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FEATURES (October 6 – October 12,
2008) Pardanon Samtoy Jose “Pepito” Alvarez The Legend
of Maria Karayuman of Baruyen, The
New Webster Dictionary defines the
world legend as a story, handed down from the past, which lacks accurate,
historical evidence but has been, and may still be, popularly accepted as
true. From the phenomenal
objects with the legends we commemorate are grouped as lakes and springs,
mountains and hills. Animals, plants and flowers, dew drops and finally,
specific names of towns, barrios and sitios. Behind the art of
calling places lies the attempt to make the unfamiliar. In fact many of the
names of the towns of Ilocos Norte have their legends or legendary
explanations, such as Ding & Ras of Dingras; Sarah & Bangat of
Sarrat; This time, this
author will make an attempt to research on the legends of our towns of Ilocos
Norte and put them to print in this column. The first attempt was about the Pagudpud. This time,
we will treat about the Barangay of Baruyen in In ancient times
there lived an elderly couple and their daughter, Maria Karayuman, in what is
now known as Baruyen, One early morning,
Maria left their house to take a bath at the nearby river, (now known as
Karayan Baruyen). While Maria was taking a bath, three wicked witches
abducted her and took her to their place. There they maltreated Maria and
made her wash their kitchen wares and plates. There lived not far
away from where she used to wash a baby crocodile called Tulwato. She took
fancy on the crocodile and fed him with accumulated food crumbs. She learned
from the baby crocodile who had some supernatural power about her
predicament. The crocodile revealed that the captors thought it was time for
them to kill and eat her. The crocodile bade her to try to ride on her back
that they might escape. Every try was a failure because the rider was still
too young, weak and small. The ninth day came
and Maria was made to fetch water in which she was to be boiled. In
desperation the crocodile said, “Take bam-boo twig, plant it on my back and
use it as your anchor in our cruise home.” Maria readily
complied. Then they started their journey homeward and sped for the open sea.
When they reached the river where she used to take a bath, they anchored. A
young man took Maria from the crocodile’s back and bore her upland. He
prepared a lavish meal of deer and wild pig for the good and enchanted
crocodile. While they were eating, the crocodile spoke to Maria, “Cut a
branch from the bamboo you planted on my back and plant it at the edge of
this river ‘so you will have something to remember me by.’ It was done so. This
bamboo grew and the folks believe that in the old days when a branch was cut
from this plant it would bleed where the cut was made. To this day the bamboo
plant at the southern side of Baruyen River still exist and if the plant does
not look robust and does not grew thick with trunks and leaves, is a sign of
poor harvest. This crocodile,
Tulwato, is believed to be alive until now. When Tulwato with the bamboo
planted by Maria on his back appears in the middle of the sea that is a sign
of bounteous harvest. The place where the
young man bore Maria upland is now called Baruyen and the river is Ilocos Times copyright 2008 |
Features The Legend of Maria Karayuman
of Baruyen, Bangui |