 | Tales from the Skies ~^ | Nov 3, 2006 |
We often hear the expression "as old as the earth" or "as old as the hills." If only we could ask the mountains about what happened in the eons that passed long before our birth, then perhaps we can get answers to why we are here. If not the earth then why not a creature that dwells in it?
Dwende is the Spanish term for dwarfs, the underground people that resemble old men who stopped growing in their infancy. They wear basket hats and are bearded, big jointed, and barefoot or pointy shoes. Their eyesight is poor due to a large part of their lives being spent either underground or aboveground after sunset, but they have very good hearing and speak quite clearly in a whistling voice or as others say they talk by making whistling sounds. They dwell under the earth, getting in and out by tiny tunnels in termite mounds (punso).
Appearance: Dwende average 3" in height, or about the size of a finger, and look like dried up little old men (some say there are no female Dwende(s)). They generally sit hunched up and barefoot, and have knobby joints and white beards. Dwende wear a little basket hat they're either weave from grass or made of fruit peelings.
Lifestyle: Dwende live in small groups in caves beneath the ground or inside a punso They like to live near friendly humans and often make their homes in fruit trees or back gardens. Above ground, their homes look much like termite mounds, but are generally of stone construction inside. The Dwende spend much of their time caring for their houses, which they are quite proud of, and sitting deep in thought. They are also skilled potters and have a habit of singing as they work. Their amusements involve many games employing pebble balls, as well as climbing trees at night to stare at the stars. Dwende are very thoughtful creatures and most of their magic goes on below ground, in explorations of the pits of the earth. However, they will also make use of minor curses if their homes are threatened, though they need not do too much damage as they can always retreat deeper under the ground.
Human Interaction: The Dwende enjoy living with human company nearby - as long as the humans are respectful of their homes. They particularly single out children, whom they play small tricks on or games with, and pretty girls, whom the Dwende enjoy flattering and whistling at. While the size difference and the Dwende's nocturnal rather solitary habits prevent a terribly close bond from growing between them and humans, they do make good neighbors. If humans are on favorable terms with the nearby Dwende, they can often borrow some of the Dwende's beautiful china dishes, which bless any meal.
Dwendes avenge every transgression made against them. They inflict a long list of ailments, including a permanently twisted mouth, for injuries they get, intended or not. So when passing an ant hole or a "punso"(believed to be a house of a dwarf), say your excuses (:tabi-tabi po) first so the "nuno"(the dwarf owner) will do you no harm.
Like humans, they are thought to be either good or bad-natured, called "duwendeng puti" and "duwendeng itim" respectively. Old folks caution people to be careful around their dwellings, for being unseen, the "duwende" might get hurt, thus get mad. Punishment includes a swollen body part of the person, twisted mouth, and a long list of ailments they can magically inflict on the human being who ruined their habitat, or worse, killed a "duwende," whether intentionally or not.
"tabi tabi po.."
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"The Aswang"
Perhaps the most famous Philippine mythological creature. The aswang is a ghoul or vampire, an eater of the dead, and a lycanth.
The aswang is the most dreaded of supernatural beings and is a person who assumes other forms, like that of a dog, pig, horse, or carabao, when he or she roams about at night in search of prey, particularly sick persons or expectant mothers. The form an aswang takes is usually extraordinarily large and of completely black color. In addition, the aswang can fly at night but only their head and intestines do so leaving the rest of their body behind on their bed.
People are often warned against sleeping with their bellies exposed because an aswang might steal their intestines as they sleep. When the intended victim is not asleep, the aswang would stand upside-down and then emit a strong odor which will make the victim incapable of moving. The aswang will then eat the victim's internal organs starting from the heart down to the intestines.
The aswang is said to prefer eating unborn babies and can smell an unborn baby. Their modus operandi is to extend their tounge and extract the baby from the mother's womb. People who see, at night, what looks like a strand of cobweb hanging down (from a tree, for example) are warned not to reach for it as it may be the tounge of an aswang waiting to catch an unsuspecting person.
During the day, the aswang lives like a normal person and may even have a job and it is believed that the aswang never victimizes his or her neighbors. It is claimed that if you see your neighbor standing upside-down, then he or she is an aswang. An aswang can also be spotted by looking into their eye. Your reflection in an aswang's eye would be upside-down. But when one happens to look at an aswang in the eye, one should never look away but, rather, should try to stare down the aswang. It usually doesn't take long for the aswang to surrender and look away. But if you look away first, you're lost. Another method of detecting an aswang is to use a special oil that's prepared in an arcane and complicated ritual that can be performed only on Good Fridays. The oil will boil if it is brought near an aswang.
The word "aswang" is often translated as "sorcerer" but this is misleading. First of all, sorcerers do what they do of their own free will while being an aswang is considered to be a state of sickness wherein the person who has become an aswang is unable to control himself. A person becomes an aswang if another aswang blows air down his or her neck. An aswang can be "cured" with the help of a native healer (called a "mananambal" among Visayans) who will force the aswang to drink certain potions. The infected one will then vomit all sorts of weird things from an entire egg to a bird.
Many present-day Filipinos believe in the existence of the aswang and, in fact, there are those who claim that they live next door to an aswang. =D
NOTES:
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The aswang is called "ungô" in the Visayan language although "ungô" is also used to refer to ghosts as well as witches and warlocks.
"ALAMAT"
kwentong bersyon ng mga tagalog
Another popular legend tells the story of how Bathala created the people of the islands.
In the beginning when the Earth was still young, the gods, Bathala; Aman Sinaya; and Amihan, were the only beings that existed. Bathala was god of the Sky (Langit) and Aman Sinaya was goddess of the Sea (Dagat). The two have been fierce rivals for a long time, and everyday, they would try to outdo each other. Bathala used his lighting bolts and thunder, and Aman Sinaya used her waves and typhoons.
One day, Aman Sinaya decided to send her tempests into the Sky to cause a wild comotion. In order to stop her, Bathala threw giant boulders that came from atop of the mountains. It created thousands of islands onto the surface of the Sea, which became the Philippine archipelago. Amihan, the Northeast Wind in the middle of the two realms, decided to stop the battle once and for all by taking the form of a bird. She then flew back and forth between them. This made the Sky and the Sea closer than it was before. At the point where the two realms met, both deities agreed to end the fight and become friends.
As a sign of friendship, Bathala planted a seed underneath the ocean floor. It soon grew into a bamboo reed, sticking out of the edge of the Sea. Amihan had gazed upon it one day and heard voices, coming from inside the bamboo. "Oh, North Wind! North Wind! Please let us out!", the voices said. She pecked the reed once, then twice. All of a sudden, the bamboo cracked and slit open. Inside were two human beings; one was a male and the other was a female. Amihan named the man "Malakas" (Strong) and the woman "Maganda" (Beautiful). She then flew them onto one of the islands where they settled, built a house, and had millions of offspring that populated the Earth.
Then, it finally came when the children were too numerous for Malakas and Maganda to control. One day, they were ordered to work in the fields, but instead, they did nothing. When the parents arrived home, they noticed that their instructions weren't followed. Asking for some guidance, they prayed to the great god, Bathala, and he came to them and said, "Let your anger be shown to everyone and it shall make them into what they are meant to be." So out of their anger, they grabbed spoon ladles and began to give blows to everyone.
All the children started running away. Some hid under the bamboo tables and became slaves. A few of them went inside the burning cauldron and turned into the Aetas of the islands. Others climbed up the rooftop and became the datus of the villages. While some climbed on top of the trees and were believed to have become the commoners. Those who fled to the mountains turned into hunters and the ones who ran to the seashore turned into fishermen.
"ALAMAT"
This is an ancient Visayan account of the creation.
Thousands of years ago there was no land nor sun nor moon nor stars, and the world was only a great sea of water, above which stretched the sky. The water was the kingdom of the god Maguayan, and the sky was ruled by the great god, Kaptan.
Maguayan had a daughter called Lidagat, the sea, and Kaptan had a son known as Lihangin, the wind. The gods agreed to the marriage of their children, so the sea became the bride of the wind.
Three sons and a daughter were born to them. The sons were called Likalibutan, Liadlao, and Libulan, and the daughter received the name of Lisuga.
Likalibutan had a body of rock and was strong and brave; Liadlao was formed of gold and was always happy; Libulan was made of copper and was weak and timid; and the beautiful Lisuga had a body of pure silver and was sweet and gentle. Their parents were very fond of them, and nothing was wanting to make them happy.
After a time Lihangin died and left the control of the winds to his eldest son Likalibutan. The faithful wife Lidagat soon followed her husband, and the children, now grown up, were left without father or mother. However, their grandfathers, Kaptan and Maguayan, took care of them and guarded them from all evil.
After a time, Likalibutan, proud of his power over the winds, resolved to gain more power, and asked his brothers to join him in an attack on Kaptan in the sky above. At first they refused; but when Likalibutan became angry with them, the amiable Liadlao, not wishing to offend his brother, agreed to help. Then together they induced the timid Libulan to join in the plan.
When all was ready the three brothers rushed at the sky, but they could not beat down the gates of steel that guarded the entrance. Then Likalibutan let loose the strongest winds and blew the bars in every direction. The brothers rushed into the opening, but were met by the angry god Kaptan. So terrible did he look that they turned and ran in terror; but Kaptan, furious at the destruction of his gates, sent three bolts of lightning after them.
The first struck the copper Libulan and melted him into a ball. The second struck the golden Liadlao and he too was melted. The third bolt struck Licalibutan and his rocky body broke into many pieces and fell into the sea. So huge was he that parts of his body stuck out above the water and became what is known as land.
In the meantime the gentle Lisuga had missed her brothers and started to look for them. She went toward the sky, but as she approached the broken gates, Kaptan, blind with anger, struck her too with lightning, and her silver body broke into thousands of pieces.
Kaptan then came down from the sky and tore the sea apart, calling on Maguayan to come to him and accusing her of ordering the attack on the sky. Soon Maguayan appeared and answered that she knew nothing of the plot as she had been asleep far down in the sea. After a time she succeeded in calming the angry Kaptan. Together they wept at the loss of their grandchildren, especially the gentle and beautiful Lisuga; but with all their power they could not restore the dead to life. However, they gave to each body a beautiful light that will shine forever.
And so it was the golden Liadlao who became the sun and the copper Libulan, the moon, while Lisuga's pieces of silver were turned into the stars of heaven. To wicked Likalibutan, the gods gave no light, but resolved to make his body support a new race of people. So Kaptan gave Maguayan a seed and he planted it on one of the islands.
Soon a bamboo tree grew up, and from the hollow of one of its branches, a man and a woman came out. The man's name was Sikalak and the woman was called Sikabay. They were the parents of the human race. Their first child was a son whom they called Libo; afterwards they had a daughter who was known as Saman.
Pandaguan, the youngest son, was very clever and invented a trap to catch fish. The very first thing he caught was a huge shark. When he brought it to land, it looked so great and fierce that he thought it was surely a god, and he at once ordered his people to worship it. Soon all gathered around and began to sing and pray to the shark. Suddenly the sky and sea opened, and the gods came out and ordered Pandaguan to throw the shark back into the sea and to worship none, but them.
All were afraid except Pandaguan. He grew very bold and answered that the shark was as big as the gods, and that since he had been able to overpower it he would also be able to conquer the gods. Then Kaptan, hearing this, struck Pandaguan with a small lightning bolt, for he did not wish to kill him but merely to teach him a lesson. Then he and Maguayan decided to punish these people by scattering them over the earth, so they carried some to one land and some to another. Many children were afterwards born, and thus the earth became inhabited in all parts.
Pandaguan did not die. After lying on the ground for thirty days he regained his strength, but his body was blackened from the lightning, and his descendants became the black skinned tribe (the Negritos).
As punishment, his eldest son, Aryon, was taken north where the cold took away his senses. While Libo and Saman were carried south, where the hot sun scorched their bodies. A son of Saman and a daughter of Sikalak were carried east, where the land at first was so lacking in food that they were compelled to eat clay.
Philippine Mythology varies according to the many indigenous tribes of the Philippines so there are hundreds of tales and theories found throughout the islands. Here are some of the gods and goddesses, also known as diwatas of Philippine Mythology:
Bathala ( Maykapal, Bathalang Maykapal, Abba) - Chief god of the Tagalogs. He created the celestial fire (the Sun) and created humanity. Bathala also known as Abba (cebuano) is possibly been worshipped by the visayan. In the Invocation to Bathala sung by the priestess called babaylan, mentioned, Bathala the source of all creations, in your hands lies Maniliw the witch, and in your chest comes out the creator Lulid Amo that can make darkness darker than the night.
Kan-Laon - The supreme god of the Southern Visayans, especially in the island of Negros His abode is Mt. Kanlaon.
Gugurang - Chief god of the Bicolanos.
Aswang- The god of evil, brother and enemy of Gugurang.
Haliya- The Bicol goddess of the moon. She is known for having a cult of women during pre-hispanic times.
Kabunian (Lumawig) - Supreme deity among the Ifugao tribe. His palace is said to be at the peak of Mount Pulag, in the Northern Cordilleras.
Kaptan - For most of the ancient Visayans, he is the supreme deity who dwells in the sky.
Anitun Tabu - The tagalog fickle-minded goddess of wind and rain.
Tadaklan - The god of thunder, said by the Tinguian people of central Luzon.
Kimat - The lightning dog, owned by Tadaklan. It is said that when Kimat "bites," he comes down from heaven and bites whatever it is aimed at.
Aman Sinaya - Primordial Tagalog goddess of the Sea and patron/protector of fishermen.
Amihan- Personification of the "North Wind".
Amanikable - The god of the sea among the Manobo tribe.
Maguayan - The sea deity of the ancient Visayans. He/She is also believed to be the ferryman of the dead in Sulad (hell).
Sidapa - The god of death. He is said to reside on top of Mt.Madia-as, in the province of Antique.
Siginaugan - The god of the underworld.
Dian Masalanta - The goddess of love, pregnancy, child birth, and peace among the ancient Tagalogs. She is the daughter of Dumakulem and Anagolay, and Apolake the god of war is her brother. Ever since the arrival of the Spanish, she has been known by the name, Maria Makiling, after her mountain.
Dal'lang - The goddess of beauty. She bestows the gift of beauty to her followers.
Mayari (Bulan) - The ancient Tagalog one eyed but the most beautiful goddess and protector of the moon, daughter of Bathala and sister of Tala and Apolake. Apolake and Mayari got into argument, who would be the better autocrat over the world. Apolake referred to his male stregnths and Mayari insisted an equal rights. The disputes intensified and the two started to beat each other with wooden bars. Mayari received a blow on her face and got blind on one eye, Apolake was very sorry for his deed and he offered her friendship and mutual change in the power over the world and Mayari agreed.
Tala - Tagalog goddess of the stars. Daughter of Bathala, sister of Mayari and Adlaw.
Apolake (Adlaw) - The Tagalog/Panggasinan god of the sun and lord of war. He is the son of Bathala and brother of Mayari , but in other myth his sister is Dian Masalanta and his parent is Anagolay and Dumakulem.
Sinukuan - The deity of the sun, who is said to dwell on Mt. Arayat in the province of Pampanga.
Malyari - The god of strength and bravery. He is the Filipino counterpart of Hercules. Also known as Bernardo Karpio, he was the son of Bathala to a mortal woman. He was trapped in between two clashing mountains by the gods, as punishment for his pride and selfish attitude.
Lakapati (Ikapati, Lakanpati) - The hermaphrodite deity of fertility and cultivated fields among the ancient Tagalogs. He/She is also the protector of crops and farm animals. As Ikapati she is a great mother goddess for the tagalogs, her name means "giver of food" and her worshipper pray for her to protect them from starvation. She protects the growing food and animals for her people who acknowledge her and provides abundance during the harvest. In other myths she is a consort of Bathala/Abba (both of them were sometimes viewed as hermaphrodite), and responsible for the first creation of the universe. She begin the creation and Bathala finished it.
Idianalé (Idianalo, Ideale) - The goddess of agriculture and husbandry for the ancient Tagalogs. She is the protector of farmers. Other legends told that she is also a goddess of death, so it is possible that she and Hukluban are one goddess. Hukluban is a tagalog word for crone.
Lalahon - The Visayan goddess of fire, volcanoes, and harvest. In ancient times, natives blamed her for sending armies of locusts to destroy their harvest. They offer her gifts, in order to please her and prevent her from doing this.
Halmista - The Visayan god of magic. It has been said that he was a former priest (or baylan) who turned into a god. He is the father of Deltise and Kilawnea.
Mandarangan - The goddess/spirit of war in Bagobo mythology.
Hanan - The tagalog goddess of morning and charming sister of Mayari.
Sitan- The tagalog god of afterlife and guard of Kasanaan (realm of the evil anitos known as manggalo) with the help of his follower gods Hukluban(death), Manggagaway(sicknes), Mangkukulam(fire), and Manisilat(destroyer of love).
Hukluban- the tagalog strong metamorphic goddess of death and one of Sitan's helper. Her name is a tagalog word for crone or hag.
Manisalat- the tagalog god of broken family and destroyer of love. His followers were also called manisalat, a kind of witch that can sow quarrel between spouses and lovers, and can prevent them from having sexual intercourse.
Mangkukulam- is a tagalog god of fire and one of Sitan's helper. His name is a tagalog word for witch.
Manggagaway- the tagalog goddess of sickness and one of Sitan's helper. She is responsible for the occurrence of the disease.She is said to disguise herself as a healer, roaming the countryside not to heal but to induce maladies with her charms. Her followers medicince women which is also called manggagaway, that has the ability to cure or induce sickness using their earth-wisdom for herbal healing or poisoning.
CLASS PICTURE
Philippine mythology, and folklore are being studied as part of the curriculum of Philippine Psychology, and includes a collection of tales and superstitions about magical creatures and entities. Some Filipinos, even though heavily Westernized and Christianized, still believe in such entities. The prevalence of belief in the figures of Philippine mythology is strong in the provinces. Many common folk attribute psychological problems to these superstitions and considered significant for psychologists in understanding the Filipino psyche.
Because the country has many islands and is inhabited by different ethnic groups, Philippine Mythology and superstitions are very diverse. However, certain similarities exist among these groups, such as the belief in Heaven (Kalualhatian or Kalangitan), Hell (Impiyerno or Kasanaan), and human soul (kaluluwa).
I found this definition when I googled "Philippine Mythology but enough with that heavy definitions... ang mga paniniwalang Pilipino, kwento ng lolo't lola ko, panakot ng nanay at tatay natin lahat sila'y bahagi ng kulturang Pinoy na kung saan ay namulat ang bawat batang Pilipino. Ang hiwaga ng mga diwata, hilakbo ng kapre't tikbalang, kagat ng bampira, alingasaw ng aswang, mapaglarong duwende lahat sila bahagi ng isang paniniwalang bumuo at humubog sa isipan ng nakaraan at kasalukuyan. Sa panahon ng cellphones at Laptops... buhayin natin muli ang mundo ng hiwaga...in a world where seeing isn't believing but believing is seeing..
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