The Story of Rice Myth

There was a time, many, many years ago, when rice was not known to our people. At that time
our ancestors lived on fruits, vegetables, birds, and wild animals which they caught while hunting
in the mountains or the forests. Tilling the soil was still unknown. And poultry and hog was not yet
a part of their way of living. Because our people depended on the food which nature provided
and not what they themselves grew or raised, their stay in one place was only temporary. When
there was nothing more to be hunted or gathered in a certain place, they would go to another
region where there was plenty of food. Thus, they traveled from one place to another. But our
ancestors were proud, thankful and happy. They were proud of the things they had- their
brownskin, the race to which they belonged, and the customs and traditions which they
practiced. They werethankful to Bathalatheir god. And they were happy in the manner of living
which they led.On a typical day, the men could be seen going to the mountains or forests to
hunt, while the women andsmall children could be seen busily engaged in such useful tasks as
fishing and gathering of fruits andvegetables. After a days work, all wild animals that had
beenkilled in the hunt and all fruits andvegetables that had been gathered, would be divided
equally among all the group of families which madeup thebalangay
.One day, a group of hunters went out to hunt deer. In their desire to have a good catch, they
traveled far and wide until they reached the Cordillera Mountains. Having traveled so far, and
feeling dead tired, theydecided to take a rest under a big tree. It was nearing noon and all of
them were hungry.While resting in the shade of the tree, they saw, not far from where they were,
a group of men andwomen whose features were quite different from those of ordinary mortals.
The hunters realized that theywere gods and goddesses who lived in that part of the mountain.
All at once the hunters stood up andgave the deities due respect. The gods were glad of this
gesture. In return, they invited the hunters to jointhem in their banquet.The hunters helped in the
preparation of the food. They butchered the deer and wild boar and then placedthem one
after another over the live coals.In a short while, a servant of the gods got some bamboos and
placed them over the fire. The bambooscontained small, white kernels shaped like beads. Soon
after, the cooked kernels were placed in saucer-shaped banana leaves. The table laden with
roasted meat, cooked vegetables, and fresh fruits. Other bamboos were brought in and these
contained what looked like pure water. The hunters soon learnedthat the crystal-like substance
was not water but rather, the wine of the gods. At first, the hunters were reluctant in joining the
feasts

after seeing the small, white kernels.
We do not eat worms, the chief hunter said.

The gods smiled. These white bead
-shaped kernels are not worms, replied one of the gods. They are
cooked rice. They come from a certain kind of plant which we ourselves grow. Come and feast
with us.
After we have eaten, kill us if you find anything wrong from eating rice.

After hearing the gods words, the hunters did not argue anymore. They feasted with the gods.
They weresatisfied and happy, not because they were fed but because of the energy they felt
after eating cooked rice. Their weak bodies became strong. After the feast, the hunters thanked
the gods.