The Legend of Banana

Long ago, before Philippines was invaded by other countries, the only religion Filipinos know is Paganism. They know no God until it was invaded by the Spaniards and killed everyone who refuses to give their riches. In the town of Davao, one rich family planned to hide their beautiful daughter named Corazon because they heard that the Spaniard captain wanted their child. Corazon was one of the most beautiful maiden in the town. Every man wants to have her hand in marriage. Mother: I heard that the Spaniards are searching for Corazon, we must hide her! Father: I won’t let those Spaniards take my child. Hurry, let’s find her a safe place to hide. One day, when a group of Spaniard soldiers tried again to gather all the riches and properties and everything people have in every house, the parents of Corazon panicked knowing their daughter is missing. Mother: Oh my God! Where is Corazon!?

Father: Corazon! Corazon!
Corazon was helping other families to escape from the Spaniard’s soldiers because they were trying to kill them. Corazon: People, don’t panic. Instead, let’s make a plan on how to escape from these rude people! When Corazon headed back to her parents, a Spaniard eventually caught her and brought her to their captain. Spaniard Soldier: Hey you! Come here! Follow me!

The captain want Corazon as his bride but Corazon refused and the captain ordered to kill her and throw her body on the street. When her parents heard the news that their daughter was slaughtered, they gave Corazon a funeral. Because there were no coffin at that time, the townspeople buried Corazon’s body underground. The next day, the second ceremony is about to start, when the graveyard where Corazon was buried was very crowded. When the parents of Corazon arrived, they saw a plant growing from the soil. They were curious with the plant because they haven’t seen such plant. Mother: This is unbelievable! What kind of plan is this?

Father: I haven’t seen this kind of plant before… What’s the meaning of this? As the days pass, the plant grew and grew until a fruit came out. The people didn’t know exactly if it is a fruit or not because it was very unusual to them. The parents of Corazon concluded that it is their daughter and called the plant, Banana. When the Spaniard heard about unusual happening, they fled the town hurriedly. They were scared to death because they thought it was a curse or something. The thing that the invaders don’t know is, Banana was formed with pure heart. The townspeople don’t know why the parents of Corazon named it that way. But wise men of the town came to a conclusion why the plant was named Banana, it’s because the letters “ana” in the word Banana means “his/her or ownership of an individual” and the heart shaped fruit that came out from the plant was Corazon; and Corazon means “heart”. That’s why Banana was translated as “Her Heart”.