Lunes, Pebrero 27, 2012

Fish Corral caught Octopus-Manta Hybrid

My  fish corral which is made of bamboo poles and enclosed by bamboo grills sited at a shallow sea had caught a mysterious sea creature. This creature has the body of a manta ray but under its belly protrude the tentacles of octopus.

Fish corrals are traps designed to catch migrating fish like tuna and other species. It was constructed out of bamboo poles. The poles are stuck at the bottom and enclosed by bamboo grills. Bamboo grills are tied together  by rattan or other vines. Mostly its design were of circular shape with V-shape opening extending many meters away from the body.The fish will follow the shape of the opening that lead them to enter the labyrinth. Once they were inside the labyrinth they couldn't go out and so they  were caught.

The octopus-manta was believed to be a pet of supernatural tamawo who dwell in the sea, so I never harmed this creature. Upon finding this creature inside the corral I immediately open the gate of the corral to let it escape to the sea. Within that day my corral caught a school of large tuna.  It occurred many times thereby giving me a steady source of income. I'm wondering if the tamawo had helped my corral to capture these tuna. With the income coming from the corral, I bought a large fishing boat.

From oral account of Dong of Frabellea Fishing Corp., Cebu Island

Huwebes, Pebrero 23, 2012

Anguilla Luzonensis; Mystifying RIVER EEL

It was called king river eel. This fish was called  king  predator of freshwater fishes and crustaceans. In Visayan beliefs this creature know as sili or kasili, or bais evoked mystery and the capture of the oldest known eel species can reward a person with supernatural power.

King river eel lived on the deepest part of the river or lake. They  usually live in underwater cave where they burrowed hole on the wall of the cave as their habitat. On dark night, they hunt for their food. The fish was carnivores and fed on small fishes, but it also fed on slow moving crabs and shrimps.

Many people were interested to capture the king river eel. Many failed and succumbed to drowning because the eel, who reached the size of a banana tree and have ears as big as the plate fought back and drowned their attackers.

There was a belief that a person who captured this fish will acquire its power, like the slippery body. This person cannot be wounded by any bladed weapons. He can  also breathe underwater for a long time, to  which he can use this ability  in  spear fishing underwater.
The meat of the fish were valued by the shamans so it was smoked and preserved and used as  invigorating elixir to those persons who suffered ailments.

From the practice of Visayan shaman retold.

Mystic Oko; Bone Gnawer Primate

In a remote village at the foot of a mountain an elderly woman was forcibly taken by the  Oko. The  animal, a gorilla-like primate lived inside the caves deep in the forest. When his son found out that his mother was kidnapped by the Oko, he immediately followed the Oko in his hiding ground. He knew that this animal lived inside the cave. He knew that the Oko will not devour its victim right away after he abducted it. the man knew that the Oko will fatten first its victims before consuming it. He believed that his mother was still alive.

Armed with spear and bolo, he sought the Oko in various caves in the forest. In one cave he found the Oko sitting atop the rock. It was squatting and his knees were taller that his head while it seated. He saw his mother in one of the holes on the wall of the cave. She was unconscious.

The Oko assaulted him but he was ready. He speared the Oko and was hit at the belly. The Oko simply broke the spear and rushed forward toward him. But the man was an expert Kali warrior who mastered the bolo fighting technique. He stab the Oko before he was caught. Then he beheaded it. He save his mother.

Inside the cave,he saw the broken and splintered bones of animals  and man,where its bone morrow where favorite food of the Oko.

Retold from  a Visayan tale.

Miyerkules, Pebrero 22, 2012

Batil Filipino Sailboat Transporter of Inter-island. Basic design

Long before the advent of mechanized ships and boats; sailboats were used in inter-island trade. Batil sailboat was widely used in the Visayas and some part of Mindanao.

The boat in earlier time was crude. Its hull has a length of 60 to 70 feet. Its keel was made from a dug out hardwood taken from the forest. Most common hull came from lauaan, molave and dao.
The hull with its low waterline will be raised by adding wooden planks on its side. It was joined to the keel by  means of wooden peg where its adjoined parts were sealed with tree risen to make it waterproof.

The raised hull was crossed by double bamboo outriggers. The outriggers were made from joined bamboo poles lashed  together as one pole by rattan strips. The outriggers were curving in shape were its both ends reached the water where another joined  bamboo poles were attached parallel to the hull, that serves as the hull  balances

The mast were of selected  old growth bamboo poles as well as the sail boom. The sail were of woven mat from pandan reeds. It was supported by ropes from abaca hemp.

The Batil is  a slow sailing boat but it carries more cargoes than the fast sailboat called paraw that was mostly used for fishing and light transport. The boat carried all kind of cargoes. Brown sugar, abaca hemp, palay, copra and dried fish.

Sometimes when the destination were too far, the crew carry live chicken for their fresh food consumption.
Sailing guide and reference point where landmass formations and stars.

Biyernes, Pebrero 17, 2012

Supernatural Transformer hit movie goers

The shape-shifting  aswang  we encountered was a man. It was late of night when two of us who tread the country road coming from the movie   saw this man sitting alone at the waiting shed.The shed was still farther down the road. Before we can came nearer to the shed the man suddenly lie down and was covered from our view by the the concrete wall. When we reached the shed the man we saw awhile ago vanished but what confront us is a big dog with frothing mouth and bloodshot eyes.

We knew  now that the man is an aswang and transformed into a dog. My friend Miguel immediately  drew his copper dagger from his sling bag and flashed it to the dog. It growled at us. I picked up  large stones. We walked sideways with our eyes on the dog. After few steps the dog assaulted us and I stoned it hitting at the head. It stopped and I hit it again with stone before it ran away.

While nearing the bridge going to our village a huge  boar with long tusk appeared at the end of the bridge.
We knew that the aswang transformed again into a boar.We decided to fight it.

Miguel went to the left side of the bridge and I went straight toward the waiting boar. I manage to load my hands with two big stones. We agreed that I will face the boar to get its attention so that Miguel could stab it from the side.  The boar rushed toward me but I hit it with the stone and it staggered. It came forward charging so I backtracked so that it will chase me. Before the boar could reached me Miguel stab it in his body. The boar growled in pain then it scampered away.

The next morning we heard from the nearby village where we encountered the aswang that one of its resident was taken to the hospital because of stab wound and head injuries.

From the oral account of Noel Villa of Panay Island.

Lunes, Pebrero 13, 2012

Counter-Elements against Demons and Sorcery

Copper dagger displayed inside the house is an effective elements to ward off demons and sorcerer's penetrating power. Copper metals from the occult standpoint, this element represent the power of Sun-God of ancient times.

While travelling a copper coin will have the same effect on these entities.
Tooth of a shark used as pendants. Alligators tooth used as pendants too.

Power Verbos can also defeat them as practiced by Visayan shamans but the above elements are more ancient and its power was embedded at the things itself thereby radiating steady stream of power.

The most common Latin verbos used by many practitioners are the power chant called the Four Syllable of Occult Verbos.

EGO  SUM  FAC  TUM

The effect of these verbos as others stated was psychological, but many testified that these verbos indeed protected the chanters from harm and fear.

Another commonly used syllables are:
BE AB SA RUC

Linggo, Pebrero 5, 2012

How to Create a Supernatural Pet Sigbin through Rituals

Sigbin is an animal with supernatural ability. It can't be seen at an ordinary circumstances. It can travel faster than any human machine by short cutting the distance between places  by passing through the other dimension before emerging to the real world. It can infect a person with cannibalism, which is eating of flesh and blood of human being.

Shamans of Visayan tribe forebears originated this ritual.

A   bamboo tube   that was cut  at its segmented  portion with one end was cut open and the end that was naturally covered left untouched to served as cover. A chewed concoction from the mixture of tobacco, betel nut, buyo leaves and seashell powdered lime called apog was spitted inside the bamboo tube.
Then it will be stoppered with  dried banana leaves on the opened portion.On the day of Good Friday, the tube will be circled around the house for 13th times. After the ceremony the tube will placed inside the earthen jar with cover and buried under the house that could not be disturbed. On the next Good Friday it will be dug and brought up  and  be circled again around the house for 13th times. You will do this ritual for the next 13 years.

On the 13th year of the cycle, a mouse-like animal  will appear inside the tube. This is the birth of the Sigbin.
You will pamper and feed this animal with good food until it grew up to the size of a cat. As it grew up it will attain the size of a kangaroo. the Sigbin's body resembles to that of the kangaroo with big hind legs  but has short front legs. Its face resembles to a cat with goat-like beards. When this creature reached this size of kangaroo, the shaman can now use this animal in traveling to distant places they wish. When riding the Sigbin they rode facing the tail of the animal.

But extra caution were to be observed by the master of the Sigbin. It should not be left hungry for it will seek food and bite humans who could not see it. Once the humans were bitten by this Sigbin they will be infected by its rabies-like bacteria that will make the person to crave for human flesh and blood like the vampires and the aswang do.

The Sigbin also gave birth and its offspring should be given to the member of the family as a  power gift.