Folk Beliefs, Black Magic and Charms of Ancient Filipinos
Loading ...The ancient Filipinos had many interesting folk beliefs. Some of these are the following;
- When a dog howls near midnight, a neighbor will die
- When a comet flashes in the sky, there will be pestilence, famine, or war
- When a person dreams that one of his teeth falls out or when a black butterfly flits around him, a relative had died
- When a young girl sings before a stove while she is cooking supper, she will marry an old widower–although one study has shown that the widower is said to be a matanda sa punso who comes near homes after sunset to listen to nice voices of girls who he then tries to seduce.
On the other hand, to acquire magical powers, the early Filipinos used various charms and amulets. These were believed to protect them from danger. The anting-anting or agimat, made its possessor invulnerable iron weapons; the gayuma, a love potion, made a man romantically irresistible to ladies; the tagabulag made its possessor invisible to the human eye; and the uiga enabled any man to cross a river without getting wet.
