Indarapatra at Sulayman (monstrous antagonists)

According to the Maguindanao epic Indarapatra at Sulayman, long ago Mindanao prospered until four monstrous beings—Kurita, Tarabusaw, Pah, and the seven‑headed bird (Balbal)—appeared and devastated the land, devouring inhabitants and driving survivors into mountain caves. Indarapatra of Mantapuli dispatches his warrior brother Sulayman, outfitting him with enchanted arms, to confront and slay these island‑threatening foes; after Sulayman is killed, Indarapatra finds a magical jar of water sent from heaven and pours it over Sulayman's bones to miraculously restore him.

Kurita is described as a terrifying, many‑limbed amphibious monster that lived partly on land and partly in the sea. Tarabusaw is a giant, ugly creature resembling a man or an ape that breaks large tree branches to use as weapons. Pah is an enormous bird whose wingspan could cover the sun and bring darkness to the earth; its egg is said to be the size of a house. The seven‑headed bird (also listed as Balbal) is a dreadful bird with seven heads capable of seeing in all directions simultaneously.

Kurita combines amphibious habitation with many limbs and is implicated in large‑scale carnage. Tarabusaw is man‑eating, colossal in strength, and fights using broken tree branches as weapons. Pah's flight is so vast it darkened the sun, and parts of the bird are physically massive (a severed wing fell and killed Sulayman); its egg is described as house‑sized. The seven‑headed bird possesses synoptic vision via seven heads, able to see in all directions simultaneously. Collectively these monsters devoured inhabitants, caused famine and depopulation, and forced survivors into caves until heroic intervention restored order.