Maladies Cured by Philippine Folk Magic

Filipinos of long ago believed that many conditions that plagued them were caused by invisible sprites, flying cannibals, or a bitter vengeful soul.

Here are a few medical panoplys caused by folk magic, their symptoms and antidotes.

1) Nausog is a malady that afflicts babies. When a person shows admiration towards an infant who then becomes cranky and out of sorts, the condition is called nausog. The cure involves calling the person who admired the child to rub his/her saliva on the tummy of the baby who immediately improves.

2) Nanuno is a sickness caused by “matanda sa punso” old man or beings who lives in a mound of earth called a “punso”. Symptoms are a very high fever accompanied by a painful headache and body aches. The cause is often by accident when the sick person was not aware he/she stepped on the mound or the beings thus angering the nuno.

A relative must retrace the steps of the victim before he/she became nanuno and look for a mound of earth. An offering of food, rice, tobacco must be left near the mound every evening until the nuno’s anger is appeased and the ailing person gets well.

Children are taught to say the words – tabi-tabi po (I am just passing by -please move aside) when walking through a grassy region or an area suspected to be the dwelling of the nunos.

3) Naibay is an illness common to those who like to chew betel nuts and buyo leaves. When a child plays with a betel nut it unleashes an undesirable effect to the unwitting person who chews on that nut. Symptoms include high fever, nausea, headache and fatigue.

The curative process is administered by the local arbularyo (shaman) who gives the aggrieved a potion comprised of medicinal herbs. The person takes this potion until he/she is cured.

4) Naempacho is a condition triggered by doing heavy manual labor after consuming a large meal.
Symptoms include a stomach ache, fever and decreased or lack of appetite.

A brew made of garlic, onions, cinnamon and other ingredients are given to the inflicted person with the intent of inducing vomiting to cleanse the body of the empacho. Sometimes wine is given to hasten the cleansing process. Lots of bed rest, a bland diet of arroz caldo and weak tea is administered until the person’s state has improved.

5) Napasma is caused by a person who takes off his/her shoes – steps on cold water and catches a cold. Symptoms include an unsteady gait and weakness in the legs. It is believed that his/her blood is paralyzed.

The treatment involves applying a hot compress on the feet daily. While recovering; the inflicted is not allowed to eat or drink cold products. In addition, they are made to wear a sweater/ shawl until the pasma is gone.

6) Na-aswang is caused by a person who has been possessed by an evil spirit. When the person is at this state – they are able to cut themselves in two, leaving their torso and legs on the earth while the upper half flies away to feed. They seek human flesh and favor young children, especially unborn babies. It is said that the asuang is able to feed on an unborn child by means of a proboscis like tongue that pierces the stomach of the pregnant mother.

Symptoms include sudden weakness and an unexplained itchy red rash on the mother’s belly. The aswang usually feeds on the unborn child until it is consumed and dead – the process takes a few days.

Treatment involves the male relatives taking turns to watch the pregnant mother as she sleeps at night armed with a sharp knife or a pair of scissors. Surrounding the house with pounded garlic, salt and ashes acts a protection so that the aswang cannot enter their domain – but some aswangs become obsessed with the victim once they have started feeding and have been known to violently attack other family members so it can finish feasting on the unborn baby.

Every night the male relatives must look for the aswang’s torso and legs left behind, which is within the proximity of the victim’s abode. If the family is successful in finding the aswangs bottom half – they must sprinkle garlic, salt and ashes on it and at dawn when the aswang comes back – it cannot be joined with his/her body and dies.

7) Nakulam is caused by a mangkukulam (an evil sorcerer) who has a grudge or hatred against its victim who becomes– nakulam. The intent is to inflict sickness, causing insanity resulting in death to an individual or in the case of a spurned suitor, a kulam is cast to win the young lady’s affections.

Symptoms include swelling on certain parts of the body. Sometimes one ear or a leg swells while the other remains normal in size. They can also exhibit projectile vomiting and are unable to keep any kind of food or liquids down. Further symptoms involve acts of insanity, wherein the target who is generally calm and collected; starts seeing strange things such as fish swimming on the ceiling or they imagine being in a boat floating in the middle of the lake (when in actuality they are sitting in their bed).

Others start an inexplicable fixation with another person if the cause was unrequited love from the source – this is the most common motive for the kulam and the mangkukulam can be easily identified as the victim refuses to eat or sleep unless it is in the presence of this person.

An albularyo (shaman) is always called upon to remove the kulam (curse) by sending the malevolent intent back to the mangkukulam. It is believed that the kulam gives the mangkukulam (the source) access to the body of the victim. The treatment involves beating the victim with the belief that when they are under the spell the victim does not feel pain but the mangkukulam is the one tormented by the whippings, kicks and blows until the mangkukulam releases its target who then pulls through and recovers from the mangkukulam’s black magic.

Notes derived from Dr. H.Otley Beyer’s Philippine Ethnographic Series

Learn more about the Beyer Ethnographic Series on their Facebook Page.