Some Religious and Superstitious Beliefs
and their Effects to Man and his Society
Dr Abe V Rotor
1. "The balete tree (Ficus benjamina) is the home of bad spirits.
Balete has indeed a bad reputation. In fact its real name is strangler’s fig because it slowly strangles its host tree to death, using its trunk as if it were its own until it decomposes underneath its interlacing roots and branches. Years after nothing can be traced of its once benevolent host.
Brace roots of balete wrap around an acacia tree, UST Manila. Photo by the author.
The juvenile balete is popularly made into bonsai, and the young tree is domesticated into shrub and graces our homes, roadside and parks. But in the forest, it is a monster, taking over towering trees. Some wrest with the emergents, trees that rise above the canopy layer of the forest, virtually piercing through the cloud.
The tree house in the novel, Swiss Family Robinson, written by Johan Wyss in the 17th century, was built atop a huge balete. A proof of this contention is that the core of the trunk is hollow, which could only mean, the tree strangled its host tree to death. I had the chance to climb the Swiss Family Robinson tree at the Disneyland in Los Angeles, USA, through the tree’s interior spiraling stairs. From the tree house everything below is Lilliputian. Here the Robinsons were safe from the beasts of the forest; it served as their watchtower, too. Of course the tree in Disneyland is made of steel and concrete, but it appeared real the way it is described in the novel.
Anyone who gets near an old balete will develop goose bumps. Imagine walking along Balete Drive (Quezon City) at night and meet a white lady (PHOTO Internet). Old folk will tell you it was a balete Judas Escariot hanged himself. Others will relate how a kapre (black hairy monster) sits high up in the tree, his long thin legs dangling with its cavernous prop roots.
But in India and other parts of Asia, the banyan tree, a relative of the balete (Family Moraceae) is the home of kind spirits. Banyan is among the longest living tree species after the Redwood and the Bristle Pine.
Largest banyan tree in Japan (Internet)
Unlike the latter, the banyan actually “walks around,” its prop roots colonizing the immediate surroundings so that a centuries-old tree may reach a diameter of twenty meters or more.
Imagine how massive and extensive the banyan is – it can house a temple under its prop roots, making it Ripley’s living house of worship. ~
A huge banyan tree sits on an ancient temple in Cambodia. Head of
a stone Buddha emerges from a maze of brace roots of banyan in
Thailand. (Internet) ~
2. Spirit of the Tree
Call the kapre, dwende, tikbalang
to scare or just for fun;
the goddess Maria Makiling,
and Helios, the sun.
I imagine the world without them -
without them around:
Children wouldn't be home before dark;
and dogs at night wouldn't bark?
Why sunflowers always face the sun,
and go to sleep when gone;
trespassers, beware, take the road instead,
unless you hold the labyrinth's thread;
over the hills and valleys thunder rolls
when angry Thor growls,
and mushrooms spontaneously appear
breaking the ground like spear;
phosphorescence fascinates us,
even after the fire has turned to ash;
look up, they’re but one - fireflies and stars,
fireflies are the missing stars;
holiest the altar of nature unspoiled,
where logging was foiled,
where the kapre lives in big trees,
and scares with a sudden breeze;
paddies sigh, bamboos creak and whisper,
unseen - creatures or not – slither.
The world is alive with tales and legends;
untrue yet true, for they are a twin;
and if you pass by a tree, stop and listen
to the spirit that throbs within.~
3. Old Folks’ Science and Superstition
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Which is which? Science or Superstition? Find out the answer at the end of this test.
1. Raining while the sun is out breeds insects.
2. Nangka may bear fruit from its roots underground.
3. You know how big ube tuber is by its mound.
4.Karurayan na dumalaga (all white female fryer) is best food for a recuperating patient.
5. Swarming of winged termites and ants predicts siyam-siyam (18 days of uninterrupted rainfall)
6. Red sky in the west means coming of a typhoon.
7. When you break a glass, take another and break it too, to break the omen.
8. Kapre (ogre) lives on old trees; dwende (dwarf) lives among mushrooms.
9.When a spoon is accidentally dropped, a female guest is coming. If fork, a male guest.
10. When buying watermelon, choose that which has wide spaces between the “ribs.”
It is more fleshy and sweet.
11. Actually you can hear the earth breath on a quiet summer night.
12. Predominance of cogon grass means the land is not worth farming.
13. Snake means good luck; monitor lizard bad luck.
14. Oranges with indented bottom are sweeter.
15. Powdered rhino horn is medicine and aphrodisiac.
16. Worms improve the taste of bagoong or patis. (fish sauce)
17. Just wipe kitchen with mild vinegar to drive ants away.
18. Large and round macopa contains seeds, so with lanzones.
19. Prune standing corn stalk to get fuller cobs.
20. There are people who cook ampalaya which tastes more bitter.
21. A brooding animal, like snake, is ferocious.
22. Guava seeds may cause appendicitis
23. Ginseng increase human virility or has aphrodisiac property.
24. Cut the leaves (pruning) of rice seedlings before transplanting in the field to make them grow faster and bigger.
25. When you eat twin bananas you will bear also twins.
26. During full moon crabs are lean.
27. Phases of the moons influence behavior (lunatic effect).
28. Gate must not face directly the dead-end of a road.
29. Planting cassava stem upturned will produce poisonous tuber.
30. Ring around the moon means a storm coming.
31. When you have a fishbone stuck, get the cat and gently rub its paws
on the affected area.
32. When a spoon is accidentally dropped, a female guest is coming. If fork,
a male guest.
33. A brooding animal, like snake, is ferocious.
34. Food offering at the family altar during festivals is homage to the spirits
35. Say tabi-tabi when entering a thicket.
36. Put sugar as fertilizer to get sweeter fruits.
37. Some people suffer body aches before a typhoon brews near.
38. When walking through a forest, wear a face mask backward to ward
off tiger or lion attack.
39. When harvesting the first fruits, get an oversize basket and pretend that the
harvest is heavy.
40. Expect rain if hordes of dragonflies hover low.
41. Size and shape of lips of a woman reflects her private organ.
42. Get male flower and introduce it into the female flower to enhance
the fruit to develop.
43. Crickets are noisiest in summer.
44. When transplanting banana tiller take out the eyes (young tiller buds)
arising on the corm.
45. Wet your navel with the first raindrops in summer.
46. Noisy hen layers are not productive layers.
47. Roosters do sometimes lay eggs which are very small and sterile.
48. Throw sand into axils of coconut leaves to prevent beetle attack
49. Black cat bring bad luck when you meet them on the corridor or street.
50. Salaksak or kingfisher means death.
ANSWERS: False answer to 7,8,9,11,13,16,22,25,28,29,31,32,34,35,36,39,41,45 and 47.
RATING: 46-50 Outstanding. You must be one of the old folks.
41-45 Very Good . You must be living with old folks.
36-40 Good. You have a good grasp of tradition
31-34 Fair. You are not really moving away from tradition.
30 and below. Read more about old folks' science and superstitious beliefs.
4. Living with superstition builds character
(100 Popular Superstitious Beliefs) - A Self-evaluation
People are generally superstitious, especially those of the older generation. We relate many events to supernatural causes. We act according to beliefs we inherited from our ancestors. Superstition may not rule our lives but it serves to sharpen our consciousness, build our character, and help preserve our culture. Mythology is important in every culture and it influences other cultures as well. Greek mythology is the leading example.
Dr Abe V Rotor1. After the wedding the man must exit first from the church so that he will not become a henpeck husband.
2. Don’t clean the house at night, more so, if you sweep the dirt out of the door. You drive good luck away, (Lalabas ang suwerte.)
Image of a white lady taken by a CCTV camera
3. If you get lost in the wilderness, reverse your shirt, so that you will be able find your way back.
4. Three persons in a picture means the one at the middle will die.
5. A mole (taling) on the sole indicates the person is a wanderer (gala’).
6. A mole (taling) located along the path of tears means the person is going to be widowed.
7. Tikbalang (Filipino version of a centaur) comes out when it is raining while the sun is out.
8. Bride must never try her bridal gown before the wedding; the ceremony might not push through.
9. Don’t hang on the window; you court bad luck.
10. Itchy palm means you are going to have money.
11. Keep your fingers close together and if light seeps through between them, it means you are not frugal.
12. Singing while cooking means you are going to remain a bachelor or spinster – or marry someone much older than you.
13. A victim of maternal impression (paglilihi) loses pep (sigla) and may even get sick.
14. If a pregnant woman is in labor, never sit at the center of the stair.
15. A comet in the sky means war is coming.
16. Eat raw eggs to enhance easy delivery of your baby.
17. A pregnant mother should not eat eggplant, else her baby will have dark complexion.
18. One who cries every time she cuts onions means she does not love her father- and mother-in-law (biyanan).
19. Taking a bath immediately after ironing clothes will make you sick of leprosy.
20. If a pregnant woman eats eggs, her child will be born blind.
21. Full moon causes abnormal behavior. People who are affected by this belief are called lunatics.
22. Beware of Friday the 13th, you might meet an accident.
Kapre, a hairy black monster, lives in this old balete tree.
UPLB Mt Makiling, Laguna on the way to the Mud Spring.
There is a report that the tree bleeds with blood-like sap!
23. No two siblings should marry within the same year, otherwise their marriages will not be successful.
24. When someone gives you a footwear as a gift, be sure to pay him any amount in order to break the omen that you will be “kicked” or pushed around.
25. When the pregnant wife skips or walks over (laktawan) her husband, the husband will bear the burden of paglilihi (maternal impression).
26. If you want a person to be sad and to cry often, give him or her a handkerchief as a gift.
27. One who is about to be wed must remain at home to avoid accident.
28. Avoid having your feet pointed at the door while sleeping.
29. Prepare rice cake like suman and tikoy on New Year so that good luck will stick around.
30. When planting be sure your stomach is full, so that you will get good harvest.
31. If you accidentally break a glass or china, get a similar one and break it, otherwise bad luck will haunt you.
32. Breaking a mirror means “seven years itch.”
33. If you dream you lost a tooth, it means is bad luck. To break the omen, silently go to a tree and tell your dream so that it will be the tree that will suffer.
34. Forego your trip if a black cat crosses your path – it is bad luck.
35. A birthday celebrant must take extra precaution against accident, so with a new graduate.
36. The bride should not look behind while marching the aisle, otherwise the wedding will not be disrupted.
37. The number of steps of a stair is based on the alternate oro (gold)-plata (silver) formula. Aim for oro in the last or highest step.
38. Wearing bright clothes, especially red, on your birthday makes the day happy.
39. Needle bought in the afternoon is likely to rust.
40. Don’t give your loved one a necklace, otherwise your relationship will not last.
41. Don’t allow your friend to remove your ring, otherwise you will quarrel.
42. Kill a chicken for a new born baby as an offering.
43. Sweeping or cleaning the house while a dead relative is in wake will lead to the death of another member of the family.
44. Eating jackfruit during menstruation is prohibited otherwise the woman will get sick and even die.
45. When planting sitao (string bean), place a comb on your hair to induce the production of abundant long fruits.
46. Eating chicken cooked with squash will cause leprosy.
47. A woman on her menstrual period should not visit a garden or orchard otherwise the plants will become sick or die.
48. To know if it is true jade, it remains cool even if the body is warm.
49. Beware of the werewolf. Man can turn into a wolf, and vice versa.
50. Eight (8) is a lucky number; 8 is infinity. It means money will circulate.
51. Four (4) means in Chinese C or death. Every time you reach an age with the number 9 or 4, take precaution; you are prone to accident.
52. Don’t cut fingernails at night; it’s bad luck.
53. In Chinese marriage, the woman walks backward led by a relative to be delivered to the bridegroom.
54. If a child keeps spitting, it will rain.
55. If you point at the moon you will suffer a cut.
56. Babies smile at angels we don’t see.
57. Fixed marriage at birth is good luck.
58. Chinese calendar is late by two months – New Year is in February.
Chinese age starts one year at birth.
59. Palm lines of our hand may change, so with our lives.
60. Blessed palm leaves on Easter Sunday is hang at the door for good luck.
61. First cut hair and fingernails of a baby must be kept in a book so that he will be intelligent.
62. Wearing black is symbol of mourning; to the Chinese it is wearing all white.
63. Among the Chinese, miniaturized house, car and the like, go with the departed to assure him of a happy afterlife.
64. In a Chinese temple, you offer food to the gods, and then eat it after. This is not the case in Filipino custom; just leave the food offering (atang).
65. To the Chinese, paper money goes with the dead; it will be converted into real money in afterlife.
Indeed there's really a white carabao, and it glows at night in flickering light.
66. Light candles outside of the house during All Saints Day in deference to of the souls of the dead and the unseen.
67. When you happen to encounter a funeral entourage, throw some coins in respect of the dead.
68. Don’t stand in front of a gate if you are pregnant.
69. If by mistake it’s the bride that hands over the arras to the bridegroom, expect that she will be the breadwinner.
70. Diamond studded wedding rings do not make a perfect relationship.
71. When blessing a new vehicle, sprinkler fresh blood of chicken in tires and engine to bad omen of accident.
72. Place some coins in the foundation of buildings and other structures during ground breaking ceremony to make them strong and withstand time.
73. Children are sacrificed in making bridges and other infrastructure.
74. Bury placenta with rosary and pencil so that the child will be both intelligent and God-fearing.
75. Palms with crisscross lines (rapas Ilk) means the person is cruel.
76. Palms with netted lines means the person has an unorganized life (magulong buhay).
77. Shake (pagpagin) the items such as clothes after a customer had left without buying any, to break bad luck.
78. Place money in a bed pan (arinola), so that it becomes plentiful.
79. Babies that fall from their cradle do not suffer injury, thanks to their guardian angels.
80. When you give a wallet as gift be sure you put a coin or a money bill in it so that the wallet won’t run out of money.
81. When transferring to a new house carry with you 24 oranges, salt, water, and rice.
82. Jade stones around the wrist of a baby indicate his condition. If they turn light in color the baby is not well.
83. When transferring a dead person into the house, be sure it is head first; when taking him out, it is feet first.
84.Bed must not face the door, otherwise the sleeping person will become a victim of bangongot.
85.Don’t bump the coffin while carrying it; it is bad luck.
86. Pour water at the doorway once the coffin has been taken out.
87. Wash face and hands after the dead has been laid to rest.
90. When coming from a wake have a stopover somewhere and do not directly go home, otherwise the spirit of the dead will follow you.
91. The wishbone of a chicken* (PHOTO) makes a wholesome game for two. Wish comes true to the one who gets the common stem of the Y-shape bone.
92. One can determine the sex of the baby by the poise and shape of the pregnant woman. If rotund, it’s going to be a girl; if pointed, it’s going to be a boy.
93. During labor, if the pain is bearable and continuous, it’s going to be a girl; if labor pain is intermittent and intense, it’s going to be a boy.
94. When leaving the dining table ahead, those who are still eating must rotate their plates, otherwise they will remain bachelors or spinsters. (The belief is silent on the fate of the married ones.)
95. Couple to be married the following day must not see each other the night before.
96. When Friday comes don’t talk about the supernatural, such as kapre, dwende, and the like.97. Never buy a cat; it will not be a good mouse catcher.
98. If a cat sneezes it’s going to rain. But if it sneezes three times, everyone in the family will catch cold.
99. A cat that has its back towards the fire means a typhoon in coming.
100. Unfortunate events usually happen on full moon. ~
* Wishbone: Ancient Romans were the first to see the wishbone as a symbol of luck, which eventually turned into the tradition of actually breaking it apart. A chicken wishbone would be snapped apart by two people while they were each making a wish. The person holding the longer piece was said to have good fortune or a wish granted. If the bone cracked evenly in half, both people would have their wishes come true.
5. Kapre - Monster or Spirit?
Dr Abe V Rotor
The kapre is perhaps the most popular Philippine mythological character. Grownups and children regard the kapre either as monster or spirit. As monster it is bad and feared; as spirit it is kind and respected.
Old folks tell us the kapre assumes a dual role, and therefore, lives in parallel worlds, like us. And when their worlds meet with ours, different scenarios capture our senses and imagination.
Scenarios of such encounters have been passed on through generations and many survive to this day.
They occupy a respectable place in Philippine literature, but versions in comics, movies and animations are creating different images of this mythological huge, black and hairy, creature.
Here is a personal encounter with the kapre.
“Did you hear that?” I was startled by a mysterious moaning in the dark. I switched on the headlight.
“What is it?” Cecille sleepily responded.
“It’s a strange sound, like someone agonizing.” I said while straining my eyes on the sugarcane fields on both sides of the road.
We had just parked along a newly opened road of the North Diversion somewhere in Tarlac that night. My wife and I were driving to Manila after a vacation in our hometown in Ilocos. I was so tired driving; I pulled our Ford Escort to the grass lane for a brief rest, and switched off the engine.
Then. “Did you hear that?” Cecille shook me. It was the same agonizing sound I heard earlier, and it was getting louder!
I switched on the headlight, and there stood at the opposite side of the road a tall figure the outline of the Colossus of Rhodes – black and hairy, so huge I could barely see his torso.
Instinctively I started the engine and stepped on the gas. Cecille moved close to me as the monster took another step toward us. We escaped in the nick of time.
Since then I became popular with children. “Tell us about the kapre!” And they would gather around clinging to one another. It reminded me of Lola Basiang, the story teller of folklores and legends.
My story became known to my friends and officemates. It was the cause of a meeting suddenly losing its agenda to the kapre. Everyone had something to say about the mythical monster. They talked about kapre living atop big old trees, along rivers and lakes. One related his experience while clearing the vines clinging around a large tree when suddenly he noticed blood dripping from above.
He looked up. Kapre!
Old folks say there are different kinds of kapre. There is even one taking over abandoned houses and empty buildings. There is kapre on empty playgrounds, farms and pastures. Kapre in gambling places, like the cockpit, kapre appearing suddenly in a group picture.
Since then we didn’t have to stay in office late. We had to finish our work early so we would not be taking the stairway that is seldom used, or hear typewriters clicking when everyone had already left. We won’t be passing dark alleys on our way home.
Children who heard the story of the kapre would stop playing at dusk. The farmer looks at the leaves of acacia, and when they start drooping, starts walking for home. Everyone in the family must be home for supper.
Because of the kapre, trees are spared of the ruthless chain saw. People passing through thickets politely whisper, “tabi tabi, po.” Fishermen catch just enough fish for their family’s need. Harvest festivals are observed even if harvest is not good.
Indeed there are different kinds of kapre. And they abound everywhere.
When I was buying a new battery for my car and told the salesman how I encountered a kapre one dark night, he handed me a new brand of battery.
“Sir, makakasiguro kayo dito.” (Sir, you are very safe with this battery.) ~
Playing with the Kapre
He is a friend, he is an enemy;
the world is divided in two;
but who is friend, who is enemy,
when you talk about kapre?
He can be seen, to others unseen,
appears to one, not to another;
at daytime or in the evening;
it's his choice. Oh, brother!
He is kind, although scary;
seldom loved and feared by most,
lonely and misunderstood;
unlike any other ghost;
He watches children passing by
prods them home before dark;
warns them not to tarry where
danger lurks, where dogs bark.
He watches fruits until they're ripe
and shoos away trespassers,
makes loggers sick from guilt,
keeps the menagerie from hunters
He sways in the trees and comes down
awhile to the young in company;
teaching them in discreet allegory
a unique children's story.
Can you describe the kapre, his looks, habits and places he frequents? What is the counterpart of the kapre in other countries? Where does he live? Is he diurnal or nocturnal? Or crepuscular (active during dusk)? Is there reason for the kapre to exist? In the first place, does he (It is believed to be male) really exist? What is his mission, if any?
* Lesson on TataKalikasan Ateneo de Manila University; February 22, 2024
(Thursday) 11 to 12 a.m. 87.9 FM Radyo Katipunan
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