99. 25 OLD KAPAMPANGAN SUPERSTITIONS ABOUT DEATH AND DYING

by Robby P. Tantingco

People weave superstitions around events that they cannot explain, and nothing makes them more superstitious than when confronted with death. 

Because death was fairly common in ancient times, our ancestors had to pay close attention to the warning signs. Here are some Kapampangan superstitions which are at least 100 years old, culled from H. Otley Beyer's 1916 collection of folk beliefs.

**********

SOURCE:

"Superstitions in Pampanga" (1917) in H. Otley Beyer's Philippine Folklore, Social Customs and Beliefs Vol. IX (Unpublished)

97. 10 LAMAN LABUAD (EARTH CREATURES) OF PAMPANGA

by Robby P. Tantingco

Here's a catalog of ghouls and goblins (laman labuad, "earth creatures," the opposite of heavenly spirits) that terrorized our Kapampangan ancestors:

********

 PATIANAK, small dark creatures that lived underground, in remote spots marked by termite mounds. Passers-by had to say "Makilabas ku pu!" or "Itábi po, puera nunu!" (“May I pass?" or "Please go away, I hope there is no old dwarf here!”) The word patianak did not come from the Tagalog tiyanak, but from the Bahasa pontianak, the ghost of a stillborn baby. Thus, Kapampangans thought them to be the souls of unbaptized children, who tormented women during childbirth and harassed immoral people (like unchaste priests and unfaithful husbands).

MANGKUKUTUD, the Kapampangan version of the manananggal, whose torso detached from the rest of the body to fly in the night in search of cadavers to eat. This is the reason we never leave our dead unattended, or the mangkukutud would steal the corpse, slice the flesh and cook it. This creature laid eggs like hens do, and people who took these eggs by mistake and cracked them open would be shocked to find a nose, fingers, eyeballs and other body parts inside. The magkukutud got its name from the ancient Kapampangan word kutud, "to cut."

MANGKUKUSINU, the Kapampangan version of the mangkukulam, only much more evil. He could inflict pain on a person even from a great distance, magically able to put poison, a metal object or even a live chicken inside his victim's body, causing extreme suffering.

KULARIUT, a dark, elusive creature with a long white beard who lived in bamboo groves and forests, perched on branches or rooftops quietly watching people while they slept in their rooms. Not too long ago a theater group depicted kulariut as the restless ghost of an American soldier, Col. Elliott.

MANGLILILI, an invisible entity who caused disorientation in solitary travelers, making them lose their way in deep forests and mountains. Poor travelers would spend hours, even days, trying to find their way back. People living at the foot of Mount Arayat have experienced being led astray by a beautiful lady for what seemed to be only hours but turn out to be actually months and years.

MAGLALAGE was the generic term for ghosts, or spirits of the dead stranded on earth because of an unfinished business.

ASWANG was a mean, dark creature who rubbed a special ointment on his armpits to fly in search of the dying instead of the already dead.

MANGUANG ANAK, fast-running agents of an unseen evil person or spirit who kidnapped children off the streets and took them to a faraway place where they were bled to death and their blood sold and used in minting coins (old folks thought dipping coins in blood was part of the minting process and coins did taste like blood). When I was a kid we called them Ilonggot, and I remember seeing one apprehended by the police and tortured before a big crowd in front of the municipio.

BINANGUNAN, vampirish beings that could suck the blood of children even from a distance. Thin, anemic children were thought to be victimized by a binangunan. Research must be made if this word is related to the name of the town Binangonan, Rizal.

KAPRI, "10 to 15 feet tall, very black and wearing a long black coat, had long arms, long beard, a long cane which he used to knock the heads of people, and always had a long cigar in his mouth." He appeared at night during a slight drizzle, staying under a large tree or squatting on its branches or sometimes dangling his legs.” The kapri imagery probably originated from black Africans who worked as slaves for Spaniards; Bergaño referred to these tall, dark-skilled slaves as "cafre" in his 1732 dictionary (from the Muslim derogatory term kafir, or heathen).

(An elaborate description of these Kapampangan beliefs circa 1900 can be found in accounts compiled by ethnographer H. Otley Beyer, in an unpublished volume at the HAU Center for Kapampangan Studies courtesy of Beyer’s family.)

PHOTO SOURCES:

PATIANAK: Illustration by Mike Fernando

MANGKUKUTUD: Filipino Heritage, V

KULARIUT: https://www.deviantart.com/snoopymd/art/The-Terrible-Old-man-572268673

MANGLILILI: Rob Mulholland’s Mirror Statues: http://archive.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/brainiac/2012/04/rob_mulhollands.html

MAGLALAGE, ASWANG: Haunted Times, Issue 2, Fall 2009

MANGUANG ANAK: https://www.amazon.com/Mammoth-Book-Best-New-Horror/dp/B004I1JQCU

BINANGUNAN: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_Devouring_His_Son

KAPRI: Jbl Tayag FB page

55. 10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE LEGENDARY SINUKUAN

The legend of Sinukuan or Suku has pre-historic origins—and his story has been told and retold by Kapampangans across the centuries,  such that many versions—embellished and romanticized-- exist about his identity and nature. Was he a god?  An enchantress? A demigod?  Or, as scholars contend, a real historical figure from the past? One thing for sure, Sinukuan was endowed with supernatural, mystical powers, making him more than a mere mortal and elevating him to the pantheon of Kapampangan mythical icons.

1. ORIGINS: SINUKUAN was said to be the first-born of couple, Calupit and Cargon Cargon (also known as Matungcu). The pair were descendants of Adam and Eve who came to Asia and settled in the mystical Alaya mountain of Pampanga. Cargon Cargon took care of the mountain and after his death in the hands of a Zambal god, SINUKUAN took over and inherited the mountain.

2. GENDER AND IDENTITY: In early accounts, SINUKUAN was a male human being, albeit with extraordinary qualities—“a very fine fellow with arms and sinews as iron..a quick thinker..unexcelled by anybody in the island of Luzon. In some, he was “a god who can create earthquakes” and a “king who lived inside the mountain of Arayat”. Another early 20th c. account described the denizen as a sorcerer of the mountain. While Macario Naval identified SINUKUAN as the wife of Minga in his 1916 account, the earlier 1899 story of Don Isabelo delos Reyes from his opus, “Folklore Filipino”, had it the other way around---SINUKUAN was the husband of Minga, thus making him a male.

3. APPEARANCE: SINUKUAN was said to resemble Cupid (Eros) because of his handsome visage. One account however, narrates that he “was formerly a handsome youth who, upon marrying a mortal, was transformed into his present ugly, hideous form”.

4. FAMILY: SINUKUAN was said to have a wife named ‘Marianusep de Sinucuan’, with whom he had 2 daughters named Calibangut and Calikangutabak, who had opposing personalities. The older Calibangut was tall, dark and deceitful, while the younger one was serene and very beautiful. It is also said that one of the daughters died, leaving the other daughter so lonely that a local town girl was specially handpicked to be her companion. “El Folklore Filipino” had SINUKUAN fathering 3 girls—Rosalina, Rosa-Minda and Maria.

5. RESIDENCE: Inside Bundok Alaya is a deep, expansive cave---and it is here in the mountain's belly that the grand palace of SINUKUAN was built when his daughters came of age, with the help of witches. The seven bronze gates  of the palace were guarded by a lion, a tiger, a viper, a serpent, an Aeta with bow and arrows and a fierce bird with a curved beak known as “Sagasa”. The palace was decorated with gems and jewels, and SINUKUAN himself reclined on a bench  adorned with gold and precious stones.

6. HOUSEHOLD STAFF: Five fantastic servants ably served the great SINUKUAN, namely: Kargon Kargon, a strong man who could carry the world on his shoulders a la Atlas; Supla Supling, who could generate typhoons; Miran Miron, with a vision so acute, he could see great distances; Punta Punting, the world’s most accurate archer; and Kuran Kurin, the world’s fleetest runner. SINUKUAN was also attended by a retinue of Negritos whom he sent outside his realm to deal with townsfolk.

7. MENAGERIE: SINUKUAN had a special affinity with animals--he kept swines in their mountain dwelling. In fact, his daughters made regular trips to the town to barter their gold for “darak”--animal feed for their pigs. But he also had magical animals like a pair of goats that passed out gold droppings. In a similar way, he owned large cows that excreted pieces of rich sinamay fabrics.

8. SUPER POWERS. SINUKUAN was a shape-shifter, who once morphed into a mosquito so he could spy on people. It was in this manner that he learned that his daughter was consorting with a man, whom he then transformed into a pig. SINUKUAN also had power over nature—he could control winds and raise deadly storms. Most of all, SINUKUAN had immense strengths, available to lift mountains and hurl objects at great distances.

9. INCREDIBLE FEATS: SINUKUAN is credited with performing incredible feats of strength that included moving a forested mountain from Candaba to its present site, transferring Mount Arayat from its original location in Tapang, Nueva Ecija to San Miguel, Bulacan, then moving it yet again to Arayat town, then a swampy place. The displacement of water during the move resulted in the flooding of Candaba. SINUKUAN also built a rock bridge between Candaba and his mountain, through which he regularly supplied the townspeople with gold and silver. However, he left the bridge unfinished as a punishment for the dishonesty and ingratitude of the people.

10. ARCH ENEMIES AND HOW HE VANQUISHED THEM: There were at least two nemeses of SINUKUAN—the first was a supernatural being from Zambales, then the greatest mountain the archipelago,  and Makiling, king of a southern mountain. SINUKUAN was actually a friend of the Zambal deity but he became his foe when Namalyari asked for his daughter’s hand in marriage. They engaged in a 2-day battle hurling stones at each other until Mt. Zambales was shattered into fragments, becoming a range of smaller mountains. In the other, SINUKUAN’s earned the wrath of Makiling when his 3 sons kidnapped his daughters.  He killed all three of them. Makiling retaliated by hurling a pestle at SINUKUAN, lopping off the top of Arayat.  SINUKUAN then took a heavy mortar and threw it with all his might towards Makiling, reducing the great mountain into a hill, and forcing the king to commit suicide.

BONUS:

SINUKUAN IN POP CULTURE. Through the years, SINUKUAN has lent its name to a variety of products, services and institutions, becoming a pop culture icon along the way. At least 3 drinks were named after him---SINUKUAN Water (bottled in Manila by Francisco Santos ca. 1930s), SINUKUAN Flavored Soda Water (made by Sinukuan Aerated Water Factory. in Tondo, ca. 1930s, reformulated as  SINUKUAN Beverages when the company moved to Grace Park in the 1950s). There was also a Binondo-based newspaper called “SINUKUAN”, and a masonic lodge named after him. Books, comics and at least one 1955 movie, bore the name of Mariang SINUKUAN. Today, there is an annual SINUKWAN Festival organized  by the Save Pampanga Movement, and held in San Fernando, a weeklong celebration that memorializes Aring Sinukwan, god of the ancient Kapampangans.

PHOTOS:

Sinukuan bottles: courtesy of Carlos Felix

Sinukuan cigarette wrapper: courtesy of The Pinoy Kollektor

Seated giant:http://hermitjim.blogspot.com/2017/04/native-american-legends-of-giants.html

Giant holding boulder overhead: http://www.bohemianwanderer.com/en/2014/08/lough-neagh-il-lago-che-un-gigante-creo-al-centro-dellirlanda-del-nord/

Tikbalang: http://suwarnabumi.wikidot.com/tikbalang

Ogre: https://www.pinterest.com/mrdungeonmaster/ogres-for-dd/?lp=true

Flying fairy: http://www.pngall.com/fairy-png

Swallow: http://thegraphicsfairy.com/vintage-french-bird-image-flying-swallow/

THANKS to Jonel Sicat Diaz, for the artwork

 REFERENCES:

David, Dominador. Pampanga Folklore Stories, 1917.

Franco, Teodulo D., The Story of Sinukan in Pampanga, 1916.

Naval, Macario G. A Collection of Legends from Pampanga, 1916.

Arrastia, Justo. The Legend of Mt. Arayat, 1915.

Carreon, Manuel L. Pampanga Legends, 1917

Gonzales, Leon Ma., Sinukuan, A Folklore Story, 1915, translated by Alfredo Nicdao in 1918.

De los Reyes, Isabelo. El Folklore Filipino, “El Fabuloso Suku” by Pedro Serrao, 1889

Beyer, H. Otley, The Ethnography of the Negrito-Aeta Peoples: A Collection of Original Sources, 1915

Singsing Magazines, Folk Art Issue, The Kapampangans faithful, Folksy and True

19. ALL ABOUT ASU’T PUSA: A LIST OF EXPRESSIONS, SAYINGS & BELIEFS.

Cats and dogs are often pictured as mortal enemies, but to Kapampangans, they live a happy co-existence in our homes and hearth. In all kinds of weather, “Tagpi” and “Muning” will stay by you and reward you with loyalty. Beaten, bruised or starved, they will continue to come home. More than just pets, dogs and cats— askals or Afghan hounds, pusang layas or Persians-- will remain faithful companions, quick to defend, easy to please. They not only enrich our lives with their presence, but they have also contributed to our folklore and traditions with all sorts of expressions, sayings and folk beliefs with reference to our furry friends!

1. MAMULANG ASU (Mad dog).
An expression to describe someone who has gone off his rockers, complete with bloodshot eyes and frothing, snarling mouth.
2. IPAN ASU (Dog Teeth ).
A term to describe the filed and blackened teeth, that resembled canine teeth. Having such pointed was considered a mark of beauty.
3. DAYANG ASU (Having the blood of dogs, dugong-aso”).
A pejorative term used to describe Kapampangans as dog-blooded—traitors of their own race. This is in reference to that time in our history when Kapampangans were aiding Spaniards and Americans in their campaigns against Filipinos, capped by the capture of Aguinaldo with the help of Macabebe soldiers.
4. ASO-ASO. 
A dog collar outfitted with bells. It also refers to a similar noisemaker tied to a dog’s tail, when one was in a playful mood.
5. MANGASU. To go hunting, using dogs.
6. BULBUL ASU, BULBUL PUSA (A dog's fur, a cat's fur).
Refers to a hodgepodge of things that should not be mixed in the first place, or trouble will follow.
7. MIPATE ASO'T PUSA.
To fight like cats and dogs.

 1. ING ASUNG MAMALUKTUT, BUTUL MAN E MAKAPULUT. (A dog that curls up, will not find a bone) .
Lazy people will not find any opportunities
 2. ING ASUNG KAKAUNG, BIHIRA YANG MANGET. (A barking dog, seldom bites).
People who threaten you, or say they will do something bad to you, seldom take action.
3. ALANG ASUNG KINAUNG A E RA KEUNGAN, ALANG MEILI A ERA KEILIAN. (No dog barks unless barked at; no one smiles, unless smiled at first).
People do not react, unless they are provoked.

1. A dog is said to become fiercer if he is tied. 
2. An open wound can be disinfected with a dog lick (which unfortunately was not the case with actor Fernando Poe Sr., who died of rabies after being infected in this manner by his pup). 
3. It is believed that dogs can tell if a person has eaten ‘azucena’ (aso + cena = dog dinner) through a snarl or a growl.
4. The howling of a dog foretells something ominous, like death and misfortune.

********

1. LUPANG MUSANG (Face of a civet cat).
A civet cat is noted for its untidiness, so when someone describes as “lupa kang musang”, it means you have a dirty face.
2. MANGUSANG (meowling like a civet) 
The same breed of cat also gave us the word “mangusang”, (variation: mausang), which means to have an asthma attack, in reference to the cat-like gasps and wheezes an asthmatic emits.
3. PUSA LAMPUNG. 
When in heat, cats can often behave in a wild, crazed and noisy manner during their mating ritual, hence the term, “pusa lampung”. An early definition of “lampong” as collected by Bergaño is “to smash or break plates or tiles in a hearth”. Could that refer to the cat’s ear-breaking wails while in the throes of passion? ”. It is also interesting to point out that there is a Lampung province in Indonesia—could it be that a cat was a bred there and came to this country via the land bridges as a feral cat? The term “lampung” has come to mean making flirtatious, sexual moves between a man and a woman, as in “makipaglampungan”.
 4. MARIMLA YA PA KENG ARUNG NING PUSA (Colder than a cat’s nose). 
An expression to describe a state that is colder than the ordinary, for example, when one touches a dead person, his temperature will be described as “marimla ya pa keng arung ning pusa.” 

 1. NANAN ME MAN ING PUSA, SUCLAB YA LALAM DULANG. (No matter what you do to a cat, it always gets under a table).
Refers to the unique behavior of the animal to attach itself to a place, rather than to a person. Figuratively, it is also a reference to the natural attachment of Kapampangans to their native land.
 2. ING PUSANG MEPALI NA, MARIMLA MAN TATAKUT YA. (A scalded cat is afraid even of cold water). 
Someone who has known pain or danger, will be wary of anything.
 3. PUSA MANGANAK YANG KUTING, DAGUL YA, PUSA YA RIN. ( A cat who gives birth to kittens, will grow up as cats). 
Parents beget children who will grow up, in many ways, like them.
 4. ING PUSANG MAMALUKTUT, DUI MAN E MAKAPULUT. (A cat who just curls up, will not find a single fishbone). 

1. A cat standing by the front door portents the arrival of a visitor 
2. A cat wiping his face (“manimu ya”) forewarns of rains. 
3. It is believed that a fishbone in one’s throat can be unstuck by brushing a cat’s paw across one’s throat. 
4. Allowing a cat to lick off one's plate will bring good luck.
5. A person who kills a cat will become a pauper.