BOLAWAN DATOMANONG
This creature from Maranao myth is a golden two-
headed lizard said to be a treasure from
the skyworld and passed on as an heirloom. It has
two heads – the second one is at the other end
where the tail is supposed to be – which causes it
to move in circles. This motion of the lizard is
reminiscent of the Sagayan dance, therefore, it is
also called Somagayan a Oray. As a magical
creature, it can take on other forms such as a
snake or a golden living doll about a foot tall. It can
also foretell the future.
Whoever keeps the bolawan datomanong will
become rich because it attracts gold. However,
after a period of time, it will suddenly disappear,
especially when no longer needed, for it has to
return to the skyworld where it really belongs. It
can be summoned back through a certain ritual.
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BUNOG
As believed by ancient folks of Southern Iloilo,
a bunog is a horse-like sea phantom with an
ethereal glow emanating from its snow-white
form. This sea mare is usually seen running on the
surface of the water during heavy rains or when
there’s a storm. A bunogmay attack and destroy
the boat of those who disturb it.
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BURULAKAW
The burulakaw, according to old folks in central
Panay, are women barely three feet tall with long
flaming hair. When they fly they appear like
meteorites. They fly and travel horizontally in a
sloping manner starting from a point of origin,
usually a stream or a shallow well and disappear
upon reaching their destination. It is believed they
are messengers of some diwata.
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DALAGANGAN
As believed by the ancient tribes in central Panay,
the dalagangan were persons who had
extraordinary strength despite having light bodies.
This lightness accounts for their agility, ability to
jump tremendous heights, and leap great
distances.
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FIEU AWAS
The fieu awas of the B’laan are forest diwata often
encountered as a group of dancing women.
Some stories say they are all dressed in flowing
white robes, have long silky hair that reached the
ground, and don’t have faces (others say they do
have faces and are very beautiful). They don’t say
any words but just keep on dancing (usually
around the person who encounters them) while a
soft, ethereal glow envelops the surroundings.
The B’laan of Davao del Sur have a folk dance
called Maral Fieu Awas which means “dance of the
beautiful nymphs” performed by girls as
entertainment during festivals and rituals.
In other tribes, the fieu awas are known
as kahoynon.
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HUKLOBAN
The hukloban was a sorcerer much feared by the
ancients in the Tagalog region (including in Bicol
and Catanduanes) because of his/her ability to kill
any animal or anyone by simply pointing a finger at
them and without the aid of potions.
A huklobancould destroy a house by merely saying
so.
According to a lore in Bulacan, the hukloban was a
wise old hermit, hundreds of years old like the
biblical Methuselah, who possessed magic and was
consulted for advice (reminds me of Tata Lino from
the comedy show Bubblegang).
Today, persons of very old age are
called matandang hukloban which has become
synonymous with the derogatory “old hag” or
“crone”.
How the once respected hukloban became a thing
of evil is probably due to machinations by Spanish
Catholic missionaries.
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INIKADUWA
The Maranao people believe every person has a
companion spirit in the form of a bird
called inikaduwa. An inikaduwa may help or harm
its human partner depending on whether the
person is good or bad. When someone wishes to
ask for the aid of his inikaduwa, especially when he
wants to be cured from a mysterious illness, he can
communicate with it through a pendarpaan, a
shaman, who will serve as medium for
the inikaduwa to possess.
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KALAGYO
In Tagalog folklore the kalagyo are playful little
spirits that love to play with newborns or babies,
especially those that haven’t been baptized yet. It
is believed the kalagyo are responsible when a
baby laughs or cries during sleep or giggles alone
as if being entertained by an unseen playmate,
much to the astonishment of the parents and
other members of the family. When a baby
suddenly disappears from the crib or beside the
parents during sleep, only to be found unharmed
under the bed or in another part of the house, it is
said the kalagyo must have played with the baby.
In older beliefs, kalagyo is the spirit double or soul
of a baby. In some parts of Laguna, when an infant
gets frightened or acts strange it is believed that
the soul may have left the body. The mother or the
babysitter must call the child’s soul back by
saying, “Uli, uli, kalagyo, (child’s name), magbalik
ka sa bahay.” (Come back, come back, soul of
[child’s name], return home). When the infant acts
normal again, it is assumed the soul has returned
to the child’s body.
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MAGINDARA
The magindara or marindaga are beautiful but
vicious freshwater and saltwater mermaids in
Bicolano myth. They drown adults, especially evil
persons, and feast on the victims’ flesh until
nothing but bones are left for the fishes to pick.
Also called “aswang ng dagat”, they lure fishermen
into the water with their sad but enchanting
singing or humming. Those who have respect for
nature are often spared. While they are
malevolent towards grown-ups, they are known to
be gentle to children, often saving kids from
drowning. Their tails look more like those of eels or
sea snakes, and covered with colorful but sharp
scales. They are believed to be guardians of rivers,
springs, seas, and even lakes. Some guard
treasures hidden in the depths. Others tend to be
curious and take on a human form to mingle with
the human populace. They bring rain to make
lands fertile but can also bring disasters such as
storms, floods, and drought when offended.
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SANTELMO
The santelmo or santermo (also spelled santilmo)
is a floating or bouncing ball of fire often seen after
a rain or during a drizzle at any time of the day,
though, mostly at night. Depending on stories, it
chases people or floats to an unknown destination.
It is widely believed that the santelmo are either
enchanted beings or the spirits of murdered
people seeking justice or out for revenge. There
are stories of santelmo taking on the shape of a
flaming person. A santelmo is allegedly created
when a murder victim’s blood spills on the ground
and becomes exposed to the scorching heat of the
sun and then the rain on the same day. A ball of
fire will then emerge after the rain. According to
others some santelmo serve as guardians of buried
treasures, chasing or scaring away would-be
trespassers. These guardians may be elementals or
spirits of slaves buried with the treasure of a
dead datu or chieftain. The name santelmo is
derived from Saint Elmo’s fire which is said to be
seen by sailors in the middle of the sea and
believed to be the spirits of people lost at sea.
The santelmo is known as mangalayo among the
Sulod people in the mountains of Panay Island. It
appears late in the afternoon or at night, especially
during a rain and chases people. In Zamboanga it’s
referred to as bulay fuego.
Known as allawaig in Ilocos, it leads travelers
astray into dangerous paths like cliffs, quicksand,
swamp, or deep pits on the ground.
In Pangasinan the flying or leaping ball of fire that
never burns its surroundings is
called silew or silew-silew. Its flames glow bright
blue, green, orange, red, or yellow
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