2. In the olden days there lived a lovely maiden named Daragang Magayon. She
was the daughter of Rajah Makusog of Rawis and Dawani, who died shortly after
Magayon’s birth.
3. Daragang Magayon’s beauty attracted many suitors from different tribes. Among them
was
the haughty Pagtuga, the great hunter and powerful chieftrain from Iraga, who courted
her by lavishing her father fabulous gifts. But Daragang Magayon did not love
Pagtuga. She had given her heart to Panganuron, the brave son of Rajah Karilaya of the
far-off Tagalog region.
4. He had saved her from death in the river one morning. She had gone to bathe in the Yawa river
which was swollen after a night of heavy rain. Balancing her self on a stone, she slipped and fell
into the water. She did not know how to swim, and she would have been carried away by the
swift current had Panganoron not come to her rescue. He happened to be passing by, and when
he heard the maiden’s frantic cry for help. In an instant, he was at her side. Then he tenderly
carried the frightened girl to dry land.
5. Not long after, he spoke to her of his love. Daragang Magayon shyly admitted
that she had also fallen inlove with him. This gave the youth courage to thrust his
spear at the foot of the stairs at Rajah Mahusog ‘s house.
6. Realizing that his daughter love the young man and whishing only happiness for
her, Makusog gave the couple his blessing. With great joy, Panganoron left for
home to prepare for the wedding.
7. The news of the approaching wedding reach Pagtuga’s ears in no time. He was
very angry, and he thought of a way to prevent the marriage. One day, when
Rajah Makusog went to the mountains to hunt, Pagtuga waylaid him and took him
captive.
I will set you free
only if you gave
Magayon for a
wife.
The answer is not
mine to give. Ask
Magayon her self
8. And so Daragang Magayon was brought before Pagtuga. Told that
Makusog would be put to death if she refused to be Pagtugas’s bride, she
tearfully consented to marry him.
We shall be
married in seven
days.
9. And he ordered his people to prepare for a wedding. Learning of this sudden
turn of events, Panganoron abandoned his own wedding preparations and hastily
returned to Rawis with his brave warriors. In the battle, that ensued, Panganoron
slew Pagtuga.
10. This started the war between the two tribes. Panganuron fought in the
battle too, and killed in the fight.
11. When Daragang Magayon heard the news about Panganuron’s death, it broke
her heart. She cried everyday until she got sick. She soon died too.
12. With much sadness Daragang Magayon’s family and the townspeople buried the
beautiful maiden.
13. But after a few months had passed, the ground where she was buried grew and
grew. After a few hundreds of years it became a very beautiful volcano now called
“ Mayon”.
14. On certain days, when the tip of the volcano is shrouded in mist and cloud, the
old folks say that Panganoron is kissing Magayon. When after wards rain trickles
down the mountain slopes, they say that the rain drops are Panganoron tears as he
cries over his lost love.
