Manaul

The Manaul bird is a fascinating creature from Philippine folklore. Stories about Manaul have been shared for many years, capturing the imagination of people in the Philippines. There are several tales about this mysterious bird.

Besides its place in folklore, the name "Manaul" is also used for two large and impressive eagle species found in the Philippines. These are the majestic Philippine eagle and the white-bellied sea eagle. Both birds are known for their powerful presence and are important symbols in the natural world of the Philippines.

Panay Manaul

A Manaul bird was mentioned in the Code of Kalantiaw, a sacred code from the island of Panay. According to this document, it was very wrong to kill this bird. People believed this rule came from a time when the Confederation of Madja-as was in charge.

Mangyan Manaul

In Mangyan and Negrito folklore, Manaul was a powerful king. He was once trapped by another king named Tubluck Lawi. Later, Manaul escaped and fought against the gods and spirits. The god Kaptan punished Manaul by throwing rocks at him. The rocks did not hit Manaul. Instead, they fell to the ground and formed islands. Manaul rested there and lived peacefully.

Tagalog Manaul

In Tagalog folklore, a bird named "Manaul" was sent by the god Bathala. This bird, also called a tigmamanukan, pecked at a piece of bamboo. When it pecked, the bamboo split open. Out came the first man, Malakas, and the first woman, Maganda. After this, Manaul flew from right to left. This was seen as a good sign that it was safe to continue. Some stories say that Manaul was the bird form of Amihan, the deity of peace.

Bisaya Manaul

In Bisaya folklore, Manaul is a king who helped guide people's paths. He once made the earth and sky fight in a big battle. When the battle grew too big, he took rocks from the deep ocean and threw them onto the sea, creating islands.