Balintawak is a historical place in Quezon City where Andres Bonifacio, the Katipunan’s founder, was said to have led his men to renounce Spanish atrocities with a loud cry. How did such a strange name as “Balintawak” come about? This folklore has this to say.
Long ago, the folklore begins, before the Spaniards came to the Philippines, there came an Indonesian to a certain part of the highlands north of Manila. The Indonesian, with his family and men, after some exploration, decided to settle in that area. There they introduced to the natives their arts and handicrafts for bartering these with foods and other household needs. The Indonesian wares and crafts were all interesting and quite unique from what the natives have been accustomed to with their trades with the Chinese, according to the folklore.
But what really amazed the natives were the Indonesian metal swords. The folklore describes them as being designed with interesting curves and crescents and other odd-shaped symbols that other Asian swords they have seen did not have. The Indonesians, from Bali, were also warriors and taught the natives some moves from their war dances using the special swords. The natives started calling the Indonesians and their dances Bali, and later, Balin. The folklore adds that soon the dance was called Balin Tabak locally, referring to the swords or “tabak” in the vernacular used in the dance.
And so one day, the folklore says, the Spaniards came, and when they first reached the area they wondered what the place was called. After everybody was introduced (and it was quite a scene with the different languages used), the local chieftain decided to entertain the guests with an evening feast. At the community center, a presentation was given, and of course their newest cultural dance was presented—the Balin Tabak. The foreigners were amazed and asked what the place was called so they can report back to headquarters their remarkable found. The folklore paints this scene with confusion because the natives, thinking the guests were asking what the dance was called, shouted “Balin Tabak!” The Spaniards started calling the place Balin Tabak. After some time, the name evolved to Balintawak.
Well, afterwards, history ironically tells us that this place of folklore hospitality later turned out to be the place where the first rebellion against abuses to that hospitality was shouted with raised “tabak” in protest.
Filipino hospitality figures mostly in most local folklores. The trait is not only reflected in folklores, it is also historically true.
Related topics:
The Folklore About Tabaco, Albay
Though provoked, some people have the discipline and propensity to choose peace than violence. A man from Tabaco, Albay in Legaspi City, according to a folklore, showed this character though faced with a perceived threat. This folklore says, raised up...
The Folklore on How Manila Got Its Name
Nilad plants once proliferated along the banks of the Pasig River near its mouth that opens to Manila Bay. A folklore says this scene of Nilad plants that daily graced the windy delta area started talks of a kind and...
Folklore on the Fly Who Wanted to be a God
A double-minded person is stable in all his ways, a Hebrew wiseman once said. A Filipino folklore on a fly who wished to be a God tells of the troubling thoughts of an undecisive creature. The folklore says even God...
Folklore on Why We Cook the Foods We Eat
When something is urgently sought for, an accidental discovery is bound to show up---or at least that's what a Philippine folklore says. The folklore on why we cook the foods we eat is an example of how an urgent activity...
Folklore on How Bataan Got Its Name
A big part of native hospitality is to accomodate even the opinions of a visitor without resistance. A folklore on how Bataan got its name illustrates how foreign opinion easily influenced local folks in naming their own locality. This folklore...
Folklore on the Iguana and the Turtle
Swindling is often shrouded or masqueraded as friendship. It is usually a wolf in sheep's clothing. A Filipino folklore illustrates an obvious foolery that a gullible iguana always fails to recognize as a malicious trickster. This folklore mirrors so many...
Folklore on Why the Lion Is King of the Forest
Courage, strength and wit are necessary qualities of a leader. A Philippine folklore on why the lion became king of the jungle shows that the animal kingdom recognizes the virtues are necessary to put the jungle in order. If it's...
The Folklore on The King an
This Philippine folklore reminds us how people should be valued. The heart of a person dictates the way people are given value, not really religion. Thus, this folklore centers on how a misjudgment happened right inside a church building. ...
Philippine Folklore: The Kind and the Pure
Needing money is not the problem, but loving money is. A Philippine folklore on money stewardship reminds readers of the need to use money to serve us, rather than letting it use us to subservience. And there's one gauge to...
Folklore on Life Wisdom
A Philippine folklore on life wisdom teaches generations of Filipinos to consider education and wisdom. They must always go together. The folklore says education without the practical applications of wisdom can prove fatal in times of emergencies---in personal, community, national,...
