39: SHORT KINGS | The Duwende & Nuno sa Punso (Philippine Dwarfs or Earth Goblins)

We love our short kings.

In this two-part feature, we finally get to cover the much-requested duwende and nuno sa punso, or the dwarfs & earth goblins of Philippine folklore. Known as guardians of the earth and its liminal spaces, their diminutive stature does not take away from the fear & respect they can inspire.

Join us as we cover tales of unwanted courtship, when the best time is to get hot gossip, how J.R.R. Tolkien influenced the correct pluralization of “dwarf,” and what type of food to offer to appease these creatures.

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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 [email protected]

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

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References:

The Creatures of of the Philippine Lower Mythology by Maximo D. Ramos (1990)

The Creatures of Midnight by Maximo D. Ramos (1990)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duende