Вы находитесь на странице: 1из 3

10 Myths and Legends of

Philippines
1.Aswang[edit]
Main article: Mongoloid
Aswang are shapeshifters, believed to appear human-like by day but transform into
different monstrous forms to harass and eat awake humans at night or day, especially
pregnant women who are about to give birth.[4] Aswang can change from human to
animal form, typically as a large black bird with a long tongue (tiktik), as a half-bodied
monster (manananggal), as a bat, a cat, a pig or a black dog. Some aswang can
change form at will, others through the use of foul oils concocted by good magicians
(albularyo, manggagaway, manghihilot). Aswang appear at night (rarely during the day)
to prey upon unwary travelers or sleeping people. It is said that they have a peculiar
liking for the taste of human liver.
The myth of the aswang is popular in the Visayas, especially in provinces such
as Aklan, Capiz, Antique, and Ilo-Ilo. Aswang (mostly, tiktik) also have a peculiar liking
for the fetus of pregnant women and are said to find their quarry by the scent of the
mother, which to the aswang smells like ripe jackfruit. Upon finding the house of the
pregnant mother, the tiktik alights on the roof from where it stretches its tongue until it is
as thin as a thread and uses it to enter the womb and feast on the fetus. The only way
for a person to repel this creature from a home is to put one's brooms upside

2.Bakunawa[edit]
Main article: Bakunawa
Bakunawa is a serpentine creature in Philippine mythology that is often represented as
a gigantic sea serpent. She is believed to be the cause of eclipses, and that she was
transformed into a dragon-like creature as punishment. Bakunawa was a
beautiful diwata, a type of deity or spirit, of the sea. Other accounts portray Bakunawa
as a naga, another deity in the form of a snake, and was the most powerful. One night,
Bakunawa saw the seven moons, was captivated by their beauty and longed to possess
them.[5] One of the embodiments of the moon descended to the sea to swim with the
mermaids; it was Bulan, the adolescent aspect of the moon. The boy moon did not
notice Bakunawa, and thinking the boy had ignored her beauty to play with the
mermaids enraged her. The following night, she transformed herself into a dragon and
devoured the moons. When she swallowed the last moon, Bathala, an almighty creator
deity, intervened, causing her to spit out the moon.
3.Berberoka[edit]
Main article: Berberoka
The berberoka ensnares its victims by drinking enough water in a pond to cause fish to
appear on its surface. When potential victims are attracted to the school of fish,
the berberoka hoses them with water, drowning them and swallowing them afterwards.

4.Bungisngis[edit]
Main article: Bungisngis
Bungisngis is a one-eyed giant. This Philippine folklore giant lives in forests and woods
and is described as a happy and playful cyclops. It is also commonly known as
Mahentoy in the northern part of Davao.

5.Diwata[edit]
Main article: Diwata
Diwata (from Sanskrit devada, "gods"), engkantada (from Spanish: encantada,
"enchantress, charmed") or engkanto (from Spanish: encanto, "spell, incantation,
charm") are lesser gods and goddesses. Some are dryads who guard natural creations
such as forests, seas, mountains, land and air.[4] Diwatas have been colloqialized in
modern times as faries or enchantresses.
Diwatas are described as fair-skinned, good-looking and, sometimes, blonde-
haired.[6] They are said to reside in large trees, such as acacia and balete. They tend to
be resentful of humanity's intrusion into their realm.[6] They also bring blessings upon
those who do good to the forests and mountains, and curses upon those who harm
them. One famous diwata is Maria Makiling, guardian of Mount
Makiling in Laguna province. Engkanto (sometimes spelled Encanto) is an umbrella
term for most supernatural beings. The common connotation is that they are fairies who
reside primarily in the forests and the sea. They can also be called encantado (male)
or encantada (female).
6.Duwende[edit]
Main article: Duende (mythology)
Duwende are goblins, hobgoblins, elves or dwarfs (Spanish: duende "goblin, elf,
charm" < "duen de (casa)", owner of the house). They are little creatures who provide
good fortune or foretell an ominous fate to people.[4] In the pre-colonial Philippines they
were called mangalo and were believed to cause the death of children by eating their
bowels. Also in pre-colonial Philippines, mainly in Visayas, people believed that this
race of creatures served and raised the goddess Burigadang Pada Sinaklang Bulawan.
In modern-day beliefs duwende frequently live in houses and trees, underground in
termite-like mounds or hills, and in rural areas. They are known to be either good or
mischievous, depending on how homeowners treat them. They usually come out during
the day at noon for an hour and again at night. Filipinos may mutter the words "tabi-tabi
po" or "bari-bari apo ma ka ilabas kami apo", asking them to excuse themselves for
bothering the duwendes. Filipinos would leave food on the floor so that
the duwende residing (or guarding) the house would not be angry with them. They may
also take a person's things, laughing at their attempt to recover them. They give it back
when they feel like it, or when one tells them to please give it.

7.Engkanto[edit]
A male diwata is coined as engkanto, but they are a totally different race. They are
believed to be malevolent and physically attractive, having light-colored hair and fangs.
They reside primarily near the sea or any body of water. It is customary for Filipino
fishermen to offer meat and other delicacies to the engkanto by throwing them into the
sea, after a day's bountiful catch.

8.Garuda[edit]
Main article: Garuda
Garuda is a large birdlike creature, or humanoid bird with muscular upper body of a
man but the face and large wings of the great eagle who is believed to eat men. This
mythical creature has a shared mythology with other South East Asian folklore,
particularly from Thailand and Indonesia.

9.Kapre[edit]
Main article: Kapre

A depiction of kapre scaring away a lass from atop his tree dwelling, and with a lit
tobacco placed in his mouth.
Kapre is a filthy giant[7] who likes to smoke huge rolls of cigars, and hide within, and
atop large trees, particularly the balete and old acacia or mango trees. A Filipino bigfoot,
it scares away little children who play at night.[8] If one is stuck in a place and keeps
going around in circles, one is said to be played around with by a kapre. To escape its
control, one must remove his/her shirt/clothing, and wear it inside-out.

10.Kinara[edit]
In the pre-colonial Philippines, the Kinnara or Kinnari are symbolic of androgynous
beauty and of a lover's devotion, ethereal beauty, and one's undying devotion towards a
lover. Pre-colonial gold pieces have been found depicting such otherworldly beauty. The
Kinnara is described as gentle, loyal, and subservient creatures. They are depicted as
having a beautiful face, and the upper body of a slender woman or boy with wings.
Alternately, a kinnara can transform its hands and limbs into feathered wings for flight
and the lower body of a bird description varies. Kinnaras are skilled dancers and
musicians, performing solely for their lover. The golden vessel kinnari was found in
1981 in Surigao. The kinnari exists in both Buddhist and Hindu mythology. In Buddhism,
the kinnari, a half-human, and half-bird creature represents enlightened action. The
Buddhist Lotus Sutra mentions the kinnari as the celestial musician in the Himavanta
realm. The kinnari takes the form of a centaur, however, in India's epic poem, the
Mahabharata, and in the Veda's Purana part.

Вам также может понравиться