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...

32: THE GODS MUST BE FIGHTING | Sinukuan & the Gods of Kapampangan Mythology, Part 2 In this episode, we learn about the creation myths of the early Kapampangans, the pantheon of Kapampangan gods, and dive into theories of who exactly Sinukuan could have been in Luzon’s pre-hispanic history. Find out how a conference of gods that couldn’t stick to their agenda led to the creation of the earth, and how dangerous it is to pay for things with ginger. Join us as we learn about the...

31: NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP | Sinukuan & the Gods of Kapampangan Mythology, Part 1 In this episode, we learn about Sinukuan, the Sun God of War and Death for the Kapampangan people and how the whims and follies of gods can (literally) move mountains. We also learn about the origins and legends surrounding Mount Arayat, a mystical mountain in the heart of Pampanga, and what could possibly connect it to Mount Makiling all the way in Laguna, and the neighboring Mount Pinatubo, as well as...

This CNY eve, we’re revisiting the super fun episode where we talked about Filipino-Chinese beliefs around the Lunar New Year. We hope you get rich!! 🤑 —- EPISODE 17: I HOPE YOU GET RICH | Filipino-Chinese New Year Beliefs, Practices & Superstitions In this (semi-cross-over) episode, we discuss the fascinating practices and beliefs of the huge Filipino-Chinese community, especially during the Chinese Lunar New Year! Listen in while Anama quizzes Ice on things like: why do people give...

30: THE ANTI-HERO | The Babaylan Part 3 of 3 Uncover the powerful history of the Babaylan, the ancient Filipino tribal figure who served as a bridge to the spirit world, herbalist, and healer. Join us as we explore the qualifications of becoming a Babaylan, why they were typically women and sometimes trans women, and their societal roles. And most especially how these roles changed from Hero to Anti-Hero. In this final episode, discover the story of the Babaylan during Spanish colonization...

29: PRACTICAL MAGIC | The Babaylan Part 2 of 3 In this series, we learn about the deep and important history (and present) of the Babaylan: The pre-colonial figure of ancient Filipino tribes who served as the bridge to the spirit world, the herbalist, healer and sometimes even deputy Datu. Over a series of episodes, we dive into: who is qualified to be a babaylan? Why were they typically women, and sometimes even trans women? What role did she play in society? And where can we find her in...

This Undas, join us as we revisit one of our favorite episodes — all about Filipino superstitions on death, and strange and interesting practices observed during wakes and burial. Happy Halloween and a blessed All Saints’ Day! [REBROADCAST] EPISODE 11: SHAKE IT OFF | Pagpag & Other Philippine Superstitions & Traditions about Death & Burial In this chill (and weirdly cozy?) episode, we cover the strange, unique, oddly specific, and sometimes random superstitions and traditions...

28: PRIESTESS, MEDIUM, HEALER, GUIDE | The Babaylan Part 1 In this episode, we learn about the deep and important history (and present) of the Babaylan: The pre-colonial figure of ancient Filipino tribes who served as the bridge to the spirit world, the herbalist, healer, and sometimes even deputy Datu. Over a series of episodes, we dive into who is qualified to be a Babaylan? Why were they typically women, and sometimes even trans women? What role did she play in society? And where can we...

EPISODE 27: THE PRINCESS AND THE BETEL NUT | Datung Sumanga and Bugbung Humasanun (The Binukot - Part 2) In this episode, we learn more about the practices and traditions surrounding the betel nut, and discover an epic we didn’t cover or hear about in our high school Panitikan class, featuring: a beautiful princess who with an incredibly healthy sense of self-worth, a warrior-chief who went to great lengths for courtship, and a harried messenger-slave at the end of his patience. We look at...

EPISODE 26: THE PRINCESS IN THE TOWER | The Binukot (The Kept Maidens of Visayan Tradition) In this episode, we talk about a character often seen but barely heard in the Filipino epics; whose existence bears witness to an ancient Visayan practice that has almost disappeared today. She is the Binukot, secluded from the community and kept aside from a young age, valued for her fair skin, stunning and fragile beauty, and mysterious allure. Why was such a practice made and how had it endured...

EPISODE 25: SHE’S A COLD-HEARTED SNAKE (TWIN) | Kambal-Ahas or the Mystical Snake Twins of Philippine Folklore What does a mall, a carpenter, a tribe in the Sierra Madres and Alice Dixon have in common?  They are all tangentially connected to the uniquely (at least to our knowledge) Filipino myth of the Kambal-Ahas or Mystical Snake twin. Learn about how this ancient and modern story was shaped by all the happenings of the day, the indigenous wildlife of the Philippines, and the cultural...

Look at this stuff: isn’t it neat? Get your sunscreen and swimsuits ready, because in this episode we’re diving deep into the crystal blue waters of the Philippines and visiting the Sirena and all her other merfolk cousins in Filipino folklore. From mysterious and dangerously seductive open-water predators to rebellious teenagers who just want to be part of our world, mermaids have been part of pop culture and our imagination for centuries. But did you know how many different types we have...

EPISODE 23: GOT 2 BELIEVE (IN MAGIC) Part 2 | Anting-Anting, Agimat, and Talismanic Beliefs in the Philippines In a special 2-part episode, we talk about the origins, myths, and how-tos of Filipino Talismans: what we call the anting-anting or the agimat. Learn about how bones and teeth, bronze and gold, dirt and cloths, all have the power to transform an ordinary mortal into a god. This second part, we talk about  Filipino Talismans: what we call the anting-anting or the agimat in the time...

EPISODE 22: GOT 2 BELIEVE (IN MAGIC) Part 1 | Anting-Anting, Agimat, and Talismanic Beliefs in the Philippines In a special 2-part episode, we talk about the origins, myths, and how-tos of Filipino Talismans: what we call the anting-anting or the agimat. Learn about how bones and teeth, bronze and gold, dirt and cloths, all have the power to transform an ordinary mortal into a god. This first part tackles pre-colonial beliefs, epic connections, and the magic of everyday items like leaves,...

EPISODE 21: TGMBC BOOK RECS - PART 1 (Book Recommendations on Philippine Mythology & Pre-Colonial History) You guys have asked, and you shall receive! Ever since the pod started, listeners have been asking us for book recommendations for anyone interested in learning more about Philippine mythology and pre-colonial history. This is that episode, folks! Join us as we run through some of the sources we look to for our own research on different topics – from historically accurate and...

EPISODE 20 (BONUS): MANANANGGAL IN MANHATTAN (Reading Melania: Devourer of Men, So You Don’t Have To) In this episode, we provide a critical follow-up to our first ever topic: the Manananggal. In an effort to address a long-held morbid curiosity ever since it first came our way, we cover the riveting and unsettling premise of the book Melania: Devourer of Men. Join us as we romp through the soaring heights of Trump Tower, get lost in the sparkling beaches of Boracay and a dodgy karaoke bar...

EPISODE 19: URDUJA, WARRIOR PRINCESS | Legendary Princess of Tawalisi In a time of ancient gods, warlords and kings... A land in turmoil cried out for heroes. She was Urduja, a mighty princess forged in the heat of battle.  In this episode, we learn about Urduja, a legendary princess who was almost too epic to be real.  Join us as we embark on a journey across ancient Sri-Visayan Empires, the Hundred Islands of Pangasinan, and the warrior plains of Mongolia.   Help us decide if this...

EPISODE 18: BOSSY BABIES, TALKING ANIMALS AND DEADLY BATHS | The Epic Tale of Lam-Ang In this episode, we brush up on our high-school Panitikan to tackle one of the major epics in Philippine literature: the tale of child-prodigy turned avenger turned romantic hero, BIAG NI LAM-ANG. Treat this as your SparkNotes version of the epic tale—and follow us through strange pregnancy cravings, overachieving child-prodigies, magical talking animals and an unnecessarily deadly bath turned...

EPISODE 17: I HOPE YOU GET RICH | Filipino-Chinese New Year Beliefs, Practices & Superstitions In this (semi-cross-over) episode, we discuss the fascinating practices and beliefs of the huge Filipino-Chinese community, especially during the Chinese Lunar New Year! Listen in while Anama quizzes Ice on things like: why do people give each other tikoy, which fruit does not belong in a Chinese New Year spread, how much money you can or cannot put in an Ang Bao, and what people actually...

Alternate title: Anito Ako, Umiibig Sayo In this episode, we talk about not just one, not two, but the multitude of gods our Filipino ancestors worshipped: the Anito. Find out just who these ancestral spirits are, how to summon just the right one to grant a wish and if (or how) you can be one in the afterlife. We learn about the incredibly specific anitos invoked for incredibly specific needs — whether you are growing bananas, looking for lost things, or wanting to resell your car at a good...

EPISODE 15 (Minisode): A WIBBLY-WOBBLY, TIMEY-WIMEY FILIPINO TELEPORTATION TALE In our first (actually ‘mini’) minisode, we cover a fascinating tale of teleportation all the way from our 16th-century Philippine colonial period. In this account, we meet the unassuming guardia civil Gil Perez, who was inexplicably plucked from his guard post in Manila to another place thousands of miles away. Was it a hoax? ESP? Or were there more devilish forces at play? — Notes: On Dasmariñas: The Spanish...

EPISODE 14: BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIRINGAN CITY | The Mythical Hidden City of the Philippines Since many of us can’t travel this holiday season, let’s take a virtual trip to Biringan City.  Hear about the Philippines’ very own Atlantis and Wakanda.  Learn about the secret waypoints, real witness encounters, and shopping mishaps that happen around this mythical city.   Find out just how many journalists and BMW dealerships have been bamboozled by the magical citizens of this mystical place.  And...

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 the death & burial practices of our pre-colonial ancestors in Visayas and Mindanao. In this episode, we learn how burial practices differed by social class. Find out the perks and perils of being a slave in the pre-hispanic era, rituals one underwent to try and ‘save’ the dead, and...

EPISODE 12: MUMMY MIA (PART 1) | Death, Burial and the Afterlife in Pre-Colonial Philippine 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 Sagada, we explore the stories that shaped these ancient practices–including a well-known creation myth that actually talks about the first instance of death and...

EPISODE 11: SHAKE IT OFF | Pagpag & Other Philippine Superstitions & Traditions about Death & Burial In this chill (and weirdly cozy?) episode, we cover the strange, unique, oddly specific, and sometimes random superstitions and traditions on death and burial in the Philippines. Every year at around Halloween, Filipino families gather at cemeteries for Araw ng mga Patay (Day of the Dead) to be with their loved ones – both living and dead. What better time to talk about the...