MUNICIPALITY OF INDANG, CAVITE, Historical Data of Part 3

PART III

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About these Historical Data

The transcription of this page was done using AI technology.

[p. 41]

FORMS OF AMUSEMENTS AND SONGS

Early Forms – One of the most common forms of amusements in the early days was seeing the “comedias” or “moro-moros” and “sinakulos.” These are early forms of dramas. “Moro-moro” usually depict the battles between Christians and non-Christians which end in the victory of the first.

“Sinakulos” are stage presentations of the passion of Christ. They usually are shown during Lent.

Games are rare forms of amusements. However, “sipa” a crude form of soccer football was common among men.

Young swains found great amusement in “haranas” or serenading the young maidens. These are done at night. It was not uncommon to hear love songs suddenly fill the air at midnights.

Playing cards as “Tres-Sietes” between young man and ladies during the afternoons were also known.

Children however are not to be overlooked. Radios were unknown, then, but they had their fill of tales and legends from the old folks usually before bedtime.

Later Forms of Amusement – Seeing the shows, listening to the radios, ball games, occasional dances, programs are sources of amusement for both young and old.

The most popular ball game which shows a large following at present is basketball.

Early Songs – Kundimans sang during haranas were most common. Ballads were common too. These ballads tell adventures of lovers, their hardships in courting, about trees, flowers, and in fact varied subjects of current interest.

Latter and Present Songs – Kundimans are still common. Ballads are sometimes sung, too. The songs most often sung are those which are heard over the radio and shows.

PROVERBS

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[p. 43]

[p. 44]

[p. 45]

[p. 46]

FOLKTALES

As has been mentioned before folktales played an important role, as a form of amusement of children. However, the old found great pleasure in them too. In barber shops, in front of stores, where groups of people usually gather in the evenings these tales had been told and retold.

Following are a few of these folktales which found great audiences:

True Love

Once upon a time there lived a shepherd by the name of Juan. He was a poor and humble. He did his work with a song and a smile. Every morning he brought his sheep to graze in the meadows and late in the evening he came home tired but happy.

On his way to the pasture lands Juan passed by the royal palace to see the beautiful princess, Maria. She was the only daughter of a proud and haughty Sultan. Juan respected and adored the princess, and the latter treated him with kindness. Juan was a handsome lad, so that not long before the princess fell in love with him. They fell in deep love with each other.

When the Sultan noticed that his daughter loved Juan he was very angry. He sent Juan to prison.

The king tried to give bribes to Juan in any amount he wanted but Juan didn’t care. He loved the princess too well. He was therefore tortured and punished severely in the prison cell.

When princess Maria learned about this, she, with the help of the guards tried to free Juan. Then they eloped to the forest and there the princess and Juan, the poor shepherd, lived happily under the shelter of a small hut.

Adopted.

How Patience Won

There was once a rich man who had a beautiful daughter named Maria. She was so beautiful that lovers far and wide wanted her hand in marriage. Among them were Simon, Juan and Rico. The man could not tell who of them should have the maiden in marriage.

He said, “Go out into the world and find your fortunes. The one who can bring the most wonderful thing will have my daughter for his wife.”

The three lovers went away. While they were traveling they came to a place where three roads branched out. Each of them took one road and agreed to return to that place after a month.

[p. 47]

Simon met a man carrying a magic book. “If you read this book before a dead person, he will return to life again,” said the man. Simon got it in exchange for some money.

Juan met a man carrying a magic bamboo tube. “If you want to see things at a far distance, just look through this tube,” the man said. Juan bought it and went away.

Rico met a man carrying a wooden basin which also had magical power. “If you wish to go anywhere just ride in this basin and you will be there,” the man said. Rico bought the basin and started home.

The three met at the meeting place on the agreed time. Each showed what he got. Juan looked through his tube and saw that the house where Maria lived was decorated with black ribbon. “Something must be wrong,” he thought to himself. He told Rico and Simon what he saw.

“Let’s ride in my basin so that we can reach the house at once,” suggested Rico. They did so. When they arrived at the house they saw that Maria was dead. With the help of the magic book, Simon was able to return Maria to life. Now the question was, “Who would marry her?”

“If it were not for my tube, we shall not know what has happened,” Juan said.

“If it were not for my basin, could we reach the place right away?” Rico asked.

“She would have remained dead if it were not for my magic book,” Simon said.

The rich man did not know what to do. Finally, the young lady spoke. She said, “Since I can’t marry all of you three, I shall marry the one who can sit on the chair for a whole night without scratching any part of his body.”

This plan seemed good and easy so they agreed. The lovers did not know that the maiden had collected nearly all the bedbugs in the house and had placed them in the chair.

The first to try was Simon. After two hours, the bugs had bitten nearly every part of his body. So he could not keep from scratching. He therefore lost his chance to win the lady.

Rico tried next but he met the same fate as Simon. Before two hours had passed, he began scratching.

Juan was the last to try. His love for the girl was so great that he did not scratch any part of his body although it was red and swollen

[p. 48]

with the bites of the bedbugs.

He married the beautiful lady and they had a long prosperous life.

Adopted.

Why the Lizard Kiss the Ground

Long ago a happy couple lived in a far away barrio. They had three daughters. Ana was the oldest and thought herself to be the most beautiful among the girls in the neighborhood. Pacita was next. She was kind and obedient. Lina was the youngest and was a very loving daughter.

As the days passed by the girls grew big and beautiful. Father and mother were proud of their children. They were taught good manners by their parents.

Years passed by. Ana was a beautiful young girl. She was so beautiful that many young men fell in love with her. She was often times invited to parties and social gatherings. She saw many pretty things which other girls wore. She began to like costly clothes and jewels.

Her two other sisters were very gentle and kind and helpful. Pacita helped her parents in the field while Lina cooked and took food to her parents and sister while they were at work. Both girls cleaned their home and laundered their clothes.

Ana paid attention only to her looks. She spent most of the money earned by her parents and sisters to buy clothes and jewels. Father gave her most of the things she wanted to buy although they were poor. He wanted to please her. He thought it was a great honor for their family to have such a beautiful girl with so many friends.

Pacita and Lina would look more beautiful than Ana had they fixed themselves and dressed as their sister did. But they were thrifty and simple. As the days passed by Ana got more friends. She forgot to help her sisters and her thoughtful parents. She always had to get ready with her clothes for the many occasions she attended. Her sisters being kind and polite just looked at her with a smile. Her father gladly approved of the way she dressed despite their poverty. Mother kept silent although her heart broke at the thought of the money Ana spent for everything which her other two daughters had sacrificed their share for her. Whenever her mother saw new clothes worn by other girls she would just say, “Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!” When she reaches home she would ask her father to buy the same thing for her.

[p. 49]

Every afternoon Ana got ready to receive her visitors. At six o’clock while the family said their Angelus she could not be found with the group. She would not kiss her parents’ hands after the prayer. She would not greet her sisters. She spent the hours beautifying herself until her visitors came. Often times she would go out of the house without asking her parents’ permission.

Father noticed that his daughter Ana was becoming more vain than ever. She disregarded her parents when visitors came. He became very angry when Ana went out for several successive nights.

“Oh, you are neglecting your good manners! You have forgotten to kiss the hands of your parents. Since when have you been doing this? You always left the house without asking permission. Is that your reward for all the love that we have shown? What a useless sacrifice we had for you!” said the father angrily.

A voice was heard that moment from within the house. It was the voice of a fairy. “From now on your form will be changed to an ugly little animal. You shall always kiss the ground every afternoon during Angelus hour. You will have to live in the house and roam about it only. A part of your body shall fall off and change every now and then as you change your clothes to new ones often,” said the fairy to Ana.

When the voice stopped they saw nothing but an ugly little house lizard. It could not say a word but only utter “Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!”

It has to fulfill its punishment up to this time.

Adopted.

[p. 50]

The committee has achieved very little success in securing writings, documents or any other literary productions by local writers. This is due to at least three reasons namely, (1) First, the absence of literary talents in the locality, (2) Second, the suppressed freedom of speech during the Spanish regime, and (3) Third, in a few cases the writings have been either misplaced or destroyed.

However, through the courtesy and cooperation of Mr. Clemente Mojica, Mr. Segundo Mojica, Mr. Vicente Felimiano and Mrs. Maria C. Luna, the living child of the late Mr. Simeon Coronel a writer so they say the following have been gathered:

Here is an excerpt of the drama “Sa Likod Ng Kahapon” by Simeon Coronel produced about the year 1910. This depicted the highlights of the Spanish administration and the social practices in that period. The Spanish priest occupied a very high social position in the locality whom everybody respected and feared, Everytime he comes around people gathered close to kiss his hand. School children of the regime were taught at the point of a rod. The skit was short with intervals of comedy acts farsical gestures to hide the after effects of the depicted cruelties and imposing rule of the Spaniards. There was no distinct plot of the drama told, however the main characteristic of the Spanish occupation was marked.

Mr. Segundo Mojica, gave us this literary piece of special note, entitled “Today.”

Hoy - Lunes - Copia
Considerad el hoy porque es la Vida.
la vida misma de la vida. En el descansan todas las verdades y realidades de la existencia: la bendicion del crecimiento, la gloria de la accion, el esplendor de la belleza. Porque el Ayer no es mas que un sueño, y el mañana es solamente una vision. Pero el Hoy, bien vivido hace que todo el pasado sea un sueño de felicidad, y todo el porvenir una vision de esperanza. Considerad, pues, el Hoy. Esta es la salutacion de la alborada.

[p. 51]

(English translation of the literary piece)

“Today”

Consider the Present for it is life,
the very life of lives.
All of the truths and realities
of existence rest in it.
The blessings of growth, the glory of action,
the splendor of beauty.
For yesterday is but a dream,
and tomorrow is but a vision.
But the Present, when it is well lived,
makes all the past a dream of happiness,
And all the future a vision hope.
consider, then, the Present,
This is the greetings of dawn.

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P A G I B I G

Pitagan at suyu sa puso’y namugad
Punla ng ligaya sa bangis ng hirap
Mulang makilala ang hinhin mo’t dilag
Wika ko’y sinta ka hanggang sa mautas.

- o o o -

[p. 52]

Sa pagibig dahil kaya naging tao
Kung walang pagibig mundo’y nakaano
Kung Ikaw ay akin at ako ay iyo
Tamis iparaling kita’y paraiso.

- o o o -

Sino ang may sala sa aking pagibig
Kundi ang dikit mong lumimbag sa isip?
Aling lalaki ang makapagtitiis
Kung mapilansikan ng mahal mong titig.

- o o o -

Bangkay man sakali na nasa libingan
Nawatak-watak na buto, balat, laman
Sa balang piraso’y ikaw rin ang sigaw
Di lalong-lalo na kung ganitong buhay.

- o o o -

Kung ito’y masama bakit kaya naman
Marami ang taong anak ng di kasal?
Pagpasok sa simbahan ay binibinyagan
At hindi lipulin ng huag tularan.

- o o o -

Mr. Clemente Mojica possesses a book entitled “En Memorias de Un Revolucionario.” The only surviving book which contained the History of the Revolution from the coming of the Spaniards till the coming of the Americans. All the struggle of the Filipinos for independence were depicted there.

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