CSI defines ‘aswang’
Budj alerted us to a CSI episode in which Langston refers to a monster out of Philippine mythology.
In the first place it’s pronounced asWANG, not ASSwang. At least he didn’t attempt “manananggal”.
I learned my Philippine mythology not from my folks, other kids, or yaya (Hala ka kung hindi mo uubusin yan, kukunin ka ng aswang), but from a copy of Maximo D. Ramos’s Creatures of Lower Philippine Mythology that I found lying around the house one day. Aswang and their ilk were called ‘viscera-eating monsters’. That book disappeared, or maybe my mom returned it to their school library. I’ve been looking for a copy forever.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
October 25th, 2010 at 12:30
The book “Creatures of Lower Philippine Mythology”, it seems, are more visible in school libraries. The first time I saw a copy of this book was in the late 90’s at my high school library.(Would you believe there are 3 types of mermaids? One lives in fresh water) Though, in mid-2000’s (00’s ? whatever) I did see copies of it sold in National Bookstore in Cebu. But they quickly vanished.
October 25th, 2010 at 12:34
Aaack… grammatical error.
I meant “Copies of the book etc etc”
October 25th, 2010 at 12:37
the chronicler of boredom: We know you’ve already signed the pledge, but could you round up some lawyers for the reading campaign? We have a photo shoot with Harry scheduled and we don’t want to tell him that the Jock With A Book feature has been discontinued because we couldn’t get 300 people to sign up.
October 25th, 2010 at 13:11
That is so low, using Harry as bait.
Well, most of them are out there in the field raking in money from barangay electoral candidates and screaming at the members of the electoral boards. They will not be available for comment until the day after tomorrow. Way beyond your 5 o’clock deadline.
But let me make this call to my brothers and sistahs just in case some of them are lurking in the shadows, who like me, are forbidden by law or prior engagements, from cashing in on our holiest of days:
Aking Mga Kapatid,
Natatandaan pa ba ninyo ang unang araw ng inyong pag-aral ng abogasiya? Ang unang tanong na pumasok sa inyong isipan ay hindi: “Ano ba ang batas-politikal?”, kundi: “Nasaan ang mga kaaya-ayang lalaki?”
Maraming taon ang ginugol natin sa pagbabasa ng makakapal na aklat at libo-libong kopya ng mga desisyon ng Korte Suprema at wala pa rin tayong nahagilap. Sa silid-aklatan, sa silid-aralan, sa pilahan ng photocopying machines, at sa mga “inter-law school chuvahness” . Wala. At nang tayo ay nanumpa, aminin ninyo na kahit kinalap ninyo ang kasuloksulokan ng PICC, wala pa rin. Si Midas Marquez lang yata ang sabay nating hinahangaan.
Ngayon, ito na ang ating pagkakataon. Sanay tayong magbasa. Para lang tayong humihinga. Di ba para na ring biyaya na ginagawa lang natin ang dati nating ginagawa at binibigyan tayo ng gantimpala? Ano pa ba ang hihilingin natin? Kaya aking Mga Kagalang-galang na mga Kapatid at Tanyag na Mga Taga-Pagsilbi ng Batas, hinihikayat ko kayong umahon sa dilim at anino at manumpa kayo rito. Abot kamay na natin ang ating inaasam.
(Jessica, don’t you ever reveal who I am. I might get disbarred for this. Hahaha!)
October 25th, 2010 at 13:17
the chronicler of boredom: I am only doing what a famous lawyer (Machiavelli) would’ve done. If he’d blogged. He worked for the Medicis and you know how they felt about reading. Thanks!
October 25th, 2010 at 13:20
Shall I post my Pananawagan under your “Now You’re Addicted” post as well?
October 25th, 2010 at 13:24
the chronicler of boredom: Yes, please! If we make 300 I’ll email you a preview of the next photos before I post them. (Haha more bait. At this rate, not likely to happen.)
October 25th, 2010 at 13:27
We can only hope. It wasn’t put in Pandora’s box for nothing.
October 25th, 2010 at 14:29
The researcher for this episode needs to be pinched on the groin FOR NOT READING correctly about Philippine mythological creatures!!!
GRRR!!! Where are those darn pledges when you need them! T_T
October 25th, 2010 at 15:06
Harry is in the Philippines? ^Nagmamaangmaangan.
Saan ko ba kailangang pumirmi, sa Megamall, sa Rockwell, sa Serendra?!
I have a friend studying in UP Law. Sabi niya, there should be a law requires stalkees to acknowledge their stalkers. Kuhrayzeh.
October 25th, 2010 at 15:18
ifrico: Not enough pledges, no sharing. This is a war, must marshal all our resources.
October 25th, 2010 at 17:20
The Rizal Library in Ateneo has a copy of the book and I used it for my English 12 paper. I was in my New-Age-Demons-and-Magic-Jung-and-Golden-Bough phase then. I can only recall now that my paper was something about the supernatural in the collective (un)conscious of the Filipinos. Nagpapaka-heavy-and-deep stuff.
October 25th, 2010 at 23:41
I have read this book too when I was in gradeschool… I borrowed it from the local museum and I was tempted to keep it for myself. I returned it though, and that might have been the biggest mistake I ever made. I cannot find it anywhere. If not for your post I wouldn’t have remembered the title.
October 26th, 2010 at 14:04
Larry Fishburne learned about aswang in Pagsanjan during the shooting of Apocalypse Now. He was 17 years old at the time and was chaperoned by his mother.