Writing Advice #?: Have Your Characters Wash The Dishes While They Talk.

Van Gogh, Monet, Waugh, Degas; pastel touch.

yeah its advanced… advanced gayness

supreme forces of the universe.

THE BAKUNAWA

It holds the universe in its coils of void. Time rides on its back, flowing outwards in a spiral. It wishes to devour the moon and plunge the world into eternal night.

A primordial force of chaos and disorder, the Bakunawa has the power to dissolve anything. It makes itself felt in the physical world through anything that spirals - tornadoes, whirlpools, snakes biting their own tails.

IN THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER

The parched earth cracks. Sweltering air rises in ripples. The droning cicadas announce his arrival. It is almost high noon.

He is the Heat Haze Boy.

The Heat Haze Boy represents all that is hot, bright, and restless. One of the twin forces acting on the universe, those under his sway are passionate, ambitious individuals, though with a tendency to be belligerent and hyperactive.

A STORM SIGNAL, RAISED

A cold wind blows from the southwest. In the distance, rolling thunder like a drumbeat. The chattering geckoes whisper her name. Rain is coming.

She is the Monsoon Girl.

The Monsoon Girl represents all that is cold, dark and flowing. She is the counterpart of the Heat Haze Boy. Those under her sway are dedicated, patient individuals, though with a tendency to be depressive and sentimental.

Like twin siblings fighting over a toy, the two constantly wrestle for control of the universe. All of creation is caught between their tug-of-war. However, when not in conflict, the two are known to collaborate - the world and all its creatures was born from the combining of their powers.

Tagalog Gods (Part 2/10)

✦ Diyan Masalanta – Goddess of love, childbirth, and…destruction?

“They had another idol called Dian masalanta, who was the patron of lovers and of generation.”

– Juan de Plasencia’s Relation of the Worship of the Tagalogs, Their Gods, and Their Burials and Superstition (1589)

Original article posted on my blog The Pinay Writer

So there was a question on the Anito: The Precolonial Beliefs, Polytheistic Beliefs, and Practices of the Philippines group I run on FB about the goddess Dayang Masalanta, aka Dian/Diyan Masalanta. The question was, “Does her name really mean “to be destroyed there”? That’s quite the ominous name for a goddess of lovers.”

At first glance, it does seem so. Why would the name of a goddess of love and childbirth be called “to be destroyed there? To be destroyed?” It does seem a bit odd. However, you have to dig deeper into the Tagalog psyche and beliefs to get a grasp of why this possibly is. Now, let me first be clear that this is my own opinion and there is no written record stating the meaning behind the name of this goddess, nor is there anything else mentioned about her besides the small reference in Juan de Plasencia’s Relation of the Worship of the Tagalogs, Their Gods, and Their Burials and Superstition (1589).  Sadly this is the case and she isn’t mentioned anywhere else. It could be perhaps, from my guess, that she was a particular anito prayed to by a certain group of Tagalog, but she was not one well known to the entire Tagalog region compared to let’s say Lakapati who is very often mentioned in various historical sources. We will get more into this in a minute.

Now, Dian is Diyang, which means “lady”. Masalanta or Magsalanta is a Tagalog word that means “to be destroyed or devastated“. It comes from the root word, salanta, which in the Noceda and Sanlucar Vocabulario de la lengua Tagala (1754) and the San Buenaventura dictionary (1613) lists the meaning as poor, needy, crippled, and blind.

Generally, masalanta/magsalanta and nasalanta, which means “is destroyed/devastated“, is used when there is a calamity, such as a typhoon and flood. It can also be translated as victimized, damaged, and crippled and basically means someone who has misfortune or will have misfortune.

So, again, why would the goddess of love and childbirth be called Dayang Masalanta, or “Lady of destruction/devastation?”

The word salanta in the Vocabulario de la Lengua Tagala by Noceda and Sanlucar the 1860 edition

Being the goddess of lovers and childbirth, it is quite possible that Dayang Masalanta was prayed to by couples who were not able to conceive a child. This was and still is, considered devastating and could be thought to be caused by angered anito. They may have prayed to her for a child, or a woman may have prayed to her for a safe delivery and a healthy baby. It can also be that she was prayed and honored to prevent bad weather such as a typhoon, along with being the goddess of love and childbirth.

Weather? Where does this come from you may ask? Besides the indication of her name, let’s take a look to the present at a ritual that is said to have survived despite colonization and the church. This ritual that I am talking about is the Obando Fertility Rite in Obando, Bulacan, which was celebrated just recently.

The Obando Fertility Rite is said to predate the arrival of the Spaniards. It is a 3 day festival from May 17-19 that is celebrated every year by hundreds of people and attended by couples coming from throughout the Philippines looking to be blessed with a child and for lovers to find love. It is believed that the ritual was once dedicated to the anito and was replaced by the saints. While the saints and Catholicism have taken over the ritual, there are elements of the older practices still there.

Newspaper clipping from Philippine Daily Inquirer on May 19, 2005

There are 3 saints prayed to and honored during this 3 day festival. May 17 is celebrated to San Pascual Baylon, the patron saint of good fortune. May 18 is dedicated to Santa Clara, the patron saint of the childless and of good weather. May 19 is in celebration of Our Lady of Salambao, the patron saint of farmers and fisherman for a good harvest. Together they are prayed to for fertility, whether it’s of a childless couple hoping for a child, a woman praying for a safe pregnancy, for those who are single to find a lover, and of fisherman and farmers wishing for an abundance of harvest of crops and fish.

One Saint in particular that is prayed to is Santa Clara, or Saint Clare of Assissi. She was a nun from Italy during the 13th century that established the Order of Poor Ladies, officially known as the Order of Saint Clare. In the Obando festival, she is the oldest patron saint and is considered the patron saint of those who are childless and want a child. To her they danced, sang, and offered eggs as symbols of fertility. This fertility dance is said to be the Kasilonawan, an old fertility dance among barren women. Kasilonawan is actually mentioned in the N&S dictionary (1754) as an ancient ceremony, however it doesn’t get into more detail.

The kasilonawan ritual mentioned in the Vocabulario de la Lengua Tagala by Noceda and Sanlucar the 1754 edition as casilonawan in the old Spanish spelling where f is exchanged with s, and v, with w

Now many Pilipinos, especially soon to be wed couples, offer eggs to Santa Clara. They do this not only as offerings of fertility, but also to ask for good weather. It is said she is the the patron saint for good weather because of her name, Clara, which means “clear”. Clara is also the word referring to the white part of the egg. This is mentioned in the entries for the words liwanag and puti in both the SB and N&S dictionaries.

From the Vocabulario de la Lengua Tagala by Noceda and Sanlucar the 1860 edition

“Niyong ako’y magmula sa Kastila y itlog ka pa man din sa tiyan nang ina mo.” = When I arrived from Spain, you were still an egg in your mother’s belly. – (SB 1613)

This idea of eggs representing a fetus and of fertility is why eggs are offered to Santa Clara as a symbolic gesture from women who are having a hard time conceiving in the hopes they will have a child. Together with the ritual dance and chants, they hope to overcome this and be blessed with pregnancy.

Let’s now get back to Dayang Masalanta. We know from Plasencia that she was the goddess of lovers and childbirth. From her name, we have Masalanta referring to destruction/devastation in terms of a natural calamity like a flood. Now, is it possible that one of the anito that the people of Obando once worshiped and prayed to in these fertility rites was none other than Dayang Masalanta? That due to the arrival of Catholicism, the shift from the anito to the saints made the locals refer Dayang Masalanta as Santa Clara?

Both represent childbirth and both have a connection with the weather. Santa Clara being prayed to for clear skies and good weather, while Dayang Masalanta in her name represents a word that foretells misfortune from bad weather and we know she was the goddess of lovers and childbirth. This association of good weather and blessing couples with a child with Santa Clara isn’t practiced anywhere else in the world. In fact the only associations with Santa Clara, aka St. Clare of Assissi, is that she is the patron saint of eye disease, goldsmiths, laundry, and television according to the Catholic Church. So why would the Tagalog associate her with praying for good weather, fertility, and a blessing of a child among childless couples? I explained that they associate the weather because of her name, Clara, but again eggs? What does eggs have to do with praying for good weather? Fertility yes, but I still don’t see the connection between eggs and good weather unless this was because of a something else in the old Tagalog mindset and belief.

There is also the prayer of finding a loving partner if you attend the Obando Fertility Festival. Maybe, just possibly, Dayang Masalanta was once prayed to for love, conception, fortune, and good weather and that she was once the focus of the Obando Fertility Rite among other anito? The other anito which I suspect are Linga, a phallic god, who is often mentioned today to be associated with the rites, and Lakan Pati a fertility deity who was once prayed to for a fertile harvest and also to provide for water for crops. They were also prayed to for an abundance of fish when fishing at sea, according to the Boxer Codex, which again goes along with the Obando Fertility rites of praying for fertility and an abundance harvest of crops and fish.

For me, this is quite the possibility. However, again I must clearly state and emphasize that there is no historical written evidence to connect Dayang Masalanta with the Obando Fertility Rites, Santa Clara, or even her being worshiped for clear, fair weather. One can only assume based on her name, what we know of her from Plasencia, and what we know today of the fertility rites in Obando.

What do you think? Do you think Santa Clara was once Dayang Masalanta? Why else do you think her name is Masalanta when she is the goddess of lovers and childbirth? Let me know, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Illustration Credits from Photoset:

First Illustration (2nd photo): By Kian @morenangmariaclara. 

Second Illustration (3rd photo): By Abby @abbydraws

how fortunately i met you.

So, India is dying.

Look, I know a good number of you are from the US and things aren't amazing there either, but my country is literally on the brink of collapse. So I'd love it if we could talk about that for a minute.

If you can't do anything else, please just read and reblog.

A second COVID wave has taken out the healthcare system. There are no more hospital beds. There's an oxygen shortage. There's a critical vaccine shortage. The Central Government has thrown its hands up and is passing the baton to the State Governments to do what they can.

There are over 16 million covid cases. A record 330,000 new cases reported yesterday - comparable to the US at its peak. 187,000 dead as of today.

There is no plan.

Mass cremations are taking place. The cremation grounds are running day and night and they are short on wood. People are watching their loved ones die while waiting for a hospital bed, and then they're unable to give them the proper burial rights.

Hospitals are overwhelmed. Patients are being confined, two to a bed. They're the lucky ones.

We are on the verge of people dying in the streets.

This is the second-most populous country in the world. The largest democracy. A country that encapsulates over 15,000 years of recorded human history and has endured everything from famine to invasion to colonisation.

We might be at the end. This might be the thing that does us in.

People are dying.

People are dying.

People are dying and there is no plan.

More good news? Variants are popping up. A double mutation strain has shown up. It is resistant to current vaccines. This will not go away. This is the devastation they warned of when the anti-maskers were out protesting the minor inconvenience of covering their face in public.

My country is on the verge of an emergency state. Our government has failed us. This is as dire a situation as it ever could be.

Look. I don't do much with my life. I write fics, some of you have read them and that's pretty much it. I spend my days with my head in the clouds because that's where I like to be.

But two days ago, my grandmother tested positive, had to be taken to hospital and the ambulance caught fire.

She barely made it to the urgent care she needs.

So, here I am, using whatever meager platform I have to cobble this request together. Because I have to do something.

If you can, donate.

Or spread the word.

Help. Please.

OKAY BUT I JUST GOOGLE TRESE AND IT LOOKS SO COOL??? AND IT'S ON NETFLIX?? HOLY FUCK

-silently adds to my ever growing watch later list-

ALLOW ME TO SHOW U SOMETHING EVEN COOLER:

on the boards: "SIYUDAD NAMIN ITO," "LAYAS"

translation: "THIS IS OUR CITY, "GO AWAY"

these are REAL billboards in the philippines, and they weren't...........vandalized before

.......they're afraid of her.

Another Bakunawa drawing! I wanted to change up my artstyle and I really liked this

Ask Game: A–Z of Character Relationships/Social Behaviors

A. Affection: How does your OC express affection to the people they love?

B. Best: Does your OC have a “best friend?” If so, who, and what makes this relationship special?

C. Cute: What is something your OC finds cute/endearing about another character?

D. Death: Has anyone your OC loved ever died? If so, how did this impact them? Is there anyone your OC would be willing to die to save? Explain.

E. Easygoing: When with other people, does your OC tend to go with the flow, or be the leader? Why? Are there any people they behave differently around?

F. Forgiveness: Has your OC ever been betrayed by someone they trusted? If so, who? Did they forgive this person?

G. Gift: If your OC received a gift they didn’t like from a loved one, how would they react? What would they do with the gift?

H. Help: When someone your OC loves has a problem, how does your OC try to help them? Do they prefer to comfort, offer advice, or fix the problem? Would your OC go out of their way to help a stranger?

I. Irritating: What is something your OC finds annoying about another character?

J. Joke: Does your OC tend to tease and banter with their friends, or are they more serious/straightforward?

K. Kickback: Your OC is given the chance to have (their version of) the perfect day, but they have to bring someone else with them. Who do they choose, and what do they spend the day doing?

L. Loyalty: Is your OC more loyal to their family, their friends, or a mix of both? Why?

M. Mine: Is your OC comfortable taking things from their loved ones? (Do they snatch fries off their friend’s plate? Rummage through their sibling’s clothes?)

N. Nemesis: Does your character have a “worst enemy?” If so, who, and why? Could their relationship with this person be improved?

O. Outcast: Does your OC tend to get along with other people? How many close relationships do they have, compared to the average person?

P. Protect: Does your OC tend to protect other people, or are they the one who is protected?

Q. Qualified: Does your OC follow through on their promises? Do other characters consider them responsible/trustworthy?

R. Regret: Has your OC ever betrayed someone who trusted them? If so, who? Do they regret it?

S. Secret: What is something your OC wishes they could tell another character?

T. Three: Would your OC rather be given a hug, a compliment, or a bouquet of flowers?

U. Union: Is your OC interested in romantic relationships? If so, do they have a romantic partner? A crush? How is that working out for them?

V. Viewpoint: How often does your OC notice things they like/dislike about strangers? Do they perceive other people in a more positive, critical, or neutral way?

W. Wish: If your OC could make a wish on behalf of another person, who would they choose, and what would they wish for?

X. X-out: How much would your OC sacrifice to make a loved one happy? Would they do something embarrassing? Would they give up a vacation they really wanted to go on?

Y. Yearbook: What is your OC’s happiest memory with another character?

Z. Zoo: Does your OC have any animal companions? If so, explain.

Luyong Baybay, A Philippine goddess who was in love with the moon. Her name means “She who was born from the waves”.