52: GREAT BALLS OF FIRE | Santelmo - Part 1: Flaming Orbs of Death? Goodness, gracious! This week, we fire it up with a deep dive into the legend and lore behind the Santelmo, or St. Elmo’s Fire. Were these mystical balls of fire omens of death and destruction… or a sign pointing to hidden treasure? Buckle up as we go into tangents you never expected: from old sailors tales, to physics concepts about plasma and electricity they didn’t teach us in high school,  to the patron saint of...

51: PAST LIVES | The Eternal Love Story of Maruja Buckle up, lovebirds and skeptics! This week, we're diving into the heart-stopping saga of Maruja, a love story so strong it just couldn't stay buried. From Mars Ravelo's comic genius to cinematic reboots, Maruja's undying romance with Gabriel has been making fans swoon for over a century. We're peeling back the layers of this epic melodrama where forbidden love meets ghostly whispers. Maruja, destined for a loveless marriage, pulls the...

50: O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? | Indarapatra & Sulayman, A Maguindanao Epic How many brothers does it take to kill five monsters & bring an entire civilization out from hiding? In our 50th episode, we cover the epic tale of Indarapatra and Sulayman, two gallant brothers whose heroics helped the people of Maguindanao (the precursor modern-day Mindanao). This set the foundation for a civilization and culture so strong they were able to flourish and put up incredible resistance across...

49: HE WILL ROCK  YOU | Bernardo Carpio, the Lost Hero of the Tagalogs In this seismic episode, we're cracking open the legend of Bernardo Carpio, the mythical giant (or man-sized hero, depending on who you ask) whose shrugs supposedly cause earthquakes. From his tangled roots in forbidden love to his epic showdowns, Carpio's story is more than just a tale – it's a tectonic narrative of resistance and resilience. But wait, it's not all about muscle, might, and mountain-sized struggles....

48: CACAO ME MAYBE | Maria Cacao, the Golden Ship-bourne Goddess of Mount Lantoy  In the last of our “Walang Kamatayan” Series, we take a delicious detour into the land of chocolate with Maria Cacao.  Brace yourselves for a mystical ride with Maria Cacao, the goddess with a penchant for golden ships and chocolatey ventures. This episode sails through the legend of Maria Cacao – from her curious Spanish makeover to her eerie, yet glamorous, soul-harvesting escapades. But wait, there’s a...

47: MARRY MY DEAD BODY | Ghost Marriage Practices Around the World We’ve all heard stories of love living on after death, but is it possible for love to BEGIN after death? In this episode, we veer slightly off the beaten path and explore the little-known practice of Ghost Marriage. Finding its roots in ancient China and India, you would be surprised to learn that the practice still lives on in various forms to this day: in provinces in rural China and India and in Chinese diaspora...

46: UNDER THE SEA | Magwayen, the Hiligaynon Goddess of the Underworld and of the Sea Talk about a career shift!  How does a Goddess who co-created humanity (the first ever collab) end up being a psychopomp and ruler of the underworld?  What in pre-colonial Visayan belief would make you end up in the “good place,” and what do crocodiles have to do with it? In this episode, we learn about Magwayen’s quite unexpected journey, her family, the traditions of the pre-colonial Visayans, dragon...

45: MY EYES ARE UP HERE | Mebuyan, Bagobo Goddess of Death & Chief of the Underworld She’s more than just a pretty face… and a body covered in breasts. In this episode, we make our first foray into the deep and rich mythology of the Bagobo people. In another installment of our Walang Kamatayang Mini-Season, we cover Mebuyan, the Goddess of Death, and Chief of the Bagobo underworld. She is the being who welcomes the dead into the afterlife, and nurtures young souls to get them ready for...

KOZY KWENTO EP 2: My Son-in-Law, The Devil | Philippine Folktale Retelling What do you do when the devil himself wants your daughter’s hand for marriage? Enter a protective mother, a vagabond with gambling problems, a princess with the strongest migraine (but without any speaking lines), and hijinks ensue. In this Kozy Kwento episode, we cover the Kapampangan folktal of “The Devil and the Guanchinango” as well as the Tagalog’s “Mabait and the Duwende” documented in Filipino Popular...

44: NOT TODAY, SITAN | Sitan, The Tagalog God of Death in Philippine Folklore At the moment of death, where did the pre-colonial Tagalogs think they would go, who would decide where they would go, what kind of reptilian psychopomp would ferry them there, and who will rule in their village of rest (or grief)?   These and many other questions will be answered in this week’s episode.  This October, we’re covering the different beings and entities representing Death in Philippine mythology,...

43: KNOCK KNOCK | ANG KUMAKATOK, The Death Messengers of Philippine Folklore What do you do when there’s a mysterious set of knocks on your door in the middle of the night? Don’t answer it, for it may just be a portent of death.  This October, we’re covering the different beings and entities representing Death in Philippine mythology, folklore, and urban legends. In this first episode, we’re covering the mysterious entity known only as the Kumakatok.  From the war-ravaged streets of Old...

As we gear up for the spooky season, we're revisiting some of our favorite episodes. Here's one where we learn about the death & burial practices of our pre-colonial ancestors in Visayas and Mindanao, and how your social class could impact your fate after death. Enjoy! --- EPISODE 13: MUMMY MIA: HERE WE GO AGAIN (PART 2) | Death, Burial and the Afterlife in Pre-Colonial Philippines  As we close-out the series on this fascinating topic (for now), we move further south and explore...

As we gear up for the spooky season, we're revisiting some of our favorite episodes. Here's one where we learn about the Philippine's own 'The Mummy Returns', the beliefs behind the manunggul jars and why the hanging coffins of Sagada exist. Enjoy! --- In this episode (Part 1 of 2!) we jump back in time and learn about how our pre-colonial ancestors practiced their beliefs around death, burial and the afterlife.  From the famous manunggul jars of Palawan to the hanging coffins of...

42: TRUE LIES | The Modern Myth of the Tasaday Tribe What happens when sinister forces try their hand at modern mythmaking?  In this episode, we learn about the Tasaday tribe – the stone-age tribe that was “discovered” in the 70s that put the Philippines on the map as one of the last undiscovered ancient societies.   Learn about what journalists, anthropologists, and gossip mongerers of the day discovered, inferred, and saw with their own eyes to reveal more than what was originally...

41: SIZE DOESN’T MATTER | The Duwende & Nuno sa Punso - PART 2 (Philippine Dwarfs or Earth Goblins) We love our short kings. In this two-part feature, we finally get to cover the much-requested duwende and nuno sa punso, or the dwarfs & earth goblins of Philippine folklore. Known as guardians of the earth and its liminal spaces, their diminutive stature does not take away from the fear & respect they can inspire. In part two, we go over the different manifestations of duwende...

40: TALKING TO THE MOON | Mayari, Goddess of the Moon (Tagalog and Kapampangan) Once in a blue moon, we post about our Filipino Gods and Goddesses.   In this episode, we talk about Mayari, the most beautiful and fierce goddess of the moon, her origins, the legend of why the moon rules the night with a slightly dimmer glow, and why you really can’t trust siblings to fight it out.  Also, learn along with us the colorful, contradictory, and actually logical superstitions and practices that...

39: SHORT KINGS | The Duwende & Nuno sa Punso (Philippine Dwarfs or Earth Goblins) We love our short kings. In this two-part feature, we finally get to cover the much-requested duwende and nuno sa punso, or the dwarfs & earth goblins of Philippine folklore. Known as guardians of the earth and its liminal spaces, their diminutive stature does not take away from the fear & respect they can inspire. Join us as we cover tales of unwanted courtship, when the best time is to get hot...

KOZY KWENTO EP 1: How the Crocodile Learned to Hunt | Philippine Folktale Retelling In this short but sweet first episode of our Kozy Kwento series, learn about how the crocodile learned to hunt (plus a bonus mini-story!). Note: As this is oral tradition, some details may not be consistent with all the different versions of the tale. If there’s a different version of the story you know, please do share with us! — The Gods Must Be Crazy is a podcast on Philippine Mythology hosted by...

38: TAAL TALES | The Legends and Stories of Taal, the World’s Smallest Active Volcano Did you know that the world’s smallest active volcano is found in the heart of the Philippines?  Learn about the different myths of Taal Volcano, about its recent volcanic activity, and the many mystical reasons folks flock to view it over and over and over again.    In this shorty, we delve into not just the tales and superstitions around Taal Volcano but we also dive deep into how big a part it has...

37: DARK HORSE | The Tikbalang: Half-Man, Half-Horse How did a country with no indigenous horses end up with a mythical half-man half-horse cryptid as a central character in its mythology? In this episode, we discuss the Tikbalang, one of the major characters in Filipino mythology and horror pop culture. Find out why it is essential to know how to quickly flip your outfit in the middle of the forest, why it is important to practice riding that Bronco machine at your neighborhood bar, and why...

36: TELENOVELA AS OLD AS TIME | Part 2 of 2 - The Adventures of Humadapnon (A Suludnon Epic) Beware the island of a thousand beautiful maidens! In this two-part episode, we follow the adventures of Humadapnon, another epic from the island of Panay. Who comes to Humadapnon’s rescue? None other than the beautiful Binukot - Nagmalitong Yawa. In the second part of this journey, we cover: a wedding, another hero goes courting (but it’s not who you think!), a betrayal, a long-lost relative, a...

35: DON’T THREATEN ME WITH A GOOD TIME | Part 1 of 2 - The Adventures of Humadapnon (A Suludnon Epic) Beware the island of a thousand beautiful maidens! In this two-part episode, we follow the adventures of Humadapnon, another epic from the island of Panay.  Follow along as we recount Humadapnon’s Odyssey-like journey: from the travails of life as a lonely bachelor, the brutal way he trains his brother, the perilous journey at sea and how he tries (and fails) to resist the allure of the...

34: KEEP IT IN YOUR BAHAG | The Hinilawod (The Three Brothers of Panay - Suludnon Epic) In this episode, we cover the longest recorded epic in the Philippines: the much-requested epic tale called the Hinilawod, which recounts the adventures of The Three Brothers of Panay. Join us as we recount the story of how the epic was discovered and recorded in the hidden mountain villages of the Sulod in Panay: an epic tale in and of itself in the style of an Indiana Jones adventure. Learn about the...

33: I WHALE ALWAYS LOVE YOU | The Butanding (Philippine Whaleshark) In this episode, we learn about the ancestor of all sea life, the gentle giant, the largest fish in the whole world, and one of our very favorite animals – the whaleshark.  A frequent visitor to the Philippines, the whaleshark has inspired legends from all around the world and we tackle some of them here.  Learn about random whaleshark facts, how big do the really get?  Why do they have all those spots?  Are they fish or...