- Where did the Story Originate?
According to a variety of sources, this story can be attributed to the Ifugao, a tribe indigenous to the mountainous area of northern Luzon. Unfortunately, very little is known regarding this tribe's culture, legends or myths. As it stands, this story bears little or no resemblance to any other Filipino myth, legend or tale of folklore that can be found.
Whether this is because it is an old tale which has been carried down generations by oral and/ or written tradition, or whether it is a more recent tale created by a particular person could not be determined at this moment in time. Wherever it came from, whoever is the author, it seems to stand alone among a host of myths and legends involving a variety of gods and goddesses.
Although it begins by telling how land, man and woman were created, the overall feeling of it is that the emphasis is not so much on the creation story, but on the behavior of the children springing forth from the marriage of the first man and woman, and the consequences of this behavior. Although it states that the children were where all the races came from, this statement does not seem to be related to what happens later as a result of the children's laziness and their actions in response to threatened punishment.
- What makes the Story Different From Other Local Creation Myths?
There is no mention of the gods held responsible for creation in other myths of the area. Instead, it has a feeling of being a combination of local beliefs and Christianity.
It does appear that this is indeed a modern creation tale, but as yet, the author remains unknown.
