Legends and Myths about Chocolate Hills

Travellers’ hearts are captured by this wonderful beauty of nature. It gives them an urge to come back and discover more. Chocolate Hills is marvelous, yet mysterious. Did you know why it was called Chocolate Hills in the first place?

Let’s talk about how this natural wonder became what it is now and why people are so mesmerized with its beauty.

Here is how the story goes…

“Once upon a time, the island of Bohol was flat and there were a lot of rice and corn fields. However, during the rainy season, the fields were extremely muddy and it was difficult for people to walk around because they were slippery.

One day, there were two giants who came from the opposite sides of the island. One giant came from the north and the other one came from the south. Because people were afraid of them, they left their place and went to some remote areas on the island. 

It was raining too hard and the giants began a fight. The giant from the north picked a ball of mud and began throwing it to the giant from the south who was hit on the left shoulder. The giant from the south wanted the giant from the north to experience the same, so he also made a ball of mud and threw it directly to the other giant’s face. 

The fight lasted for hours. Both the giants threw giant balls of mud at each other until they became weary and tired which resulted to their death. The aftermath of their fight were the giant balls of mud. The people knew about this and went back to their place to bury the two giants. They soon led a peaceful life.

During the dry season, the brown hills can be clearly seen from miles to miles across the island. When seen from an aerial viewpoint, the hills look like candy-hills and chocolates. The hills were formed as a result of the two giants’ conflict.” 

There is another version of this legend that focuses on a romantic tale about a giant who fell in love with a mortal woman, but when she died, the giant cried and his tears became these mounds.

Not only these are the stories why it was formed. There is one anecdote for it too.

                “A giant buffalo ate all the crops of the locals in the area because they were tired and left some spoiled food. It enticed the giant so he ate it too. As a result, he kept defecating for a whole month and his feces formed into hills.”

Whatever the story is, still thanks to the two giants who fought each other long, long time ago, the giant who cried an ocean of tears, and the giant buffalo who pooped for a month – the Chocolate Hills were formed and it has now become an icon in the Philippines.

Moreover, contrary to the myths and legends as told, geologists have a scientific explanation of it. They categorize these landforms into “conical karst topography” where hills are leftover limestone deposits from a time when rivers and streams are above sea level.

But… Why was it called “Chocolate Hills” then?

If you look at the hills, they form like cones with a pointed top. It is called Chocolate Hills because during the dry season, the hills are brown which is similar to chocolates. It’s during the dry season that you can witness its true color and beauty.