Author Archives: delacuev

El Chupacabra

Text: El Chupacabra 

My informant is the mother of a friend.

She said that El Chupacabra is a Latin American folktale about an unknown creature that sucks the blood out of living animals. El Chupacabra is mostly known for targeting the livestock of farmers, especially goats, hence the english translation of “the goat sucker”. There are different speculations of what it looks like, but the most common tends to be a sort of demented dog.

She also said the tale itself is at least a hundred years old, but became popular around 40 years ago when farmers began losing their livestock in a similar manner to that of a Chupacabra. People, mainly farmers, likely still tell this story as a warning of what to watch out for. El Chupacabra was used as something to scare children with in order to behave or else the Chupacabra would come after them. She thinks the Chupacabra whether real or not demonstrates the highly superstitious culture of Latin America as people quickly speculated the Chupacabra to be of an almost otherworldly nature rather than some animal. She personally believes el Chupacabra is likely just some animal that had perhaps gone undiscovered.

Analysis:

Upon analyzing the Chupacabra, it is a legendary creature or cryptid. The story of the Chupacabra is that it is mainly a monster that goes after farmers’ livestock. Although the Chupacabra is something that is not scientifically proven, people still speculate its existence.

I see this creature as a way to explain the unknown or the fear of something larger and powerful outside. While livestock could have been eaten by wolves or a large animal, the thought of the Chupacabra or a creature in place of a more rational explanation shows a part of the superstitious culture in Mexico that my informant mentions.

The Chupacabra is also used as a monster that parents or older people may use to scare their children, which diverts from it’s origins. Which show a development to its story on a surface level from a creature that is used to explain how livestock or farms get messed with to a monster that also want to potentially hurt humans, or in this case, children.

Always eat noodles on your birthday

Context: My informant is a family

My informant states that a Filipino superstition that she knows of is that “you should always eat noodles on your birthday”. Though, she acknowledges that this superstition may not just apply to Filipinos because other Asian countries prominently have noodles as a part of their culture, just like white rice. And in this case, Filipinos eat Pancit.

She says the reason for this is that noodles symbolize having a long life. And her experience with this tradition, and also superstition is that she has always had noodles for her birthday and has always seen noodles (or specifically pancit) in the dishes among many others at family’s birthdays and get togethers.

She interprets this as carrying on noodles as a part of being Filipino, and also because of the length of the noodles.

Analysis:

This Filipino tradition is also a superstition.

Analyzing this piece of folklore, it seems to stem from other Asian cultures. Noodles are a part of many Asian cultures, and I believe that it emphasizes on the idea of “pan-asianism”. Though it does seem to be very harmonizing and it does not mean it is all the same for all Asian cultures. Because the Philippines has their own staple of noodles, which is pancit.

Furthermore, my informant does not seem to state any worry about this superstition. Pancit/noodles are just that important to Filipinos because it is an important part of a celebration meal and a favorite common (but not basic) food. Food can carry heavy symbolic messages for people. In this case, noodles may represent longevity but also embracing and loving a staple food that most people enjoy in all sorts of contexts (not just parties).

The Aswang/Tik Tik

Context:

My informant is a member of my family.

My informant said that the Aswang and the Tik Tik are stories about evil entities that live in the provinces in the Philippines. They are very rare that these stories of these entities are in Manila.

But her neighbors around would always talk about the aswang and the tik tik especially when there’s a pregnant woman in the neighborhood. Neighbors would speculate that this person or somebody in the household is pregnant because they saw the Tiktik/aswang lurking on the rooftop. Though they are similar because they can be both seen as Filipino vampires. The difference between them mostly come from the noise that the tik tik makes, which is the same as its name.

She said that when she was pregnant she would always kept a scissors under her pillow. “Because I wasn’t sure if l dreamt of it or if it was real, but I had a feeling that there was a tik tik Outside my window. The tik tik goes on the rooftop and is able to know if someone is pregnant or not. They will open their mouth and let their ling tongue penetrate the roofing until they reach the pregnant belly of the mom and eat/suck the baby out”. Which is why she is told to keep a pair of scissors with her during the night.

She believes these are stories that has been passed down to generations and probably a reminder that we are not alone in this world and that dark entities really exist. It’s relevant because somehow these stories are unique to certain provinces/places in the Philippines and somehow represents culture. Finally, she said that lot of people think it’s real. It would even sometimes be reported in the news if a sighting was witnessed. But there is no actual scientific evidence or photographic evidence or videos.

Analysis:

The tik tik and the aswang are a part of Filipino mythological folklore. But these creatures can be categorized as cryptids.

Filipino vampires, such as the Aswang and the Tik Tik are deceiving creatures. Although my informant does not mention it, these creatures could take the form of animals and even beautiful women. They are widely accepted as female creatures. But with the added context, this story serves as a cautionary tale for those that are vulnerable. Since the Philippines has a lot of provinces and poorer areas, the fear of these vampires is heightened. As they live among smaller communities and prey on pregnant women. The type of tale seems to subvert from the expectation because the tik tik and the aswang are gendered as women that prey on other women. It may be a message directed to women that their fear should not focus on predatory men, but that women or anyone can hurt them.

My informant’s experience with the fear of the aswang and the tik tik comes from being pregnant herself. Pregnant women may naturally fear any harm or danger that could come after their babies and their health. And the fear that a scary monster will hurt them is an extension to this natural motherly fear.

Lucky Bracelet

Context: My informant is a friend

My informant said that they were the same bracelet everyday and feel as if it is a good luck charm of sorts. They said “I first started wearing it since it has a picture of my dog in it. Now it doubles as a memento and a protector/bringer of good”. They wear their bracelet all the time, and has gotten used to it to the point of feeling paranoid when they don’t. They continued, “Has anything bad happened when I don’t wear it? Not really, but I don’t want to find out”.

They interpret this as a habit of wearing something, and therefore when they aren’t wearing it it feels wrong or that something could potentially go wrong.

The bracelet was a gift from their nina and they believe she got in online from Wear Felicity.

Analysis:

I analyze my informant’s case of a lucky item as a ritual with superstitious beliefs (specifically magically thinking). My informant states that they keep their bracelet on most of the time because they have been so used to wearing it all the time, and that it has a significance to them because it has a picture of their dog.

I think lucky items carry meaning beyond sentimental value. My friend has developed an attachment to the bracelet and a mostly positive one. As a result this has most likely caused them to associate it with good days which is enforced with the fact that the bracelet comes from a loved one and has a reminder of their dog.

Forgetting to wear or take something you usually always is a common thing, the reaction to realizing this is negative which is seen through my informant’s negative thoughts towards potentially forgetting the bracelet. I think when people unintentionally go against their routine show how the status quo is comforting which is probably why a lot of people believe in their magical thinking. They fear of what would happen if you change something.

Egg Cleansings (Limpia de Huevo)

Folklore 

Text: Egg Cleansings (Limpia de huevo)

My informant is a friend’s sibling

Context: 

My informant says that Egg cleansing is a form of healing and ridding an individual from illness and negative energies.

According to their knowledge there’s different ways of using the egg for cleansing, but essentially the egg is supposed to absorb the illness or negativity from the person. For a fever the egg may cook after absorbing and for negativity, the egg is placed in water and will show how much negativity was affecting a person depending on how it floats or cracks.

She said “My great-grandma did these cleansings. I never saw her do them, but my mom as a kid saw her perform these on people. One instance was a baby who had a fever. Prayers were said over the egg before it was placed on the baby and left there for a while. When the egg was removed, the egg was cooked (like a hard boiled egg) and the baby got better afterwards”. 

She thinks egg cleansing is more of a superstitious approach to healing than common medicines. Whether it actually works in curing people or not, it must have some effect if people have continued doing it for centuries.

Analysis: 

Egg Cleansings or Limpia de huevo are certainly a superstition and a folk tradition for cleansing and healing. This tradition is also cultural.

Based on my informant’s context and personal experience with this superstitious tradition, the egg seems to have beyond meaning besides just for healing the ill. Using the egg in the first place has a lot of significance. Especially with the added context that my informant has heard and learned of this tradition through family, specifically a motherly or paternal figure. The egg being a “child” of a chicken and the added factor that it is passed on by mothers implies that this is a superstition carried on by mothers to protect their own children. Superstitions around the potential danger around children, and motherly instincts seem to coincide. 

I believe that humans just have a certain vulnerability, that they fear of negativity or negative energies and potential threats coming to them. The egg cleansing is to get rid of these worries through some magical thinking. But it seems to have several meanings because of the maternal side of this superstition.