Nulkab, the Volcano

History and Legends
The legend of Nulkab’s origins differs across the islands. Some say the volcano began as a small seed, carried by the ocean currents into the slimmest crevice in the sea floor. Trapped beyond the sun’s reach, the lonesome spirit pulled its own fire from the earth itself, burning so brightly that soon even the sea began to wisp away at its light. In time, so much of the ocean had evaporated that its form began to breach the ocean’s surface, creating the island now known as Timanduk.

In another legend, Nulkab is not a seed but a great hunter, chasing wild boar across the stars. But this hunter grew greedy in their pursuit, stumbling upon their own hubris and plummeting into the sea. There, forever stranded without food, Nulkab’s belly swelled with starvation, and soon, what remained of the great hunter could only belch lava and ash.

One thing remains consistent throughout the stories, however: Nulkab is incredibly powerful, but this strength comes with a curse of insatiable hunger. Even as more terrain breached the surface of the waves and ash encouraged verdant growth upon the island, the volcano could not be satisfied. To this day, Nulkab continues to pour forth lava, reshaping and expanding the land. It is only thanks to the compassion of the babaylan Kaylahon that Nulkab does not consume all of Timanduk in its roiling hunger.

Relationship With The Islanders
Daily prayers to feed the spirit are the only way to relieve Nulkab’s unending hunger. As a result, only small amounts of lava and ash exit the volcano on a seasonal basis, fertilizing the surrounding lands. This ensures the continued safety of the people and safeguards the city from famine and destruction.

As one of the major spirits honored by the varied denizens of Timanduk, household shrines to Nulkab are some of the most commonly found. Figures carved specifically from volcanic rock have a special resonance with the volcano spirit, enabling one’s embodied ancestors to facilitate communication with Nulkab on behalf of the household.

Important Festivals
To mark the beginning of planting season, spiritual leaders guide mass prayers to the volcano spirit at sunrise and sunset. Offerings of incense, grains, root crops, and prepared foods are left at altars all over the island, asking for the spirit’s blessing to continue to nurture their crops while sparing the people from harm.

The end of harvest season is of equal importance and features the same devotional prayers and offerings to satiate the Spirit—but this time, with a focus on giving thanks for a bountiful harvest. A symbolic portion of each crop is burned in tribute to Nulkab to express the people’s gratitude, as it is believed that the smoke will help them reach the volcano Spirit more quickly.

Babaylan are in high demand during these celebrations, drawing upon their knowledge of spirits and herbal medicine to supervise and perform various rituals. They are asked to expel evil spirits from the fields, protect the land and the people from harm, and bargain with the spirits for favors. Priests perform divination rites to predict the rate of ashfall and the fate of each harvest, recording their observations in thick tomes to be studied later. Many components for spells, potions, talismans, and rituals are also burned to amplify their power.

Artists also play an important role during these celebrations, as they are responsible for preserving community history and wisdom, passing it down to younger generations. A special paint made by mixing volcanic ash, water, and tree sap is used to paint the bodies of the devout, while performers retell the histories of the island’s creation through song and dance. Their movements mimic the quick slicing of farmers who tend the terraces stacked along the volcano’s side, while explosive drum beats shower the performers with brilliant sparks, representing the simultaneous power and beauty of Nulkab’s eruptions.