Filipinos have very interesting creatures that lurk within their myths and legends. This great collection will dive into famous as well as lesser known tales. Enjoy!

The annotations includes:

Notes on Philippines history before and after the Spanish arrival

A great collection for those wishing to understand the Philippines on a deeper level

The lives and deeds of gods, heroes, and other mythical beings are used in Philippine mythology to attempt to explain the nature of the universe. Most of these tales were passed down by word to mouth and through traditions, and they were kept alive with the help of local elders, shamans, and spiritual leaders.

The Philippines is the only country in Southeast Asia to have been colonized by the West before the country had the chance to establish either a centralized government that rules over a big area or a dominating culture. This occurred before the country ever had the opportunity to grow.

Many of the myths and tales inside holds the key to these influences. Some spoken openly, some kept as dark secrets leaving behind only a few clues as to what happened in some villages.

For many of you who spent their youth in the Philippines listening to your parents or grandparents stories, these stories and legends will surely be a trip down memory lane. Now that you are older some may even make more sense as of course folk tales usually take its roots from lessons learned and passed down to future generations so as to be cautious and not repeat the same dangerous mistakes.

The huge collection inside will give you a great insight into the culture of the Pinoy but remember that these stories were, for the most part, recorded in notes by Americans very long ago so it will have an archaic Western eye and well as terms that may offend but if you keep going you will surely come to enjoy the tales that even a foreigner showed great interest in enough to write a book about them. This speaks volumes as to how entertaining and interesting these legends are. Also, many stories are rooted in the Spanish colonization showing their influence throughout Philippine’s history.

Here are some of the myths inside this huge collection:

(By Mabel Cook)

• Aponibolinayen and the Sun
• The Story of Gaygayoma Who Lives up Above
• The Sun and the Moon
• The Boy Who Became a Stone
• The Mistaken Gifts
• The Serpent Eagle
• How the First Head Was Taken
• Why Dogs Wag Their Tails
• And many more

By John Maurice

• The Light of the Fly
• How the World Was Made
• The Silver Shower
• When the Lilies Return
• The Passing of Loku
• And many more

By Clara Kern and others

A mix of Philippines, Visayan as well as Tagalog folk tales:

• The Monkey and the Turtle.
• How the Farmer Deceived the Demon.
• The Living Head.
• The Enchanted Ring.
• The Spider and the Fly.
• The Child Saint.
• The King, the Princess, and the Poor Boy.
• And many more.

Many of the tales inside have been out of print for many years and they are now for the first time available in audio format for your pleasure.