We are cooking Lana last time with Miss Ryah, a Filipina by Birth but raised up in Viena, Austria. Every year she makes pilgrimage way back home to the Philippines to strengthen her comnection to her roots.
On this years journey, she enrolled to study Hilot Binabaylan with us and learn to make Lana Coconut Oil to be used for her healing works.
As we make the lana, we have recited the myth why there is coconut and also the sacredness of coconut.
As we put to boil the coconut milk into the pan, i started to recite the myth that there were 3 powerful Gods longtime ago in the Philippines. One is Bathalang Maykapal who rules the Earth; then Ulilang Kaluluwa (lonely soul) which is a serpent that lives in the cloud; and Galang Kaluluwa ( wondering soul) who fly over every plane of existence.
One day, Ulilang Kaluluwa who is the flyimg serpent saw the Earth which Bathalang Maykapal is the ruler. He challenge Bathala for a fight for rulership but unfortunately Ulilang Kaluluwa lose the fight and died. As good ruler of the Earth, Bathala gave an honorable burial to Ulilang Kaluluwa.
Then after a few years, the Friendly Galang Kaluluwa went on Earth to Visit Bathala and stayed with him. As Galang Kaluluwa stay with Bathala,he became weak and died. So Bathala again buried Galang Kaluluwa to the grave where he also buried Ulilang Kaluluwa.
After few days, Bathala notice that there is a tree that grew on the grave where he buried Galang Kaluluwa anh Ulilang Kaluluwa. The body of the Tree looks like the serpentine body of Ulilang Kaluluwa and the leaves of the tree looks like the wings of Galang Kaluluwa and when Bathala open the fruit of the tree, it looks like a head with two eyes and a mouth. And the tree that grows in the grave of Ulilang Kaluluwa ang Galang Kaluluwa is now we know as the Coconut Tree.
Hilot Academy of Binabaylan 