THE LEGEND OF THE “MAMPAK”: A MYTHICAL BIRD OF SORSOGON The legend of the “mampak,” a giant man-eating bird is widespread in Sorsogon. The presence of the giant bird in the legend of San Bernardino is proof of the popularity of this mampak legend among the Sorsoganons. In the town of Barcelona, Sorsogon local accounts attribute several place-names in the town to this mampak legend. Barangay “Mapapak” was so named because it was here where the mampak alighted. Barangay “Tagdon” in fact, is a corruption of the local word “togdon” meaning “to alight.” Barangay “Layog,” in the local dialect means “to fly.” The bird alighted in another place which was named “Paghaluban” because the inhabitants here drove away the bird with whips and rods. “Paghaluban” means “to drive away with a pole or a rod.” Driven from Paghaluban, the bird alighted in another place, now called Barangay “Macabari.” The place was named “Macabari” because when the bird alighted many tree branches were broken due to its size and weight. “Nabari” in the local dialect means “broken.” Other places in Sorsogon have their own stories about the mampak bird. In Porog Cave at San Pascual, Casiguran, Sorsogon residents believed that a mampak lived here. In Pinanaan Cave, at Bonontolan, Prieto Diaz, was so named because a local legend said that it was here that an Aeta named Comisario Juan killed a mampak with his arrows. The legend must have been old because Dr. Dery, the writer, in one of his trips to an archaeological site in Santa Barbara, Bulusan was shown by some residents in this barrio a jar burial cover with a design of a bird with a human being between its beak.
Posted on: Tue, 06 May 2014 02:00:54 +0000
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