Filipino Popular Tales Part 23

With magnificent ceremony the king's son-in-law was conducted to the royal residence. He was seated on the throne, the crown and sceptre were transferred to him, and he was hailed as King Oswaldo of Berengena.

Notes.

I have still a fifth Filipino story (e) of three brothers setting out to seek their fortunes, their rich father promising his estate to the son who should show most skill in the profession he had chosen. This Bicol version, which was narrated by Simeon Paz of Nueva Caceres, Camarines, contains a long introduction telling how the youngest brother was cruelly treated by the two older. After the three have left home in search of professions, the older brothers try to kill the youngest, but he escapes. In his wanderings he meets with an old hermit, who, on hearing the boy's story, presents him with a magic booklet and dagger. These articles can furnish their possessor with whatever he wishes. At the appointed time the three brothers meet again at home, and each demonstrates his skill. The oldest, who has become an expert blacksmith, shoes a horse running at full speed. The second brother, a barber, trims the hair of a running man. The youngest causes a beautiful palace to appear instantly. The father, somewhat unfairly, perhaps, bestows his estate on the youngest, who has really displayed no skill at all.

These five Filipino stories belong to a large group of tales to which we may give the name of the "Rival Brothers." This cycle a.s.sumes various forms; but the two things that identify the relations.h.i.+p of the members are the rivalry of the brothers and the conundrum or "problem" ending of the stories. Within this cycle we can distinguish at least three simple, distinct types, and a compound fourth made up of parts of two of the others. These four types may be very generally outlined as follows: (I) A number of artisans (usually not brothers), by working c.u.mulatively, as it were, make and bring to life a beautiful woman; they then quarrel as to which one has really produced her and is therefore ent.i.tled to have her. (II) Through the combined skill of three suitors (sometimes brothers, oftener not), a maiden is saved from death, and the three quarrel over the possession of her. The difficulty is solved satisfactorily by her father or by some one else appointed to judge. (III) A father promises his wealth to the son that shall become most skilful in his profession; the three sons seek their fortunes, and at an appointed time return, and are tested by their father. He judges which is most worthy of the estate. (IV) A combination of the first part of the third type with the second.

Benfey (in Ausland, 1858 : 969, 995, 1017, 1038, 1067) has made a somewhat exhaustive study of the Marchen, which he calls "Das Marchen von den Menschen mit den wunderbaren Eigenschaften." As a matter of fact, he examines particularly the stories of our type II (see above), to which he connects the folk-tales of our types III and IV as a later popular development. As has been said in the notes to No. 11 Benfey thinks that the "Skilful Companions" cycle is a droll or comic offshoot of this much older group. Our type I he does not discuss at all, possibly thinking that it is not a part of the "Rival Brothers" cycle. It strikes me, however, as being a part fully as much as is the "Skilful Companions" cycle, which is perhaps more nearly related to the "Bride Wager" group than to the "Rival Brothers." Professor G. L. Kittredge, in his "Arthur and Gorlagon"

(Harvard Studies and Notes in Philology and Literature, No. 8), 226, has likewise failed to differentiate clearly the two cycles, and his outline of the "Skilful Companions" is that of our type II of the "Rival Brothers." I am far from wis.h.i.+ng to quarrel over nomenclature,--possibly "Rival Brothers" is no better name for the group of tales under discussion than is "Skilful Companions,"--but, as G. H. Gerould has remarked ("The Grateful Dead," Folk-Lore Society, 1907 : 126, note 3), Kittredge's a.n.a.lysis would not hold for all variants, even when uncompounded. However, Mr. Gerould does not attempt to explain the cause of the confusion, nor was he called upon to do so in his study of an entirely distinct cycle. Consequently, as no one else has yet done so, for the sake of clearness, I propose a division of the large family of sagas and folk-tales dealing with men endowed with extraordinary powers [46] into at least two cycles, --the "Rival Brothers" and the "Skilful Companions" (see No. 11). The former of these, which is the group discussed here, I subdivide, as has already been indicated, into four types. Of intermixtures of these types with other cycles we shall not concern ourselves here, though they have been many. [47] We now turn to an examination of the four types. [48]

(I) Type I had its origin in India, doubtless. The oldest form seems to be that found in the Sanscrit "Vetalapancavincati," No. 22, whence it was incorporated into Somadeva's story collection (twelfth century) called the "Kathasaritsagara." An outline of this last version (Tawney's translation, 2 : 348-350) is as follows.

Story of the Four Brahman Brothers who Resuscitated the Lion.

Four Brahman brothers, sons of a very poor man, leave home to beg. After their state has become even more miserable, they decide to separate and to search through the earth for some magic power. So, fixing upon a trysting-place, they leave one another, one going east, one west, one north, one south. In the course of time they meet again, and each tells of his accomplishments: the first can immediately produce on a bit of bone the flesh of that animal; the second can produce on that flesh skin and hair appropriate to that animal; the third can create the limbs of the animal after the flesh, skin, and hair have been formed; the fourth can endow the completed carca.s.s with life. The four now go into the forest to find a piece of bone with which to test their skill; they find one, but are ignorant that it is the bone of a lion. The first Brahman covers the bone with flesh; the second gives it skin and hair; the third completes the animal by supplying appropriate limbs; the fourth endows it with life. The terrible beast, springing up, charges the four brothers and slays them on the spot.

The question which the vetala now asks the king is, "Which of these four was guilty in respect of the lion who slew them all?" King Vikramasena answers, "The one that gave life to the lion is guilty. The others produced flesh, skin, hair, and limbs without knowing what kind of animal they were making. Therefore, being ignorant, they were not guilty. But the fourth, seeing the complete lion's shape before him, was guilty of their death, because he gave the creature life."

The "Pancatantra" version (v, 4) varies slightly. Here, as in the preceding, there are four brothers, but only three of them possess all knowledge; the fourth possesses common sense. The first brother joins together the bones of a lion; the second covers them with skin, flesh, and blood; the third is about to give the animal life, when the fourth brother--he who possessed common sense--says, "If you raise him to life, he will kill us all." Finding that the third brother will not desist from his intention, the fourth climbs a tree and saves himself, while his three brothers are torn to pieces. For a modern Indian popular form, see Thornhill, 289.

In the Persian "Tuti-namah" (No. 5) the story a.s.sumes a decidedly different form, as may be seen from the following abstract. (I think that there can be no doubt, however, that this tale was inspired by some redaction of "Vetalapancavincati," No. 22, not unlikely in combination with "Vetalapancavincati," No. 2.)

The Goldsmith, the Carpenter, the Tailor, and the Hermit who Quarrelled about a Wooden Woman.

A goldsmith, a carpenter, a tailor, and a hermit, travelling together, come to a desert place where they must spend the night. They decide that each shall take a watch during the night as guard. The carpenter's turn is first: to prevent sleep he carves out a wooden figure. When his turn comes, the goldsmith shows his skill by preparing jewels and adorning the puppet. The tailor's turn is next: he sees the beautiful wooden woman decked with exquisite jewels, but naked; consequently he makes neat clothes becoming a bride, and dresses her. When the hermit's turn to watch comes, he prays to G.o.d that the figure may have life; and it begins to speak like a human being.

In the morning all four fall desperately in love with the woman, and each claims her as his. Finally they come to a fifth person, and refer the matter to him. He claims her to be his wife, who has been seduced from his house, and hails the four travellers before the cutwal. But the cutwal falls in love with the woman, says that she is his brother's wife, accuses the five of his brother's murder, and carries them before the cazi. The cazi, no less enamoured, says that the woman is his bondmaid, who had absconded with much money. After the seven have disputed and wrangled a long time, an old man in the crowd that has meantime gathered suggests that the case be laid before the Tree of Decision, which can be found in a certain town. When they have all come before the tree with the woman, the tree divides, the woman runs into the cleft, the tree unites, and she has disappeared forever. A voice from the tree then says, "Everything returns to its first principles." The seven suitors are overwhelmed with shame.

A Mongolian form, to be found in the Ardschi-Bordschi saga (see Busk, 298-304), seems to furnish the link of connection between the "Tuti-namah" version and "Vetalapancavincati," Nos. 22 and 2:--

Who Invented Woman?

Four shepherd youths pasture their flocks near one another, and when they have time amuse themselves together. One day one of them there alone, to pa.s.s away the time, takes wood and sculptures it until he has fas.h.i.+oned a beautiful female form. When he sees what he has done, he cares no more for his companions, but goes his way. The next day the second youth comes alone to the place, and, finding the image, he paints it fair with the five colors, and goes his way. On the third day the third youth finds the statue, and infuses into it wit and understanding. He, too, cares no more to sport with his companions, and goes his way. On the fourth day the fourth youth finds the figure, and, breathing softly into its lips, behold! he gives it a soul that can be loved,--a beautiful woman.

When the other three see what has happened, they come back and demand possession of her by right of invention. Each urges his claim; but they can come to no decision, and so they lay the matter before the king. The question is, Who has invented the woman, and to whom does she belong by right? The answer of the king is as follows: "The first youth stands in the place of a father to her; the second youth, who has tinted her fairly, stands in the place of a mother; the third, is he not Lama (Buddhist priest, hence instructor)? The fourth has given her a soul that can be loved, and it is he alone who has really made her. She belongs to him, and therefore he is her husband."

I cannot refrain from giving a resume of "Vetalapancavincati,"

No. 2, because it has been overlooked by Benfey, and seems to be of no little significance in connection with our cycle: it establishes the connection between types I and II. This abstract is taken from Tawney's translation of Somadeva's redaction, 2 : 242-244:--

Story of the Three Young Brahmans who Restored a Dead Lady to Life.

Brahman Agnisvamin has a beautiful daughter, Mandaravati. Three young Brahmans, equally matched in accomplishments, come to Agnisvamin, and demand the daughter, each for himself. Her father refuses, fearing to cause the death of any one of them. Mandaravati remains unmarried. The three suitors stay at her house day and night, living on the sight of her. Then Mandaravati suddenly dies of a fever. The three Brahmans take her body to the cemetery and burn it. One builds a hut there, and makes her ashes his bed; the second takes her bones, and goes with them to the sacred river Ganges; the third becomes an ascetic, and sets out travelling.

While roaming about, the third suitor reaches a village, where he is entertained by a Brahman. From him the ascetic steals a magic book that will restore life to dead ashes. (He has seen its power proved after his hostess, in a fit of anger, throws her crying child into the fire.) With his magic book he returns to the cemetery before the second suitor has thrown the maiden's bones into the river. After having the first Brahman remove the hut he had erected, the ascetic, reading the charm and throwing some dust on the ashes of Mandaravati, causes the maiden to rise up alive, more beautiful than ever. Then the three quarrel about her, each claiming her as his own. The first says, "She is mine, for I preserved her ashes and resuscitated her by asceticism." The second says, "She belongs to me, for she was produced by the efficacy of sacred bathing-places." The third says, "She is my wife, for she was won by the power of my charm."

The vetala, who has been telling the story, now puts the question to King Vikramasena. The king rules as follows: "The third Brahman must be considered as her father; the second, as her son; and the first, as her husband, for he lay in the cemetery embracing her ashes, which was an act of deep affection."

A modern link is the Georgian folk-tale of "The King and the Apple"

(Wardrop, No. XVI), in which the king's magic apple tells three riddle-stories to the wonderful boy:--

(1) A woman is travelling with her husband and brother. The party meets brigands, and the two men are decapitated. Their heads are restored to them by the woman through the help of a magic herb revealed to her by a mouse. However, she gets her husband's head on her brother's body. Q.--Which man is the right husband? A.--The one with the husband's head.

(2) A joiner, a tailor, and a priest are travelling. When night comes, they appoint three watches. The joiner, for amus.e.m.e.nt, cuts down a tree and carves out a man. The tailor, in his turn, takes off his clothes and dresses the figure. The priest, when his turn comes, prays for a soul for the image, and the figure becomes alive. Q.-Who made the man? A.--He who gave him the soul.

(3) A diviner, a physician, and a swift runner are met together. The diviner says, "There is a certain prince ill with such and such a disease." The physician says, "I know a cure." The swift runner says, "I will run with it." The physician prepares the medicine, the runner runs with it, and the prince is cured. Q.--Who cured the king's son? A.--He who made the medicine.

These three stories, with their framework, appear to be descended in part from the Ardschi-Bordschi saga. A connection between the third and our type II is obvious.

A Bohemian form of this type is No. 4 of Wratislaw's collection.

(II) Type II, according to Benfey, also originated in India. The oldest known form of the story is the "Vetalapancavincati," No. 5. A brief summary of Somadeva's version, "The Story of Somaprabha and her Three Suitors" (Tawney, 2 : 258-260), may be given here:--

In Ujjayini there lived a Brahman who had an excellent son and a beautiful proud daughter. When the time for her to be married came, she told her mother to give the following message to her father and her brother: "I am to be given in marriage only to a person possessed of heroism, knowledge, or magic power."

A n.o.ble Brahman (No. 1) in time came to the father and asked for his daughter's hand. When told of the conditions, he said, "I am possessed of magic power," and to demonstrate, he made a chariot and took the father for a ride in the clouds. Then Harisvamin, the father, promised his daughter to the Brahman possessed of magic power, and set the marriage day seven days hence.

Another Brahman (No. 2) came and asked the son for his sister's hand. When told the conditions, he said that he was a hero, and he displayed his skill in the use of weapons. The brother, ignorant of what his father had done, promised his sister's hand to this man, and by the advice of an astrologer he selected the same day for the wedding as his father had selected.

A third Brahman (No. 3) on that same day asked the mother for her daughter's hand, saying that he was possessed of wisdom. Ignorant of what her husband and her son had done, she questioned this Brahman about the past and the future, and at length promised him her daughter's hand on the same seventh day.

On the same day, then, three bridegrooms appeared, and, strange to say, on that very day the bride disappeared. No. 3, with his knowledge, discovered that she had been carried off by a Rakshasa. No. 1 made a chariot equipped with weapons, and the three suitors and Harisvamin were carried to the Rakshasa's abode. There No. 2 fought and killed the demon, and all returned with the maiden. A dispute then arose among the Brahmans as to which was ent.i.tled to the maiden's hand. Each set forth his claim.

The vetala, who has been telling the story, now makes King Vikramasena decide which deserves the girl. The king says that the girl ought to be given to No. 2, who risked his life in battle to save her. Nos. 1 and 3 were only instruments; calculators and artificers are always subordinate to others.

The story next pa.s.sed over into Mongolia, growing by the way. The version in the "Siddhi-Kur," No. 13, is interesting, because it shows our story already linked up with another cycle, the "True Brothers." Only the last part, which begins approximately where the companions miss the rich youth, corresponds to the Sanscrit above. (This Mongolian version may be found in English in Busk, 105-114.) The story then moved westward, and we next meet it in the Persian and the Turkish "Tuti-namah," "The Story of the Beautiful Zehra." (For an English rendering from the Persian, see "The Tootinameh; or, Tales of a Parrot," Persian text with English translation [Calcutta, 1792], pp. 111-114.)

W. A. Clouston (Clouston 3, 2 : 277-288) has discussed this group of stories, and gives abstracts of a number of variants that Benfey does not mention: Dozon, "Albanian Tales," No. 4; a Persian ma.n.u.script text of the "Sindibad Nama;" a j.a.panese legend known as early as the tenth century; the "1001 Nights" story of "Prince Ahmed and the Peri Banu;"

Powell and Magnussen's "Icelandic Legends," pp. 348-354, "The Story of the Three Princes;" Von Hahn, "Contes Populaires Grecs" (Athens and Copenhagen, 1879), No. II, p. 98. Of these he says (p. 285), "We have probably the original of all these different versions in the fifth of the 'Vetalapanchavinsati,'"--but hardly from No. 5 alone, probably in combination with Nos. 2 and 22 (cf. above). At least, the Arabian, Icelandic, and Greek forms cited by Clouston include the search for trades or magic objects by rival brothers, a detail not found in No. 5, but occurring in Nos. 22 and 2. Clouston calls attention to the fact that in No. 5 and in the "Tuti-namah" version the damsel is not represented as being ill, while in the "Sindibad-Nama"

and in the Arabian version she is so represented.

(III) The third type seems to be of European origin. It is perhaps best represented by Grimm, No. 124, "The Three Brothers." In his notes, Grimm calls this story an old lying and jesting tale, and says that it is apparently very widespread. He cites few a.n.a.logues of it, however. He does mention an old one (sixteenth century) which seems to be the parent of the German story. It is Philippe d'Alcripe's "Trois freres, excellens ouvriers de leurs mestiers" (No. 1 in the 1853 Paris edition, Biblioth. Elzevirien). As in Grimm, the three skilled brothers in the French tale are a barber, a horse-sh.o.e.r, and a swordsman; and the performances of skill are identical in the two stories. The French version, however, ends with the display of skill: no decision is made as to which is ent.i.tled to receive the "pet.i.te maison," the property that the father wishes to leave to the son who proves himself to be the best craftsman. Our fifth story, the Bicol variant, clearly belongs to this type, although it has undergone some modifications, and has been influenced by contact with other cycles.

(IV) The fourth type represents the form to which our four printed stories most closely approximate. As remarked above, it is a combination of the third and the second types. This combination appears to have been developed in Europe, although, as may be seen from the a.n.a.lysis of "Vetalapancavincati," No. 2, it might easily have been suggested by the Sanscrit. Compare also the "Siddhi-Kur" form of type II, where, although not brothers, and six in number instead of three, the six comrades set out to seek their fortunes. But here there is no suggestion of the six acquiring skill: they have that before they separate.

The earliest known European version of this type is Morlini's, Nov. 30 (about 1520). His Latin was translated by Straparola (about 1553) in the "Tredici piacevoli Notti," VII, 5. In outline his version runs about as follows:--

Three brothers, sons of a poor man, voluntarily leave home to seek their fortunes, promising to return in ten years. After determining on a meeting-place, they separate. The first takes service with soldiers, and becomes expert in the art of war: he can scale walls, dagger in hand. The second becomes a master s.h.i.+pwright. The third spends his time in the woods, and becomes skilled in the tongues of birds. After ten years they meet again, as appointed. While they are sitting in an inn, the youngest hears a bird say that there is a great treasure hidden by the corner-stone of the inn. This they dig up, and return as wealthy men to their father's house.