Maximo D. Ramos

Dani Reyes

Describes eight-five creations of Philippine folklore and magic dividing them into twelve family groups.

The Creatures of Midnight

Patricia of the Green Hills and Other Stories and Poems

Philippine Myths, Legends, and Folktales

The Aswang Complex in Philippine Folklore

IMAGINARY CREATURES depicted in a people's lower mythology are one of the most important phenomena in their belief systems. This is because the common folk in particular must strive to maintain harmonious relations with these creatures, a continuous process that permeates many aspects of their everyday lives and requires the intercession of a special person in the community who acts as the medium of communication between them.The subject of Maximo D. Ramos's work is the creatures of Philippine lower mythology, as this level of folklore is called. In undertaking this study, Dr. Ramos directed his efforts to two principal tasks: (1) making a taxonomic classification of all the beings which in his opinion fall within the framework of the problem as found in Philippine folk beliefs, and (2) correlating the implications of these beliefs, in terms of these classifications, to education, particularly on the elementary level.The taxonomic classification is intended to help clear up the confusion that attended earlier studies of these creatures. This is indeed the first attempt to systematize the identities of these Philippine mythological beings for the benefit of folklore scholarship. More specifically, Ramos writes: "Where names, traits, and functions appear to have become confused ... through the process of transfer that constantly occurs in traditional lore, it was thought fruitful to point these out and then attempt to account for them".In spite of the very extensive Christianization of the Filipinos-particularly the lowlanders-these mythical entities still persist in their traditional belief systems, hence the student of folk traditions cannot ignore them if he is to achieve greater relevance in his studies. Little by little the perspective from which these creatures have been traditionally viewed is bound to change until they are accepted as part of our cultural heritage. This change is bringing about an understanding of these creatures' function in our society.The present work is primarily taxonomic in nature but it sheds light into many of the dark corners of Philippine folklore studies and brings to the reader a fuller understanding of the most maligned inhabitants of the Philippine other- world. Herein lies the major contribution of Dr. Ramos-a basic recognition and a deeper insight into the cultural heritage of the Filipino.

The Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology

Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology

The Aswang Complex in Philippine Folklore: With Illustrative Accounts in Vernacular Texts and Translations.This book is a bold attempt to present to the reader and to students of Filipino society and culture one of the dominant Filipino beliefs, the aswang. For some strange reason the belief has never been explored for its usefulness in the field of literature or social studies. Even educators shy away from it, branding the belief as superstitious and therefore hot to be perpetuated. While this view is entertained, however, there is continued use in the schools-including the nursery schools-of Western tales like "Hansel and Gretel," 'Rapunzel," "Snow White," and so forth, dealing with witches, dwarfs, and other people of lower mythology. It is sad to note that while we accept these stories as entertaining to our children, we reject our own folktales about equivalent characters as superstitious and undesirable.It is about time that we changed our perspective, that we accepted our own literary heritage and used it if we are to make education meaningful to our children. Maximo D. Ramos has provided us with one way to achieve this. Of course the present volume is only one of his many works on Philippine folklore.While he presents the materials in this book as folklore, these can also be regarded as ethnographic data in that they deal with one of the dominant aspects of Filipino folk culture. The aswang belief may be viewed as socially functional in many communities. Our own field notes on the subject matter indicate that aswang tales are used by many people as a medium of social control. For example, when a child frets at night or becomes unruly during the day, adult members of the family or sibling caretakers generally use the aswang belief as a means of quieting the child or of disciplining him. When one wishes to protect his fields from unnecessary trespass by others, all he has to do is make it known that an aswang haunts the place and no one will dare enter the premises, especially at night. Deviant behavior is also handled through avoidance, and the aswang label is handy for this purpose. Once the label is set, deviants are either coerced into conformity to what is acceptable behavior or are effectively deprived of their legitimate status in the community.Thus seen, it is understandable that the aswang belief has persisted in our society over such a long period of time.

A collection of 37 Myths, Legends, and Folktales from around the Philippines that showcase the rich and diverse cultural identity throughout the archipelago. The book includes some illustrations, making it a wonderful collection to share with children of Filipino ancestry, or anyone interested in learning about different cultures from around the globe. ORIGIN MYTHS: How the Earth Was Created Why the Sky Rose High How the Sun and the Moon Came to Be Why the Sea Is Salt The First Monkey The Origin of the Owl and Other Creatures Legend of the Black Cat All-Head Juan Why the Snail Tastes Bitter How the Crocodile Learned to Hunt Why the Egret Rides on the Carabao ANIMAL TALES: The Tortoise and the Ban-og The Crocodile and the Monitor Lizard The Monkey, the Tortoise, and the Banana Tree The Guest Who Broke His Promise The Tortoise and the Lizard Bobowaya and Amomo-ay The Lizard's Treachery The Monkey and the Tortoise TALES TO LAUGH OVER: The Foolish Fishermen and the Carabao The Tale of Padol How Monsai Enslaved His Master The Foolish Farmer and His Carabao The Hunter and His Wife The Ginger of Aunt Guinampang ADVENTURE TALES: The Two Neighbors and the Crocodile Tale of the White Squash Datu Omar and the Elf The Woodcutter and the Python Mangosparos and the Monkeys Six Brothers and a Cat The Boy and the Crocodile The Magic Ring Tale of Two Women HERO TALES: The Magic Tree The Love of Rajah Mangandiri The Bird that Stole the Sultan's Beard

Tales of Long Ago in the Philippines

Boyhood in Monsoon Country

A collection of 31 Myths, Legends, and Folktales from around the Philippines that showcase the rich and diverse cultural identity throughout the archipelago. The book includes some illustrations, making it a wonderful collection to share with children of Filipino ancestry, or anyone interested in learning about different cultures from around the globe. WHEN THE WORLD WAS YOUNG: How People Were Created Why the Sun Is Brighter than the Moon The Coleto and the Crow The Legend of Mount Kanlaon Why Dogs Bare Their Teeth The Origin of Bananas IN THE PHILIPPINE ELFLAND: The Two Woodcutters and the Elf The Wee Folk The Frog Princess The Bridge of the Angels Two Boys and a Tianak The Elf's Gifts TALES OF LAUGHTER: The Tale of Pakungo-adipen The Man and the Lizard The Man Who Played Dead The Two Foolish Peddlers ANIMALS AND PEOPLE: The Monkeys and the Butterflies Three Friends Seek a Home The Monkey Prince Tale of the Kind-hearted Manobo The Monkey Who Became a Servant ADVENTURE TALES:Death and Datu Omar The Man Who Reached the Sky-World The Buried Treasure The Tale of Magbaloto Tale of the 101 Brothers and Their Sister The Tale of Sog-sogot The Enchanted Snail The Man Who Tried to Cheat Death The Tale of Diwata

Faded Deities of Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao

Remembrance of Lents Past and Other Essays

With Illustrative Accounts in Vernacular Texts and Translations

The Aswang Syncrasy in Phililppine Folklore

Florentino B. Valeros

An Anthology of Filipino Writing in English

Philippine Harvest

This book tells about 85 creatures of legend from Philippine Folklore. Many people believe that they exist and are afraid of them. The people of the ancient Philippines believed many things about the unseen creatures of the Philippine storyland. If you have met a good storyteller, he may have told you interesting legends about these creatures. And you may have asked a lot of questions about them which he could not answer. If you want to know more about these beings, turn the pages of this book, look at the pictures, and enjoy what is said about them. We call them creatures of midnight because it is said that they show themselves to people about the middle of the night.

Mythical Beings from Philippine Folklore

"Patricia of the Green Hills" is a collection of Filipiniana poems and short stories with reflections of life and folkways while growing up in the Philippines. Dr. Ramos never relaxed his own personal pursuit of the Muse and continued to write short stories, poems, and essays. At the same time, he devoted special attention to serious research on Philippine mythology and folklore. All these were done as he taught and performed administrative duties at the Philippine Normal College and later at the University of the East. We know that his legacy will fire the imagination of Filipino students and inspire them to know more about their own heritage, history, folkways and folklore and to write them down for others to enjoy and appreciate. I. Poems FAUNA November Highway Sign The Cobra Ambush The Spring Prize The Gecko The Calf The Crocodile A Bleeding-Heart Bird VILLAGE AND CITY Barrio Scene Burial Jar d104 Procession Past Midnight in the Barrio Manila Street Scene When I See a Barongbarong Neighborhood View from the Highway Stone Calvary WAR The Beach Two Years After Mount Samat Brown Men Seashore La Jeunesse de L'Annee The Fathers Carol-Not for Christmas Recalling Tale of How an Antique Isle Letter from Mindanao YOUTH To Virgins Taking an Examination The Way My Truelove Bathes Love Song to Patricia The Quarrel Youth FLORA Bamboo Birth A Tree in Bloom A Nameless Plant The Fence The Tree They Felled Dawn in a Kaingin JUNGLE Motortruck in the Jungle The Python Dawn on the Maguindanao River Liguasan Marsh Voice of the Wilderness Hunter LEGENDS Offering The Old Man of the Termite Mound The Banana Stone A Girl Does Not Sweep Her Yard A Bus Passenger There Are Merfolk The Elf Tree A Vanishing Hitchiker The Mangmangldt Gardening SEA AND SKY Atoll The Bather Pearl-Diver Island Vintas Ocean Wings Under the Moon II. Short Stories Summertime in Lomilog Entry November 9 Planting Time and the Crows The Witch's Wood Air Duel The Storm Death of the Old House Big House, Big House Plane Crash in the Ricefield A Nipa House in Suburbia The Man and the Jungle The House at the Bend of the Road Who Sink to Rest Jungle Patricia of the Green Hills The Belle of the Wedding Party In the Gully Death in a Jungle The Bells of Santiago Flame Trees in the Jungle Visit in the Night Uncle Sabas and the Jeepney A Homecoming Christmas Far Away Chin Bo-Hing Ambush The Python Shadows Weekend in Ballay Dark Valley Green River, Brown River

Maximo D. Ramos

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