Ghouls of Filipino folklore 'show up' for Halloween
MANILA, Philippines – It's the time for costume parties, scary decorations, horror movies, and trick-or-treats around the neighborhood.
When it comes to costume parties, which are usually organized for kids (but, yes, there are adult costume parties, too, sometimes in the form of masquerades, where scary looking and bubbling cocktails and mocktails are served, too!). In such parties, costumes more often than not revolve around superheroes and ghosts cloaked in white sheets, dead people all bandaged in white plaster, witches with pointed noses, Frankensteins, Freddie Kruegers, Chuckie dolls, Lord Voldemorts and Harry Potters.
As for scary decorations which restaurants, shopping malls, and other commercial establishments put up for Halloween, they usually work around spider webs and giant spiders, bats, witches and their steaming potions in cauldrons, Jack-o-Lanterns and plain big pumpkins, decorative small pumpkins, and candles lit against dark backdrops.
Horror movies? People simply love to scare themselves, paying for tickets to watch horror films in theaters and devouring them on TV as well. Even multi-awarded journalist Jessica Soho has made it a tradition to come up with a “Gabi ng Lagim” Halloween episode on "Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho" (KMJS) yearly, even spinning off a movie version of it last year.
When it comes to trick-or-treats and Halloween-themed goodies, this is where it gets really interesting because all scary characters, be they of global appeal or lesser known creatures from local folklore, "come alive” on edible canvasses, such as cakes, cookies, pastries. Promise not to let them out to freely roam, but not until you’ve met the ghouls of Filipino folklore, which has inspired the Halloween offerings of Masa Madre Bakehouse this year:
Manananggal refers to a woman who can separate her upper body from her lower body. When it is time to hunt for “food,” her body separates, with her upper body growing bat-like wings, and she flies off to do so, leaving her lower body, with all its innards exposed, on the ground until she returns.
Mangkukulam is a witch who is traditionally believed to use spells, charms and rituals.
Kapre is a very large, dark, hairy humanoid being associated with large old trees, particularly the vine-rich balete tree, and it smokes cigar like crazy.
Tiktik is portrayed as a frightening aswang-like creature with a long, protruding tongue. It goes hunting or attacking people at night.
Balbal is a frightening creature associated with dead bodies and nighttime attacks. It loves to steal and consume corpses.
Undin was portrayed in the movie "Shake, Rattle and Roll" as a water-dwelling creature or water nymph living in a lake. It is a strange, amphibious-looking monster.
Bakunawa is a gigantic serpent or dragon-like creature associated with the moon and lunar eclipses. Stories describe it as wanting to swallow or devour the moon above.
Amaranhig, also called Amalanhig or Maranhig, it is a Visayan mythological undead creature who is the Filipino version of a zombie.
Daligmata is a supernatural or magical gaze or eye that enchants people.
Bungisngis is a giant-like creature associated with Negros in commonly cited accounts in Philippine folklore as a one-eyed, hairy, and constantly laughing creature. Thus, it goes by this name.
Sarangay is a creature in Philippine mythology associated with Mindanao traditions. It looks like a bull-like humanoid creature with a muscular body and a valuable jewel associated with its forehead.
Masa Madre Bakehouse turned these ghouls of Filipino folklore into three delicious breads and six delightful cookies in its Guni-Guni: Nightmare of Filipino Folklore Halloween offerings this year.
The three breads are Mangkukulam (hazelnut praline croissant, shaped into a witch’s hat, with cereal cream filling), Manananggal (a lower half body skirt filled with matcha raspberry), and Kapre (a big smoked bacon and brownie pain “cigar”).
The six cookies are Daligmata (banana cookie with hazelnut nocciola), Balbal (black sesame cookie with almond), Amaranhig (espresso cookie with cappuccino topping), Bungisngis (hazelnut cookie with kataifi), Sarangay (cookie topped with candies and chocolate), and Bangungot (bacon gochujang cookie that looks like a pumpkin).
The term “bangungot” refers to a frightening death during sleep, which medical science acknowledges as having a medical explanation instead of supernatural beliefs. These Halloween goodies are available at its branch in Cocolight Building in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig until November 11.
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