L12-Superstitions, Legends and Lecture
L12-Superstitions, Legends and Lecture
Credits to:
Donna Sombrea, MAPsy
• “Filipinos are very superstitious, especially the old people. The beliefs have great
influence in their day to day life”
-Felisa Daskeo
“Many Filipinos still spice their life with superstitious beliefs that they strongly believe could
help them cope with day to day activities especially the most important events in life such as
marriage, finding a job and moving to a new house.
Commonly:
• Former President Joseph Estrada of the Philippines keeps a cracked mirror in his home to
ward off bad spirits.
• Filipinos still slit the throat of a white chicken and sprinkle its blood over the construction
site of a new home for good luck.
Some superstitious beliefs
1) If a person bites his tongue
2) A girl with white spots on her fingernails is inconstant in love
3) It is bad to sweep the floor at six o'clock in the evening for it means driving away good
fortune and graces
4) It is bad to sweep the floor when there are people playing cards or gambling because luck
is being swept away
5) One should not open an umbrella while inside a house; a centipede is likely to fall from
the ceiling and he will be bitten by it
6) If a pregnant woman sews her dress while wearing it, her baby will be born without a hole
in the rectum
7) Appearance of a comet foretells war, pestilence and calamity
8) When a star gets near the moon, it is an omen of war.
• “Some Filipino Christians believe in the existence and power of
anitos
• They believe in the power of quacks and faith-healers to cure
certain ailments that physicians could not
• They believe in the power of witches to inflict illness on any
individual who has incurred their displeasure.
• Many Filipino Christians still cling to ancient beliefs and
practices. Superstition is a fixed irrational idea; a notion
maintained in spite of evidence to the contrary.
TEN SUPERSTITIONS THAT INFLUENCE THE
LIVES OF FILIPINOS
1. The phase of the moon is very important when planning
very important events. According to Filipino beliefs, the
phase of the moon is crucial when planning something.
Thus, it is better to find a job during the waxing period of
the moon rather than during the waning period.
Felisa Daskeo
3. The bride should never try on the wedding dress. It
is believed that if the bride tries on the wedding
dress before the wedding takes place, the wedding
will not pursue or something negative will occur.
4. A single woman who sings while cooking will marry a
widower. Single women are often advised not to sing
while cooking because they will marry a widower.
5. Combing hair at night means you are inviting the
early death of your parents. The old people forbid
combing hair at night because of the belief.
6. Black ants inside the house means good luck. When
black ants are parading inside the house, you should
be happy because it means that there is something
good brewing. It could mean money coming or a job
promotion.
7. Taking pictures with your boyfriend or girlfriend means
engagement will be broken. If you want to marry your
boyfriend or girlfriend then avoid taking pictures with him or
her. In some instances, young men and women who are
just playing around with their girlfriend or boyfriend would
invite their sweetheart to take pictures with them in the
hope that their relationship will end. Some surprisingly
achieve their wish but others end up marching to the altar.
[Source: livinginthephilippines.com /
40) Upon transferring to a new house, the occupants must bring rice and salt first so that they will have a prosperous life in that
house) 41) If a relative dies, the children related to the dead must be lifted across the coffin before it is put into the grave so that
the soul of the dead will not visit them. 42) During interment of the dead, the children should wear red clothes so that the soul of
the dead will not bother them. 43) The people in the first house to which a newly-baptized child is brought should voluntarily give
some money so that a good and prosperous life will come to the child. 44) Eating peanuts makes a person intelligent. 45) If
parents want their child to be a good orator or speaker when he grows, they must feed him with the cooked female organ of a pig.
46) If the umbilical cord of a baby is inserted in the staircase of the house, its grasp will be strong. 47) If red ants are abundant in a
certain part of a house, good fortune will come to the occupants of the house) 48) If one's left palm is itchy, money is coming to
him; if his right palm is itchy, money will be spent by him. 49) If a black butterfly enters the house, someone in the family will die.
50) If a baby is born with a mole on his forehead, he will grow up an intelligent man. 51) If a baby is born with a mole on his
shoulder, he will have a lot of hardships and sorrow in life. 52) If a baby is born with a mole on his foot, he will travel a lot. 53) If a
baby is born with a mole near his eye, he will be easily widowed, and for several times. 54) When the temporary tooth of a child is
extracted, that tooth should be thrown out with a request that the rats should give him another new and fine tooth. 55) Broken
mirrors or glasses in the house should be removed; otherwise, good luck will not come to that house. 56) A man with natural curly
hair is temperamental and moody. 57) A man with a hairline that is elongated at the back is stingy. 58) A man with a deep nape is
stingy. 59) A woman with a mole at the nape will have many suitors. 60. A child with two cowlicks on his head is a hard-headed but
lucky child. 61) There should be pansit or noodles in a birth celebration so that the celebrant will have a long life. 62) If there is a
pregnant woman in a house, garlic, vinegar and a bob should be placed on the window so that vampires will not eat the fetus. 63)
A woman who has just delivered a baby should take hot soup after her first bath so that she will regain her youthful skin. 64) If one
wants to be remembered by a friend, she should put that friend's picture under her own pillow when she sleeps at night. 65) Upon
entering a town church for the first time, one should make a wish so that good luck will come to him. 66) In constructing a house,
silver coins or cash money are put within the principal posts so that prosperity will come to the dwellers of that house. 67) If one
gets lost on his way to a certain place, he should invert his shirt and he will find his way. 68) A woman with thick and rounded heels
is by nature lazy. 69) A person with a flat foot is by nature a slow-foot. 70) A person with a wide forehead is intelligent. 71) A person
with a narrow forehead is dull. 72) A person with a mole on the lips is talkative. 73) A person with a mole between the two eyes is
lucky in business. 74) A person with a wide shoulder is lazy. 75) One must not spend money on a Monday because money will be
going out of his pocket the whole week. 76) A businessman must make sure that his first customer on Mondays buys from him,
otherwise business the whole week will not be good. 77) A sponsor in a house blessing must toss coins as he holds a lighted
candle inside the house so that prosperity and good luck will come to the dwellers. 78) Lending or giving out rice from your house
at night brings bad luck. 79) The main door of the house should face the rising sun so that good luck and abundance will come
inside the house. “80) Using broken plates inside the house brings bad luck. 81) Flowerpots should not be placed one over the
other because there will be misfortune for the family year after year. 82) When there is hard rain and strong lightning, one should
spray vinegar au over the house and cover all the mirrors so that the lightning will not strike the house.
[Source: livinginthephilippines.com /
83) A baby's eyelashes should be cut short within its first three months so that they will grow long and curly. 84) A newly-born baby
should be tossed up into the air after its first bath so that it will not grow up a frightful person. 85) Changing the name of a baby
who is critically ill may save his life. 86)Cutting one's fingernails on days when the Sorrowful Mysteries is prayed brings bad luck.
87) When a person changes his place from one to another while eating, he will be unfaithful to his life partner. 88) Sweeping the
floor when there is a wake for the dead in that house is never done because someone else in the family will also die. 89) Helping a
baby to turn on its stomach for the first time is not good for it will grow up a very dependent person. 90) One must avoid giving
handkerchiefs as gifts because the recipient of the handkerchiefs is likely to cause grief to the giver. 91) Sweethearts should not
be baptismal sponsors of the same child; therwise, their relationship will not end up in marriage. 92) A pregnant woman should not
have her picture taken because her baby will be born abnormal. 93) A pregnant woman should not act as a baptismal sponsor
because her baby might die. 94) The first time a baby lies face down, he should be placed sitting on a basin so that he will be
wealthy when he grows up. 95) A hungry person must not greet a child; otherwise, the child will grow thin from a bad stomach
ache. 96) During the first three months of a woman's pregnancy she should not be fond of babies or else she will vomit and
become uncomfortable. 97) During the period of intense craving felt by a conceiving woman, she should not take notice of fruit-
bearing trees for the trees might die. 98) A woman who sings while cooking will not be able to marry throughout her life. 99) A
younger child in the family should not get married ahead of the older one because misfortune will befall him; the older one may not
get married anymore. /~/ 100. Bad luck will come to the dwellers of a house whose last step of the stairs faces the main exit of the
house. 101) Houses on dead end street should not have gates directly facing the street; otherwise, an occupant of the house will
die from an accident. 102) If tears are shed on the coffin of the dead, the soul of the dead person will never have peace. 103)
When there are cats fighting in the neighborhood, children of one family will soon also be fighting one another. 104) When one
goes to borrow money from a friend and on the way a cat crosses his path, she should not go on with his intention because the cat
is an indication that his friend will not lend him money. 105) Talking when eating something is an act of rejecting God's grace. 106)
Visitors should be asked to enter the house at once and not stop at the door or else the pregnant woman in the house will have
some suffering. 107) The new-born should be given ampalaya (bitter melon) juice before the first breast feeding to improve the
baby's appetite and prevent his becoming choosey or finicky about food when he grows up. 108) The child's bath should be
withheld on Fridays to prevent his developing serious illness. 109) The baby's first nail trimmings should be buried under the
stairway to prevent falls. 110) The placenta should be buried near the kitchen to keep both mother and baby healthy. 111) The cord
stump should be carefully watched and kept immediately if it falls off, for if a mouse gets hold of it the baby would be sickly. 112)
To ensure a bright future for the child, the mother places coins, papers, pencils or diamond rings in the basin used for his first bath.
113) Eczematous children are dressed in black clothes to make the course of the disease shorter. 114) Skin eruptions are treated
with saliva and chewed buyo leaves applied on the skin. 115) A house in which a member of the family dies is burned or
abandoned to prevent illness and death of the other members of the family. 116) Seven (7) is a lucky number and all other odd
numbers are lucky). 117) The premature delivery of a baby is an evidence of sin
[Source: livinginthephilippines.com /
• Filipinos have their own set of superstitious beliefs they have inherited from their
ancestors. Such superstitions cover all departments of life like building a house, birth,
romance, marriage, how to attract good luck and shoo away bad luck, promotion of sound
health and avoiding sickness, and superstitions on death itself.
MONEY-RELATED SUPERSTITIONS
1) Paying a debt at night brings bad luck. 8) Bills should be arranged neatly inside the
wallet or purse from the largest to the smallest
2) Never let money pass through a window denomination in such a way that when you
because money will run away from you. open your wallet the first to be seen will be the
3) Avoid borrowing money on the first hour of the largest bill.
day, the first day of the week, the first week of 9) Do not shun or avoid keeping creased or dirty
the month, and the first month of the year. You money. You should not regard money as
will never become rich and will always be something filthy.
haunted by creditors.
10) Don’t put your bag or wallet on the ground
4) Black ants inside the house are an omen of because it is debasing the worth of money.
good fortune.
11) Do not hoard money. Let it circulate by putting
5) Placing money bills or coins on top of the it in a bank or buying something with it.
dining table attracts bad luck for it means that
all your income will go to food expenses and 12) Use your right hand when paying money and
nothing will be left for other things. the left hand when receiving money.
6) Showering the rooms of a new house with 13) Use green-colored objects to attract money.
coins before moving in will bring prosperity.
14) If you keep money in a pouch roll the bills into
7) Ornamental plants with round leaves inside the circles because circles represent infinity.
house are signs of good luck, while keeping
vines that grow downward are bad luck.
NEW YEAR SUPERSTITIONS
1) Wear a polka-dot shirt or dress to prosperity on New Year’s Eve to attract prosperity the
whole year round.
2) Exploding firecrackers and ringing bells at the stroke of midnight on New Year will bring
good luck.
3) If the first sound one hears at the stroke of midnight is a dog barking or a cock crowing, the
coming year will be gloomy for such is an omen of financial difficulties ahead, sickness,
typhoons and other calamities. But if the first sound is that of a goat, a cow or a carabao
(water buffalo), the year ahead will be prosperous.
4) On New Year one must refrain from buying a lot of things, instead one must save money to
increase one’s savings the whole year.
5) Merchants should sell their wares at a low price during New Year to attract more business.
6) Raining on New Year means prosperity and a bountiful harvest for the year.
7) Everyone must rise early and keep busy on New Year.
8) Whatever one does on New Year, whether constructive or counter-productive, will
determine how he will fare for the rest of the year.
SUPERSTITIONS ABOUT DEATH
1) A black butterfly flitting inside the money means impending death of a 16) No kin should look back or attempt to
house will bring death in the family member among Bicolanos. To go back to the house after the funeral
household. Aklanons a boat ride is an omen of procession has started.
death in the family.
2) A dog barking or howling continuously 17) Leytenos bring out the coffin from the
signifies the impending death of its 10) In Central Luzon it is believed that if it house through the window to make it
master. rains when a person dies is a sign that easier for the newly departed to rest in
such a person was a good man since peace.
3) A man without shadow will soon die. even the heavens weep for him.
18) If a rosary is placed in the hand of the
4) Candles must be burned for the dead 11) Smelling the fragrance of flowers for dead prior to burial, its string should
to protect them from evil spirits. the dead means someone will die. be snapped because continuity in the
5) A picture falling from the wall on its beads will mean another death in the
12) The spirit of a person who dies a family.
own is an omen of the death of the violent day will become earthbound.
person in the picture. 19) A person who sneezes in front of a
13) A dead person who is buried with his corpse will also die.
6) Sleeping in front of a mirror can cause shoes on will haunt his relatives and,
the death of that person whose soul during his arrival, his loud footsteps 20) Many Filipinos bury precious items
might get trapped in the mirror. will be heard. with the dead for use in the afterlife.
7) Trampling on a man’s shadow can 14) Before a dead person is buried his 21) Right before the coffin is lowered in
cause his death. shoes or slippers must be removed the grave, the children of the dead
8) Dreaming of an extracted tooth means and placed beside his legs so that St. person are made to step across the
death of a close relative. Peter will welcome him at Heaven’s coffin while adults throw flowers into
gate. For a relative to assist in the open grave so the spirit of the
9) Among the Ilocanos dreaming of the carrying the coffin to the grave will departed kin will not haunt them.
loss of a hat, broken earrings and mean another death in the family.
clothes swept away by a river current
will mean the death of a relative or 15) The Ilocanos break a plate as an
close friend. Dreaming of a jar of offering to the dead.
SUNDRY SUPERSTITIONS
1) Meeting a funeral entourage, reflect in the mirror is either a 13) It is bad luck to comb one’s
riding a vehicle with 13 vampire or a witch. hair after dark.
passengers, or traveling on a
Good Friday invites bad luck 7) If a person cannot look 14) If one sleeps while his hair is
and accidents. another in the eye, he is surely still wet, he will develop bad
possessed by an evil spirit. eyesight.
2) Among the Maranaws of
Mindanao, hearing the sound 8) Opening an umbrella indoors 15) If a bad spirit tries to confuse
of a house lizard is an omen brings bad luck. and mislead a traveller,
that one should not travel on 9) A maiden who sings in front of reversing his shirt will enable
that day. him to reach his destination
a stove will marry a widower. safely.
3) Walking under a ladder is bad 10) A spoon that accidentally
luck. 16) If one catches a two-tailed
drops on the floor means that lizard, he will be lucky in
4) Cavitenos believe that a son an unexpected female visitor gambling.
or daughter who is devoted to will arrive. If it is a fork that
his or her parents will receive drops means that the surprise 17) Throwing a handful of salt into
a lot of blessings after the visitor will be a man. the fire will bring instant relief
death of the parents. to a depressed person.
11) It is unlucky to cut one’s hair
5) A baby greeted and kissed by or fingernails after sundown.
a stranger will get sick. 12) If one accidentally bites his
6) A person whose face does not tongue people are talking
about him.
FLOWER AND PLANT OMENS
1) The kalachuchi, a Philippine ornamental 6) In the mountain barrio of Igboras, Iloilo, the
plant, is believed to be a harbinger of death. tree of the fragrant ilang-ilang is regarded as
bad luck because evil spirits always haunts
2) A family living in a house surrounded by
it.
flowers called bandera espanola will always
run into debt, no matter how large its income.7) The fishermen of Semirara Island in Antique
believe that the everlasting flower is lucky
3) The barrio folks of Negros Occidental
because it brings a big catch to fishermen
believe that the fragrance of the dama de
and staves off danger at sea.
noche attracts witches.
8) Many folks subscribe to the superstition that
4) The Cebuanos believe that the azucena
the wood rose can ward off lightning and
flower brings misfortune and even death. In
brings long life.
contrast young swains in Northern Mindanao
consider the same flower as a lucky love
charm.
5) In Cebu the century plant, a hardy
ornamental vine, is also considered as a
plant that attracts death in the family.
WHAT’S MORE????
• Meaning of Moles in the Philippines • Filipino Creation Myths
• House Building Superstitions • Story of Bathala, Malakas and Maganda
• Conception, Pregnancy and Birth • Legends from the Philippines
Superstitions
• Usog (Filipino Evil Eye)
• Filipino Ghosts
• Filipino Fairies and Mythical Creatures
• Filipino Demons
• Manananggal
• Filipino Witches
• Witches of Philippines' Siquijor
Province
USOG (FILIPINO EVIL EYE)
• Nuno sa punso (literally, goblin of the mound) are goblins or elves who live
within mysterious lumps of soil (ant hills). They can provide a person who
steps on their shelter with good luck or misfortune. Superstitious Filipinos,
when passing by a mound, will ask the resident nuno's permission to let them
pass with the phrase, "Tabi-tabi po". Strange and sudden illnesses that befall
a person are sometimes attributed to nunos.
FILIPINO DEMONS
• A Manananggal is an aswang that can fly after separating itself from the lower half of its
body. eats babies and fetuses from a mothers womb.
It eats babies by means of passing their long tongue through a small hole from the
roof of a house. The sharp end of the tongue touches the mother's navel to suck
the blood of the fetus or unborn child.
This creature's name was derived from the Filipino word, tanggal, which means "to
separate" because of the manananggal's ability to separate itself from its lower
body. Manananggals are sometimes referred to as tik-tik, the sound it makes while
flying. Folklore dictates that the fainter the sound, the nearer the manananggal is.
This is to confuse the victim.
Black cats and crows often signal a tik-tik's presence, and deformed faces or
bodies in children are allegedly signs of the aftermath of a tik-tik attack.
She uses it to puncture the womb of the sleeping woman and to suck out the fetus.
At other times, she seduces men with her beauty and lures them to a private place
before eating them alive. She usually eats the insides, like the heart, stomach or
the liver.
Sunlight is deadly to the Manananggal when she is in her monstrous form. Should
her two halves still be separate with the coming of dawn, she will be destroyed.
FILIPINO WITCHES
• Mambabarang (summoner) is a witch who uses insects and spirits to enter the body of any
person they hate. A Mambabarang is a kind of a mangkukulam. Mambabarangs are ordinary
human beings with black magic who torture and later kill their victims by infesting their bodies
with insects.
• Mangkukulam are witches, wizards, or sorcerers who cast evil spells to humans. This
bewitcher is also called manggagaway. The Mangkukulam uses dark magic. Mangkukulam
controls insects and uses them to harm people. These days she/he is also said to use dolls,
influenced by the popularity of voodoo. The difference between a mambabarang and a
mangkukulam is that the mambabarang uses magical insects to bring harm to his victims.
These insects are released after incantations, when they will search for their supposed victim
and burrow under the skin, impregnating her. After some time, matruculans return to the house
to kill the pregnant mother, open her abdomen, and eat the growing fetus. A wakwak is a witch
or night bird belonging to a witch. Also said to be a vampire like creature who can take the form
of a night bird.
LEGENDS FROM THE PHILIPPINES
• The Legend of Makhiya tells us about the origin of the touch-me-not (Mimosa Pudica) plant.
Maria, a very shy girl, lived with her parents Mang Dondong and Aling Iska, in a small village.
Maria would spend hours tending to her garden, which was renowned for its lovely flowers. One
day, bandits raided the village, and fearing for her life, Maria's parents hid her in the garden. While
Aling Iska was praying to God for her daughter's safety, the bandits broke into the house and hit
them both on the head. After pillaging the house, the bandits fled. When Mang Dondong and Aling
Iska regained consciousness, they ran to the garden to look for Maria, but couldn't find her. They
searched for her everywhere, and started to despair, when something pricked Mang Dondong's
feet. Both of them knelt down to take a better look at the tiny plant closing its leaves. At that
moment they realized, that their shy Maria has been transformed by the Gods into the plant. They
named the plant Makahiya (Tagalog for shyness) and took immense care of it.
• The Legend of Sampaloc Lake: Sampolac Lake is the biggest lake in San Pablo, and it is named
after a giant tamarind (sampolac) tree. Though there are many different versions of this legend, the
basic premise remains the same. There was an orchard owned by a rich couple, filled with the
most delicious tamarind trees. One day, a fairy decided to test their hospitality, and came to the
orchard, dressed as a poor, old woman. She begged the couple to give her a few fruits as she was
very hungry. The selfish couple, instead of helping the woman, let their dogs loose on her. The old
woman was bitten by the dogs and badly hurt. She touched a giant tamarind tree and cursed,
"Your greed shall be punished". As the woman was walking away, the sky darkened and a
ferocious storm broke out. The downpour continued late in the night, the next morning though, the
sky was clear and blue. The couple came to tend their orchard and were bewildered to find their
entire orchard gone. Instead, there was water everywhere. When they looked down into the water,
they could still see their precious trees at the bottom of the lake.
• Legend of Mount Mayon Mount Mayon is an active volcano, named after Daragang Magayon,
a beautiful girl in this legend. This is a tragic love triangle between Daragang Magayon, her
lover Panginorin, and her admirer Pagtuga. Magayon, daughter of the Rawis' tribal chief
Makusog, was known for her exquisite beauty and grace. So renowned was she, that suitors
from faraway lands came to vie for her hand. One of her admirers was Pagtuga, an arrogant
and snobbish hunter. To win her, he would present her with extravagant gifts, but none of them
pleased her. Panginorin, the chief of Karilaga, hearing of her beauty, decided to visit the Rawis,
just to catch a glimpse of her. When he saw her, he was immediately smitten and courted her
with much devotion. Touched by his affection, Magayon too fell in love. Panginorin, then,
rammed a spear in front of her house, denoting his intention to marry her, as per the custom.
• The wedding was just a few days away, when Pagtuga blackmailed Magayon that if she
doesn't marry him, he will kill Makusog, her father. When Panginorin came to know of this, he
attacked Pagtuga. The brutal fight ended when Pagtuga was slain by Panginorin. A joyous
Magayon rushed to his side, when a stray arrow hit her. Panginorin too, was struck by a spear.
Sadness spread over the entire kingdom, and the lovers were placed in a grave and buried. As
days past by, people noticed that the land on which Magayon and Panginorin were buried, was
slowly rising, forming the Mount Mayon. The legend says that, now Panginorin lives in the
clouds and Magayon in the mountain, and when the peak of Mayon is shrouded by clouds, the
couple is kissing. The rain that follows this, is said to be the tears of Panginorin. Some days,
the ground shakes, and they say, this is the angry Pagtuga trying to take his gifts back from
Magayon.
ANY QUESTION??
“It's time we get suspicious about of the sort of culture readings held to us by those who
pose as having access to privileged information about ourselves”