One may recall reading or having to perform a skit of the Panay-Visayan creation myth “Tungkung Langit and Alunsina” also known as “Alamat ng Ulan”
Read moreBOROKA: The Self-Segmenting Viscera Sucker of Zambales
In Dean Fansler’s 1921 book “Filipino Popular Tales” he theorized that “Boroka, (is) apparently a corruption of the Spanish bruja (“witch”).” As far as I
Read morePhilippine Sorcery 101: 6 Methods and How to Counter Them
When someone hears the word ‘sorcery’, it conjures a figure holding a doll and needle mumbling words that can affect anyone under their power. Certain
Read moreThe God before God: An Allegorical Reading of the Impinito Dios Myth
The Philippines had always been a land steeped in deep spirituality. Any tourist would be amiss not to notice the magnificent Catholic churches sprawled throughout
Read moreUncovering the BULAN & SIDAPA Love Story Deception
*I would like to remind everyone that this article was published using public information with links to public social media platforms. This is not an invitation
Read moreThe Sky Maiden Motif in Philippine Tales
Originality in stories is a must for both readers and storytellers. Being able to deliver a tale with a different plot, themes and characters as
Read moreBAKUNAWA and the SEVEN MOONS: The Original Bisaya Story (with translation and annotations)
Most of the recent literary interpretations of Bakunawa can be sourced to renowned folklorist Damiana Eugenio’s re-telling of the myth in her collected compilation “Philippine Folk Literature: The Myths“. This, however,
Read moreWere Babaylans “Chopped Up and Fed to the Crocodiles” by the Spanish?
“Did you know that the Spanish used to chop up the babaylan and feed them to the crocodiles?” This was a statement given by someone
Read moreWitches and Witchcraft in Leyte and Samar
The Visayan Islands are, in Philippine folk belief, the home of witches. Whatever might have led to this “distinction,” investigation showed that the belief in
Read moreNOTES ON THE MEDICAL PRACTICES OF THE VISAYANS, 1908
The following notes were recorded by a native Visayan teacher: If a person is ill or feels a pain in any part of his body,
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