ARAPAAP

ARA- PAAP Higit pa sa Imahinasyon MARCH 2022 ISSUE 1





EDITOR'S NOTE One of the most significant We are here to bring back Filipino experiences has to that discarded piece of be the passing down of magic we left in the stories from our lolas and cupboards in our lolos. When we were childhood rooms. To bring children it grappled us. The back the ancient identities stories sent us to the edge of our ancestors and of our beds or hiding ultimately, remember the behind our blankets. And beauty and the beasts that although we grew up, one have been forgotten. thing that has never changed is the air of Carl Carrascal mystique around the folklore and myths in our Contributing Writer culture. Thus the creation of this magazine. Raven Jane Bungay Contributing Writer Janna Aubreen Kairuz Contributing Writer Layout and Design Artist Julienne Simbajon Contributing Writer Layout and Design Artist Editor's Note | 3

A warm INTRODUCTION Time and time again, we have heard of Greek Gods and their plights to rule ancient Greece from Olympus and below. Their lore has always been omnipresent in our world - substantially through fiction. Folklore of creatures that hide in snowy alps and feed on goats on Jersey shores have shaken the world for centuries. But dive a little deeper. Have you ever wondered about the lore in the Philippines? If our ancestors prayed to the land, the sea, or even the wind in the belief that a God or a Goddess resided in them? There's no better way to dig into our culture than diving into the ancient. Who we are at the core weaves into these old stories. Therefore, acquaint yourselves with the folklore and mythological deities of the Philippines in this magazine. - Julienne Simbajon, Editor ''Wag mo lamang tignan ang panlabas na anyo. Malawak na pananaw ang tanging susi sa mapayapang buhay.\" —Miranda Trese 4 | Introduction

Filipino Traditional Folklore Mythical Creatures

KAPRE The Filipino Bigfoot are tree-dwelling entities, these hairy, black, muscular giants are said to love cigars and stink to high heaven, they live on top large trees, particularly on big old mango, acacia or balete trees. They like to trick people by making them get lost and disoriented in forests. The antidote to this behavior is to turn one’s shirt inside-out. They do not harm humans but is friendly and loves to fool around. They may contact people to offer friendship or if they are attracted to a woman. There were numerous accounts of kapre encounters in the Philippines. Perhaps the most famous of them all is the kapre named 'Mr. Brown. It is believed that Mr. Brown started to reside in the century-old balete tree in the Malacañang Palace since the American occupation in the Philippines (thus they called him \"Mr. Brown\"). This balete tree, which dates back to 1800s, was declared a Heritage Tree under the DENR's Heritage Tree Program. According to Miguel Perez Rubio, Malacañang's Chief of Protocol, Mr. Brown often plays simple tricks on people like sudden tripping on wires, but nothing serious. He said he is used to sending out greetings like \"Good morning. Mr. Brown\" or \"How are you. Mr. Brown?\" in order to avoid Mr. Brown's playful tricks.

Tikbalang is a tall, bony creature resembling a humanoid horse. It is covered with a fluffy dark mane, while its fur is a lighter color. It has a horse’s head, the body of a human but with the hooves of a horse. Tikbalang is said to molest or even rape women, particularly those who lose their way in mountainous or forest areas. They also have the ability to drive people insane. As a countermeasure, as with the kapre, victims should turn their shirts inside-out. Before we get to sleep that night, there were few things that fell down from the cabinet. It was not done by a rat because those things were kind of heavy. My mother said that maybe this has something to do with the cutting of the \"Balete\" tree at the back of the house. When the morning comes, we started asking questions and found that most of the time \"Balete\" tree happen to be a habitat of many unseen creature, a creature of different nature compared to human. We visited a known spirit doctor in the village and we told him about what happen. We told him that the house is filled with stinky smell after we cut the \"Balete\" tree. We thought it was Kapre but according to the spirit doctor, it's a Kapre if it smells like cigarette, but since it was so stinky, it is a \"Tikbalang\". We got scared because \"Tikbalang\" likes to sleep with woman and make them pregnant, especially if the woman uses a hard smell perfumes. Because of that, I tried to be awake the next night because I want to look after my mother. I wanted to make sure that the \"Tikbalang\" will not touching my mother. - Juvy Jabian

TIKBALANG

NUNO SA PUNSO \"Nuno Sa Punso\" also known as Duwende are dwarf-like creatures or goblin in Philippine folklore which lives in an anthill or termite mound. These appear like old men with flowing beards; they stand as tall as a three-year old. They are short-tempered. If someone disturbs their mound, the nuno would put curse on that person. In effect, the offender would have swollen foot or pain on any part of his body, experience vomiting blood, urinate black liquid, inflict illness, and have excessive hair growth on the back. On a personal level, I, myself, had an Duwende sa Dilim experience with an entity which I believe to be the duwende as well. When I was ten years old, I was sleeping in the room which my sister Chris sleeps in now. It is important to note that I did not hear any of the stories that happened to the other people in the household at this time. Back then, the house was under renovation, and so the curtains were gone, and I could see the outside clearly. One night, I woke up at around midnight. I didn’t realize until around 5 minutes later that my eyes were following a distinct shadow figure on the eave’s underside visible from my bed. I stood up and walked towards the window and stopped at about a meter away. I realized the shadow figure was walking left and right, and that it was humanoid in shape. I walked closer, only for the figure to stop its walking, and turn towards me. I was so scared that I ran back under my sheets, and eventually fell asleep. - Anonymous

When I was a kid, I woke up to a In her method, she used a candle. She normal morning for my swimming dripped the melted wax in a pale of competition. Fast forward to late afternoon the same day I was already water to form something that only she begging and crying in pain - not being could comprehend. That manghuhula able to swim in my categories because was able to tell that we have a creek of the pain caused by my gastritis. My near our house and an Acacia tree, she parents thought that it was just the usual journey for the both of us. I feel saw that I had disturbed Nunos who pain in my stomach because of my lived there by throwing stones. She had gastritis, be confined in a hospital, and then eventually feel alright. It's the same advised us to offer uncooked rice, salt, routine we deal with every single year. and raw blood from a chicken as a However, we were not expecting means to apologize for what I have what was about to come that time. done. I was already at home that time. no longer in the hospital as I was Little did we know that I would spend more than already done with my endoscopy. My a month transferring from mom and my titos did what the one hospital to another, lady told us and eventually, never getting better. I would feel okay after a few days I got to fully recover from that traumatic but once I have gone back journey. Although my father, who is a to our house in La Union, doctor, still didn't believe it. My near a creek and a two minute walk from an old Acacia tree, endoscopy results also showed that my the sickness would come gastritis had gotten worse. The only back as if I never felt better at all. My father never believed mystery to me, to this day, is why did I in quack doctors or spirits living get better only after we did offerings as around us that curse people that way. My lola, in contrast a means to apologize to these with that, was already believing creatures? that I was punished by creatures called Nuno who lived near the My encounters with unseen creek and the acacia tree. As a spirits by Janna Aubreen Kairuz last resort, we finally visited a quack doctor who performed certain practices on me as a form of healing. My other lola was in Quezon at this time too so she took the opportunity to go to a 'manghuhula' and a quack doctor.

ASWANG These creatures are told to be shapeshifting vampires. They resemble humans by day and transform into different monstrous forms to harass and eat awake humans at night. Aside from that, they are also given the ability to transform a human into an animal, usually as a big black bird with a long tongue (tiktik), as a half- bodied monster (manananggal) as a bat, a cat, a pig or a black dog. The only way for a person to prevent this creature is to put brooms upside down, to put a “badiawan twig” all over the house’s windows, or to put a blessed or a magic dagger in any parts of the house.

Maria Labo A young woman named Maria When her husband, a policeman, went to Canada as a caregiver. went home one night, he looked There, she took care of an old man for their kids. The deranged Maria which, according to rumours, was pointed to the stove where she had possessed by the so-called cooked their children. Enraged, her \"vampire\" (some \"aswang\") curse. husband struck her with a bolo When the old man died, he passed (\"labo\") where she obtained a scar the curse (some say, his powers) to on her face, earning her the Maria. Finding no luck in Canada, monicker Maria Labo. They said, Maria went home. It was then that she fled to Visayas, then to her thirst for human flesh started. Mindanao, in a quest to satiate her hunger for human flesh and viscera. Like a typical aswang, she has the ability to change her appearance. Sometimes she appears as a beautiful young lady. At other times, she appears as an old woman. [Taken from a Text Message:]She was recently a saleslady in a mall (I don't know where specifically in the Philippines she is now), living as a normal person, and whenever you remember abruptly about her at exactly 3 in the morning and afternoon, she'll suddenly appear in front of you then kill you. Some said, she has a cellphone number. (I don't know what will happen if you'll call her.)

MANANANGGAL A special type of aswang among all females that has the ability to fly after separating itself from the lower half of its body. These type of creatures eat babies and fetuses from wombs by stretching down their long tongues from the roofs of houses to the belly of the woman. It appears in human form during the day, and at night, it leaves its lower torso in an isolated place where they hunt. It is said by elders that if you find the lower half of their body, drench it with vinegar or salt so they no longer could go back to it. A manananggal encounter that became a world- wide sensation was an incident about a manananggal terrorizing the slum area of Tondo, Manila. A few weeks before the 1992 Philippine presidential election, the residents of Tondo. Manila were terror-striken because rumors that a \"manananggal is roaming the slum vicinity. This rumor spread like wild fire. \"She attacked me. I was just lucky I was able to get free. I saw half of her body. It was naked. She had long, scraggly hair. long arms, nails and sharp fangs.\" (Martina Santa Rosa, resident of Tondo, victim of manananggal attack) Although no one knows where the rumors started, the news sparked fear in everyone that even international newspapers covered the incident. It soon became the hot topic of the nation, replacing the presidential election news. There were eyewitnesses and victims who told their experience to the TV reporters.



The Dark Side of Mythology In the end, these creatures - whether they are made up or are actually coexisting with normal beings, are rooted in Filipinos' manner of understanding the occurrences happening around them. These folk characters, before they were ever talked about by our elders, have their identity evolved little by little as time passes. As these folklore characters represent our elder's deciphering, we also have characters that possess god-like attributes that represent certain ethnic groups in the Philippines, and Filipino attributes. In this section, you will be able to see Tagalog Deities and the pre-colonial Tagalog attires that we acquired based on how these deities are explained and depicted. TAGALOG MYTHOLOGY & TEX TAGALOG MYTHOLOGY & TAGALOG MYTHOLO TAGALOG MYTHO TAGALOG MYT TAGALOG TAGA T

TAGALOG DEITIES & TEXTILES EXTILES Y & TEXTILES OGY & TEXTILES HOLOGY & TEXTILES YTHOLOGY & TEXTILES OG MYTHOLOGY & TEXTILES GALOG MYTHOLOGY & TEXTILES TAGALOG MYTHOLOGY & TEXTILES





If you were to go back to Pre-colonial Philippines - no borrowed culture, no religion, a different language and practice - how could you possibly comprehend everything? Philippine Mythology is Ref: An Ultimate Guide to Philippine Mythology's one of the representations Legendary Deities. (January, 2022). FilipiKnow. of our ancestors and our pure culture. The https://filipiknow.net/philippine-mythology-gods-and- popularity of the Greek goddesses/ Deities have overshadowed our own versions of them. by: Janna Kairuz However, it carries more weight than we know. The deities and the powers they represent defined our ancestors' identity and their practice.

WHY PHILIPPINE MYTHOLOGY These deities are rooted in our Ref: An Ultimate Guide to Philippine Mythology's traditional society, specifically Legendary Deities. (January, 2022). FilipiKnow. under a branch of folklore literature called folk narratives. https://filipiknow.net/philippine-mythology-gods-and- These are also known as the goddesses/ 'salin kwento' where stories are passed on by mouth, in folktales, kuwentong bayan, alamat, or myths. These Filipino Deities are under myths which means that the setting of the stories are way before mortals lived on Earth. The Mother of Philippine Folklore, Damiana Eugenio, states that myths \"account for the origin of the world, or mankind, of death, or of characteristics of birds, animals, geographical features, and the phenomena of nature.\" \"Some of these deities are always near; others are inhabitants of far-off realms of the Skyworld who take interest in human affairs only when they are invoked during proper ceremonies which compel them to come down to Earth.\" -F. Landa Jocano, author of Outline of Philippine Mythology. by: Janna Kairuz

21 | Anagolay As the only offspring of Lakapati, the In Filipino animism, her emblem is Goddess of fertility and Mapulon, the said to be a hole of light. In God of seasons, she was brought to illustrating the beautiful Goddess, the world as the Goddess of Lost she is often adorned in bronze and things. Pre-colonial Tagalogs often golden jewellery, emulating the solicited her guidance when they warmth of her heart. She's usually have lost something or someone. It portrayed with Bagobo Inabal was believed that her aura was alive textiles that are heavily painted with in each intricate fibre of fabrics thus maroon, pinks, and earthy hues. She the birth of her ability. Although, embodies a young, woman with what kept her from harming others flowing black hair and friendly eyes. were the traits she inherited from Lastly, her influence has further her parents: goodness and care for surpassed the indigenous times as an equality. Prior to her marriage, she asteroid was named after her by a had been in love with the Guardian student named Mohammad Alon. of Mountains, Dumakulem. Desp- ite Dumakulem's sister, Anitun Tabu, offering help in pursuing him Anagolay humbly refused as she didn't feel honour in forced love. However, upon seeing her care for people he fell deeply for her. It took years of courting for Anagolay and Dum- akulem to get married. In this marriage, she gave offspring to two more deities. One was Apolaki (pg. 22), the God of the Sun and Patron of war- riors and Dian Masalanta (pg. 20), the Goddess of love. by: Julienne Simbajon ANAGOLAY Goddess of Lost Things

22 | Apolaki In Kampangpangan origin, Apolaki wasn't furious with his reasoning, believed that birthed from the union of Anagolay and she was equally Bathala's child and had Dumakulem instead, some believed that he rights to his throne. They quarrelled until was birthed from the God of all Gods, their fury could no longer be fought with Bathala. Alongside his sister Mayari, the words. Thus commenced a war between the Goddess of the moon, they provided light two siblings. It lasted until Apolaki struck to the earth with their two incandescent one of Mayari's eyes. Full of regret, he eyes. They frolicked in meadows of clouds apologised and suggested that they rule the bearing daylight for the creatures below throne together. Whilst he sat on the and Bathala watched in utter fondness. throne, his two dazzling eyes would create This harmony collapsed when Bathala day and when Mayari sat on the throne she decided to end his reign and go into an illuminated the evenings with a gentle light endless slumber. A rivalry blossomed from her one eye. Thus creating what we between the siblings, both hungry to claim know as day and night. Apart from the eyes, the 'throne'. Apolaki believed he deserved Apolaki is often presented with a it as he's the man of the family, that it Binituwon styled headscarf and covered in would be of nature for him to tattoos such as the Tinataalaw (day and claim the throne. But Mayari, night) and Inar-archan (the ladder). APOLAKI God of the Sun, Patron of warriors by: Julienne Simbajon

KASANAAN the world below Foreboding and feared, the He is often portrayed with God of the lower world took long black hair with void-like form in Sitan. The ancient Tagalogs believed that with eyes. Underneath bears a the end of a life comes the symmetrical pattern of dark final judgement. Death, lines and dots that resemble to the ancients, would not have stopped tears. In some illustrations at the grave. Many the pattern exhibits a ske- believed that upon judgement, good leton white hue that souls were rewa- resembles the access- rded by Sitan whilst evil souls ories he adorns on were punished. his body. His attire The good were resembles the text- brought to Maca, tiles of the Kalinga a village of eternal peace and enlight- in shades of navy enment. On the and black. The contrary, those who deserved punishment inata-ata pattern were taken to Kasanaan. can be seen trail- This village reeked of grief ing the wanes he and anguish and those souls wears. Some dep- would be tortured for eternity, ictions of Sitan are This is where he ruled. more vicious and can be monstrous looking. Nonetheless, whether or not he is portrayed as human like or creature like, he is a God that was feared by the ancient Filipinos. by: Julienne Simbajon Kasanaan | 23

MGA ALAGAD NI SITAN Alongside Sitan were four forbidding agents she saw a healthy, stable home she became who each had a role in aiding him. The most determined to wreak havoc on them. She would wicked took form in Mangagauay. Her role took disguise herself as a woman healer or a beggar two extremes on a spectrum as she was before entering the abode of her victims and considered to be both a healer or a killer. On one homewrecking. Her thirst for disorder allowed hand, she had the ability to prolong one's life. her to be successful in her endeavours and she However, she was mostly known for her ability would dance in unadulterated joy when a to prolong and cause death with the flick of her marriage shatters at the seams. Now, the third magic wand. If she wished to do so, she was agent was called Mankukulam and from his capable of prolonging someone's death by illustration, one can gauge that his duty was entangling a serpent to the victim's waist. Some dealing with fire. He used to roam the earth as say this serpent form may be a caricature of her an unsuspecting priest, waiting in the filth substance. She is often portrayed wearing a beneath houses before setting themon fire. The necklace of skulls and the girdle she carries fires that were extinguished immediately often displayed a feat of dismembered human caused death to the victim. Lastly, Sitan's fourth hands and feet. Nevertheless, she was a force to agent took the form of a shapeshifter named be reckoned with. His second agent was referred Hukluban. If Mangagauay was the most wicked, to as Manisilat or, the goddess of of broken Hukluban was the most vicious. She caused homes. She scorned at the sight of a happy death at the lift of her hand. And although she home, becoming restless and infuriated when a could heal those she made ill, often enough she household pieced together fruitfully. Whenever left a path of destruction in her wake. 24 | Kasanaan

THE FILIPINO BELIEF \"The art of storytelling has been cultivated in all ages and among all nations of which we have any record; it is an outcome of an instinct implanted universally in the human mind.\" -Sidney Hartland, The Science of Fairytales. Filipinos love stories, and it gets more exciting if these stories consist of creatures that spark familiarity, thrill, or even fear. We presented to you folk creatures from tales of our ancestors. These creatures are not proven to be real or existing. Hence, they are still considered fictional. Mythological characters, on the other hand, are part of the belief system of a certain community. These characters may have their identities tweaked over time but even pre-colonial Filipinos believed in gods who had control in such. These god-like characters with human attributes are also considered to be Filipino counterparts to the famous Greek mythology (Eugenio, 1985). We, too, have not known that we have counterparts to that. Although you may believe in them or not, we hope that you felt enlightened and entertained knowing about them. The Philippines has a rich variety of folktales and mythological creatures from our Literature, go check them out! For now, that is all for Arapaap, your issue 001 for March of 2022 - urging you to think beyond imagination.

REFERENCES Filipino Traditional Folklore (Mythical Creatures) - https://mythologicalcreaturesofphilippines.wordpress.com/luzon/ Tagalog Deities - LAHI PH - An Ultimate Guide to Philippine Mythology's Legendary Deities. (January, 2022). FilipiKnow. https://filipiknow.net/philippine- mythology-gods-and-goddesses/ - Eugenio, D. (1985). Philippine Folk Tales: An Introduction. University of the Philippines. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1178506