KARUNDUNAN

"𝗧𝗨𝗡𝗚𝗢𝗗 𝗦𝗔 𝗧𝗨𝗕𝗢"

(Because of the Sugar Cane)

KARUNDUNAN: The Barren Wife of Anglo

A long time ago in the place now called Barangay Yapu in the Municipality of Bugasong, Antique, there lived a powerful man named Anglo and his beautiful wife Karundunan. They lived in a mountain called Karunduan, which is named after his wife. Their source of livelihood depends solely on hunting and fishing. Sometimes, Karundunan was brought by Anglo in hunting because Anglo was afraid that someone might steal his wife or she might get bored of being alone because they were not gifted even a single child.

Karundunan was a descendant of an Aeta skin tone while Anglo was believed to be from the Malay Peninsula, as one of the companions of the Malayan Datus that landed in Panay. Anglo was not a giant but rather considered as one by the Aetas at that time because of his stature and bold figure inherited from his race. Based on some stories, Anglo possessed a unique power that tribesmen called him in the native language “Busali-an” which means mighty or powerful. Karundunan, on the other hand, was a simple maiden, dearly loved by Anglo and a loyal wife to her husband.

One time, when Anglo went out to hunt for food, he left Karundunan. Bulalakaw, which some said was also a “busali-an” because of his speed and strength, passed by the house of Anglo and Karundunan. Bulalakaw, because of his thirst, saw a sugar cane planted near the house and without a word, he cut it. Karundunan saw it and protested but he just laughed at it. He told Karundunan that his name was Bulalakaw. The sugar cane he cut was called “sablayanon” because it hung over the house of Anglo every year. Karundunan may have not told Anglo of what happened because she also knew how fearless Anglo gets when he became angry yet out of her loyalty to her husband, she told him. That grew anger in Anglo and made another journey not to hunt for food but to hunt Bulalakaw.

He walked along a River called Paliwan and saw a man fetching water. He asked him if he knew somebody called Bulalakaw. The man said, “Yes” and even accompanied him to Bulalakaw.

Anglo went with the man not knowing that he was Bulalakaw himself. When they reached Bulalakaw’s house, he ordered his wife to cook lunch for both of them before they journey towards the mountain. He gave Anglo his food, unconscious that it was mixed with poison with the intention of lessening his power. After they had eaten, Bulalakaw revealed that he was the man Anglo looking for. Anglo immediately drew his “lantip” (knife) but Bulalakaw made a statement to test their powers first by cutting a Laua-an tree with just one blow. Anglo agreed and he took the first turn using his bolo but he did not make it. Bulalakaw was next, using a piece of ratan, he succeeded.

Seeing what happened, Anglo turned to flee. Bulalakaw ran after him beating his back with rattan. The chasing continued until Anglo got tired and the pain and the poisoning made him very weak. Bulalakaw got the chance to overrule Anglo and continue beating him until his last breath. Anglo died at the place where Bulalakaw left him and Aetas who lived on the foot of Karunduan Mountain mourned his death.

For Karundunan, before Anglo left for hunting Bulalakaw, she was warned by his husband of the following statement, “Kon makabalik ako, mayad man p’ro kon hindi nagakahulugan lang nga patay na ako,” which roughly means “If I came back, it will be okay but if not, it simply means that I am dead.” That left Karundunan hope and tears in her heart. But unfortunately, Anglo never came back and news of him reached Karundunan, she immediately ran down the mountain and mourned the death of her dear husband.

Some stories have portrayed that after the death of Anglo, Karundunan came back to their house and mourn her loss and for being alone without a child until her death. Some believe that she also searched for Bulalakaw and took revenge for her husband’s death, but Bulalakaw made her his second wife. No one knew what really happened to Karundunan. It was Anglo that was famous in the oral stories of the old Bugasongnons, a mighty man who always warned Bugasongnon to hide whenever Moros arrived at the shore. You can see the statue of Anglo inside the Municipal Plaza of Bugasong, with a bird in his hands. On the other hand, here is my own representation of his wife KARUNDUNAN.

Disclaimer: Some parts of the narrative above were from the History Article of Barangay Yapu, credits to its writer/translator. Some parts were also translated from the book “Handumanan kag Bahandi”, published during the 400th year Founding Anniversary of Bugasong, est. 1992. Credits to the rightful owner.

PS: What if Karundunan had not told Anglo about the Sugar Cane, how would the story go?

ABOUT THE PAINTING

I decided to dominantly use blue because it is a symbol of loyalty and naturally possessed by Karundunan to her husband, on the left downside there are mountains and fields which are their everyday view at that time and the blue space is the river where Anglo mostly went hunting for food. The “Sablayanon” Sugar Cane is also visible which for me, is the main fragment that brought the oral story to its climax.

#silhigkolas #Kolasito

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