“People visiting these islands – foreigners, Spaniards, Americans – couldn’t explain this transforming person…” Perhaps the most famous creature in Philippine Folklore is the aswang
Read moreTau-buid Mangyan (Bayanan Group) Folk Beliefs and Amurit (witchcraft)
Called Batangan by lowlanders, the Tau-buid live in the interior forests of Mindoro north of the Buhid groups. They are a subgroup of the general Mangyan culture, living in settlements of
Read moreTau-buid Mangyan (Saragan Group) Folk Beliefs and Amurit (witchcraft)
Called Batangan by lowlanders, the Tau-buid live in the interior forests of Mindoro north of the Buhid groups. They are a subgroup of the general Mangyan
Read moreBuhid Mangyan Cosmology and Beliefs
The name behind Buhid Mangyan represents the dualistic identity of the group. Mangyan means “People” in their colloquial language. It is a collective term used
Read moreChacha’ and Ked-yem : The Origin of Pechen, the Bontok Peace Pact Institution
The pechen is a ritualized oral contract between two villages with the purpose of establishing peaceful relations. It is a contract held in safekeeping by a particular ato/ator of
Read moreBontok Deities and the Origin of Headhunting
THE BONTOC (or Bontok) ethnolinguistic group can be found in the central and eastern portions of Mountain Province, in the Philippines. Although some Bontocs of
Read moreMAGNINDAN / MAGINDANG: Bicol Deity and Protector of Fisherfolk
MAGNINDAN / MAGINDANG was, in Bicolano Mythology, the protector of fisherfolk. The below myth involved this revered deity and is meant to explain the name
Read moreMOUNT ARAYAT | Giants of Zambales and the Legend of Apung Sinukuan
MOUNT ARAYAT is a potentially active stratovolcano located in the province of Pampanga on the island of Luzon, Philippines. Popular folklore has stated this mountain
Read more7 Facts About 16th Century Visayans You May Not Know
There is a tendency to gloss over multiple recorded facts about the 16th century Philippines. Many reasons for this may appear obvious if one considers
Read moreThe Pleiades and the Seven Skymaidens in Philippine Folklore
Philippine folktales of the Seven Skymaidens could have origins dating back 100,000 years. In the northern sky in December is a beautiful cluster of stars
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