Canlaon folktales tell the story of couple Kang and Laon  who were forced to elope after their warring chieftain-fathers wanted to keep them apart. They were supposedly captured and doomed to die in the wilderness.

From their deathbed rose a volcano which, at 8,050 feet above sea level, is one of the highest peaks in the country.

Another version of this legend says Kanlaon is derived from the Visayan word “ka” which means “for” and “Laon,” which is the name of an ancient Hiligaynon goddess.

It is said that during the pre-Hispanic times, the natives worshiped her and that native priests called babaylans would climb the mountain for their rituals.