Philippine Mythology in Everday Life

Every culture has its own paranormal and mythical culture, especially Asian cultures. The Philippines is no different. Well, the Philippines is different in a sense. The Philippine paranormal culture is similar to many others; they have mythical creatures, ghost stories, and the like. What makes the Philippines different is that many Filipinos truly believe in these myths, so much so that they are not myths at all to them.

Whether or not Philippine myths are real or not is disputed since there has been countless eyewitness and direct experiences with these myths but no hard evidence.

Evidence doesn’t matter to Filipinos anyway; to them, mythological creatures are as real as dogs or cats. Another interesting thing about these myths is how absurd and extraordinary they are, even for paranormal stories.

The Kapre

Bigfoot is known as Sasquatch in some areas or the Yeti in other areas. In the Philippines, they have their own Bigfoot called a kapre. Kapres have been described as looking similar to a Bigfoot, with the exception that they smoke cigars as big as a burrito. Yes, you read that right: a Bigfoot that smokes burrito-sized cigars. It’s said that the only way to get a kapre to leave you alone peacefully is by giving him a light and many people have claimed to have done this firsthand.

The Tikbalang

If the kapre is the Filipino Bigfoot, the tikbalang is the Filipino centaur. Like a centaur, a tikbalang is a half-man, half-horse creature with the exception that they have the head of a horse, a man’s torso, and two horse legs that they stand upright on. One interesting thing about tikbalangs is that people have recently claimed that they are getting bigger.

Originally it was said that they are fairly large at about eight feet tall, but today, some people claim that they have grown recently and have grown up to fifteen feet tall.

The Duende

If you haven’t noticed a pattern here, you’ll see that many Filipino mythical creatures resemble those from other cultures. The duende follows this pattern again, being a Filipino version of the dwarf. Duendes are much smaller however. They are said to live in tiny houses in the grass in forests or even in cities in the lush green areas. It is said to be a horrible curse to disturb a duende’s home so whenever someone walks around in tall grass (no matter where they are), it’s customary to say the words ”tabi-tabi po” to excuse themselves. Many Filipinos still do this today, even the ones living in the cities.

The White Lady

This is one of the more popular Filipino myths. A White Lady is a ghostly apparition, usually in the form of a woman dressed in white. They usually appear to motorists along a road. It’s said that if you see one, you need to pull over and give her a ride. She’ll tell you where she wants to go, but you have to deceive her by not taking her there. Then she will disappear. However, if you don’t pick her up, she will appear in your passenger seat and frighten you. Believe or not, many people have claimed to have gotten into car accidents because of White Ladies.

There are many other creatures in local mythology, almost too many to mention. There are some that are less known and even more bizarre. For example, in one province, there is said to be a creature that looks human but has a giant mouth and lips that take up most of its face. It’s said that this creature uses this mouth to eat people’s souls and it will eat your soul if it sees you. The only way to escape them is to make them laugh by pulling down your pants. Because of its giant mouth, it cannot see while it’s laughing so it gives the person time to run away.

A good majority of Filipinos strongly believe in these myths. Many people claim to have had firsthand experiences with these creatures. Some even claim to be biologically related to them (since it’s said that many of these creatures interbreed with humans). There are even some who claim to be living with some of these creatures within their villages in the rural provinces.

There are also many other aspects of their mythology that are equally important to Filipinos. Like the anting-anting or amulet for example. Many people have gone on television and media showcasing the ability of their amulets, which are said to make any person wearing them invulnerable to pain or damage. There have been many live demonstrations of these amulets as well. Whether or not they are real or perhaps just a result of the placebo effect, no one really knows.

Filipinos are also generally very superstitious. Many are strongly dedicated to feng shui or similar practices. It has become so prevalent in their culture, that many Filipinos involve these practices into their daily life, so much so that it has become the norm. For example, whenever a person is leaving a home while someone else is eating, it’s customary to spin the plates three times. Or whenever someone drops a utensil while eating, it is said to mean that a visitor is coming.

Without a doubt, the Philippines is home to one of the most amazing paranormal cultures in the world. What makes it so interesting is how it has become such a big part of their daily lives. Many Filipinos talk about these things as if it was completely normal. To them, it’s not even myth, but fact. Whether it is indeed myth or fact is somewhat irrelevant, however, because Philippine mythology isn’t just a part of the Filipino’s culture or lifestyle, it’s a part of who they are.

If you need help with ghosts or things that go bump in the night, check out 1800 Ghost Help, or give them a call at 1-800-340-8374.