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
chieftain from Iriga, 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. He plunged in to the river. 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
Makusog’s house.
6. Realizing that his daughter love the young man and wishing 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”.
Pagtuga told Makusog.
“The answer is not mine to give. Ask Magayon her self”, said Rajah.
8. And so Daragang Magayon was brought before
Pagtuga. Told that Makusog would be put to death if she
refused to be Pagtuga’s bride, she tearfully consented to
marry him.
“We shall be married in seven days”, said Pagtuga.
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.
9. But while Magayon was rushing joyously to meet her
beloved, a stray arrow caught her at the back.
10. As Panganoron held the dying maiden in his arms, he was
struckdead by a spear hurled by Linog, Pagtuga’s hench man. Seeing
this, Makusog rush at Linog and killed him with his minasbad.
11.
12. Thus, that would have been
a joyful occation became a day of
mourning as the people burried their
dead. Rajah Makusog himself dug
the grave where he tenderly laid the
bodies of the lovers.
Days after, the people saw
the grave rise. As it grew higher,
eventually assuming the form of a
peerless cone, it was attended by
muffled rumblings and quakes. Then it
spewed out red-hot boulders from its
crater. Eeven now, it does so from time
to time. Old folks explain the
phenomenon as Pagtuga aided by
Linog, agitating the volcano to retrieve
his gifts, which, following an ancient
custom, where burried with Magayon.
13. 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
Panganorons tears as he cries over his lost love.
14. The volcano’s name has been shortened to
Mayon. It’s majestic shape lords over the
lovely countryside of Albay.
