JessicaRulestheUniverse.com

Translated into English and annotated by Benedict Anderson, Carlos Sardiña Galache and Ramon Guillermo, Ang Diablo sa Filipinas (1886) unfolds as a dialogue between Isabelo and his friend Gatmaitan. They hear that a directorcillo in Bulacan, well-known for his library, has died. (The directorcillos were the secretaries of the Spanish administrators. They handled all official documents, which made them very powerful in their towns.) Isabelo and Gatmaitan rush to the dead man’s house to ogle the local girls, enjoy the buffet at the wake, and look at the famous library. Of particular interest is the “Little Book”, said to possess magical powers.

But the Little Book manages to hide itself from the two men, and they end up passing the time by reading from the missionary chronicles they find in the library. For instance, there is Aduarte’s account of a demon that played pranks on men who went into the forest alone. This demon would bring the man some creatures who resembled women. These “women” would lure the man into some thick shrubs, where they proceeded to play pelota using him as their ball.

Read our column at InterAksyon.com.