74: BE MY BABY | The Obando Fertility Dance

Couples from all over the world travel hundreds to thousands of miles to this small municipality in Bulacan every year, all for the hopes of begging the saints’ intercession to have a child. All you have to do is… dance?

The Obando Fertility Rites hail all the way back from pre-colonial times, enigmatically preserved by Catholic tradition. Join us as we traverse stories of summoning old harvest gods, how not one, not two, but THREE figures became crucial intercessors to Obando’s annual pilgrims, and that dark period when no one was allowed to dance for almost three decades. We need Kevin Bacon over here, stat!

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The Gods Must Be Crazy is a podcast on Philippine Mythology hosted by friends Anama Dimapilis and Ice Lacsamana, avid mythology nerds and semi-professional gossips. Follow us over at @godsmustbecrazy.pod on Instagram and Facebook for more good stuff. We welcome any suggestions on future topics or episodes. You can also join us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thegodsmustbecrazypodcast.

You can also find us on Youtube – Gods Must Be Crazy Podcast channel, where we post some of our episodes and interviews. For other inquiries, please email us at godsmustbecrazy.pod@gmail.com

The intro and outro music is by Brian O’Reilly (@dendriform on Instagram).

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Sources:

• https://www.catholicsandcultures.org/feasts-holy-days/obando-feast-three-saints-philippines

• https://obando.gov.ph/history-of-obando-bulacan/

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obando_Fertility_Rites

• OBANDO: LEGEND OF A DANCE* (Obando: Alamat ng Isang Sayaw) written by the late Rene Romulo “Director Ting” A. de los Reyes

• https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2230121/now-safe-from-hazardous-smoke-obando-set-for-three-days-of-feasts

• Rizal, Jose. Noli Me Tángere. 1887. Translated by Harold Augenbraum, Penguin Group, 2006

• https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/932911/obando-fertility-dance-sineliksik-2017-sining-kalinangan-ng-bulacan-festival-singkaban-festival-linga

• https://www.bigwas.com/2022/07/sayaw-sa-obando.html

73: CAPIZ BE WITH YOU | The Aswang Capital of the Philippines

Ever met anyone from Capiz and immediately get worried ‘coz that’s where aswang is supposedly from? Just me? Okay. But how did one province become synonymous with this particular type of monster?

After a LOOONGG break, we’re glad to be back with this gem. Join us as we take you from seafood, house design via shells, giant church bells, and colonial history to one of the most fascinating intersections of Philippine folklore and modern science. Could there be a real-life reason behind one of our country's oldest supernatural rural legends? Abangaaaannn..

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The Gods Must Be Crazy is a podcast on Philippine Mythology hosted by friends Anama Dimapilis and Ice Lacsamana, avid mythology nerds and semi-professional gossips. Follow us over at @godsmustbecrazy.pod on Instagram and Facebook for more good stuff. We welcome any suggestions on future topics or episodes. You can also join us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thegodsmustbecrazypodcast.

You can also find us on Youtube – Gods Must Be Crazy Podcast channel, where we post some of our episodes and interviews. For other inquiries, please email us at godsmustbecrazy.pod@gmail.com

The intro and outro music is by Brian O’Reilly (@dendriform on Instagram).

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Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capiz

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roxas_City

• https://www.islandlivingchannel.tv/explore-the-wonders-of-capiz/https://ditosapilipinas.com/visayas/lifestyle-features/article/02/05/2024/capiz-seafood-art-heritage/404

• https://philippinescities.com/roxas-city-capiz/

• https://www.scribd.com/document/468972775/Roxas-City-Profile-2009

• https://www.aswangproject.com/aswang-festival/

• https://villagepipol.com/aswang-festival-a-stigma-turned-into-a-festive-celebration/

• https://www.hellotravel.com/events/aswang-festival

• https://www.facebook.com/61555798857708/posts/the-aswang-festival-in-capiz-a-controversial-celebration-of-folklorethe-aswang-f/122219507942193295/

• https://www.aswangproject.com/aswang-in-capiz/

• https://www.kollectivehustle.com/blog/kapreandaswang-filipino-mythology-for-beginners

72: RAINBOW CONNECTION | Legends of the Bahag-Hari in Philippine Mythology

There’s a rainbow always after the rain–but is it always a good thing?

This episode, to cap off pride month, we cover the various myths and legends about the heavenly phenomenon: THE RAINBOW, also known as Bahag-hari.

In this episode we meet Bighari, the flower-loving daughter of Bathala who got grounded for tardiness, and a star maiden who lost her wings and learned to be happy in her mortal husband’s earthly home. We also learn why the Ibaloi think the rainbow isn’t straight, why you shouldn’t point at rainbows and how early Visayan saw it as an omen of war.

Lastly, we cover the various rainbow myths around the world, involving half-demons, godly weapons and spontaneous gender transformations.

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The Gods Must Be Crazy is a podcast on Philippine Mythology hosted by friends Anama Dimapilis and Ice Lacsamana, avid mythology nerds and semi-professional gossips. Follow us over at @godsmustbecrazy.pod on Instagram and Facebook for more good stuff. We welcome any suggestions on future topics or episodes. You can also join us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thegodsmustbecrazypodcast.

You can also find us on Youtube – Gods Must Be Crazy Podcast channel, where we post some of our episodes and interviews. For other inquiries, please email us at godsmustbecrazy.pod@gmail.com

The intro and outro music is by Brian O’Reilly (@dendriform on Instagram).

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Sources:

https://www.gmanetwork.com/entertainment/showbiznews/news/68806/alamat-ang-pag-iibigang-pinagtibay-ng-bahaghari/story

https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/ang-alamat-ng-bahagharidocx/252181196#2

https://www.aswangproject.com/rainbows-in-philippine-mythology-folklore/

https://www.aswangproject.com/biraddali/

https://www.aswangproject.com/bathalas-seven-children/

https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/nonpwdpubs/young_naturalist/earth_sciences/rainbows/index.phtml#:~:text=An%20old%20Romanian%20folktale%20claimed,changed%20into%20the%20opposite%20sex.