Legends of the Sto. Niño de Cebu

(Part 5)

Manuel Enriquez dela Calzada originally wrote this in Cebuano, it was translated into English by Martin Abellana. It was published in 1965. It was Consuelo Enriquez-Uy, a descendant of the Dela Calzada, who donated copies of the book to the Cebu City Library.

Numerous entries on the legends of the Sto. Niño de Cebu are contained in the book. CEBUpedia is running a series of selected stories in the book, with the hope that the Cebu City government, in coordination with the family of Manuel Enriquez dela Calzada, will reproduce the book so it can be distributed to the public schools in Cebu City.

“The queen took hold of her handkerchief and wiped the face and the neck of the Holy Image. But the perspiration continued unabated. This happening spread like wild fire throughout the kingdom of Banawa. At this particular time, there were people who were bathing at the spring.

“When they heard the story, they all flocked to the palace to see for themselves. Among them were the parents of the boy who climbed up to the window of the palace.

“Upon seeing their boy, they brought him to the spring and bathed him. The queen saw this. It came to her mind that it would also do good to the Image if she would bathe it in the spring too. So she brought the Image to the spring and gave it a bath.

“Then things began to happen. Before the eyes of the people who were gathered at the spring, thick clouds suddenly appeared at the sky. The sky in rapid fashion became dark. Before long, there was heavy downpour. Rain! Rain! The people shouted joyfully. Their crops would be saved and there would be no famine.

“The people of the kingdom found out that every time the Image of the Holy Child was given a bath, rain would always fall. Since then, every time they had a drought, the Image was given a bath.”

“Very many years ago, long before the Spaniards came to Banawa, there was a fruit which was called mangamut. This fruit was sweet, very sweet and delicious. Its only hitch was that it was fibrous. Nonetheless, people from far and near, were attracted to it.

“The trees which bore this fruit grew near a lake, a banaw, which was to say the least, mysterious. This lake appeared during the dry season but it disappeared during the rainy season. In fact, the kingdom itself, Banawa, got its name from this mysterious lake. “Banaw Nga Nawa,” (meaning Lake Which Disappeared) which later on was contracted to Banaw Wa, and still later the two words were joined to form Banawa.”

(To be continued)