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
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Category: Philippine Mythology
Mythology and beliefs from the various cultures of the Philippines. Please use the menu or search function to search for a specific ethnolinguistic group or deity.
BAKUNAWA 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,
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Witches 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
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PANG-O-TÚB: The Traditional Philippine Tattooing You Haven’t Heard About
By now, most of us are familiar with the incredible work of Whang-od, the tattoo artist from Buscalan, Tinglayan, Kalinga, Philippines. She is often described as the
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TINAKCHI: Legends of the Unseen on Mt. Kechangon
The Tinakchi from the mountain range of Kalinga are a classic example of “unseen beings” that are often a pivotal element to staple horror stories.
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Bu’lul: Divinity Inside the Wood
Wherever you are in the Philippines, you probably won’t find a house that doesn’t have a special place for holy figurines: wooden replicas of benevolent
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TAMBALOSLOS: Does Size Really Matter?
The TAMBALOSOS/ TAMBALUSLOS/ TAMBALUSLUS is one of those rare Philippine beings that everyone seems to know about, yet is conspicuously missing from most documentation on
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Sambal Mythology | Pantheon of Deities and Beings
Zambales is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region in the island of Luzon. Its capital is Iba. Zambales borders Pangasinan to the north and northeast, Tarlac to the east, Pampanga to the southeast, Bataan to the south
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LAMPONG, the Guardian Anito of Wild Animals | Philippine Folklore
In the book Philippine Demonological Beings and their Cultural Bearings, Maximo Ramos describes the LAMPONG as follows: “Among the head-taking Ilongot of Northeastern Luzon, the
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BIANGONAN | Welcome To Your New Nightmare, Batak Folklore
THE BIANGONAN is definitely one of the most horrifying beings I’ve documented in Philippine Mythology & Folklore. I was lucky enough to visit the Batak
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