 |
| Aswang in Philippine folklore. Source: Socialpinas. |
By Gundhramns Hammer
February 1, 2014
Select, paste & translate
Man sees what he believes to see without having seen what he does not believe to see.
Anthropologically speaking and at a basic level, when people cannot make heads or tail about the universe which has them trapped, when they do not understand what is around them, they create myths and legends to understand the mysterious world that surrounds them.
Thus, old people become important as oral banks, preservers and transmitters of culture and traditions. They become bridges to the past and present. And to the future as well.
And, as the saying goes, if people can understand their past, they might understand their future, even though this one can only be imagined or guessed at most.
Nevertheless, knowing the past helps people to have some clues to the future, which then becomes less fearful. And with the integration of the past, present and a hint of the future, people as a whole may become more culturally flexible and thus adjust to the evolving natural and social world around them.
Let us take an example: The Philippine Islands.
Let us take an example: The Philippine Islands.
Bonanza of new species on the Philippines
The Philippine Islands are amongst the richest places in terms of biodiversity. Their thick forests and oceans are teaming with amazing creatures of all sizes.
The year 2013 was a bonanza for new species from the Philippines. Hundreds of new species of animals were discovered on these Southeast Asian islands.
For example, a ground warbler, Robsonius thompsonii, was the 23rd new species to science described by a team of scientists from the Philippines, United States and Mexico (Hosner et al., 2013).
Two years earlier, a biological expedition carried out by the California of Academy of Science (USA) identified more than 300 new species on the Luzon Island alone (Fig. 1).
 |
| Figure 1. Swell-shark, new to science from the Philippines. Source: CAS via International Business Times. |
But at the same time, this rich biodiversity also means that these islands are not only one of the
hottest hotspots for diverse life forms in the world but also a spot
with the most threatened life on Earth due to the growing human
population.
More
people means more food, more demands for natural resources and more
human waste. And by now we all should know the effects of this fucking
formula has upon the natural world.
The future of the natural richness on the Philippines is not only on the Filipinos´ hands but also on every human earthling who is part of the present squandering economic system.
An ego-centred, maniac and anti-biospherical system that might become man´s own doom machine.
The Philippine Islands: The questers of legends and myths
So, the fact of being surrounded by such a rich variety of animals and plants has not gone unnoticed by the Filipinos. It has become part of their cultural wheel.
And as expected, these island people have come up with multiple legends and myths including supernatural creatures to explain the mysteries of their world.
And the Filipinos are indeed fond of legends and myths, even those living in the cities. The scientific and technological advances of the modern world have not extinguished the fire of the magic veil that wraps life.
It is no wonder that there are still plenty of village shamans and spiritists who are still on great demand to solve personal problems, to get business advising, to open blocked energy channels at stores, to hit the jackpot in the lottery, matters of love or simply to find out why things tend to go wrong at home.
Thus, Kanika
Khara points out that "Filipinos believe
in many mythological creatures, one of them is the Aswang, a ghoul or vampire,
an eater of the dead and a werewolf. They also believe in the Dila (the
tongue), a spirit that passes through the bamboo flooring of provincial houses
and licks certain humans to death. Filipinos also have some other mythological
entities like Diwata and Engkanto (fairies), Kapre (a tree-residing giant),
Sirena (mermaids), Tikbalang (demon-horses), Siyokoy (mermen), Mambabarang
(spirit-summoners), Tiyanak (demon-infants) and Duwende (dwarfs). The
prevalence of beliefs in these entities are more strong in the provinces."
And wherever there is a legend or myth on the Philippines, you will find the "Questers" there.
"Questers"? What the fuck is this?
It is a group of people who are interested in recording and researching the truth behind every legend and myth on the Philippines.
"Questers"? What the fuck is this?
It is a group of people who are interested in recording and researching the truth behind every legend and myth on the Philippines.
The Questers travel to any place on the islands, such as Mount Banahaw, which is believed to
have mystical powers.
They go to places where people have stories of supernatural creatures and paranormal mysteries and talk to the villagers. They research the oral traditions, paying attention to legends, tales of ghosts, spirits, devils, demons, shapeshifters, monsters, cannibal giants, mythical creatures, hidden treasures, magical places and stories of the creation of the world.
It could be said that the Questers are amongst the people who are oscillating like a roller coaster and swimming in unknown waters, trying to connect to their own culture and digging into forgotten olden days to cope with the new intense wave of westernisation and consumerism has fallen upon the human population of Philippine Islands.
And curiously, the Philippine legends and myths have become an economic mill and money making treasure.
They have been transformed into curious attractions for the new Filipino middle class anxious to get new experiences and show off their travel photos to their friends and for international tourists who are bored at home.
They go to places where people have stories of supernatural creatures and paranormal mysteries and talk to the villagers. They research the oral traditions, paying attention to legends, tales of ghosts, spirits, devils, demons, shapeshifters, monsters, cannibal giants, mythical creatures, hidden treasures, magical places and stories of the creation of the world.
It could be said that the Questers are amongst the people who are oscillating like a roller coaster and swimming in unknown waters, trying to connect to their own culture and digging into forgotten olden days to cope with the new intense wave of westernisation and consumerism has fallen upon the human population of Philippine Islands.
And curiously, the Philippine legends and myths have become an economic mill and money making treasure.
They have been transformed into curious attractions for the new Filipino middle class anxious to get new experiences and show off their travel photos to their friends and for international tourists who are bored at home.
For example, the myth on Maria Makiling, still vibrant and alive along the foothill vicinities around
Mount Makiling in Laguna, excites the minds of many travellers.
In an effort to get a waft of the past or get a new experience, curious Filipino or foreign tourists will stick their noses in the cracks, corners, nooks and crannies at the top of the mountain, hoping to see or hear the nymph´s cries or songs.
Monsters, strange monsters and supernatural entities are now on the agenda of most tourists.
Visit these sites to find out the mythical creatures in Philippine folklore: Click HERE or HERE.
Man: A fucking nut trying to play Mother Nature´s guitar
It is said that "man does not live by bread alone". That he need spiritual food.
But not all things spiritual are spiritually enlightening and uplifting. Some come from hell and others from heavens. Here is a basic problem.
He sees what he believes to see without having seen what he does not believe to see.
Man is basically a psychologically dysfunctional creature. In other words, he is crazy.
Once man has found an easier way to earn his living, be it selling what cannot be eaten or doing some money laundering, a fancy way to avoid having his ass sweat like a slave, he easily falls prey to the monsters of his own mind.
He gets easily bored and to break momentarily free from his own hellish chain in his brains, he does strange things indeed: From whittling sticks with a pocket knife, getting drunk with beer or getting high on drugs to visiting place full of shit, shopping like crazy as if there was no tomorrow at the fancy malls or fucking plastic dolls.
And he often finds himself lucubrating and wondering about his fucking future without realising that he has it right now in his own hands.
But he is too stubborn and lazy to change and set his damn ship on a truly sustainable course.
A course where Nature is loved and respected above all before him moving a simple boulder. For the moved boulder put on the wrong place once might one day rolled down again and smash his own balls (and chinastes or ovaries).
From the evidence at plain view around, with a planet full of plastics and human shit, man is really a fucking nut trying to play Mother Nature´s guitar.
Will man learn to play Mother Nature´s guitar without endangering himself? Will he learn to live without destroying his own nest and giving hell (Video 1) to his brethren human and nonhuman?
Video 1. Another murder in the Philippines.
So far, this seems doubtful.
In an effort to get a waft of the past or get a new experience, curious Filipino or foreign tourists will stick their noses in the cracks, corners, nooks and crannies at the top of the mountain, hoping to see or hear the nymph´s cries or songs.
Monsters, strange monsters and supernatural entities are now on the agenda of most tourists.
Visit these sites to find out the mythical creatures in Philippine folklore: Click HERE or HERE.
Man: A fucking nut trying to play Mother Nature´s guitar
It is said that "man does not live by bread alone". That he need spiritual food.
But not all things spiritual are spiritually enlightening and uplifting. Some come from hell and others from heavens. Here is a basic problem.
He sees what he believes to see without having seen what he does not believe to see.
Man is basically a psychologically dysfunctional creature. In other words, he is crazy.
Once man has found an easier way to earn his living, be it selling what cannot be eaten or doing some money laundering, a fancy way to avoid having his ass sweat like a slave, he easily falls prey to the monsters of his own mind.
He gets easily bored and to break momentarily free from his own hellish chain in his brains, he does strange things indeed: From whittling sticks with a pocket knife, getting drunk with beer or getting high on drugs to visiting place full of shit, shopping like crazy as if there was no tomorrow at the fancy malls or fucking plastic dolls.
And he often finds himself lucubrating and wondering about his fucking future without realising that he has it right now in his own hands.
But he is too stubborn and lazy to change and set his damn ship on a truly sustainable course.
A course where Nature is loved and respected above all before him moving a simple boulder. For the moved boulder put on the wrong place once might one day rolled down again and smash his own balls (and chinastes or ovaries).
From the evidence at plain view around, with a planet full of plastics and human shit, man is really a fucking nut trying to play Mother Nature´s guitar.
Will man learn to play Mother Nature´s guitar without endangering himself? Will he learn to live without destroying his own nest and giving hell (Video 1) to his brethren human and nonhuman?
So far, this seems doubtful.
References
Hosner P., Boggers N., Alviola P., Sánchez-gonzález L. A., Oliveros C. H., Urriza R. & Moyle R. G. (2013).
Phylogeography
of the Robsonius ground-warblers (Passeriformes: Locustellidae) reveals an undescribed species from Northeastern Luzon, Philippines. The Condor 115
(3): 630-639; doi: 10.1525/cond.2013.120124
Lieban R. W. (1967). Cebuano Sorcery: Malign Magic in the Philippines. University of California Press Ltd., Berkeley, CA, USA. 163 p.
Lieban R. W. (1967). Cebuano Sorcery: Malign Magic in the Philippines. University of California Press Ltd., Berkeley, CA, USA. 163 p.
Peter Hosner et al. 2013. Phylogeography of
the Robsonius Ground-Warblers (Passeriformes: Locustellidae) Reveals an
Undescribed Species from Northeastern Luzon, Philippines. The Condor 115
(3): 630-639; doi: 10.1525/cond.2013.120124
Read more at http://news.mongabay.com/2013/0918-new-bird-philippines.html#APQ2hfQebCSVu49h.99
Read more at http://news.mongabay.com/2013/0918-new-bird-philippines.html#APQ2hfQebCSVu49h.99
Peter Hosner et al. 2013. Phylogeography of
the Robsonius Ground-Warblers (Passeriformes: Locustellidae) Reveals an
Undescribed Species from Northeastern Luzon, Philippines. The Condor 115
(3): 630-639; doi: 10.1525/cond.2013.120124
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario