Book: Filipino Popular Tales

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For American Indian variants of the "Iron Hans" cycle, see Thompson,
350-357.

Page 284, line 3. For throwing of apples to intended husbands, see
Bolte-Polívka, 2 : 381; 3 : 111.

Line 16. For the branding of the brothers-in-law, see Grimm, Nos. 59,
91, 97; also Bolte-Polívka, 3 : 114 (note 1).

Juan Tiñoso means John the Scabby. Two French versions have exactly the
same title, "Jean le Teignous" and "Jean le Tigneux" (Bolte-Polívka,
3 : 99). A somewhat distant Sinhalese relative of "Juan Tiñoso,"
in which the hero is a turtle, is Parker, No. 151 (2 : 345-352).

In an Osage Indian story occurs the release of an imprisoned monster
by a boy (Thompson, 331).

38.

Page 288. For bibliography of the question "How much is the king
worth?" see Bolte-Polívka, 3 : 232. The Negrito's counter-demand to
the king's third task (i.e., drink all the fresh water) is identical
with the counter-demand to the task of counting the drops in the sea
(ibid., 3 : 231).

Page 291. Bolte and Polívka (3 : 214) emphasize the fact of the mutual
borrowing of incidents by this cycle and the "Clever Lass" cycle.

Two Sinhalese stories not unlike our No. 38 are given by Parker,--"The
Three Questions" (1 : 150-152), "The Four Difficult Questions"
(153-154).

40.

Page 299, "Pitong." In a Oaxaca story (Radin-Espinosa, 204, No. 104)
occur the abandoned-children opening, corn-trail, fruit-trail, ogre's
house, advice of rat, ogre pushed in oven. A Chile version of "Le
Petit Poucet" is "Piñoncito" (Saunière, 262). The following American
Indian versions are noticed by Thompson (361-365): Thompson River (3),
Shuswap (2), Ojibwa, Maliseet, Ponka, Bellacoola, Mewan, Uintah Ute.

45.

For a Negro (Bahamas) version of "Cinderella," see MAFLS 13, No. 17;
for American Indian versions, Thompson, 384-385.

47.

Compare a Negro story from the Bahamas (MAFLS 13, No. 14); also a
Sinhalese tale, "The Roll of Cotton" (Parker, 1 : 364-366, No. 69),
in which the two women are sisters.

48.

Two Hindoo (Sinhalese) versions of the "Puss-in-Boots" cycle are
Parker, No. 49 (1 : 278-283) and No. 235 (3 : 243-248). These are
of extreme importance in trying to establish the provenience of our
stories: for in both the helpful animal is a monkey; both contain
the incident of the borrowed measure, the incident of the killing
of the demon by the monkey (obscure but unmistakable in No. 49) and
the claiming of the monster's palace as his master's; in both the
monkey marries his master to a king's daughter. These two stories
differ from ours in the conclusion: the master proves ungrateful,
and the faithful monkey runs off into the forest. Again, too, in the
opening, these two Sinhalese stories differ from ours: the monkey's
gratitude is not motivated; the animal is not a thieving animal,
hence there is no tar-baby device.

Page 336, Tar-Baby. For the distribution of the "Tar-Baby" story
among the American Indians, see Boas (JAFL 25 : 249), supplemented
by Thompson (444-446). For Negro versions, see MAFLS 13 : Nos. 10,
11, 12; JAFL 30 : 171, 222; Thompson, 440. Other American versions
are Mexico (JAFL 29 : 549); Guatemala (JAFL 31 : 472 f.); Oaxaca
(Radin-Espinosa, 120-121, 183, 197; JAFL 25 : 200, 201, 235-236).


49.

In a Sinhalese noodle-story the foolish hero joins a band of thieves
and tries to steal a millstone, wakening the owner of the house and
asking him for assistance (Parker, 2 : 70-75, No. 90). In another tale
in the same collection, No. 57 (1 : 317-318), a gang of robbers steal
a devil-dancer's box. While they are sleeping, one of their number,
a fool, puts on the costume. They awake, think he is the Devil, and
flee, the fool pursuing and calling, "Stay there! stay there!" This
story is like our "Juan and the Robbers" (348-349). Compare also the
story cited by Parker on p. 318.

50.

Since writing the notes to No. 50, I have found a Sinhalese version of
the "Hat-pays-landlord" story which is essentially the same as ours,
only a three-cornered hat, not a painted one, is the hoax. The motive
of the hero's trick is his desire for revenge on three sharpers who
have cozened him out of a bull which they pretend is a goat (Parker,
3 : 200-205, No. 226). For this last situation, compare our No. 15
and notes.

53.

In the Sinhalese "Story of the Bitch" (Parker, 3 : 102-104, No. 201)
a bitch gives birth to two princesses, who marry princes. Later the
elder daughter drives her dog-mother away when it seeks to visit her,
but the younger treats it kindly. The elder daughter is killed by
a cobra-bite because of her avariciousness. This version is nearly
related to Miss Frere's old Deccan story.

54.

In the latter part of a long Sinhalese story (Parker, No. 145)
a king conceives a passion for the hero's wife, and resorts to the
same ruse as the wicked datu in our story,--underground tunnel, and
letter to parents in the underworld. The hero escapes by means of a
cross-tunnel, returns with marvellous raiment (provided by heroine)
and news that the king's father and mother are happy. The avaricious
king makes the same trip, and is destroyed. Parker, No. 146 (2 :
313-314), contains almost the identical situation.

55.

Page 371 (E). Probably the earliest literary version of the
drowning-turtle motif (undoubtedly the prototype of the brier-patch
punishment) is Buddhistic: Jataka, No. 543. This motif occurs in a
Sinhalese story otherwise wholly unrelated to the cycle of which
this punishment is usually a part (Parker, No. 150, 2 : 339-340;
see also 343-344).

For additional bibliography of the brier-patch punishment, in many
of the American Indian versions of which the turtle or tortoise is
substituted for the rabbit, see Thompson, 446-447; JAFL 31 : 229
(note). Thompson (440) also lists some American Negro variants.

Page 372. With Jataka, No. 273, compare a Negro story from the
Bahamas (MAFLS 13 : 92, No. 45, II). Skinner (JAFL 32 : 295-297)
gives an Ojibwa story in which occurs the "drowning" of the turtle
and the biting-off of otter's testicles by the turtle. This second
detail appears reminiscent of the turtle's revenge discussed on our
pp. 372-373.

56.

Page 379. Some American versions of the house-answering-owner episode
are the following: Oaxaca (Radin-Espinosa, 184-185; 194, rabbit and
coyote; JAFL 25 : 208, rabbit and crocodile); Chile (JAFL 26 : 248,
a curious modification of the motif); Mexico (JAFL 29 : 552). In
another Mexican story we find the episode of the rabbit crossing the
river on the crocodile's back (JAFL 29 : 551-552).

In a Sinhalese story of "The Crocodile and the Jackal" (Parker,
1 : 380-381, No. 75), the crocodile shams dead. Jackal says, "In
our country dead crocodiles wag their tails." (This appears to me a
variant of the house-answering-owner motif.) Later follows the incident
of the seizure of the foot of the jackal, who pretends crocodile has
hold of a root. (See also Parker, No. 36 [1 : 235 f.] for deceptions
turtle practises on jackal.)

57.

Page 381. A Oaxaca story (Radin-Espinosa, 190, No. 94) combines
an account of a war between the animals and the winged creatures
(animals defeated) with a race between the lion and the cricket.

59.

American versions of the let-me-take-your-place motif are numerous:
Oaxaca (Radin-Espinosa, 121, 153, 183, 185, 197; JAFL 25 : 201, 236);
Mexico (JAFL 29 : 550); Tepecano (JAFL 27 : 162); Negro (JAFL 32 :
400, 402; MAFLS 13 : Nos. 12, 33, 39).

60.

The following American forms of the accumulative story may be noted:
Guatemala (JAFL 31 : 482-483); Mexico (JAFL 25 : 219 f.); Oaxaca
(Radin-Espinosa, 195, No. 99); New-Mexican Spanish (JAFL 27 : 138);
Tepecano (JAFL 27 : 175). See also Thompson, 453-454. The stories
resemble ours only in general method, not at all in detail. For
discussion and abstracts of some South American variants that are
closer to our form than are those of Central and North America,
see Boas (JAFL 25 : 352-353 and notes).

A curious Sinhalese accumulative story, No. 251 in Parker's collection
(3 : 336-338), tells how, when some robbers were apprehended for
digging into the king's palace and were sentenced, they replied that
the mason who made the walls was at fault, not they. The mason accused
his lime-mixer; the lime-mixer, a beautiful woman for having distracted
his attention; the woman, a goldsmith. The goldsmith is condemned, but
by a ruse succeeds in getting a wholly innocent fat-bellied Mohammedan
trader executed in his place. Parker abstracts a similar story from
southern India (p. 338). (See also his No. 28 [1 : 201-205] for another
kind of "clock-story" nearer the type of "The Old Woman and her Pig.")

61.

Page 392. Parker's No. 107 (2 : 146-149) is an elaboration of Jataka,
No. 374. (For other Oriental variants of this theme, see ibid.,
149-150.)

71.

For a Negro version of a flight-contest (not etiological) between a
crow and a pigeon, see MAFLS 13 : No. 53.

79.

The Upper Thompson Indians have a story of how the raven and the crow
were sent out after the Flood to find land. They did not return,
but fed on the corpses of the drowned people. For this reason they
were transformed into birds of black color, where formerly they were
white-skinned (JAFL 29 : 329).

82.

For bibliography of the relay-race motif among the American Indians
see Boas (JAFL 25 : 249; Thompson, 448-449). Thompson cites fourteen
American Indian versions, in all but two of which the winner is
the turtle. In one, the clever animal is a gopher; in the other, a
frog. For American Negro variants, see Thompson, 441; JAFL 31 : 221
(note 2); JAFL 32 : 394. In a Negro version from Bahamas (MAFLS 13 :
No. 54), horse and conch race; horse is defeated, and kicks the little
conches to death (cf. the ending of our No. 82). For a Mexican version
(rabbit and toad) see JAFL 25 : 214-215; for Oaxaca (toad and deer),
Radin-Espinosa, 193.

In an Araucano story (Saunière, No. XI) the race between the fox and
the crawfish does not assume the relay form.






NOTES

[1] I am greatly indebted to Professor E. Arsenio Manuel, Department
of Anthropology, University of the Philippines, for biographical and
other data with regard to Dean S. Fansler. Mr. E. D. Hester kindly
furnished additional details.

[2] A common nickname for "Juan," equivalent to the English "Jack."

[3] Datu, old native name for "village chieftain."

[4] Casco, a commodious wooden cargo-boat commonly used in rivers
and propelled by poling.

[5] Carabao, a gray water-buffalo used throughout the Archipelago as
a draught-animal.

[6] The usual means of getting into a native grass house is a bamboo
ladder.

[7] This is a common Tagalog expression, and means, "I consider that
you are all inferior to me in every respect."

[8] Petate (Sp.-Mexican), a sleeping-mat made of woven straw.

[9] Cavan, a dry measure used in the Philippines, equal to about
75 quarts.

[10] Bolo, a cutlass-like knife used by the natives either for
agricultural or war purposes.

[11] The usual Filipino salute of respect for parents or grandparents.

[12] This name literally means, "only one palasan [a large plant of
llana]." The hero was so called because he was the strongest man in
his town.

[13] So called because he used as a cane (Tag. tungkod) the large
cylindrical piece of iron used for crushing sugarcane (Tag. bola).

[14] Literally, "one who can overturn a mountain."

[15] For the "Fee-fi-fo-fum" phrase in folk-tales, see Bolte-Polívka,
1 : 289-292.

[16] Literally, "without fear, fearless."

[17] Paridis may possibly be identified with Paderes, the strong man
whom Rodrigo de Villas (the Cid) meets in the woods, who uproots
a huge tree with which to fight the hero, but who is finally
overcome. Paderes and Rodrigo become fast friends. This character
occupies a prominent place in the metrical romance entitled "Rodrigo
de Villas," which has been printed in the Pampango, Ilocano, Tagalog,
and Bicol dialects. Aolo may be a corruption of Afigalo, represented
in Ilocano saga as a great fisherman. Many legends told to-day by
the Ilocanos in connection with the Abra River, in northern Luzon,
centre about the heroic Afigalo.

[18] Aba! a very common exclamation of surprise. It sometimes
expresses disgust.

[19] We seem here to have a myth element explaining why the Negrito's
hair is kinky. See notes for definition of pugut.

[20] The root pugut is found in many of the dialects, and has
two distinct meanings: (1) "a Negro or Negrito of the mountains;"
(2) "decapitated, or with the hands or feet cut off." Among the
Tagalogs, Bicols, and Visayans, the word is not used to designate a
night-appearing demon or monster. Tag. cafre, which is equivalent to
Iloc. pugut, is Spanish for Kaffir. Blumentritt defines cafre thus:
"Nombre árabe (kafir), importado por los Españoles ó Portugueses;
lo dan los campesinos Tagalos de la provincia de Tayabas á un duende
antropófago, al que no gusta la sal. En las provincias Ilocanas
denominan asi los Españoles al Pugot."

Speaking of the demons and spirits of northern India, W. Crooke writes
(1 : 138) that "some of the Bhût [= pugut ?], like the Kâfari
[= cafre ?], the ghost of a murdered Negro, are black, and are
particularly dreaded."

[21] For full translation, see Jataka, ed. by E. B. Cowell (Cambridge
University Press, 1895), 2 : 207-215; and FLJ 3 : 337 f. See also
C. H. Tawney's discussion of the story in the Journal of Philology,
12 : 112-119.

[22] Camisa china, a thin native coat-shirt worn outside the trousers.

[23] Patianac, mischievous birth-spirits that live in the woods and
fields, and lead travellers astray at night.

[24] Pagui, the sting-ray, or skate-fish. Its tail is very efficacious
against evil spirits and witches, according to native belief.

[25] Tuba. a wine distilled from the coco and other palm trees.

[26] Typhoon (Ar. tufan), a wind of cyclonic force and extraordinary
violence.

[27] Literally, "Give us here in the ceiling some good food."

[28] Manglalabas, literally, "the one who appears;" i.e., apparition.

[29] Barrio, a small collection of houses forming a kind of suburb
to a town.

[30] Mangkukulam, an old woman endowed with the powers of a witch.

[31] Paragos, a kind of rude, low sledge drawn by carabaos and used
by farmers.

[32] Pipit, a tiny bird.

[33] Why peso, I cannot say. A hole the size of a peso would
accommodate a rope, but hardly a man or a large tub. The story is
clearly imperfect in many respects.

[34] Mankukulam, see note 1, p. 53.

[35] As Mr. Gardner notes, a chap-book form of "Aladdin" exists in
Tagalog. The full title of my copy runs thus (in translation): "The
Wonderful story of Aladin, who got possession of the Marvelous Lamp,
and of his Marriage with the Princess of China the Great. Manila,
1901. (Pp. 127.)" W. Retana, in his "Aparato Bibliográfico" (Madrid,
1906), cites an edition before 1898 (see item No. 4161). The story
has also been printed in the Pampango, Ilocano, Bicol, and Visayan
dialects.

[36] From the Spanish corredor ("runner").

[37] From the Spanish mirador ("seer, gazer").

[38] A Tagalog boys' game played in the streets, with lines marked
off by water (tubig).

[39] From the Spanish puntador ("gunner").

[40] From the Spanish cargador ("carrier").

[41] From the Spanish soplador ("ventilator, blower").

[42] From the Spanish oidor ("hearer"). These six proper names are
given here exactly as they appear in the original narrative. Strictly
speaking, they are not derivatives from the Spanish: they merely
suggest the Spanish words from which they have been coined as
patronymics.

[43] Tuma, Tagalog, Pampangan, and Malayan for "louse."

[44] Perhaps from the Spanish conocer ("to know, understand"). For
the names of the other companions, see footnotes to the preceding tale.

[45] In Spanish this word means "witch, sorceress."

[46] Whether or not these powers reside in the men themselves,
who have acquired them through practice, or in magic objects which
they find or are presented with. Benfey (loc. cit., p. 969) makes
two distinct cycles on an entirely different basis from mine, both
derived from India: the one telling of the extraordinary endowments
of men; the other, of extraordinary properties of objects (i.e.,
magic objects). It seems to me a mistake, however, to make a cycle
of this second group, for magic articles are only machinery in a
story. A family of folk-tales cannot turn merely on things; the magic
objects are only latently powerful until guided and controlled by
the human hero.

[47] For example, "The Grateful Dead," "John the Bear," "The Child
and the Hand," "The Ransomed Woman," etc.

[48] The most recent investigation of this cycle that I know of is that
of W. E. Farnham in connection with the sources of Chaucer's "Parlement
of Foules" (in Publications of the Modem Language Association, 32 :
502-513 [1917]). Dr. Farnham has named the cycle "The Contending
Lovers," the stories of which, he says, fall into six clearly marked
types. My discussion of the cycle may require some modification in
the light of his study; but I have printed it here as I wrote it,
some two years before Dr. Farnham's article came to my notice.

[49] For practically this identical judgment, see the Dsanglun
(St. Petersburg, 1843), p. 94 (cited by Benfey, 1 : 396, note 2).

[50] Tag. for "rich."

[51] Tag. for "poor."

[52] A native dug-out or canoe.

[53] A Spanish word meaning "a woman who keeps a little shop or store
[tienda]."

[54] Cañamo, ordinarily a kind of coarse cloth made from hemp. Here
the word probably means the thread from which hempen ropes are made.

[55] Darak, "bran, shorts, chaff."

[56] Mungo. a small legume about the size and shape of a lentil. Same
as mongo.

[57] Carreton, a heavy two-wheeled springless cart drawn by a carabao.

[58] Hacienda, a ranch of considerable extent. The fact of Pedro's
living at some distance from the doctor might account for the success
of the ruse.

[59] Chupa, a measure, equal roughly to about four handfuls of
raw rice.

[60] Camotes, sweet potatoes.

[61] Mongo, a variety of legume slightly smaller than the lentil
(same as mungo).

[62] This episode is found in a Tagalog folk-tale collected by Gardner
(JAFL 20 : 304). This folk-tale, it might be noted, is based directly
on a corrido, The Story of the Life of Doña Maria of Murcia, Manila,
1909. The romance has been printed in Pampango and Tagalog. Retana
(No. 4166) mentions an edition between 1860 and 1898, and one dated
1901 (No. 4307).

[63] I have the text and a complete English paraphrase of a Tagalog
metrical romance which combines incidents from this story with
incidents from "The Adarna Bird" (supra). The romance is entitled
"The Story of the Life of King Don Luis, his Three Sons, and Queen
Mora. Manila 1906." Retana (Nos. 4190, 4362) cites editions 1860-98
and 1902. This story contains the quest for the water of healing, the
two hermits, the flight on the eagle's back, the sleeping enchanted
queen, the stolen favor and the theft of the slipper, the ransoming
of the two older brothers, their treachery, the hero disguised as
servant in his father's palace, the invasion by the magic queen and her
recovery of her lover the hero. This story is closely related to Groome
No. 55. Compare also Groome's summary of Vernaleken's Austrian story
of the "Accursed Garden" (p. 232), which in some respects resembles
this Filipino romance more closely than does the Gypsy tale.

[64] These were the leaves of a plant which the Tagalogs call Colis
(see note 2, p. 285).

[65] Tulisanes, highway robbers or bandits.

[66] Salop, a dry measure of about fifteen centimetres cube.

[67] Carreton, a heavy two-wheeled springless cart.

[68] Sirena, a beautiful enchantress, half woman and half fish,
who was supposed to dwell in certain rivers. This belief is fairly
common in La Laguna province, especially in the town of Pagsanjan.

[69] One of the most common Tagalog proverbs.

[70] Novena, a devotion consisting of prayers held for nine consecutive
days and asking for some special favor.

[71] Novenario, the act of performing or holding a novena.

[72] There seems to be an inconsistency here,--Clara was the mother
of Idó,--or, if not an inconsistency (there might be two Claras),
at least a useless and confusing repetition of names.

[73] Cintas, a holy belt worn by women.

[74] See note 1 on pagui ("sting-ray"), p. 43.

[75] Guachinango, defined by the narrator as "vagabond." The word is
used in Cuba as a nickname for the natives of Mexico.

[76] While the term duende is Spanish, the other three spirits
mentioned--tigbalang, iki, mananangal--are good old native demons.

[77] See footnote 1, p. 217.

[78] Same as the Cuban isabelina.

[79] The episode of a mutual cure being effected by a blind man and a
lame man, we have already met with in two of the versions of our No. 6.

[80] It may be noted, in passing, that among certain of the Tagalogs
the pestilence (cholera particularly) is personified as an old woman
dressed in black, who goes about the town at night knocking for
admittance. If any one pays attention to her summons, the result is
fatal to him. This evil spirit is known as salut.

[81] That is, "Purse, spit money from your throat!"

[82] Compadre and comadre, the godfather and godmother of one's child.

[83] That is, "Goat, leap about!"

[84] That is, "Table, spread yourself!"

[85] That is, "Cane, whip!"

[86] (Spanish) "At him, cudgel!"

[87] Capitan. In the Philippines this word is used as a title of
address to a justice of the peace (gobernadorcillo). It is also used
to designate the office itself.

[88] "Golden," in this story, does not mean merely "of the color of
gold," but also "made of gold."

[89] Banca, a native dug-out.

[90] Boroka, apparently a corruption of the Spanish bruja ("witch").

[91] Coles,--Memecylon edule Roxb. (Melastomata taceæ), a common and
widely distributed shrub in the forests, with small purple flowers
and small black or purple berries. It is found in the Indo-Malayan
region generally.

[92] For this very old symbol of beauty and noble lineage, see Prato,
Zeitschrift für Volkskunde, 5 : 376; 6 : 28.

[93] Mangrove tree.

[94] The Filipinos have many mocking children's rhymes making fun of
personal deformities, such as pock-marks, cross-eyes, very black skin,
etc. They always raise a laugh when recited.

[95] The Arabian story, I believe, is well worth study in connection
with the theory of the Buddhistic origin of this cycle. The rôle
of the ape; the conflict between the good and bad jinn, the ape
belonging with the latter group; and the narrator's statement,
"All this I have received from the bounty of God, whose name be
exalted!"--suggest at the base of this version the struggle between
Buddhism and Mohammedanism; with Mohammedanism triumphant, of course.

[96] Bayluhan (from the Spanish baile), "a dancing-party." Katapusan
(Tag.; from tapus, "end, finish"), a fiesta given nine days after
the death of an adult, or three days after the death of a child.

[97] Silong, the ground floor of a Filipino house. Usually it has
only a dirt floor, and is not finished off.

[98] The narrator has probably made the original episode a little
more delicate here. There are inconsistencies in the present form
of the story: a lizard would feel cold, not hot; besides, it would
hardly remain clinging to Juan's coat as he rushed through the
forest. Clearly, something other than a lizard fell on Juan.

[99] Tuntung is the earthen cover of an earthen pot. The verb derived
from it, tuntungan, has two meanings: one is "to cover something,"
the other is: to step on or over something." Hence Juan's mistake.

[100] Unfortunately this work is inaccessible at present, and I
am unable to indicate definitely its episodes. It contains nothing
unique, however.

[101] Mangla, big land-crabs.

[102] Cagang, small land-crabs.

[103] Bataktak, non-edible frogs.

[104] Hu-man, land-snails.

[105] Aninipot, fireflies.

[106] Lamoc, mosquitoes.

[107] Camanchile, Pithecolobium dulce Benth. (Leguminosæ), a native
of tropical America; introduced into the Philippines by the Spaniards
probably in the first century of Spanish occupation; now thoroughly
naturalized and widely distributed in the Archipelago.

[108] Bathala, the Supreme Being of the ancient Tagalogs.

[109] This and the serial numbers following refer to corresponding
numbers of tales.

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