*Note this story is in Ilocano

“Nagkabus iti bulanen

Naraniag iti bulanen

Panawen tattan

Nga patibkeren ti gurakon.”

Naguyek ni Aileen. Nangala isuna ti agas idiay abay ti kamana ken tinilmunna nga awan ti danum. Mano nga aldaw ti napalabasen manipud idi nangrugi ti gurigurnan. Namnamana nga nalaing kuma isuna tattan ta ado pay ti masapolna nga aramiden.

“Suruten dagiti addangna

Tunggal maysa

Akupen ti daga

Kadaksan nga awan madangrananna.”

40 grados. Nadanagan diay kabsat ni Aileen. Tinawaganna diay ospital ngem palalo met nga rigat ti panaguray. Kastunay iti iriag ti piman nga adingna gapu ti napalalo nga sakitna ngem haanna met matulungan. Kimmararag isuna nga sumangpet diay ambulansyan.

“Idadang tay banga

Ilaok ti daga

Pagbiit lang ti rigatna

Bassit a liwliwa”

Awan ti anges no pitik ti pusona tay pasyenten. Kastunay ti danag na tay EMT ta tatta lang makakita isuna ti kastoy kangato nga gurigor. Kasla met lang maururam tay uneg ti bagi ti pasyenten. Uray no nakaguantes, marikna na latta ti bara bayat ti pinag-CPRna ken tay pasyente. Ti tunggal kompresyon kaslana met lang impandag tay imana ti napudot nga plantsan, ngem madina nga mabalin ti agsardeng. Masapolna nga babaelan.

“Ti maudi ti daga

Nabingkol ken naragirang

Maysa pay nga darang

Sakbay isuna matay.”

Nagisem diay baket. Daytoy ti gungunana tay babai nga awan as-asin ti pinagsasaona.

=————————————–=

English Version

“The moon is full

The moon is bright

The time is now

To feed my spite”

Aileen coughed. She grabbed another pill from her bedside and swallowed it without any water. It had been a few days since her fever started and she hoped it would be gone by now. There was so much work she still had to do.

“Walk in her footsteps

One at a time

Gather the dirt

A victimless crime”

40 degrees. Aileen’s sister was worried. She called the hospital but the waiting was torture. She could see her baby sister cry out in pain and there was nothing she could do about it. She prayed that the ambulance would be there soon.

“Heat up the pot

Mix in the earth

She won’t suffer long

For whatever that’s worth”

No breath sounds or pulse coming from the patient. The EMT was worried. He had never seen a fever this high before, it was as if the patient was burning up from the inside. He could feel the heat through his gloves while he was giving CPR. Each compression felt like he was pressing his hands against a hot iron, but he couldn’t stop now, he had to do what he could.

“The last of the dirt

Broken and dry

One final lick of flame

And thus she will die”

The old woman smiled. This would teach that ungrateful girl what happens when you don’t respect your elders.

=———————————=

*Ilocano is the third most-spoken local language of the Philippines.An Austronesian language, it is related to such languages as Malay (Indonesian and Malaysian), Tetum, Chamorro, Fijian, Maori, Hawaiian, Samoan, Tahitian, Paiwan and Malagasy. It is closely related to some of the other Austronesian languages of Northern Luzon, and has slight mutual intelligibility with the Balangao language and the eastern dialects of the Bontoc language.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Ilocano translation by Reigner Cortez

Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Reigner Cortez

Inspired by the Mangangamod description in Myth Museum. Medina. 2015.

Mangangamod Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
FB: That Guy With A Pen

*Note this story is in Tandaganon

1. Ang bae sa palengke. Wara niya tadonga pagputos ang mga gulay.
2. Ang bae na buntis na yangilog nan ako gipara na taxi. Dili nako kinahanglan morespeto sa imo tungod kay nakasa kaw.
3. Ang driver sa jeep na hapit makaligis sa ako. Way iya karapatan mag-drive.
4. Yadton bae na misingit sa pila sa tren. Pagtoo siguro niya na mahimo na niya tanan niya gusto kay naka-Luois Vuitton siya na bag.
5. Yadton bata na dili muhunong abay storya. Galabad ako ō sa iya kasaba.
6. Yadton ulitawo(boy)/daga(girl) sa ako tapad na min-ubo. Wara kita masayod kung uno na mga sakit ang yaon sa iya.
7. Ang guard sa train station. Di dakan tan-awon dayon ang luon nan ako bag para mahuman na. Tungod sa iya hapit ako mabiyaan nan tren.
8. Ang gatinda nan fishball. Kamahali nan iya baligya, sobraan da.
9. Yadton bae. Pagtuo niya na siya ang tag-iya nan kalibutan kay tungod gwapa siya. Tan-awon ta da sa, makita da nimo puhon uno imo gihanap.
10. Yadton mga turista. Katoo nila na pwede sila magbinastos sa amo lugar? Di ako musugot. Dapat masayod sila na respetohon sila kung may ila respeto.

Gibutang nan tiguwang ang iya ballpen ug min-ginhawa nan lawom. Kapoy kuman na adlaw, daghay tao na gusto muhurot sa iya pasensya, pero, syempre, sila tanan wara kahimo. Mingtan-aw siya sa gawas nan iya bintana ug gihuna-huna kung uno na sab kaha ang mga mahitabo pabalik sa ila bahay. Basin silom arang-arang na.

11. Yadton bata na may ido. Gilaway-lawayan ako kay di niya masagda iya mananap.
12. Yadton mga tampalasan na ga-ambak-ambak sa park. Gahuwat gayud ako na may isa na mabuk-an nan ulo sa ila pero wara mahitabo.
13. Yadton ga-jogging na yakabangga sa ako. Dapat mag-tan-aw siya sa iya agihan.
14. Yadton taxi driver na gahatod sa ako pauli. Ginaog niya iya bintana tapos yanitsit sa bae na minlabay. Way Batasan!
15. Yadton man-dileveray. Laong nila muabot ang package nan a las 4 pero gahinuwaton ako taman a las 5. Way klaro na serbisyo.

Yagkalala na. Ang lista kay dapat outlet da, isa ka paagi para ipagawas ang iya mga gusto ipagawas ug nan dili siya mugamit nan magic. Pero kada adlaw dakan na may iya makasumpaki. Mga tao na katoo nila mas hibawo pa sila bisan way gayud sud ang ila utok, mga tao na pagtoo nila na sila ang tag-iya nan kalibutan.

May iya kalagot sa ila tanan, syempre, bisan yadton mga tao na way labot. Kay madugay, magkasakop da sa sab gihapon sila ug magpugong na sab siya sa iya gibati para da lamang way gubot. Kapila na siya gipalayas sa mga tao kay tungod yahibawo sila kung uno gayud siya.

Di na yadto mautro. Amoy iya laong sa iya kaugalingon. Paglista da lamang permi kay mawara da lagi kadugayan ang kalagot. Kinahanglan niya ini pahunungon.

16. An iring na minpukaw sa ako. Kada adlaw dakan.
17. Ang ako mga way buot na silingan. Di manhunong abay hilabot sa ako kinabuhi. Dili pwede pasagdan dakan nila inin tiguwang ngadi?
18. Yadton yamaligya nan taho. Kalabad abay singgit sa buntag. Yadi pa sab an iring ngadi, isa pa sab ini.
19. Yadton mga misyonaryo na may mga da na bibliya—————-

Sakto na. Sakto na yadto. Gaaligotgot na siya sa kalagot wara pa gani halos gasugod ang adlaw. Basin amo na ini ang ilhanan, Kinahanglan na niya magpakatinood, ipakita sa mga tao ang ila lugar.

Giabrihan niya ang pirtahan ug gitaas ang iya kamot, isa ka tudlo sa langit.

Gisugdan niya sa iring.

=—————————————=

Enlighsh Version

1. The girl at the market. She didn’t pack the vegetables right.
2. The pregnant woman that took the taxi I was hailing. Just because you made a mistake doesn’t mean I have to bow to you.
3. The jeepney driver that almost ran me over. He doesn’t deserve to drive.
4. That woman that cut the line at the train. She thinks that just because she has a Louis Vuitton bag that she can do what she wants.
5. That little boy that wouldn’t stop talking. His incessant yapping gave me a he
6. That teenager that coughed beside me. Who knows what kind of diseases he might have. Someone should teach him manners.
7. The security guard at the train station. Just look through my bag and be done with it. Because of him I nearly missed my train.
8. The fishball vendor. His prices were robbery, plain and simple.
9. That girl. Thinking she can own the world because she’s beautiful. Wait and see, one day you’ll get what’s coming to you.
10. Those tourists. Thinking that they can be rude in my town? I will not let that happen. They need to know that respect begets respect.

The old woman put her pen down and sighed. Today was so tiring, there were so many people that tested her patience, and, of course, all of them had failed. She gazed outside her window and imagined all the things that she had to go through just to get back home. Maybe tomorrow would be better.

11. That boy with the dog. He couldn’t keep his animal under control and it slobbered all over me.
12. Those brats that were jumping around at the park. I waited for the moment one of them would crack their skulls but it never came.
13. That jogger that bumped into me. She should look where she’s going.
14. The taxi driver that brought me home. He rolled down the window and catcalled a woman passing by. The nerve of him!
15. The deliveryman. They said my package would arrive at 4pm and I waited until 5. Such shoddy service.

It was getting worse. The list was supposed to be an outlet, one way where she could sublimate her desires and release them without resorting to her magic. But day in and day out there were those that got in her way. Those that thought they knew better even if there wasn’t anything inside their heads, those that thought the world belonged to them.

She hated all of them, of course, even the ones that did nothing to her. Because eventually, they would cross her path and she would have to ball her hand into a fist to make sure she didn’t raise her finger. She had been chased out of many towns when the people found out what she was.

It wouldn’t happen again. That’s what she promised herself. Just keep adding to the list and all the anger would eventually stop. She needed it to stop.

16. That cat that woke me up. Every single morning it’s there.
17. My stupid neighbors. They won’t stop snooping into my life. Can’t they just leave an old woman alone?
18. The taho vendor. He won’t stop shouting in the morning. Bad enough the cat is there, I have to deal with him too.
19. Those Bible bearing missionaries—————-

Enough. It was enough. She couldn’t even make it though the morning without boiling over in rage. Maybe this was a sign from down below. She needed to be herself again, to let loose and make the humans know their place.

She opened the door and raised her hand, one finger to the sky.

She’d start with the cat and work her way up from there.

=———————=

*Tandaganon (also called Tinandag, Naturalis, Tagon-on) is a closely related variety of Surigaonon spoken in the central Surigao del Sur municipalities of Tandag City, San Miguel, Tago, Bayabas, Cagwait, Marihatag, San Agustin, and most of Lianga. It can be classified as a separate language or alternatively as a southern variety of Surigaonon. There are about 100,000 speakers.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Tandaganon Translation by Mark Anthony Ramos
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Mark Anthony Ramos

Inspired by the Tagalog Hukloban legends

Diwata Illustration by Kristienne Amante
FB: Creatorivm

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*Note this story is in Kapampangan

“kinang kinang ya aslag

ing cabilugan na ning bulan

Ini na ing caorasan

Ing caorasan ning pamangulam”

Caung neng caung quing cucu y Aileen cabang cucua yang panulu ibat quing babo mantil. Dimput ne at inakmul at aliya man minum danum. Maluat ne ring malagnat at mangaligkig, at alub na namu salese ne. Marakal ya pa cailangang gawang obra, oneng ali mu pala obra ing manenaya caya.

“Tunggal tunggal

Tucyan mu ing delanan na

at tipunan mu ing gab-bun

para alaya ni metung mang bakas”

Mengurenta ne, at miganaca ne ing atchi ng Aileen. Minawus ne ospital oneng manenaya la pa murin. Malulunus neng manakit i achi na quing panamdaman na, ala ya muring acarapat nung ali manenaya at mangadi na datang ne ing ambulancia.

“Bubucal na ing danum

isamut mu na ing gab-bun

ditac namung panawun

at mibalic ne quing abu”

Milaco ne pangisnawa ampong pulsu y Aileen. Micarugan ne ing medic quing capali na katawan. Manyicsic ing pali careng gwantes cabang pipilitan neng pacabyayan pasibayu. Balang pwersa da reng gamat quing salu na macicintal ya quing bubucal nang catawan. Mipapawas neng marimla at mangalgal ne quing pagal ing macalunus a medic.

“Ini na ing tawling gab-bun

magigisan na at lalangi

camate na ning api

mapatlud ne ing alti”

‘Mepapa ya uling lalaban ya careng matwa na’ ana ning apu cabang timan timan ya.

=———————-=

English Version

“The moon is full
The moon is bright
The time is now
To feed my spite”

Aileen coughed. She grabbed another pill from her bedside and swallowed it without any water. It had been a few days since her fever started and she hoped it would be gone by now. There was so much work she still had to do.

“Walk in her footsteps
One at a time
Gather the dirt
A victimless crime”

40 degrees. Aileen’s sister was worried. She called the hospital but the waiting was torture. She could see her baby sister cry out in pain and there was nothing she could do about it. She prayed that the ambulance would be there soon.

“Heat up the pot
Mix in the earth
She won’t suffer long
For whatever that’s worth”

No breath sounds or pulse coming from the patient. The EMT was worried. He had never seen a fever this high before, it was as if the patient was burning up from the inside. He could feel the heat through his gloves while he was giving CPR. Each compression felt like he was pressing his hands against a hot iron, but he couldn’t stop now, he had to do what he could.

“The last of the dirt
Broken and dry
One final lick of flame
And thus she will die”

The old woman smiled. This would teach that ungrateful girl what happens when you don’t respect your elders.

————————–————————–————————–—-

Inspired by the Mangangamod description in Myth Museum. Medina. 2015.

Mangangamod Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
FB: That Guy With A Pen

*Note this story is in Tagalog

1. ‘Yung batang babae sa palengke. Hindi maayos ang pagkakabalot niya sa mga gulay.
2. ‘Yung buntis na sumakay sa pinapara kong taxi. Nagkamali ka, pero hindi ibig sabihin noon ay pagbibigyan na kita.
3. ‘Yung tsuper ng dyip na muntikan nang makasagasa sa ‘kin. Hindi siya nararapat na magmaneho.
4. ‘Yung babaeng sumingit sa pila sa tren. Dahil lang mayroon siyang bag na Louis Vuitton, akala niya puwede na niyang gawin ang kahit anong gusto niya.
5. ‘Yung batang lalaking hindi tumitikom ang bibig. Sumakit ang ulo ko sa kakadaldal niya.
6. ‘Yung tinedyer na umubo sa tabi ko. Malay ko ba kung anong mga sakit ang puwedeng dala niya. Dapat siyang turuan ng magandang asal.
7. ‘Yung sekyu sa istasyon ng tren. Silipin mo na lang ang bag ko nang mabilis tayong matapos. Muntikan na akong maiwan ng tren dahil sa kaniya.
8. ‘Yung nagbebenta ng fishball. Sobrang mahal ng presyuhan niya.
9. ‘Yung batang babaeng ‘yon. Akala niya sa kaniya umiikot ang mundo dahil lang maganda siya. Maghintay ka lang. Mamalasin ka rin balang-araw.
10. ‘Yung mga turista. Akala ba nila ay puwede silang mambastos sa bayan ko? Hindi ko ‘yon papayagan. Malalaman nila na kailangan muna nilang magbigay-galang bago sila galangin.

Ibinaba ng matandang babae ang kaniyang panulat at bumuntong-hininga siya. Talagang nakakapagod ang araw na ito. Sobrang daming taong sumubok sa pasensya niya, at, siyempre, nabigo silang lahat. Tumingin siya sa labas ng kaniyang bintana at inisip niya ang lahat ng pinagdaanan niya para lang makauwi. Baka mas maganda ang araw niya bukas.

11. ‘Yung batang lalaking may alagang aso. Hindi niya kayang kontrolin ang alaga niya, nalawayan tuloy ako.
12. ‘Yung mga batang nagtatatalon sa parke. Hinintay kong may mabagok sa kanila pero walang nangyari.
13. ‘Yung tumatakbo na nakabangga sa akin. Dapat niyang tingnan ang dinaraanan niya.
14. ‘Yung tsuper ng taxi na naghatid sa ‘kin pauwi. Ibinaba niya ang bintana at nanutsot ng babaeng dumaraan. Ang kapal!
15. ‘Yung deliveryman. Sabi niya, darating ang package ko nang alas kuwatro ng hapon at naghintay ako hanggang alas singko. Ang pangit ng serbisyo.

Palala na ito nang palala. Labasan lang dapat ng sama ng loob ang listahan kung saan niya maibubunton ang mga kagustuhan niya nang hindi kinakailangang gamitin ang kaniyang salamangka. Ngunit palagi na lang may mga taong nakakaabala sa kaniya. Mga taong walang laman ang mga ulo ngunit kung makaasta ay tila mas magaling sila. Mga tao na kung makaasta ay tila pag-aari nila ang mundo.

Siyempre, kinamumuhian niya silang lahat, maging ang mga taong walang ginawa sa kaniya. Dahil makakasalamuha niya sila ‘di kalaunan at kakailanganin niyang itikom ang kaniyang kamao para masigurong hindi niya maitataas ang kaniyang daliri. Napalayas na siya sa maraming bayan nang malaman ng mga tao kung ano talaga siya.

Hindi na iyon mangyayari muli. Pangako niya iyon sa kaniyang sarili. Daragdagan niya lang nang daragdagan ang laman ng listahan at mawawala rin katagalan ang kaniyang galit. Kailangang mawala iyon.

16. ‘Yung pusa na gumising sa akin. Tuwing umaga na lang, nang-iistorbo siya.
17. ‘Yung mga hangal kong kapitbahay. Ayaw nilang tumigil sa pang-uusisa sa buhay ko. Hindi ba nila puwedeng tantanan ang isang matandang babae?
18. ‘Yung naglalako ng taho. Ayaw niyang tumigil kakasigaw sa umaga. Masahol na nga na palaging dumadalaw ‘yung pusa, problema ko pati siya.
19. ‘Yung mga misyonaryong may dalang Bibliya—————-

Tama na. Tama na ito. Ni hindi niya kayang malampasan ang umaga nang hindi kumukulo ang dugo niya sa poot. Marahil ay isa itong pahiwatig mula sa nasa ibaba. Kailangan niyang ibalik ang dati niyang pagkatao, kumawala sa gumagapos sa kaniya, at ipaalam sa mga tao na mas mababa sila.

Binuksan niya ang pinto at itinaas ang kaniyang kamay nang nakaturo sa kalangitan ang isang daliri.

Magsisimula siya sa pusa hanggang sa matapos niya ang pinakakinamumuhian niya.

=————————————————————-=

English Version

1.The girl at the market. She didn’t pack the vegetables right.

2.The pregnant woman that took the taxi I was hailing. Just because you made a mistake doesn’t mean I have to bow to you.

3.The jeepney driver that almost ran me over. He doesn’t deserve to drive.

4.That woman that cut the line at the train. She thinks that just because she has a Louis Vuitton bag that she can do what she wants.

5.That little boy that wouldn’t stop talking. His incessant yapping gave me a headache.

6.That teenager that coughed beside me. Who knows what kind of diseases he might have. Someone should teach him manners.

7.The security guard at the train station. Just look through my bag and be done with it. Because of him I nearly missed my train.

8.The fishball vendor. His prices were robbery, plain and simple.

9.That girl. Thinking she can own the world because she’s beautiful. Wait and see, one day you’ll get what’s coming to you.

10.Those tourists. Thinking that they can be rude in my town? I will not let that happen. They need to know that respect begets respect.

The old woman put her pen down and sighed. Today was so tiring, there were so many people that tested her patience, and, of course, all of them had failed. She gazed outside her window and imagined all the things that she had to go through just to get back home. Maybe tomorrow would be better.

11.That boy with the dog. He couldn’t keep his animal under control and it slobbered all over me.

12.Those brats that were jumping around at the park. I waited for the moment one of them would crack their skulls but it never came.

13.That jogger that bumped into me. She should look where she’s going.

14.The taxi driver that brought me home. He rolled down the window and catcalled a woman passing by. The nerve of him!

15.The deliveryman. They said my package would arrive at 4pm and I waited until 5. Such shoddy service.

It was getting worse. The list was supposed to be an outlet, one way where she could sublimate her desires and release them without resorting to her magic. But day in and day out there were those that got in her way. Those that thought they knew better even if there wasn’t anything inside their heads, those that thought the world belonged to them.

She hated all of them, of course, even the ones that did nothing to her. Because eventually, they would cross her path and she would have to ball her hand into a fist to make sure she didn’t raise her finger. She had been chased out of many towns when the people found out what she was.

It wouldn’t happen again. That’s what she promised herself. Just keep adding to the list and all the anger would eventually stop. She needed it to stop.

16.That cat that woke me up. Every single morning it’s there.

17.My stupid neighbors. They won’t stop snooping into my life. Can’t they just leave an old woman alone?

18.The taho vendor. He won’t stop shouting in the morning.
Bad enough the cat is there, I have to deal with him too.

19.Those Bible bearing missionaries—————-

Enough. It was enough. She couldn’t even make it though the morning without boiling over in rage. Maybe this was a sign from down below. She needed to be herself again, to let loose and make the humans know their place.

She opened the door and raised her hand, one finger to the sky.

She’d start with the cat and work her way up from there.

=——————————————————————————————=

**Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a quarter of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by the majority. Its standardized form, officially named Filipino, is the national language of the Philippines, and is one of two official languages alongside English.

Written by Karl Gaverza

Translation by Maui Felix
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Translation Copyright © Maui Felix

Inspired by the Tagalog Hukloban legends

Diwata Illustration by Kristienne Amante
FB: Creatorivm

IG: @creatorivm_

*Note this story is in Pangasinan / Pangasinense

1. Amay bii ëd tindaan. Ag to inyan ëd pananginan iray pising.

1. Amay malukon a angala ëd paparaën kon luluganan. Aliwan lapo’d alingo ka ët ondakmomo ak ëd sika.

2. Amay draybër na jeep ya akatalapos lawari ëd siyak. Ag to nëpëg so man-drive.

3. Aman a bii ya inunaan to ak ëd pila. Say amta to nagawaan to lan amin lapo labat ëd wala so bag ton Louis Vuitton.

4. Atan a ugaw ya aga ontondan mansalita. Iitdan to ak na sakit na ulo.

5. Amay ugaw ya imukok ëd abay ko. Syupa so makan-amta ëd sakit to. Ibangat da kumon na dugan kagagawa.

6. Amay guwardiya ëd estasyon a tren. Sumpalën to lan nengnengen iya so bag ko. Atilak ak lawari lapud sikato.

7. Amay managlako na pisbol. Singa labat mantatakëw ëd kamablian a lako to.

8. Atan a bii. Nonot to gawa to’y intiron dalin lapo’d magana. Unsabi-sabi so agëw mo.

9. Araratan a turista. Abalang da makapanlastog ira? Aga ak umpayag. Dapat naamtaan da ya say respeto ët mangipawil na respeto.

Inlëksab to may akulaw so lapis to insan imëngas na aralëm. Makapakësaw iyan agëw, amayamay so simubok ëd pasensiya to, balët, amin akayanan to. Nimnëngnëng sikato ëd bintana insan ninonot so amin a ginawa tan inarap to piyan makasëmpët. Piyan nabwas mas maabig la.

1. Amay ugaw ya wala so kaiban aso. Ag to naparëën may aso ton man-ilol ëd siyak.

2. Araman a bëngër ya ugugaw ya manlukso diyad parki. Inalagar kon wala so nabëtagan a lapislapis na ulo, balët anggapo so agawa.

3. Amay umbabatik ya akadumbo ëd siyak. Nëngnëngën to kumon so dadalanan to.

4. Amay drayber na taxi ya nanpatnubang ëd siyak. Inleksab toy bintana na luluganan tan nanngisiw ëd biin dimalan. Nayari lasi ya!

15.Amay man-iitër na impawit. Imbaga to onsabi imay pawit ko na alas-kwatro ya ngarëm balët inalagar ko anggad alas-singko. Makapoy a serbisyo.

Mas onaaliwa so nagagawa. Amay listaan kumon, para’d panagpaway na saray labay ton nagawa piyan ag la man-usar na mahika. Balët diyad inagëw-agëw ton panagpaway, wala ’ray arum a nasasabat to. Iramay say nonot da maamta ira anggano anggapo so otëk da, iramay say nonot da gawa ra so intiron dalin.

Kabusol to iran amin, anggano iramay anggapo so ginawa ra ëd sikato. Ta unsansia, nasabat to ira lamët, insan man-akop ya lima to pian ag to nitagëy ‘san nituro to so gamët to ëd tawën. Amimpiga da lan pinapaway sikato ëd amayamay lan balëy nen naamtaan da so aliwan gagawaën to.

Balët ag la naulit. Insipan to la ëd sikato. Man-arum labat ëd listaan pian nabalang so pëtang-na-ulo. Kaukolan iyan ontonda.

1. Atan a pusa ya nanbangon ëd siyak. Inagëw-agëw itan ya wadtan.

2. Aramay atapis kon kaonay. Ag da ak tondaan ëd panagbilay ko. Akin ët ag ira ontondan mibabali?

3. Amay managlako ya taho. Aga ontotondan man-ëyag ëd kabwasan. Wala la lanti so pusan aarapën ko, imarum ni anggad sikato.

4. Araman a nandi-bibliyan misyonero. . .

Tonda la. Tonda la ‘ya. Ag to ni ingen makasumpal na kabwasan a ag umpëpëtang so ulo to. Manlalapo lagi iya’d dalem a dalin. Kaukolan ton umpawil ëd tuwan sikato pian makalinawa ‘san ipanëngnëng ëd saray totoo no inër so kanëpëgan da.

Inlokas to so pinto insan to intagëy so lima to, akaturo ed tawën so sakëy a gamët.

Umpisaan to ëd samay pusa insan to la isublay iramay arum.

=——————————————————————————–=

English Version

1.The girl at the market. She didn’t pack the vegetables right.

2.The pregnant woman that took the taxi I was hailing. Just because you made a mistake doesn’t mean I have to bow to you.

3.The jeepney driver that almost ran me over. He doesn’t deserve to drive.

4.That woman that cut the line at the train. She thinks that just because she has a Louis Vuitton bag that she can do what she wants.

5.That little boy that wouldn’t stop talking. His incessant yapping gave me a headache.

6.That teenager that coughed beside me. Who knows what kind of diseases he might have. Someone should teach him manners.

7.The security guard at the train station. Just look through my bag and be done with it. Because of him I nearly missed my train.

8.The fishball vendor. His prices were robbery, plain and simple.

9.That girl. Thinking she can own the world because she’s beautiful. Wait and see, one day you’ll get what’s coming to you.

10.Those tourists. Thinking that they can be rude in my town? I will not let that happen. They need to know that respect begets respect.

The old woman put her pen down and sighed. Today was so tiring, there were so many people that tested her patience, and, of course, all of them had failed. She gazed outside her window and imagined all the things that she had to go through just to get back home. Maybe tomorrow would be better.

11.That boy with the dog. He couldn’t keep his animal under control and it slobbered all over me.

12.Those brats that were jumping around at the park. I waited for the moment one of them would crack their skulls but it never came.

13.That jogger that bumped into me. She should look where she’s going.

14.The taxi driver that brought me home. He rolled down the window and catcalled a woman passing by. The nerve of him!

15.The deliveryman. They said my package would arrive at 4pm and I waited until 5. Such shoddy service.

It was getting worse. The list was supposed to be an outlet, one way where she could sublimate her desires and release them without resorting to her magic. But day in and day out there were those that got in her way. Those that thought they knew better even if there wasn’t anything inside their heads, those that thought the world belonged to them.

She hated all of them, of course, even the ones that did nothing to her. Because eventually, they would cross her path and she would have to ball her hand into a fist to make sure she didn’t raise her finger. She had been chased out of many towns when the people found out what she was.

It wouldn’t happen again. That’s what she promised herself. Just keep adding to the list and all the anger would eventually stop. She needed it to stop.

16.That cat that woke me up. Every single morning it’s there.

17.My stupid neighbors. They won’t stop snooping into my life. Can’t they just leave an old woman alone?

18.The taho vendor. He won’t stop shouting in the morning.
Bad enough the cat is there, I have to deal with him too.

19.Those Bible bearing missionaries—————-

Enough. It was enough. She couldn’t even make it though the morning without boiling over in rage. Maybe this was a sign from down below. She needed to be herself again, to let loose and make the humans know their place.

She opened the door and raised her hand, one finger to the sky.

She’d start with the cat and work her way up from there.

*Pangasinan (Salitan Pangasinan) – sometimes called Pangasinense is one of the major languages of the Philippines. It is the language spoken in the province of Pangasinan, on the west-central seaboard of the island of Luzon along the Lingayen Gulf, the northern portion of Tarlac and southwestern La Union, most of whom belong to the Pangasinan ethnic group. Pangasinan is also understood in some municipalities in Benguet, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, and by the Aeta or Aeta of Zambales.

Written by Karl Gaverza

Translation by Dean Alfred Narra
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Translation Copyright ©Dean Alfred Narra

Inspired by the Tagalog Hukloban legends

Hukloban Illustration by Kristienne Amante
FB: Creatorivm

There are 41 possible different species of venomous snakes in the Philippines. Of that number 26 are sea snakes and the other 15 are terrestrial snakes that live in diverse habitats in freshwater and on land. Some species like Tropidolaemus subannulatus are arboreal and almost never go down to the ground. All terrestrial species of these are able to swim and some inhabit areas near human habitation, around sources of water such as flooded rice fields, streams and rivers, and in agricultural areas.

Venomous snakes in the Philippines are represented by two families: Elapidae and Viperidae while there also occur mildly venomous snakes which are members of the family Colubridae. It is still up to future research to determine the degree of danger that these mildly venomous snakes pose to humans.

It may be hard to distinguish venomous from non-venomous snakes without special attention to detail. Several snakes in the Philippines are black with white bandings and these include the species Calmaria lumbricoidea, Lycodon subcinctus, and members of the genera Hemibungarus and Calliophis. The latter two are dangerously venomous while the other species are non-venomous.  The only way to tell the difference is to check the side of the head in front of the eye to see if a loreal scale is present. If there is no loreal scale then the snake in question may be venomous.

In the Philippines, the snake fauna is relatively well known, but there are areas such as those in Luzon, Palawan and Mindanao that have not been explored in detail. It should be noted that accurate knowledge of snake species is necessary for proper treatment of snakebites. For example, there is only one antivenin manufactured for cobra snakebites derived from the species Naja philippinensis. It was believed in the past that there was only one species with three subspecies of the Philippine cobra, Naja naja, but further research has shown that the three subspecies are distinct and have been recognized as full species. This is important to note because antivenin is species specific, the antivenin used for one kind of snakebite may not work for bites of other species.

Her hands drifted across the keyboard and she took another sip of coffee. This should be good enough for now. The introduction is always the hardest part, then the rest just flows.

She stood up and went to her bag and took out some pictures. “Lovely,” she said to no one in particular. It had taken her months of work, traversing mountains and islands to get this collection. It was her life’s work, but she knew she had to do so much more.

The first picture was of Ophiophagus Hannah, also known as the king cobra. She knew how to describe every part of the snake’s anatomy. Her fingers ran through the nasal scales and noted that the loreal scale was absent.

She flipped through the pictures and picked another one at random. This time it was of Trimeresurus (Parias) schultzei, a green-turquoise snake with alternating bands of black and red. She remembered seeing this species in her travels to Leyte and Samar. They were tree-dwelling and it took her many attempts to get a proper photograph.

Laughter filled her small room. Such wonder and majesty that the elders of her people just ignored. There was power in knowing what you could conjure and they just wasted it on petty cantrips and dime store illusions.

Not her. Never her.

When the elders held her initiation, she did not fear. She had seen the kind of power that their kind possessed. Large black dogs, grotesque flying beings, flaming phantasms were but some of the conjurations she had experienced. But what she remembered was the snakes.

It was the favorite illusion of their people. A gnarled mass of slithering serpents flung at their victims, most of which died of fright in an instant. Those that were left alive through small mercies would forever have nightmares of the forked tongues, limbless bodies and scaled skin.

But the elders had no imagination. They assumed that all snakes looked like pythons and left it at that. It would end with her. She would show them all what they could be capable of if they just tried to see the horror that was at their doorsteps.

From the corner of her eye she could see the familiar black rings of the Hemibungarus calligaster, known by some as the Philippine coral snake. She held the photo against her chest and a faint orange and black glow manifested from her hands. In a moment the black and white ringed serpent was in front of her. She savored the beauty of her creation. This one she had seen in her hometown in Quezon province and it was this very snake that lead her heart to wander through the archipelago. She thanked it silently and went back to her research.

She had learned a lot from libraries and forests. Leafing through books and finding the creature in real life was a thrill she could never let go of. But there were other sources that she had queried, at a price.

Her mind drifted to Iloilo. There was a woman there with power much like hers, but different. She wouldn’t make eye contact for fear she would be exposed, but it was no use. She needed to know. The scar on her palm was throbbing now, the memories made her mind relive the pain. It was worth it though, she got what she was looking for.

The serpent that she would master.

Again, there was laughter. This would be no mere snake, no earthly beast. She walked to the window and the glistening stars reflected in her eyes. Light was not what she craved. It was only darkness in her heart that she let reign.

The darkness of the gods.

She breathed in deep. It was not yet time. She needed more information. She needed to see it for herself. In a month she would start her travels to the different bungalog in hopes of seeing her god.

Until then she would think of the wings and the whiskers, the blood red tongue and the mouth large enough to cast the world into terror.

One day she would use her powers to make it come alive.

One day.

=————————————————————————–=

Written by Karl Gaverza

Copyright © Karl Gaverza 

Inspired by the May-gling legends from Quezon Provinc and description in Diccionario mitológico de Filipinas in Volume 2 of Retana, W.E. Archivo del bibliófilo filipino by Ferdinand Blumentritt (1895), trans Marcaida D. (2019)

May-galing Illustration by Edrian Paolo T. Baydo 

Color by Alexa Garde

Website: Lexa.us

More information on Philippine Snake species can be found in https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263375284_The_dangerously_venomous_snakes_of_the_Philippine_Archipelago_with_identification_keys_and_species_accounts

1.The girl at the market. She didn’t pack the vegetables right.

2.The pregnant woman that took the taxi I was hailing. Just because you made a mistake doesn’t mean I have to bow to you.

3.The jeepney driver that almost ran me over. He doesn’t deserve to drive.

4.That woman that cut the line at the train. She thinks that just because she has a Louis Vuitton bag that she can do what she wants.

5.That little boy that wouldn’t stop talking. His incessant yapping gave me a headache.

6.That teenager that coughed beside me. Who knows what kind of diseases he might have. Someone should teach him manners.

7.The security guard at the train station. Just look through my bag and be done with it. Because of him I nearly missed my train.

8.The fishball vendor. His prices were robbery, plain and simple.

9.That girl. Thinking she can own the world because she’s beautiful. Wait and see, one day you’ll get what’s coming to you.

10.Those tourists. Thinking that they can be rude in my town? I will not let that happen. They need to know that respect begets respect.

The old woman put her pen down and sighed. Today was so tiring, there were so many people that tested her patience, and, of course, all of them had failed. She gazed outside her window and imagined all the things that she had to go through just to get back home. Maybe tomorrow would be better.

11.That boy with the dog. He couldn’t keep his animal under control and it slobbered all over me.

12.Those brats that were jumping around at the park. I waited for the moment one of them would crack their skulls but it never came.

13.That jogger that bumped into me. She should look where she’s going.

14.The taxi driver that brought me home. He rolled down the window and catcalled a woman passing by. The nerve of him!

15.The deliveryman. They said my package would arrive at 4pm and I waited until 5. Such shoddy service.

It was getting worse. The list was supposed to be an outlet, one way where she could sublimate her desires and release them without resorting to her magic. But day in and day out there were those that got in her way. Those that thought they knew better even if there wasn’t anything inside their heads, those that thought the world belonged to them.

She hated all of them, of course, even the ones that did nothing to her. Because eventually, they would cross her path and she would have to ball her hand into a fist to make sure she didn’t raise her finger. She had been chased out of many towns when the people found out what she was.

It wouldn’t happen again. That’s what she promised herself. Just keep adding to the list and all the anger would eventually stop. She needed it to stop.

16.That cat that woke me up. Every single morning it’s there.

17.My stupid neighbors. They won’t stop snooping into my life. Can’t they just leave an old woman alone?

18.The taho vendor. He won’t stop shouting in the morning.
Bad enough the cat is there, I have to deal with him too.

19.Those Bible bearing missionaries—————-

Enough. It was enough. She couldn’t even make it though the morning without boiling over in rage. Maybe this was a sign from down below. She needed to be herself again, to let loose and make the humans know their place.

She opened the door and raised her hand, one finger to the sky.

She’d start with the cat and work her way up from there.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Inspired by the Tagalog Hukloban legends

Diwata Illustration by Kristienne Amante
FB: Creatorivm

*Note this story is in Tagalog

Dumaloy sa dugo ng lalaki ang hiwagang kaniyang taglay, sabay sa nagngingitngit niyang poot. Hindi ito tulad ng ibang pagkakataon na siya ay maghihiganti kapalit ng salapi. Bakas sa pagsakal niya sa manika ang labis na pagninilay kung gaano kapersonal ang bagay na ito sa kaniya.

May natatanging dalawang paraan kung paano tataglayin ng isang tao ang kakayahan sa usik. Ang una ay ang pagbibigay ng pasasalamat sa mga diyos ng kadiliman bilang pagtanaw ng utang na loob sa kapangyarihang pinagkaloob bilang kakambal mula pagkapanganak, na buong buhay ay tataglayin niya ito kaakibat ng kaalaman sa paglilipat ng hiwaga mula sa isang katawan.

At naroon sa kaniyang tabi ay ang kaniyang alalay na mag-aaral, ang patunay sa ikalawang paraan sa pagtataglay ng usik. Maaari pa ring ituro ang hiwaga ng usik sa iba, isang pag-aaral na puno ng hilahil, na maituturing na kabaliwan kung susubukan ng isang palalong tao, ngunit ang sumpa ay mapang-akit pa rin s mata ng mga desperado at mapaghiganti.

Muli niyang tinitigan ang manika at nanatiling walang kibo. Isa itong digmaang hindi gagamit ng tabak, at nag-aalangan siya kung nais niyang tapusin ang digmaan sa isang iglap lamang. Inalala niyang ang alalay na mag-aaral ay hindi niya dugo ni laman, ngunit nag-alaala pa rin siya rito sa paraang mag-aalala ang isang halimaw sa kaniyang mga kauri.

Ang unang pagkakataon na nagtagumpay ang alalay sa pagsasagawa ng sumpa ng usik ay itinuturing niyang isang espesyal na araw sa tanang buhay niya hindi lamang bilang isang guro. Tanda niya pa ang ngiting ipinamalas habang pinapakinggan ang sigaw ng unang biktima ng mag-aaral ng ilipat nito ang bubog sa katawan ng biktima, hilig pa man din niya ang klasikong pamamaraan.

Dangal ang pumuno sa kanila ng gabing iyon. Dangal din ang sisira sa kanila sa gabing ito.

Paupos na ang apoy ng lamparang nagbibigay ng malilim na liwanag ng makaramdam ng pangangati ang lalaki sa kaniyang pisngi. Kinamot niya ito at maya’t-maya ay may malilit na butil na nahulog mula rito.

Butil ng mga buhangin.

Tanda ng panghahamon at pangkukutya.

Mula rito ay alam niyang nagsimula na ang digmaang hinihintay niya. Isang laban sa pagitan ng guro at ng kaniyang mag-aaral hanggang sa tuluyang manaig ang isa. Sa kailaliman ng kaniyang puso, kung mayroon man siya nito, ay ninanais niyang hindi na sana pa humantong dito sapagkat maaari namang hindi lamang iisa ang tataguriang usikan sa buong baryo.

Ang tanging hindi niya lamang matanggap ay ang pagtaliwas ng mag-aaral bilang respeto sa guro at hindi niya tutulutan ang isang tutang nagyayabang na mangangagat bagamat sa pagtahol pa lamang ito natututo.

Muli niyang hinawakan ang manika sa mga kamay at minabuting magsaksak ng talim sa mata ng mga manika. Wala ng dahilan pang patagalin pa ang labang ito.
Malalaman na ng palalong mag-aaral kung ano ang pagkakaiba ng kapangyarihang natutunan sa kapangyarihang likas na taglay.

The magic flows through the man, and so does his anger. This time it isn’t about being hired to carry out some petty revenge, as he clutches the doll he thinks about how personal this matter is.

There are two ways the usik can move through a person’s body. The man thanks his dark gods that he was born with the power, he had lived with it his whole life and knew the small ways the magic could move from one person to another.

Then there was his apprentice. The usik could be taught to others, it was an excruciating process, one that no normal person would be crazy enough to try, but then again the curse always attracted those desperate or cruel enough to learn its ways.

He stared at the doll and sat in silence. This was a war unlike any that would be fought, and he didn’t know if he wanted to stage a preemptive strike. The apprentice was not his flesh and blood, but the man still cared about his student in the way monsters cared about their own kind.

The first time his apprentice ever successfully practiced the curse was a proud day in the man’s life. The boy chose shards of glass to transfer into the victim’s body, the man had a soft spot for the classics and smiled as the screams of the victim echoed through the night sky.

Pride was all they felt that night. Pride would also be his downfall.

The candle was slowly burning away when the man suddenly felt an itch in his cheek. He scratched until small grains fell out.

Sand.

A challenge and an insult.

Now the war had truly begun. Master and apprentice would battle until only one of them would be left. The man wished it didn’t have to be this way, truly, in his heart he believed that there was room for more than one usikan in the village.

But he could not tolerate disobedience and he would certainly not tolerate a young upstart trying to show people the power he had just barely earned.

The man took the doll in his hands and set a few razorblades inside where the doll’s eyes were. There was no point in dragging the battle longer than it had to be.

The young apprentice was about to learn that true power is something that you are born with.

————————–————————–————————

*Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a quarter of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by the majority. Its standardized form, officially named Filipino, is the national language of the Philippines, and is one of two official languages alongside English.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Tagalog Translation by Mitch Johnson Abel
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Mitch Johnson Abel

Inspired by the Usikan description in Cebuano Sorcery: Malign Magic in the Philippines. Lieban 1967.

Usikan Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
FB: That Guy With A Pen

Color by Yanna Gemora
FB: Yannami

*Note this story is in Ilocano

“Maysa manen nga abal-abal, kasla maikasangapulon.” Agkatawa koma isuna no saan la nasakit unay. Kadaytoy ket rimmuar iti kanawan nga abagana. “Imbag la ketdi ta saan man a daytoy rupakon.” Agyaman isuna iti Apo Dios gapu iti babassit a banag ngem ti panagkunana, saan a dumneg Isuna.
Dina ammo no ania ti inaramidna tapno kastoy ti
mapasamakna.

Dina ammo no asino ti nakiginnuraanna a mangilunod kenkuana. Kastoy ngata ti panagbiagnan, inaldaw nga agkudkudkod ti aniaman a paset ti bagina, inaldaw a makasarak ti baro a kiteb nga agkarayam a rumuar iti kudilna.
Saan a kastoy idi. Sumagmamano a bulan iti napalabas, nalaing nga estudiante isuna nga adda nasalun-at a masangwananna. Ti ammona ket agbalin isuna nga accountant.

Dina pay napadasan agsigarilio, agsao ti dakes, ken agsarita ti saan a nasayaat maipapan iti sabali a tattao. Agingga iti maysa nga aldaw, isu ti napasamak, nabuntog idi damdamo, idi kua kimmaro.

Nangrugi a kasla bung-or. Pagarupna ket alerji laeng isu intumaranna ti agas. Simmaruno dagidiay letteg. Madi ammo dagiti doktor no ania sakitna. Awan pakaaramatan ti aniaman nga ipatomarda kenkuana agingga nagbalinda amin a tableta a napunno ti mangallilaw a kari.

Dayti umuna a kiteb ket kulalanti. Kasla tagtagainep. Dina maibturan ti gatel. Limmusiaw dagiti pingpingna, idi kua, adda nagparang a lawag ti unegna. Nagkudkod a nagkudkod ket kalpasanna, limmabbaga dagiti kukona ken nawayaan ti kulalanti. Napintas koma a buyaen no saan la unay ti ut-otna.
Kastoy ti panagbiagnan, dina ammo no kasano dimmanon ditoy, ngem ammona nga adda pay la pagimbaganna.

Barbareng maysa nga aldaw ket agsardeng lattan. Maysa nga aldaw, awanto masarakanna a agkutkuti iti unegna, maysa nga aldaw nga awan agtayab a rumuar iti kudilna.

Agingga iti dayta nga aldaw, agtarigagay ken agkararag a malpas ti panagrigrigatna.

Sapay koma adda makanggeg ti kararagna.

————————–————————–————————–——

English Version

“Another beetle, I guess that makes ten,” He almost laughs this time, and he would if it didn’t hurt so much. This time the thing came out of his right shoulder, “At least it wasn’t my face again,” he thanks God for small favors, but he doesn’t think He’s listening.

He didn’t know what he did to deserve this, he didn’t know who he pissed off enough that he would be cursed this way, but maybe this was his life now, every day scratching some part of his body, and every day finding some new bug that crawls out of his skin.

It wasn’t always like this. Months ago he was a promising student with a great future. He thought he was going to be an accountant; he never smoked, never swore and never said a bad thing about anyone. Then one day it happened, slowly at first, then it progressed.

It started with slight swelling. He thought it was just an allergy attack and took some antihistamines, then came the boils. The doctors couldn’t tell what was wrong with him. Each medicine they gave became more and more useless until they were just pills full of false hope.

The first bug was a firefly. It was almost like a dream. The itching became almost unbearable, blood was being drawn from his cheeks, and then a light came from inside him. He scratched and he scratched until his nails were red, and then the insect was released. It would have been beautiful if it wasn’t so damn painful.

But this was his life now, he didn’t know how he got here, but he knew he still had hope. Maybe one day it would end. One day, where he wouldn’t find something skittering inside of him, one day when something wouldn’t fly out of him.

Until that day, he would hope and pray for his torment to be over.

He hoped someone would hear his prayer.
————————–————————–———————

*Ilocano is the third most-spoken local language of the Philippines.An Austronesian language, it is related to such languages as Malay (Indonesian and Malaysian), Tetum, Chamorro, Fijian, Maori, Hawaiian, Samoan, Tahitian, Paiwan and Malagasy. It is closely related to some of the other Austronesian languages of Northern Luzon, and has slight mutual intelligibility with the Balangao language and the eastern dialects of the Bontoc language.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Tagalog translation by Jenina Danielle Melchor
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Jenina Danielle Melchor

Inspired by the Mambabarang description in 101 Kagila-gilalas na Nilalang. Samar. 2015 and Myth Museum. Medina. 2015.

Mambabarang Illustration by Leandro Geniston fromAklat ng mga Anito
FB: That Guy With A Pen

Color by Alexa Garde
Website: Lexa.us