There was this story I heard when I was about 11 years old during one summer up in the mountains in Don Salvador Benedicto. To this day I kept on remembering and wondering about this tale. The story was told by an old man who had lived in those mountains all his life. It was a wednesday, 'tabu day', and some people were gathering at the crossroads waiting for the 'manugbarter' to come and trade their goods with the locales. So anyway, to while away the time, this old man told the following about a mythological creature.
Up there in the mountains lives a giant Magkal. A magkal is a humungous boa constrictor, and it is said that this magkal lives in the valley within the mountains called the malatan-og. It's girth is about twice the size as the trunk of a large tree. This magkal is said to be immortal. The source of its immortality is the trabungko that it carries on his head. A trabungko is a magnificent gem about large a a full grown man's clenched fist. Whoever possess this trabungko will have eternal life as well as enormous powers. So the trick here, as the old man was saying is to wait for the Magkal to sleep before attempting to steal the trabungko. However, the Magkal is not your only obstacle to gain the Trabungko, because, you see, the Magkal lives or sleeps beneath a tree whose very shadow is poison.
It's a fantastic tale and I really liked it and I always dreamed of searching for that Magkal and his Trabungko...
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hey glenn
ReplyDeleteinteresting story man, i heard of tell tales like these of giant snakes with gems they call "trabungko". I've been dying to see for myself if these accounts are true. I just need a good lead to follow on this because this is pretty cool stuff man. Is there anyway you can give more information about this account? The when? where? who? of the whole thing. Thanks man
Uhm. Hello. Never expected someone to read this one. LOl.
ReplyDeleteWell I heard this story a long time ago. That old man is already dead when i returned to the village in the mountains. Our old place there had been donated to the local government as an endowment for an elementary school. Only one store keeper remembered who I was. It was kinda sad seeing 'progress' somehow. It used to be an almost pristine wilderness like place but now the roads are all made of concrete.
ReplyDeleteThis malatan-og place though is a valley located within the mountain ranges of mandalagan so it is still a pristine place. A bbc team from the u.k. visited that place a year ago and they found that indeed that place is still pristine and wild. They won't disclose the location for fear that hunters might go there. They are forming another expedition to that place this year or in 2012 im not sure. If i find the link ill post it here.
Hello Glen,
ReplyDeleteI know someone who are looking for buyers of trabungko....
why are they hunting trabungko ? what is there in trabungko that they wanted? im just curious ive encountered this like an alien it's flying out there in the sky. at first i taught it was a flying object. it was so bright. .like a star in the sky.i've been following this for several years. there was one time i saw 2 moving lights as brilliant as the star. they are running in while the stars are not moving.and only the 2 objects passing. there was one time it passes on top of the trees. it was near and because of fear i did not go near. . i wonder what object is my first to see. at first i taught it was a plane but no sound of an airplane and no lights that blink.
ReplyDeleteWe have househelps that came from the mountains of Cebu, Alegria in particular they tell stories of the trabungko. These are big shiny gems that big snakes toss around, and can be seen on moonless nights.
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