Folktales and legends in the Philippines

My favorite is the one about the dog, cat and ring, goes like this:
              Long ago there was a master who wanted a ring delivered to his sister.  He had an old dog with no teeth and no tail, but he knew all the trails and paths.  He had a younger more reliable cat, inexperienced in travel.  So he gave the ring to the cat and had the dog go along as a guide for the cat.  All went well until they came upon a river with no bridges and no boats.  They decided they would have to swim across, and the dog pressured the cat into giving him the ring for the swim.  The cat was reluctant, but after threats gave the ring to the dog.  The dog was a stronger swimmer, but then he cried out that he had lost the ring.  The cat told the dog to look for the ring while the cat swam back to the shore and returned to tell the master of the problem.
             When the master and cat got back to the river neither the dog nor the ring were anywhere to be found.  The master called all the dogs in the area together and explained to them that a dog with no teeth and no tail had made off or lost a ring for his sister.  The master offered much gold to the dog who located and returned the ring.  This offer surprised the cat, for he knew that dogs have no use for gold, would rather have a bone to chew on.
             To this day dogs all over the world are still searching for that ring.  Whenever two dogs meet they bare their teeth to show the other dog that they are not the thief with no teeth.  They also wag their tails to show that they are not the tailless  thief.  And ever since that terrible event at the river cats are very reluctant to go swimming anywhere.

Thank you;
Folktales provide valuable insight to a culture.  I am still trying to figure out the wok-wok and other things that go bump in the night.  Some old timers speak of seeing others, but lack the language to explain.

Curious Lem

Wak wak or aswang and other names. There is also a giant who is smoking a cigar in the ilocano area. And the most known, the dwarves or dwende who are living in the roots of mango trees or in termites house. Some are negative and black, some are good and white.

geolefrench wrote:

Wak wak or aswang and other names. There is also a giant who is smoking a cigar in the ilocano area. And the most known, the dwarves or dwende who are living in the roots of mango trees or in termites house. Some are negative and black, some are good and white.

The smoking giant at the Ilocano area is called "Kapre." Aswang is the one that eats your liver and sometimes appear half-bodied as the other half go flying looking for victims. They say in Ilocos Sur
that you should be careful urinating at night along trees as you could be urinating at a dwende´s head
which could cause you unexplained bodily wound or lesions.

The Bantay Gusing overlooking Santa: The top area has a "gusing" or a missing part. The legend says that a giant "angngalo" accidentally stepped over it causing the indentation.

robal

Not sure if legends relate to events or people here, but lots of heros and events, as in Lapu-Lapu who killed the seagoing Portuguese explorer Fernando Magellan. Lapu-Lapu of Mactan Island became a legend who stood up to the ‘modern’ technology of the European traders and their weaponry.
Others were heros too, but again not sure if a legend can be a person, as in Rizal who stood up for the pinoy people at a crucial time in their history, or even Aguinaldo Aquino or Fernando Poe.

The Legend of Mariang Makiling
-Retold by Jose Rizal

The many legends of Mariang Makiling tell of a young woman who lived on the beautiful mountain that separates the provinces of Laguna and Tayabas. Her dwelling place was never definitely known, because those who had the good luck to deal with her would wander about for a long time lost in the woods, unable to return; neither did they remember the way, nor were they agreed as to the place and its description.
While some say her home was a beautiful palace, bright as a golden reliquary, surrounded by gardens and fine parks, others assert that they saw only wretched hut with a patched roof and bamboo sides. Such a contradiction may give rise to the belief that both parties were romancing, it is true but it may also be due to the fact that Mariang Makiling, like many persons in comfortable circumstances, might have had dwelling places.
According to eyewitnesses, she was a young woman, tall and graceful with big black eyes and long and abundant hair. Her colour was a clear pure brown, the kayumangging kaligatan, as the Tagalog say. Her hands and feet were small and delicate and the expression of her countenance always grave and serious.
She was a fantastic creature, half nymph, half sylph, born under the moonbeams of Filipinas, in the mystery of its ancient woods, the murmur of the waves on the neighbouring shore. According to general belief, and contrary to the reputation imputed to the nymphs and goddesses, Mariang Makiling always remained pure, simple, and mysterious as the genius of the mountain. An old maid-servant we had, an Amazon who defended her house against the outlaws and once killed one of them with a lance thrust, assured me that she had in her childhood seen her passing in the distance over the reed grass so lightly and airily that she did not even make the flexible blades bend.
They said that on the night of Good Friday, when the hunters built bonfires to attract the deer by the scent of the ashes of which these animals are so fond, they have discerned her motionless on the brink of the most fearful abysses, letting her long hair float in the wind, all flooded with the moonlight. Then she would salute them ceremoniously, pass on, and disappear amid the shadows of the neighbouring trees.
Generally everyone loved and respected her and no one over dared to question her, to follow, or to watch her. She has also been seated for a long periods upon a cliff beside a river, as though watching the gentle currents of the stream. There was an old hunter who claimed to have seen her bathing in a secluded fountain at midnight, when cicadas themselves were asleep, when the moon reigned in the midst of silence, and nothing disturbed the charm of solitude. In those same hours and under the same circumstances was the time when the mysterious and melancholy notes of her harp might be heard. Persons who heard them stopped, for they drew away and became hushed when any attempt was made to follow them up.
Her favourable time for appearing, it is said, was after a storm. Then she would be seen scurrying over the fields, and whenever she passed, life, order, and calm were renewed. The trees again straightened up their over-thrown trunks, and all traces of the unchained elements were wiped away.
When the poor country folk on the slopes of Makiling needed clothing or jewels for solemn occasions of life, she would lend them and besides, give her a pullet white as milk, one that had never laid an egg, a dumalaga, as they say. Mariang Makiling was very charitable and had a good heart. Now often has she not, in the guise of a simple country maid, aided poor old women who went to the woods for firewood or to pick wild fruits, by slipping among the latter nuggets of gold, coins, and jewels.
A hunter who has one day chasing a wild boar through the tall grass and thorny bushes of the thickets came suddenly upon a hut in which the animal hid.
Soon a beautiful young woman issued from the hut and said to him gently, “The wild boar belongs to me and you have done wrong to chase it. But I see that you are very tired; your arms and legs covered with blood. So I come in and eat and then you may go on your way.”
Confused and startled, and besides charmed by the beauty of the young woman, the man went in and ate mechanically everything she offered him, without being able to speak a single word. Before he left, the young woman gave him some pieces of ginger, charging him to give them to his wife for her cooking. The hunter put them inside the crown of his broad hat and after thanking her, withdrew in content. On the way home, he felt his hat becoming heavy so he took out many of the pieces and threw them away. But what his surprise and regret when the next day he discovered that what the he had taken to be ginger was solid gold, bright as a ray of sunshine. Although he tried to look for them later, he could never find even one.
But for many years now, Maria Makiling’s presence has not been manifested on Makiling. Her vapory figure no longer wanders through the deep valleys or hovers over the waterfalls on the serene moonlight nights. The melancholy tone of her harp is no longer heard, and now lovers get married without receiving from her jewels and other presents. Many fear that she has disappeared forever, or at least, she avoids any contact with mankind.
Yet on the side of the mountain, there is a clear, quiet pool, and the legend persists that the vapory figure may still be seen reflected in this pool in the mists of early dawn, and from time to time people of the countryside go to watch for her there.

Turns out it is a fascinating and extremely rich subject:
https://www.aswangproject.com/understan … y-animism/

Thanks to the Spanish education system the information can be pretty sketchy and at times conflicting.  Despite their efforts alot of very rich stories have survived. Many things in common with most peoples legends are the Mighty men of old, giants with superhuman powers as explained by Genesis 6 strict reading.

During the pandemic, my kids attended classes online.  Because of that, they now have less interaction with teachers compared to before the start of quarantine. So, I have to tutor them on some of their lessons especially in their Filipino class.

I've noticed that more of the early Filipino literature (pre-Spanish colonial period) have been included in the Filipino lessons now compared to when I was in elementary and high school here in the Philippines back in the 70's and 80's during the Marcos regime.

Called "epikos" or epic poems, the stories tell of exciting adventures of heroes, lovers, monsters, magic, spirits. My and my son's favorite epikos are from Mindanao:
1. Bantugen
2. Indarapatra at Sulayman
3. Bidasari

We also like Hiligaynon from Visayas region.

There are superstitious beliefs and belief in the supernatural. Superstition is belief that if one does (or does not do something) another thing will (or will not) happen. One of the most common superstition is "usog" or hex. For example, if you praise an infant or child like saying, "Oh, she is so pretty," you might inadvertently put a hex on her which could give the child indigestion, gas or a fever. So you must follow your compliment with "Puera usog" to remove the hex.

There many superstition regarding the death or the dead. After attending a burial, one should not go home directly as the spirit of the dead might follow them. It would be best to make a stop over like to a mall or a restaurant before going home.

Many Filipinos, especially those living in the provinces, believe in the existence of supernatural beings or monsters. The most well-know is the aswang (also called [i]tiktik or wakwak). It was featured in an episode of the tv series Grimm. There's also the manananggal (which is also an aswang), nuno, duende, tikbalang, kapre and tiyanak.[/i]

It is believed that the nuno, which is a dwarf-like creature, lives in an ant hill or sometimes in dark places in the forest or fields. If one walks through a grassy field (or urinates in the grass or dirt), or passes by an ant hill, or walks through a dirt path at night, one needs to say, "Tabi nuno po. Puera bati po." which translates to "Excuse me nuno. Please make way / step aside. Please do not put a hex on me" to avoid stepping on or spraying a nuno.

One of the scariest is the manananggal. It takes a human form by day. But at night, its top torso would grow wings and separate from the bottom torso, and flies off to find food. (I think I should not mention here what it feeds on. Kinda graphic.)

Superstitions, palm readers with crystal balls,card readers any and all witchcraft are all derived from

the ADVERSARY aka SATIN! I do believe in Ghosts who are just spirits of  those who have already passed

away.I also believe in guardian angels who come here to help us in times of need. I have personal

experiences of them. They are sent from God in times we need them and their help. Satin is not gonna

help us.

daenr wrote:

Others were heros too, but again not sure if a legend can be a person, as in Rizal who stood up for the pinoy people at a crucial time in their history.

There are historical persons behind many stories for instance::
/Jesus
/I dont know if know outtside Eurppe the legend about Sanct Georg (diferent names) and the dragon. The historic person behind it was Sigberet I  a decentant of Charle le Magne who ruled big part of Europe . Odd Siberet was the historic person behind because nothing suit to the legend.  He was murdeed by his brother or more probabnly brothers wifeto take the other half of the huge country too.   Then the wife of the murdeed Brunhilda took up the figt to try to avoid the child son to be murdered too, and she became the most powerful woman ever until English queen lon time later.  Soi the REAKL story is much better than te legend   

I count Rizal as a hero. Many places in Phils have been named after Rizal, it can be very confusing sometimes and make registrations at wrong islands...

FilAmericanMom wrote:

During the pandemic, my kids attended classes online.  Because of that, they now have less interaction with teachers compared to before the start of quarantine. So, I have to tutor them on some of their lessons especially in their Filipino class.

I've noticed that more of the early Filipino literature (pre-Spanish colonial period) have been included in the Filipino lessons now compared to when I was in elementary and high school here in the Philippines back in the 70's and 80's during the Marcos regime.  )

Your post is very interesting in general.

I have noticed in ,most schools in Phils they are GOOD at teaching language      And "good" at beaty contests and performances INSTEAD of studying,  In one school they even told the PARENTSto do the home work because the kids were occupied with exersise to a performance!!!    
Very few even TEACHERS can count percent!!! so I asked oneTESDA TESTER:
-How many percent is 1 of  5 ?
-... eeee.  4 ?

(I use these numbers because its about the interest in the very common " 5-6" loans. )

FilAmericanMom wrote:

There are superstitious beliefs and belief in the supernatural.
...
Many Filipinos, especially those living in the provinces, believe in the existence of supernatural beings or monsters. .)

They are very DIFFERENT.  Parts of SuperNATURAL are PROVEN by SCIENCE.  During cold war both USA and Sovjet did spend military money at such researches anbd development.  After the cold war ended, one of the American scientists wrote a book about it, which I have read, where he describe tests they made, I tested just for fun - and to convince friends who believed it was false     -  and managed to do two of the supernational TYPES repeeted ( =look into the future and kinetic =effect at materia at distannce.)   But it DONT function to use to winn at lotto or such      I tested at winners at horses and have many correct by just think numbers, BUT when I later put in REAL money I just got money back        I did QUIT exersisising when I started to become to good at telling sports results before they happened (around half correct) , because no trilling if I know the results...

And there are University or such schools about superNATURAL I know of both in Scotland, France and Sweden.

Not sure if such education is relevant for the students in a progressing nation...but this article about wak waks appeared on the local yahoo news.." Dep.Education.Philippines was just criticized for a new-obscene-word module aswang.

"Siya rin ay isang diyos pero ang aswang ay pinaniniwalaan na ito'y tao na kumakain ng kapwa tao. Kung minsan ang mga ito ay pinapaniwalaan na may mga pakpak at sila raw ay gising kung gabi para maghanap ng makak*nt*t o maaswang." (The aswang is a god but it is also believed that it's a human that eats other human beings. It is often believed to have wings and are awake at night, looking for people to have SEX with.)

https://ph.yahoo.com/news/deped-philipp … 51445.html

manwonder wrote:

(The aswang is a god but it is also believed that it's a human that eats other human beings. It is often believed to have wings and are awake at night, looking for people to have SEX with.

If schools would have good SEX education in how to avoid geting pregnant, there wouldnt be so many unwanted pregnancies in Phils...  So I think schools in Phils use the word "Sex" to seldom...   

Back then a 30 yo Filipina thought she couldnt get pregnant at one time sex
"because I didnt get pregnant when I had sex one time in Manila"   !!!   
It didnt become better when she got "informed" WRONG teaching about "safe periods" at HEALTH CENTRE and different supersticions among neighbours.
Now she has a six year old daughter , who is much smarter than the mother, actualy best in her class, so I suppoue the daughter got brain from her father. They try to be secret about who is father and believe the office people where the ather work dont knpw, but the daugter has same uncommon skull shape as her father, so its obvious 

No wonder superstition and religion have such a strong hold on the country. Information from ignorant sources does not help and the church's position on sex education is "more children, more brain washed'  into their congregation. Sex education is not a wide held belief.