The legend of
Sinukuan or Suku has pre-historic origins—and his story has been told and
retold by Kapampangans across the centuries,
such that many versions—embellished and romanticized-- exist about his
identity and nature. Was he a god? An
enchantress? A demigod? Or, as scholars
contend, a real historical figure from the past? One thing for sure, Sinukuan
was endowed with supernatural, mystical powers, making him more than a mere
mortal and elevating him to the pantheon of Kapampangan mythical icons.
1. ORIGINS:
SINUKUAN was said to be the first-born of couple, Calupit and Cargon Cargon
(also known as Matungcu). The pair were descendants of Adam and Eve who came to
Asia and settled in the mystical Alaya mountain of Pampanga. Cargon Cargon took
care of the mountain and after his death in the hands of a Zambal god, SINUKUAN
took over and inherited the mountain.
2. GENDER AND
IDENTITY: In early accounts, SINUKUAN was a male human being, albeit with
extraordinary qualities—“a very fine fellow with arms and sinews as iron..a quick
thinker..unexcelled by anybody in the island of Luzon. In some, he was “a god
who can create earthquakes” and a “king who lived inside the mountain of
Arayat”. Another early 20th c. account described the denizen as a sorcerer of
the mountain. While Macario Naval identified SINUKUAN as the wife of Minga in
his 1916 account, the earlier 1899 story of Don Isabelo delos Reyes from his
opus, “Folklore Filipino”, had it the other way around---SINUKUAN was the
husband of Minga, thus making him a male.
3. APPEARANCE: SINUKUAN
was said to resemble Cupid (Eros) because of his handsome visage. One account
however, narrates that he “was formerly a handsome youth who, upon marrying a
mortal, was transformed into his present ugly, hideous form”.
4. FAMILY: SINUKUAN
was said to have a wife named ‘Marianusep de Sinucuan’, with whom he had 2
daughters named Calibangut and Calikangutabak, who had opposing personalities.
The older Calibangut was tall, dark and deceitful, while the younger one was
serene and very beautiful. It is also said that one of the daughters died, leaving
the other daughter so lonely that a local town girl was specially handpicked to
be her companion. “El Folklore Filipino” had SINUKUAN fathering 3
girls—Rosalina, Rosa-Minda and Maria.
5. RESIDENCE: Inside
Bundok Alaya is a deep, expansive cave---and it is here in the mountain's belly that the grand palace
of SINUKUAN was built when his daughters came of age, with the help of witches. The seven bronze gates of the palace were guarded by a lion, a tiger,
a viper, a serpent, an Aeta with bow and arrows and a fierce bird with a curved
beak known as “Sagasa”. The palace was decorated with gems and jewels,
and SINUKUAN himself reclined on a bench adorned with gold and precious
stones.
6. HOUSEHOLD STAFF: Five
fantastic servants ably served the great SINUKUAN, namely: Kargon Kargon, a
strong man who could carry the world on his shoulders a la Atlas; Supla
Supling, who could generate typhoons; Miran Miron, with a vision so acute, he
could see great distances; Punta Punting, the world’s most accurate archer; and
Kuran Kurin, the world’s fleetest runner. SINUKUAN was also attended by a
retinue of Negritos whom he sent outside his realm to deal with townsfolk.
7. MENAGERIE: SINUKUAN
had a special affinity with animals--he kept swines in their mountain dwelling.
In fact, his daughters made regular trips to the town to barter their gold for “darak”--animal
feed for their pigs. But he also had magical animals like a pair of goats that
passed out gold droppings. In a similar way, he owned large cows that excreted pieces
of rich sinamay fabrics.
8. SUPER POWERS. SINUKUAN
was a shape-shifter, who once morphed into a mosquito so he could spy on
people. It was in this manner that he learned that his daughter was consorting
with a man, whom he then transformed into a pig. SINUKUAN also had power over
nature—he could control winds and raise deadly storms. Most of all, SINUKUAN
had immense strengths, available to lift mountains and hurl objects at great
distances.
9. INCREDIBLE FEATS: SINUKUAN
is credited with performing incredible feats of strength that included moving a forested mountain from Candaba to its present site, transferring Mount
Arayat from its original location in Tapang, Nueva Ecija to San Miguel, Bulacan,
then moving it yet again to Arayat town, then a swampy place. The displacement
of water during the move resulted in the flooding of Candaba. SINUKUAN
also built a rock bridge between Candaba and his mountain, through which he
regularly supplied the townspeople with gold and silver. However, he left the bridge
unfinished as a punishment for the dishonesty and ingratitude of the people.
10. ARCH ENEMIES AND
HOW HE VANQUISHED THEM: There were at least two nemeses of SINUKUAN—the
first was a supernatural being from Zambales, then the greatest mountain the
archipelago, and Makiling, king of a
southern mountain. SINUKUAN was actually a friend of the Zambal deity but he
became his foe when Namalyari asked for his daughter’s hand in marriage. They
engaged in a 2-day battle hurling stones at each other until Mt. Zambales was
shattered into fragments, becoming a range of smaller mountains. In the other, SINUKUAN’s
earned the wrath of Makiling when his 3 sons kidnapped his daughters. He killed all three of them. Makiling
retaliated by hurling a pestle at SINUKUAN, lopping off the top of Arayat. SINUKUAN then took a heavy mortar and threw it
with all his might towards Makiling, reducing the great mountain into a hill,
and forcing the king to commit suicide.
BONUS:
SINUKUAN IN POP
CULTURE. Through the years, SINUKUAN has lent its name to a variety of
products, services and institutions, becoming a pop culture icon along the way.
At least 3 drinks were named after him---SINUKUAN Water (bottled in Manila by
Francisco Santos ca. 1930s), SINUKUAN Flavored Soda Water (made by Sinukuan
Aerated Water Factory. in Tondo, ca. 1930s, reformulated as SINUKUAN Beverages when the company moved to
Grace Park in the 1950s). There was also a Binondo-based newspaper called “SINUKUAN”,
and a masonic lodge named after him. Books, comics and at least one 1955 movie,
bore the name of Mariang SINUKUAN. Today, there is an annual SINUKWAN Festival
organized by the Save Pampanga Movement,
and held in San Fernando, a weeklong celebration that memorializes Aring
Sinukwan, god of the ancient Kapampangans.
PHOTOS:
Sinukuan bottles: courtesy of Carlos Felix
Sinukuan cigarette wrapper: courtesy of The Pinoy
Kollektor
Giant holding boulder overhead: http://www.bohemianwanderer.com/en/2014/08/lough-neagh-il-lago-che-un-gigante-creo-al-centro-dellirlanda-del-nord/
Tikbalang: http://suwarnabumi.wikidot.com/tikbalang
Flying fairy: http://www.pngall.com/fairy-png
THANKS to Jonel Sicat Diaz, for the artwork
REFERENCES:
David, Dominador. Pampanga
Folklore Stories, 1917.
Franco, Teodulo D., The Story
of Sinukan in Pampanga, 1916.
Naval, Macario G. A Collection
of Legends from Pampanga, 1916.
Arrastia, Justo. The Legend of
Mt. Arayat, 1915.
Carreon, Manuel L. Pampanga
Legends, 1917
Gonzales, Leon Ma., Sinukuan, A
Folklore Story, 1915, translated by Alfredo Nicdao in 1918.
De los Reyes, Isabelo. El
Folklore Filipino, “El Fabuloso Suku” by Pedro Serrao, 1889
Beyer, H. Otley, The
Ethnography of the Negrito-Aeta Peoples: A Collection of Original Sources, 1915
Singsing Magazines, Folk Art
Issue, The Kapampangans faithful, Folksy and True
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