EPISODE 10 (PART 2): BUDJETTE TAN ON TRESE EASTER EGGS AND THE PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE OF PHILIPPINE MYTHOLOGY

In this very special episode, we talk to Budjette Tan, co-creator of Trese, a Filipino komik series turned hit Netflix show.

In Part 2, we talk about Trese Easter eggs and interesting stories behind the scenes of the hit Netflix show: what were the creators' special requests for their in-show cameos? What inspired the unholy new incarnation of the tiyanak? Who’s top-ranked so far in fan-fiction pairings in the Trese-verse?

We also get into some pretty serious topics about the past, present & future of Philippine Mythology and how this links with our own cultural identities.

For artists and fellow creators, Budjette also doles out some very insightful advice about how to get started on your art, avoiding the traps of comparison, and how all of us have a unique story only we can tell.

It’s equal parts humor, silliness, insight, and creative inspiration. We hope you enjoy!

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The Gods Must Be Crazy is a podcast on Philippine Mythology. Follow us over at @godsmustbecrazy.pod on Instagram for more good stuff, and possibly answer some burning questions after this episode such as: What does a manananggal look like? How do you cook adobo? Who is Gardo Verzosa and why do they keep thirsting after him? We also welcome any suggestions on future topics or episodes.

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

The full video can be viewed on Youtube at https://youtu.be/g6LqQH1H6YQ . Video editing & artwork by Sassy Lacsamana (@sassyey on Instagram).

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Works & Resources mentioned in the interview:

Mythspace by Paolo Chikiamco

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23570090-mythspace-volume-1

Penlab.ink

https://penlab.ink/

The Lost Journal of Alejandro Pardo: Creatures and Beasts of Philippine Folklore by Budjette Tan, David Hontiveros, Kajo Baldisimo, Bow Guerrero, Mervin Malonzo

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29771042-the-lost-journal-of-alejandro-pardo

Mga Nilalang na Kagila-gilalas by Edgar Calabias Samar

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50910256-mga-nilalang-na-kagila-gilalas

Buffy Every Generation (Kajo Baldisimo Cover)

https://shop.filbars.online/products/buffy-every-generation-1-kajo-baldisimo-exclusive-cover

Maximo Ramos

https://www.amazon.com/Maximo-D.-Ramos/e/B001JWVYUI%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

The Aswang Project

https://www.aswangproject.com/

Philippine Spirits

http://phspirits.com/

Aswang Collection (@aswangNFT)

https://www.instagram.com/aswangnft/

EPISODE 10 (PART 1): BUDJETTE TAN ON TRESE, UNDERRATED MONSTERS AND WHY WE LOVE TO BE SCARED

In this very special episode, we talk to Budjette Tan, co-creator of Trese, a Filipino komik series turned hit Netflix show.

In Part 1, we talk about Trese, talk about underrated monsters of Philippine mythology and get a sneak peek into The Lost Journal of Alejandro Pardo. What's causing the renewed interest in Philippine Myth & how can we bring it even more to the forefront of our popular culture? What's with the Filipino fascination with the gory & macabre? And could we imagine a future with brand-sponsored ghosts?

Join us for a super fun chat with Budjette as we explore this and more!

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The Gods Must Be Crazy is a podcast on Philippine Mythology. Follow us over at @godsmustbecrazy.pod on Instagram for more good stuff, and possibly answer some burning questions after this episode such as: What does a manananggal look like? How do you cook adobo? Who is Gardo Verzosa and why do they keep thirsting after him? We also welcome any suggestions on future topics or episodes.

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

The full video can be viewed on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOZvN462Wkc . Video editing & artwork by Sassy Lacsamana (@sassyey on Instagram).

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Works & Resources mentioned in the interview:

Mythspace by Paolo Chikiamco

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23570090-mythspace-volume-1

Penlab.ink

https://penlab.ink/

The Lost Journal of Alejandro Pardo: Creatures and Beasts of Philippine Folklore by Budjette Tan, David Hontiveros, Kajo Baldisimo, Bow Guerrero, Mervin Malonzo

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29771042-the-lost-journal-of-alejandro-pardo

Mga Nilalang na Kagila-gilalas by Edgar Calabias Samar

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50910256-mga-nilalang-na-kagila-gilalas

Buffy Every Generation (Kajo Baldisimo Cover)

https://shop.filbars.online/products/buffy-every-generation-1-kajo-baldisimo-exclusive-cover

Maximo Ramos

https://www.amazon.com/Maximo-D.-Ramos/e/B001JWVYUI%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

The Aswang Project

https://www.aswangproject.com/

Philippine Spirits

http://phspirits.com/

Aswang Collection (@aswangNFT)

https://www.instagram.com/aswangnft/

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Music Credits:

Title: Monkeys Spinning

Title: Sneaky Snitch

EPISODE 9: IMAGINE DRAGONS | Bakunawa (The Moon-Eating Dragon of Philippine Myth)

You’ve seen them in blockbuster movies like Shang-Chi and epic fantasy TV shows like Game of Thrones, but did you know that we have our own mythical dragons (yes, dragons plural) in Philippine Mythology? In this episode, we tackle the majestic Bakunawa and their dragon cousins around the islands.

We also learn about pre-colonial calendars, astronomy, and how our ancestors decided which month it made sense to build a house. Find out just how recently we encountered a dragon-creature’s close cousin, interesting origins of a children’s game of tag, and the very strange way a dragon expresses its love.

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The Gods Must Be Crazy is a podcast on Philippine Mythology. Follow us over at @godsmustbecrazy.pod on Instagram for more good stuff, and possibly answer some burning questions after this episode such as: What does a manananggal look like? How do you cook adobo? Who is Gardo Verzosa and why do they keep thirsting after him? We also welcome any suggestions on future topics or episodes.

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

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Sources:

References

EPISODE 8: SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES | The Kapre (Philippine Tree Giant)

Listen in as we share stories of the past AND present of the one of the Big Five monsters of Philippine myth, the Kapre.  Learn of his roots, his international connections, his vices, and why he has some special credentials that enable him to be part of the Secret Service.

Also, did you ever want to be friends with a Jason Mamoa  / David Batista (aka Bautista) - type?  Well, we’ve got tips and tricks to help you detect, befriend, and even capture a Kapre right in the comfort of your own backyard -- if you don’t mind the smell.

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Corrections:

Johnny Walker Red is indeed the cheapest Johnny Walker.

The Malacanang Balete Tree was declared a Heritage tree by late former President Noynoy Aquino. To be declared as a heritage tree, it has to be a healthy native or endemic, exotic, rare, threatened and endangered with a minimum girth of 100 cm. Also to be considered is its aesthetic, historical, cultural, social and educational significance, according to a paper prepared by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

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The Gods Must Be Crazy is a podcast on Philippine Mythology. Follow us over at @godsmustbecrazy.pod on Instagram for more good stuff, and possibly answer some burning questions after this episode such as: What does a manananggal look like? How do you cook adobo? Who is Gardo Verzosa and why do they keep thirsting after him? We also welcome any suggestions on future topics or episodes.

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

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Sources:

References

EPISODE 7: STOP RIGHT NOW, THANK YOU FAIRY MUCH | The Engkanto

Join us this episode as we lift the veil off the secret world of the Engkanto. They are known for their other-worldly beauty, their love for unsalted white rice, and their endless conquest for human hearts.

What do Chris Hemsworth, George Clooney and Edward Cullen have in common? How do you successfully fend off unwanted magical suitors? And why is everyone wasting so much rice?

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Corrections: Elrond is, indeed, half-elven. Both of his parents, Eärendil and Elwing, were half-elven, having both Men and Elves as ancestors.

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The Gods Must Be Crazy is a podcast on Philippine Mythology. Follow us over at @godsmustbecrazy.pod on Instagram for more good stuff, and possibly answer some burning questions after this episode such as: What does a manananggal look like? How do you cook adobo? Who is Gardo Verzosa and why do they keep thirsting after him? We also welcome any suggestions on future topics or episodes.

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

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Sources:

Ramos, Maximo D. Legends of the Lower Gods. Phoenix Publishing House, 1990.

Demetrio, Francisco. “The Engkanto Belief: An Essay in Interpretation.” Asian Folklore Studies, vol. 28, no. 1, 1969, pp. 77–90. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1177781.

https://mythus.fandom.com/wiki/Philippine_mythical_creatures

https://www.mangkukulam.com/folklore/364/Engkanto

https://www.aswangproject.com/the-elves-of-philippine-folklore/

http://nightskylie.blogspot.com/2017/03/tamawo.html

EPISODE 6: LET’S START AT THE VERY BEGINNING | Filipino Creation Myths

In this episode, we take a step back and look to the very beginning, to the tales of creation from all around the Philippines.  Some stories are familiar, some completely new, others, just totally gross.  One thing remains very Filipino -- there sure is a lot of drama.

Listen in to hear about the reasons why we have the moon, the stars, and why we owe the variety of our country’s races and tribes to some good old-fashioned sibling rivalry and hubris.  Also, learn why exfoliation, and not pottery, is one of the skills one needs to be a world-maker.

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Corrections:

We mistakenly attribute surfer voice to Luke Wilson, we had meant to say Owen Wilson. We also said Zeus ate his children when actually Cronus (his father) ate his children.

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The Gods Must Be Crazy is a podcast on Philippine Mythology. Follow us over at @godsmustbecrazy.pod on Instagram for more good stuff, and possibly answer some burning questions after this episode such as: What does a manananggal look like? How do you cook adobo? Who is Gardo Verzosa and why do they keep thirsting after him? We also welcome any suggestions on future topics or episodes.

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

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Sources:

https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/creation-phil.html

John Maurice Miller, Philippine Folklore Stories (Boston: Ginn and Company, 1904), pp. 57-64

Mabel Cook Cole, Philippine Folk Tales (Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1916), p. 124, pp. 139-140

Some Warnings:

As this episode involves tricksters doing tricksy deeds, we veer a bit into more sexual themes and language in this episode. Listener discretion is advised, especially around little ears! 

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In this episode, we attempt to answer the question: Is there a Filipino version of Loki? The infamous trickster of Norse Mythology (and now Marvel fame) is known for his cunning, wit and glorious misdeeds. Do we have a similar such figure in Philippine mythology or folklore?

Join us as we talk about animals trying to outsmart each other, con artists resorting to truly strange means to make a sale, and far too many dirty tales that even we thought we would encounter. More importantly, we also learn about the important role the ‘trickster’ played as a cultural figure, and the surprisingly subversive function it may have played during our periods of colonization.

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Corrections:

One of the tales mentioned in this episode incorrectly attributes the story of vagina dentata (whoops, spoiler!) to Anansi the African trickster god. This was actually a story from the Ponca tribe involving Coyote, a Native American cultural hero and trickster figure.

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The Gods Must Be Crazy is a podcast on Philippine Mythology. Follow us over at @godsmustbecrazy.pod on Instagram for more good stuff, and possibly answer some burning questions after this episode such as: What does a manananggal look like? How do you cook adobo? Who is Gardo Verzosa and why do they keep thirsting after him? We also welcome any suggestions on future topics or episodes.

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

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Sources:

Mila D. Aguilar – “Fighting the Panopticon: Filipino Trickster as Active Agency against Oppressive Structures”: http://www.mda.ph/essays/academic_work/1168.pdf 

https://mythopedia.com/norse-mythology/gods/loki/ 

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

https://www.aswangproject.com/pinoy-folkloric-tricksters/ 

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

Surprise! We are releasing TWO bonus episodes inspired by characters and themes from recent Marvel releases that we have been geeking over lately.

Today, the badass femme fatale takes center stage. Inspired by the awesome Black Widow movie that (finally) just got released, we explore: the origin of the spider and pre-colonial attitudes towards hustle culture, goddesses of war, strategy and poison, and just how much we know about basketball. (Sorry, Magic Johnson.)

Glossary (we know it’s hard to follow all the new terms sometimes!):

The Gods Must Be Crazy is a podcast on Philippine Mythology. Follow us over at @godsmustbecrazy.pod on Instagram for more good stuff, and possibly answer some burning questions after this episode such as: What does a manananggal look like? How do you cook adobo? Who is Gardo Verzosa and why do they keep thirsting after him? We also welcome any suggestions on future topics or episodes.

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

Sources:

https://www.philippinesinsider.com/myths-folklore-superstition/the-myth-about-spiders-or-%E2%80%9Cgagamba%E2%80%9D/

http://vizayanmyths.blogspot.com/2013/12/ynaguinid-and-macanduc.html

https://www.hellapinay.com/article/2016/11/23/yna-guinid-bisayan-goddess-of-war-poisons

https://www.aswangproject.com/visayan-war-gods-philippine-mythology/

In this episode, we meet the sometimes cute, mostly scary and most definitely NOT cuddly babies of Philippine mythology: the Tiyanak. These vampiric, baby-like creatures of myth give a whole other meaning to ‘the terrible twos.’

This episode, we visit the misty peaks of Mount Makiling in Laguna (a province in South Luzon). There we encounter one of the staples of Philippine legends and folklore: the beautiful mountain nymph Maria Makiling.

What do Maria Makiling and Dian Masalanta, the Tagalog Goddess of Love, have to do with each other? What is the juicy love story that led to her retreat and self-imposed seclusion in the mountains? And why should you never throw away your ginger?

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The Gods Must Be Crazy is a podcast on Philippine Mythology. Follow us over at @godsmustbecrazy.pod on Instagram for more good stuff, and possibly answer some burning question after this episode such as: What does Mt. Makiling look like? How do you cook tinola? Who is Gardo Versoza and why are they still thirsting after him in this episode? We also welcome any suggestions on future topics or episodes.

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

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Sources:

https://ztevetevans.wordpress.com/tag/dian-masalanta/

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

https://discover.hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/Maria-Makiling-and-the-Mountain-Goddesses-of-the-PhilippinesPart-1