Listen here:

Episode Summary

Mélissa tells us a fish-out-of-water tale about visiting family in the Philippines after growing up Filipino-Australian. Hear a new take on the now-familiar manananggal and duwende. Also, hear about how the third eye might be able to help Mélissa’s mom make sense of some strange occurrences. Then, learn about a new-to-us Filipino concept to watch out for: budol-budol. But most importantly, why did Sponge Bob bite Tita Ava?

Above: the process video of the illustration accompanying this video.

About the Guest: Mélissa Lesnie

Mélissa currently lives in Paris, France. However, she grew up in Sydney, Australia. But her mother’s family is originally from Batangas, in the Philippines. She is a street artist who got into singing American jazz out of a home-sickness for her native tongue. She is the vocalist on the album “Starlit Hour” and in many other performances. From her Bandcamp profile: “Mélissa studied Musicology at the Sydney Conservatorium before moving to Paris. She relishes the Great American Songbook and swing repertoire, connecting with her audience through good old-fashioned storytelling and a delicately spun musical phrase”. Who better, then, to tell us some spooky cultural stories?

Spooky Stories from the Philippines

What is Budol-Budol?

It’s always good to have family around to look out for you when you’re in a new place. Mélissa tells us how she was nearly charmed by what her cousins warned her was actually a nefarious man. Not a creature this time, budol-budol is a scam involving hypnosis and counterfeiting. People who deal with money in a bustling, distracting environment (shop keepers, for example) are common targets. Do the budol-budol gang get their powers from witchcraft, or skilled mentalism? To be sure, many victims feel as though they were supernaturally compelled.

How to Appease an Offended Duwende

Mélissa reminds us that, in Fililpino culture, there’s one surefire way to smooth over any scenario: food! Duwende are similar to gnomes or leprechauns. These underground little folk get offended when trampled. Best to leave an offering, just in case! Local noms mentioned include pancit (which Diana had a dream about after this recording) and jackfruit.

If you’ve never had a jackfruit, you simply must. It’s an adventure! Jackfruit are enormous, spiky green globes that dangle precariously from tall trees. Nicknamed “tree pineapple,” they have a tangy tropical flavor. Vegans stew the flesh of young jackfruit as a substitute for pulled pork. But the most shocking thing about jackfruit is cutting one open. Do it outside with a knife you’re ready to throw away. Trust us. Because the inside is literally full of glue.

Nice Job If You Can Get It

The streets of Paris are alive with art. Diana was curious how one becomes a street performer in Paris. Believe it or not, it turns out there may be programs to help with that process. Furthermore, if you’re an American artist facing hard times during the pandemic, there is aid for you as well. If you, however, are looking for an artist to aid, why not us? Soutenez-nous sur Patreon, s’il vous plaît!

We hope you’ve enjoyed this side quest to bring you more spooky family stories. Until next time, have a spooky day!

The post The Thing in the Wardrobe appeared first on Homespun Haints.

This is an H-Files episode, a limited-edition mini-series we host from time to time. This mini series features paranormal stories that are based more on folklore and family history than first-hand accounts. Today’s guest, Sapphire Sandalo, tells us many tales of paranormal creatures you just might encounter if you venture into the dark Philippine forests. Filipino folklore galore!

Listen right here.

Episode Summary

Never heard about all the fantastical mystical creatures living among the balete trees in the Philippines? Well, you’re in for a treat. Sapphire shares the bizarre details of her family’s history with the paranormal which, thanks to a rash of overly-chill babysitters, is quite extensive.

Our guest, Sapphire Sandalo, also hosts multiple paranormal podcasts you can stream now!

Multitalented artist Sapphire is a Filipino-American creator, host, animator, and podcaster based out of LA. Her work includes such varied things! Check out her videos, Stories with Sapphire. Then, stream her paranormal podcast, the Something Scary Podcast. Don’t forget to watch the web series Toon Buzz on Channel Frederator. There’s just too much awesomeness to cite everything here, so may we suggest you check out her website. Assuming you’re here because you like ghosts and spooky storytelling, we think you’ll love everything she does.

Episode Show Notes

Duwende and art

Tabi-tabi po, please do not tread on the little people who live in the anthills. Duwende (or duende) refers rather broadly to several mythical small creatures/paranormal beings. And seemingly unrelatedly, if you’ve ever been so moved by a work of art that you have a passionate physical reaction (crying or the like; get your mind out of the gutter), it is the duende that possesses you (although in a far less literal sense than Sapphire’s tita spoke of). Both concepts arose from the Spanish phrase dueño/duen de casa or “master of the house.” Quite possibly, the creature duwende is a parable that reminds us we do not truly own the land, but must coexist with it. Perhaps the artistic concept of tener duende is a parable that reminds us that we do not truly comprehend the full nature of our own emotion, but must coexist with it.

If you would like to stream a fabulous podcast about the less-paranormal artistic role of the duende, and how this concept relates to other artistic muses, take a listen to this episode by Starling.

Engkanto: trickster spirits of folklore, or ominous heralds of colonialism?

If a gorgeous Scandinavian-looking woman invites you back to her place, and that place turns out to be a balete tree, be on guard. There’s a chance she’s an engkanto, a kind of trickster spirit of Philippine mythology. They will lure you to them with their beauty, accept a gift or ask for a commitment, then drain your energy or steal your soul. Having an engkanto living in a tree near your house can be good luck, but if one tries to proposition you, steer clear.

Is the tiqui the same as a manananggal?

The manananggal is like a vampire, in that it sprouts bat wings when it attacks, and drinks human blood. A little less vampirically, it also performs gruesome navel abortions with it’s eel-like, razor-tipped tongue. It also leaves its bottom half behind to fly through the night; intestines flapping behind like a horrible gory kite tail. We have a suspicion this paranormal monster inspired the short story “Geraldine” by Ian McDowell in the anthology Love In Vein, edited by Poppy Z Brite (one of our favorites from the nineties).

Morris the Cat at the Crescent Hotel

Diana begins this paranormal podcast episode by talking about her recent trip to the haunted Crescent Hotel, where she caught something unusual and potentially supernatural on camera. Could it be the spirit of Morris the cat? Check out the photos, taken only a moment apart, and tell us what you see. Diana certainly had a spooky day!

The post Filipino Folklore: Manananggal, Engkanto, and Duwende, Oh My! appeared first on Homespun Haints.