The Legend Of Dama De Noche Flower

 A long time ago, the communities and small villages in the Philippines were ruled by sultan's and datu's (tribal chief.) These leaders were loved, served and very well respected by their people. These rulers can do whatever they wish and that includes the woman they intended to marry as they can choose whoever they want to be their wife.

Just like the status of Datu Makisig. He was already well built and elegant even at a young age which is why a lot of maiden's by the neighboring villages wanted to be his wife. And this wasn't just ordinary maidens, these are the daughters of other rulers. But no one of the maidens had captured the heart of the Datu Makisig.

One day, the young datu visited the farthest part of his region and he spotted a beautiful maiden. Her name was Dama. Although being poor, Dama was a real beauty. Datu Makisig courted Dama, even showing to the parents of the lovely maiden how much he loves the lady. He won her heart and not long after that, they got married.

Dama made a good, caring wife to the datu. And her presence beautified the small village of Datu Makisig. Not only that, she keeps the datu's place neat and tidy and she makes decorations to put in. Dama always prepare delicious foods for her husband and even to his visitors.

"You are so lucky about your wife, datu. She's not only a beauty and kind-hearted woman. She cooks well too," the people praises the couple.

And for her husband to have a good sleep, Dama would spray perfume on their room.

 The couple had been happy for many years. But there's one happiness Dama couldn't give her husband, a heir. And this has been the reason why Datu Makisig had changed toward his wife, Dama. He would no longer eat meals Dama cooks and he wouldn't come home at night on some occasions. He barely talk to her anymore.

Dama had been sorrowful on how her beloved husband had changed, but instead, she worked harder to served and pleased her husband. There are nights Dama wouldn't eat and sleep just to wait for his husband to come home. This weakened her body. Few days later, Dama was ill.

At last, one night the datu came home, and as usual he smelled the sweet perfume his wife Dama used to spray on their room. But this time, as he entered the room he saw Dama lying on their bed, badly ill.
"Our beloved ruler, your wife was severely ill," said the healers of the village as they sit and watch over the sick Dama.
Datu Makisig felt sorry to what happened to his ill wife. He caressed her cheek, hugged and kissed her and asked for forgiveness.
Dama was so happy the datu came home. She opened her eyes and look at her beloved husband with a smile in her lips.
"Thank you for coming home my love. I want to serve you more but God wants to take me away now," she whispered to her husband in a weak voice. "Good bye my beloved datu."

The whole village mourned. Datu Makisig repented to what he had done, as he realized he loved his wife dearly. The lonely datu found a strange, green plant sprouting to the grave of his beautiful wife. He took real good care of the plant and he prayed to God to keep the small plant in Dama's grave healthy and green.
Days and weeks went by. The green plant he was taking care of grew and prospered to be a shrub and it developed flowers.
" I thank you Creator for keeping this plant alive and verdant," he whispered. " Thank you for listening to my prayers and leaving me a memory of my beloved Dama."

That very night as the datu entered the room to retire for the night, he smelled Dama's perfume that she used to spray on their room for him to have a good rest. It was as if Dama was there. She looked everywhere on his room to find where the sweet perfume was coming from, but he can't find it.

And there, he can smell the fragrance again, from the open window. And it seems like it was coming from the grave of his wife, Dama. He hurriedly went out the yard and headed to the tomb of Dama where the shrub is growing.

Since then, every night Datu Makisig can be found sitting beside the strange plant, smelling the sweet fragrant flowers her beloved Dama had left him as a token.

Years went by and the Spaniards arrived to the Philippines. They got into the small village Datu Makisig was ruling. And what did they noticed? They noticed the verdant shrub surrounding the residence of the datu. As they asked the villagers, the Spaniards learned the love story behind the flowers which sweet fragrance can only be smelled at night.

And because the aroma can only be smelled at nighttime, and that because it sprouted in the grave of Dama and it smells like the perfume she used, they started calling the shrub Dama de noche.

LESSON:

"Repentance always comes last"

Values in the story:

Life of Lam-ang (Biag ni Lam-Ang)- Anatomy of an Ilocano Epic

Life of Lam-ang (Biag ni Lam-Ang)- 
Anatomy of an Ilocano Epic

The theme of the epic revolves around the bravery and courage of the main character portrayed by Lam-ang, who was gifted with speech as early as his day of birth, who embarked on a series of adventures which culminated in his heroic death and subsequent resurrection.

This series of adventures started with his search for his lost father who was murdered by the head-hunting Igorots in the Igorot country. While on his way, he met a certain Sumarang, whose name connotes obstruction, who tried to dissuade him from proceeding and who taunted him into a fight.   

The fight that ensued proved fatal to Sumarang as he was blown “three kingdoms” away with a spear pierced through his stomach. This encounter led to another when he met a nine-headed serpent who, like Sumarang earlier tried to dissuade him from going any further. The serpent having been ignored challenged him into a fight which cost the serpent its heads.

Lam-ang went on until he found it necessary to rest and take a short nap. While asleep, he dreamed of his father’s head being an object of festivities among the Igorots. He immediately arose and continued his journey until he found the Igorots indeed feasting over his father’s head.

He asked the Igorots why they killed his father, but the Igorots instead advised him to go home if he did not want to suffer the same fate which his father suffered. This was accompanied by a challenge to a fight, despite their obvious numerical superiority. But Lam-ang, armed with supernatural powers, handily defeated them, giving the last surviving Igorot a slow painful death by cutting his hands and his ears and finally carving out his eyes to show his anger for what they had done to his father.

Satisfied with his revenge, he went home. At home, he thought of taking a swim in the Cordan River with the company of Cannoyan and her lady-friends. So he proceeded to Cannoyan’s place in the town of Calanutian, disregarding her mother’s advice to the contrary. On his way, he met a woman and named Saridandan, whose name suggests that she was a woman of ill repute. He resisted her blandishments, for his feeling for Cannoyan was far greater for anyone to take.

When he reached Cannoyan’s house, he found a multitude of suitors futilely vying for her hand. With the help of his pets - the cock and the dog - he was able to catch Cannoyan’s attention. He asked her to go with him to the river along with her lady-friends. She acceded. While washing himself in the river, the river swelled, and the shrimps, fishes and other creatures in the river were agitated for the dirt washed from his body was too much. As they were about to leave the river, Lam-ang noticed a giant crocodile. He dove back into the water and engaged with the creature in a fierce fight until the creature was subdued. He brought it ashore and instructed the ladies to pull its teeth to serve as amulets against danger during journeys.

 Acknowledgment: (three versions of Lam-ang in different   art styles, from Internet, Wikipedia, and concerned artists.)

Back at Cannoyan’s house, he was confronted by her parents with an inquiry as to what his real intention was. He had to set aside his alibi that he went there to ask Cannoyan and her friends to accompany him to the river, and told them, through his spokesman - the cock - that he came to ask for Cannoyan’s hand in marriage. He was told that if he desired to marry Cannoyan, he must first be able to match their wealth, for which he willingly complied. Having satisfied her parents, he went home to his mother and enjoined her and his townspeople to attend his wedding which was to take place in Cannoyan’s town.

The wedding was elaborate, an event that involved practically everyone in town. There were fireworks, musical band, and display of attractive items like the glasses, the mirror, the slippers, clothes and nice food. After the wedding, Lam-ang’s party plus his wife and her town mates went back to their town of Nalbuan, where festivities were resumed. The guests expressed a desire to taste a delicacy made of rarang fish.

Lam-ang was obliged to go to the sea and catch the fish. Before going, however, his rooster warned that something unpleasant was bound to happen. This warning proved true, as Lam-ang was swallowed by a big bercacan, or shark-like fish. Cannoyan mourned and for a while she thought there was no way to retrieve her lost husband. But the rooster indicated that if only all the bones could be gathered back, Lam-ang could be brought to life again.

She then enlisted the aid of a certain diver named Marcus, who was ready to come to her aid to look for the bones. When all Lam-ang’s bones were gathered, the rooster crowed and the bones moved. The dog barked, and Lam-ang arose and was finally resurrected. Cannoyan embraced him. For his deep appreciation for the help of his pets - the cock and the dog - and of Marcus the diver, he promised that each other would get his or its due reward. And they lived happily ever after.

    Moral Lesson:

     "Life is full of trials and problems; one must be strong and must accept this reality."

  

  

    Characters:

             * Don Juan ~ father of Lam-ang

             * Namongan ~ mother of Lam-ang

              * Lam-ang ~ main character of the story

              * Ines Kannoyan ~wife of Lam-ang

              * Sumarang ~ rival of Lam-ang

     Setting:

                -on the mountains

                -in the river (Amburayan)

    Values:

               -brave

               -loving

    Tradition:

               -giving a dowry

               -asking the hand for marriage

               -protecting ones territory