atives of Albay never tires relating a legend, which tells how Tiwi Springs came to exist. They say that the place where the springs are now located used to be a quiet, prosperous village. In this village there lived a maiden who was lovely beyond compare. Suitors came from all places to woo this maiden, because she was industrious, kind and true besides being very lovely.
One day, as the sun god was riding on his fiery chariot, he caught sight of the beautiful maiden. Like a mortal, the sun god had an eye for beauty. Upon seeing the maiden, his heart gave a leap, and then and there, he decided to end his search for the girl he would marry.
Upon returning to the heavens that day, the sun god lost no time telling his father about his discovery.
" I've not seen a creature as lovely even in our kingdom,"the sun god told his father.
"She may be lovely but she's only a mortal," the god of gods told his son.
"But I've decided to win and marry her," the sun god insisted.
"That will never do! Gods never marry mortals," said the god of gods firmly.
The sun god said no more, for his father had already made his decision. But the following morning, he refused to go about his usual chore of bringing light to the earth. He sulked for days on end after that, and refused to ride on his fiery chariot again. So the earth was filled with darkness, and the people thought that the world had come to an end. The god of gods, seeing the darkness and gloom that ruled the earth, took pity on mankind. So he allowed his son to go down to earth to ask for the lovely maiden s hand in marriage.
But alas! In his great joy and haste, the sun god forgot to remove his fiery clothes. He also forgot that his chariot was so fiery that it could set aflame anything near it. He forgot too, that his eyes were two balls of fire that could set aflame of lightning; he rode on his chariot and sped down to the earth. The sun god never landed on the earth, forever as he approached the village where the maiden lived houses, trees and everything else had caught fire. The people of the village, including the maiden, lost their lives in fire.
When the fire died down, nothing was left. But right in the place where the village stood, hot springs bubbled forth from the scorched earth. Thus, the hot springs of Tiwi come to exist. People from all places now come to bathe in Tiwi Springs. They claim that the hot water of the springs is a good cure for many diseases.
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