered, “I would rather stay in the tops of the trees and give the signs when anyone goes to fight.”
Then the father and mother pleaded with him to become a boy once more, begging his forgiveness and promising never again to send him to guard the rice. ”

“ Ala! you that are left alive, it is better that I spare you and that you marry the wives of your companions. I will spare you if you will all agree to give me one hundred jars which are ginlasan, summadag, and tadogan.” They agreed. They rolled the jars which they took down to the river and there were among them doldolī and ginaang,120 and the jars were glad, for they had formerly belonged to Dagoláyen, the grandfather of Aponītolau, but had been stolen. After that Aponītolau said, “Give me your betel-nut with magic power. ”

“ Give me the rice straw, which has been inherited nine times,” said Aponītolau to his mother Langa-an. Page 48So Langa-an gave him some and he went to the river to wash. As soon as he arrived at the well he saw the pretty girl who was washing her hair. He went and sat down on her skirt and the pretty girl told him not to cut her in many places so she would not need to doctor the wounds. “If I were an old enemy I would have killed you at the first. It is bad for us to talk when we do not know each other's names. ”

“ Aponītolau went to lie down in their balaua and Aponībolinayen laid down in the house and their hair grew long along the floor, they laid so long.
Not long after Kanag awoke and he saw that he was in the middle of a field so wide that he could not see the edges of it. “How bad my father is to me, for he sent me here,” he said. “The best thing for me to do is to create people so that I will have neighbors. I will use magic so that many betel-nut trees will grow in the middle of the field.” Not long after the betel-nut trees bore fruit which was covered with gold. ”

“ Relatives receive part of price paid for brides.
7 Aponītolau dons his best garments, takes his headaxe and spear, and goes to fight. When he reaches the spring which belongs to the ten-headed giant Gīambólan, he kills all the girls, who are there getting Page 206water, and takes their heads. The giant in vain tries to injure him. Spear and headaxe of Aponītolau kill the giant and all the people of his town and cut off their heads. Heads are sent in order to hero's town—giants' heads first, then men's, and finally women's. ”

“ Several of the characters appear in story after story. Sometimes they go under different names, but in the minds of the story-tellers their personality and relationships are definitely established. Thus Ini-init of the first tale becomes Kadayadawan in the second, Aponitolau in the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth, and Ligi in the seventh. Kanag, the son of Aponitolau and Aponibolinayen, in the fifth tale is called Dumalawi.
These heroes had most unusual relations with the heavenly bodies, all of which seem to have been regarded as animate beings. ”

“ Not long after he went to get basi, and he had made her drink. When they had drunk, she said, “The other reason I came here, Nephew Aponībalagen, is that Aponītolau sent me, for he wishes to marry your sister.” “I have no sister. I do not know what my mother did with her,” he replied. “We have no daughter. Aponībalagen is our only child,” said Ebang. While they were still talking they kept on drinking the basi. When the old woman Langa-an became drunk she told them that Aponībolinayen was Page 56in Kadalayapan, and Aponībalagen was surprised and his heart jumped. ”

“ The master of a dance is deeply chagrined and chides his wife severely, because she insists on dancing before he has invited all the others to take their turns (p. 70) . Greediness is reproved in children and Aponitolau causes the death of his concubines whose false tales had led him to maltreat his wife (p. 116) . Unfaithfulness seems to be sufficient justification for a man to abandon his wife and kill her admirer (p. 78) ; but Kanag appears as a hero when he refuses to attack his father who has sought his life (p. 121) . ”

“ Girl is taught to make dawak (the duties of a medium) . Her half brother hears her, changes self into a bird and visits her in the sky. Is hidden in a caldron to keep anitos from eating him. Tries to persuade sister to return with him. She promises to go when their father celebrates balaua. The ceremony is held and girl attends. Is so beautiful all young men try to obtain her. They are so persistent that brother returns her to sky where she still lives and aids women who make dawak.
14
Aponitolau and his wife plant sugar cane, and by use of magic cause it to grow rapidly. ”

“ As he spoke this, he beheld a young man opposite, looking earnestly at him. He was a robust, hard-favoured fisherman, clad in a coarse frock. Apollonius, driven by his distresses, humbly besought this man's assistance, even with tears starting from his eyes. "Pity me," said he, "whomsoever thou art; pity a man stripped of all by shipwreck; one, to whom better days have been familiar, and who is descended from no ignoble family. But that you may know whom you succour, understand that I am a prince of Tyre, and that my name is Apollonius. ”