LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin
Showing posts with label Philippine myth and folklore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Philippine myth and folklore. Show all posts

Saturday, September 05, 2015

GMA NEWS : The Aswang Diaspora

September 4, 2015 6:04pm - See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/535657/scitech/technology/the-aswang-diaspora-why-philippine-lower-myths-continue-to-endure#sthash.k7h65xjE.dpuf


The Aswang Diaspora: Why Philippine lower myths continue to endure
By BEA MONTENEGRO, GMA News
September 4, 2015 

Read the complete article at: 
Why do writers and artists decide to go back to supernatural beings for story source material? One reason is because no one’s writing the stories they want to share.
 
“[N]o one else was making stories about aswang in the city,” said Budjette Tan, writer of the Trese series. “In my case, I’ve always loved
- See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/535657/scitech/technology/the-aswang-diaspora-why-philippine-lower-myths-continue-to-endure#sthash.k7h65xjE.dpuf
Why do writers and artists decide to go back to supernatural beings for story source material? One reason is because no one’s writing the stories they want to share.
 
“[N]o one else was making stories about aswang in the city,” said Budjette Tan, writer of the Trese series. “In my case, I’ve always loved
- See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/535657/scitech/technology/the-aswang-diaspora-why-philippine-lower-myths-continue-to-endure#sthash.k7h65xjE.dpuf
The Aswang Diaspora: Why Philippine lower myths continue to endure - See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/535657/scitech/technology/the-aswang-diaspora-why-philippine-lower-myths-continue-to-endure#sthash.k7h65xjE.dpuf
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/535657/scitech/technology/the-aswang-diaspora-why-philippine-lower-myths-continue-to-endure

“[N]o one else was making stories about aswang in the city,” said Budjette Tan, writer of the Trese series. “In my case, I’ve always loved writing ghost stories and have always wanted to write a detective story. So I ended up creating Alexandra Trese as my occult investigator, as the reader’s guide into Manila’s supernatural underworld.”

“It's the most natural subject to draw, really,” said Kajo Baldisimo, Trese’s artist. “As young as three years old, these creatures were already a part of my and most of our generation's subconscious thanks to our parents and grandparents who have a great way of disciplining us by making us believe in these stories and these creatures.”

“It's in the DNA of every Filipino,” said Baldisimo. “It’s one of the few things we can clearly say is very Pinoy, something that’s ours,” Tan said. “I think telling aswang stories is something we’ll always want to tell. There are so many variations on their story, depending on how tells the story. Someone will always have their own version to tell.”

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

you say duende, i say duwende



My cousin Oliver, another Stephen King fan and horror freak, tweeted me this link the other day; and I was surprised to see that Merriam-Webster's Word for the Day was "duende". Here's their definition:

duende, \doo-EN-day\ noun, the power to attract through personal magnetism and charm
  • EXAMPLES
The magician was not only a talented illusionist; he also had the duende that kept the audience rapt throughout the entire show.

"It took all my nerve to dance in front of people who have been steeped in this tradition their whole lives. It was over in a flash, and in that moment tears filled my eyes. Maybe what I felt wasn't duende -- nobody ripped a shirt or slapped his face -- but it was close enough for me." -- From an article by Toni Messina on NPR.org, August 10, 201

The word "duende" refers to a spirit in Spanish, Portuguese, and Filipino folklore and literally means "ghost" or "goblin" in Spanish. It is believed to derive from the phrase "dueño de casa," which means "owner of a house."

The term is traditionally used in flamenco music or other art forms to refer to the mystical or powerful force given off by a performer to draw in the audience.

The Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca wrote in his essay "Teoria y Juego del Duende" ("Play and Theory of the Duende") that duende "is a power and not a behavior . . . a struggle and not a concept."

Nowadays the term appears in a broader range of contexts to refer to one's unspoken charm or allure.