Agimat From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An agimat , intended to be worn with a necklace. Filipino word word for amulet or charm charm..[1] Although stereotyped as a Agimat or bertud or anng-anng, is a Filipino cross, a at, round or triangular t riangular golden pendant accompanying accompanying a necklace or a necklacelike item, it is also depicted as an enchanted stone that came from the sky or from the heart of a banana tree at midnight !mutya". #n rela$on to the la%er, la%er, it is usually ingested. #t is usually accompanied by a small book of magic incanta$ons which must be read during &ood Friday or a certain special date to a%ain the amulet's full power and bene(t. An agimat could also be in the form of a clothing with magic words inscribed on it, or e)en in the form of edible enchanted mud !in *agalog, *agalog, mud is puk ". ".[+] ther methods of obtaining an agimat is by ge-ng the liuid that is drained from an e/humed body of an unbap$0ed child or aborted fetus or oering food and drinks to t he spirits in a c emetery during midnight of 2oly Wednesday or 2oly *hursday. [3] 4ost of the amulets bear 5a$n inscrip$ons into it, and most of the places these Agimat are sold near churches or on its courtyard or in the market near the church, like in 6uiapo district in 4anila. Filipino (ghters also wore an$ngan$ng to ba%le against the 7paniards and the Americans. Filipino hero4acario hero 4acario 7akay wore a )est that has religious images and 5a$n phrases to protect him from bullets. [8] Former 9hilippine9resident 9hilippine9resident Ferdinand 4arcos, 4arcos, was gi)en an annganng by ®orio Aglipay that could make 4arcos in)isible.[:] 4arcos said that the agimat is a sli)er of
wood that was inserted into his back before the ;ataan campaign on 1<8+.[=] An$ngan$ng is also a Filipino system of magic and sorcery with special use of the abo)e men$oned talismans, amulets and charms. #t is part of a wider 7outh>ast Asian tradi$on of tribal ?ewelry, as @an$ng@ in 4alaysian means 'to hang', and @an$ngan$ng@ in a)anese means 'ear pendant'. >arliest reports of an$ngan$ng are from the records of 7panish priests in the early colonial period. 9ardo de *a)era de(nes *a)era de(nes the an$ngan$ng as @an amulet, of super natural power, power, that sa)es li)es.@ With the Bhris$ani0a$on Bhris$ani0a$on of the 9hilippines, an$ngan$ng appropriated appropriated the forms of the new religion, and incorporated incorporated as well the esoteric e soteric symbolisms of Freemasonry. Freemasonry. An #slamic )ersion of an$ngan$ng e/ists in the 7outhern 4uslim islands. [+] #n Filipino (lms, the wearer of the agimat gains superhuman strength, in)isibility, in)isibility, heightened senses, selfhealing and elemental powers. With it, the person can also be able to shoot or (re lightning )ia hands, or generate electricity throughout one's body. *he person can also perform telekinesis , stop a li)e bullet, can ha)e premoni$ons, morphing abili$es, camouage abili$es like a chameleon, can ha)e e/treme good luck, in)incibility or miracle cura$)e powers. #n his Filipino (lms, the actor Camon Ce)illa,
7r.., as Nardong Puk , was depicted to ha)e protec$on from bullets and slash wounds, pro)ided he eats a 7r certain special mud.[D] Also, the agimat has been featured featured in one of 5ola ;asyang's stories, starring a cowardly man who thinks that his lo)e ri)al has an enchanted agimat that gi)es him incredible bra)ery. bra)ery. *he man is cour$ng a woman, so he summons a wise man. *he coward is instructed but he is purely afraid, so he ne)er gets the agimat.
h%pEen.wikipedia.orgwikiAgimat
The anng-anng, the Philippine amulet, is an essenal part of the Filipino folk credo and mythological makeup.
Although it has undergone an e)olu$on of conte/t, commerce and use, the an$ngan$ng s$ll (gures hea)ily in the daily li)es of rural folk. 7teeped in myth and religion, the an$ng links to his belief in the soul and his ideas on leadership, power, na$onalism and re)olu$on, and contributes a fascina$ng facet to the comple/ rural psyche. Its mythological roots precede Spanish coloniaon and !atholicism. "ong before the Spaniards came, the na#es $orshipped their ancestral anitos and a host of gods, and among the Tagalogs, Bathala%In&nito 'ios( reigned supreme. This ancestral spirituality laid the rudiments for the anng)s body of beliefs and its #ariety of po$ers. !enturies of colonial !atholicism further pro#ided many esoteric and pagan elements, incorporang religious icons and concepts * the +oly Spirit %Ispiritu Santo(, Santo (, +oly Trinity %Sansima %Sansima Trinidad(, Trinidad(, +oly Family %Sagrada %Sagrada Familia(, Familia(, irgin other %irgen %irgen adre(, adre (, the ye, and many more *into the credo of anng-anng. In its re#oluons and $ars, in the recurrent recurrent struggles of the poor and marginalied against the in#aders in#aders and coloniers, in the con/icts and skirmishes against the rich oppressors, oppressors, the anng-anng has been the essenal part of the Filipino ba0le gear, fueled by the belief that its spiritual and magical po$ers $ill pro#ide in#incibility, in#incibility, protecon or the edge that $ould shi1 the imbalances of po$er into parity. To the millenarians of ount 2anaha$ and the other sociees, brotherhoods and religious cults, theIn&nito theIn&nito 'ios %2athala(, 'ios %2athala(, the ancient Tagalog 3od, is the most po$erful. The Infnito Dios $as used as amulet, dra$n on #ests $orn to de/ect the bullets from the in#ading American forces.
7r.., as Nardong Puk , was depicted to ha)e protec$on from bullets and slash wounds, pro)ided he eats a 7r certain special mud.[D] Also, the agimat has been featured featured in one of 5ola ;asyang's stories, starring a cowardly man who thinks that his lo)e ri)al has an enchanted agimat that gi)es him incredible bra)ery. bra)ery. *he man is cour$ng a woman, so he summons a wise man. *he coward is instructed but he is purely afraid, so he ne)er gets the agimat.
h%pEen.wikipedia.orgwikiAgimat
The anng-anng, the Philippine amulet, is an essenal part of the Filipino folk credo and mythological makeup.
Although it has undergone an e)olu$on of conte/t, commerce and use, the an$ngan$ng s$ll (gures hea)ily in the daily li)es of rural folk. 7teeped in myth and religion, the an$ng links to his belief in the soul and his ideas on leadership, power, na$onalism and re)olu$on, and contributes a fascina$ng facet to the comple/ rural psyche. Its mythological roots precede Spanish coloniaon and !atholicism. "ong before the Spaniards came, the na#es $orshipped their ancestral anitos and a host of gods, and among the Tagalogs, Bathala%In&nito 'ios( reigned supreme. This ancestral spirituality laid the rudiments for the anng)s body of beliefs and its #ariety of po$ers. !enturies of colonial !atholicism further pro#ided many esoteric and pagan elements, incorporang religious icons and concepts * the +oly Spirit %Ispiritu Santo(, Santo (, +oly Trinity %Sansima %Sansima Trinidad(, Trinidad(, +oly Family %Sagrada %Sagrada Familia(, Familia(, irgin other %irgen %irgen adre(, adre (, the ye, and many more *into the credo of anng-anng. In its re#oluons and $ars, in the recurrent recurrent struggles of the poor and marginalied against the in#aders in#aders and coloniers, in the con/icts and skirmishes against the rich oppressors, oppressors, the anng-anng has been the essenal part of the Filipino ba0le gear, fueled by the belief that its spiritual and magical po$ers $ill pro#ide in#incibility, in#incibility, protecon or the edge that $ould shi1 the imbalances of po$er into parity. To the millenarians of ount 2anaha$ and the other sociees, brotherhoods and religious cults, theIn&nito theIn&nito 'ios %2athala(, 'ios %2athala(, the ancient Tagalog 3od, is the most po$erful. The Infnito Dios $as used as amulet, dra$n on #ests $orn to de/ect the bullets from the in#ading American forces.
T+ +IST45I!A" !AST 2istory records the use of @;athala,@ drawn on )ests or worn as amulets, to defy and ward o the bullets of coloni0ers. coloni0ers. Guring the 1H<= 9hilippine Ce)olu$on Ce)olu$on against 7pain, milio Aguinaldo used the an$ngan$ng Sansima Trinidad , the Ia$punan 7upremo Andres 2onifacio carried an amulet calledSanago de Galicia / Birhen del Pilar , while 3eneral Antonio "una used theVirgen Madre. 4ost Ia$punan )eterans were known to ha)e an$ngan$ngs and were some$mes called @men of an$ng an$ng.@
*hen there is anuelito, the great *ulisan, *ulisan, who repeatedly escaped the sprays of bullets from the frustrated &uardia Bi)il, his legend brought to an end by a sil)er bullet from a 4acabebe. A cast of characters of ues$onable repute rides the historical horse, their an$ngan$ng stories told and retold, aggrandi0ed and embroidered into apocryphaE 6ardong Puk, Tiagong Akyat, 3regorio Aglipay, to name a few. #n a more recent e)ent, 4ay +1, 1<=D, demanding reforms from the 4arcos go)ernment, members of the insurgent 5apiang 4alaya, a religiopoli$cal society, society, led by the H=yr H =yr old ;icolanoalenn 7Tatang7 de los Santos , armed with w ith sacred machetes !bolos", @bulletdefying@ @bulletdefying@ uniforms and an$ngan$ngs, thinking themsel)es imper)ious to harm, marched against the military's superior weaponry. weaponry. f course, the rebels were summarily wiped out.
#n the 9hilippines, an$ngan$ng is allinclusi)e. 7ome places refer to it asagimat, bertud, or galing. Jen, it is referred to simply asE @An$ng.@ May anng iyan. . . . Malaka Malakass ang anng. #n its most popular and raciones !oracion, orasyon" orasyon" are short pray prayers ers used to empower generic form, the the anng an$ng. *he pamako !crucify" is meant to paraly0e paraly0e the an$ngan$ng is an opponent. *he tagaulag!blind" can make one in)isible to the amulet, inscripted or enemy. !aal at kunat can can make one in)ulnerable to bolo cuts. engra)ed, worn as a *he tagali"ascan cause bullets to deect. neckpiece. ;ut it e/ists in many other forms. #t could be a prayer prayer !orasyon" in short esoteric combina$ons of collouial and 5a$n mumbo ?umbos, wri%en in a piece of paper, paper, folded and walleted, walleted, or sewn in a small cloth pouch, worn worn pinned, e/posed or hidden from )iew. r, r, #t could be a small stone, a crocodile tooth or a piece of dried fruit, the la%er sewn in a pouch. f the commercial an$ngan$ngs, the most popular is the one used for e/orcism of the nakulam orna-engkanto !he/ed or bewitched". *hen there are those used as gayuma !lo)e charms", one of which is the @soJ@ an$ng "malambot na anng" K to which is a%ributed the holder's easy ways with women. *here are anngs for business and good fortune, for tra)el, passing e/ams and easy childbirths. *here are amulets to protect against physical dangersK snakes, (res, accidents, ambushes and bulletsL amulets to protect against e)il spiritsKnuno sa punso, black dwarfs, $kbalangs !halfman halfhorse creatures", and other elementals. And there is the macabre and ghoulish anng, the powers obtained and sustained from regular drinking of shots of lambanog drawn from a large glass container !baMga" with an alcoholpreser)ed aborted fetus at the bo%om.
mpo$ering and 5echargings 5ituals 9art of the an$ng's mys$ue in)ol)es the user. *o be eec$)e the an$ng's powers are e/pected to be absorbed by the possessor N to be one with the user. *he an$ngan$ng credo reuires of him a life li)ed with measures of asce$cism N self discipline, euanimity, spirituality. Alas, these are diOcult reuisites for many an$ng users N with li)es gi)en to indulgences and tempta$ons. And when life deli)ers doses of misfortunes and maladies, anng de)otees may look upon these e)ents as failures of the an$ng to deli)er its protec$)e powers N signaling a $me for cleansing, renewal and recharging. *he opportune $me 2oly week, for an$ngan$ng on &ood Friday, empowerment or H 'clock in the e)ening, renewal is 2oly Week in a cemetery. N especially eight o'clock in a cemetery on &ood Friday, the best $me for an$ngs to be granted its special powers or to be renewed. *he empowerment and renewal ritual is rich in concoc$ons of prayers and incanta$ons, either whispered !bulong" or wri%en !oracion". in a language potpourri of pig5a$n and rural patois. n &ood Fridays, an$ngan$ng holders gather to test and demonstrate their powers and in)incibility. rasyons !oraciones" (gure hea)ily in these ritualsE the kaal at kunat oracion for sur)i)ing bloodless bolo hacks, the tagali"as to cause bullets to deect, the pamako to paraly0e and the tagaulag to blind the enemy. Awed witnesses are ne)er lacking for these demonstra$ons of an$ngpower. 4any healers and albularyos are belie)ed to be in the possession of some form of an$ngan$ng. *he possession of such makes it more likely that the healer's use of prayers, either as bulongs or orasyons, common in many indigenous healing modali$es, will be more eec$)e in helping to bring about a cure. S824 *he e/treme in anng esoteria is the @subo@ K literally, @to take by mouth@ and swallow. 7ome belie)e this anng-anng to be an empowerment an essence that resides within the holder. Although most anngs are buried with its owners, the @subo@ is transferred from genera$onto genera$on to blood kin, usually to the eldest of the sonsL occasionally it is passed on to a non rela$)e @chosenone.@ *he process of transfer from the holder of the subo occurs close to the moment of death. *he chosen heir to the an$ng, aware of this inheritance, stays close to death's bedside. *he subo , commonly materiali0ing as a pelletlike mucoid globule, is coughed up into the recei)er's hands or picked up and immediately taken and swallowed. A delay or hesita$on in its inges$on would cause this 'globule' to ?ust )anish and fore)er be lost. Cural mainstream, cul$st appeals and urban fringe. *he an$ng is as an essen$al component of Filipino folklore and supers$$on, hea)ily steeped in religiosity, prayers and faith. #t is s$ll at the )ery core of some segments of 9hilippine life and culture, especially so for the uneducated and marginali0ed poor in the pro)inces. For some, #t con$nuous to be a de(ning inuence on the decisions and risks of daytoday life. *he mythology is kept ali)e and grows with e)ery story that tells of an an$ng holder escaping from the throes of certain death, sur)i)ing an accident, a death defying act or a hail of assassin's bullets. #ne)itably, it is whispered in aweE #ng lakas ng dalang anng$
#t is a common accessory of the rural folk, a chic accouterment to some of the urbanburgis, hidden or in )iew, with the hope fer)ent for its protec$)e powers against illness, physical harm, e)il spirits and witchcraJ.
A Friday )isit to that part of the 6uiapo market that collars the church will (nd a profusion of stalls selling herb and po$ons, all colors of witchcraJ candles, rosaries, statues and icons, and of course, generic and @commercialgrade@ an$ngan$ngs in a di00ying array of shapes and si0es, cabalis$c inscrip$ons and icon engra)ings, for whate)er protec$)e need you can imagine. 2ut be$are, don)t try it $ith bolo hacks.
h%pEwww.stuart/change.orgAn$ngAn$ng.html An$ngAn$ng
An$ngAn$ng !9icture from ![1]". Ang Anng-Anng ay isang talisman na pinaniniwalaang naglalaman ng kakaibang kapangyarihan. Iaraniwan na sa paniniwala ng mga katutubo na ito ay nagbibigay ng proteksyon sa nagmamayari dito o kaya naman, ito ay nagsisilbing gabay ng mayari laban sa mga panganib, karamdaman at pa$ kamatayan. 4ay iba'tibang katawagan ditoE para sa mga #lokano, ginam-mol o kaya nama'y galinggalingL mutya sa *agalogL likit sa mga WarayL odom sa mga ;ikolano atadimat naman sa mga 4uslim.
Paraan ng Pagkakaroon
4ay mga iba'tibang paraan upang magkaroon ng an$ngan$ng ngunit hindi ito kasing dali ng simpleng pagbili lamang nito. Iaramihan sa mga an$ngan$ng na nabibili sa mga bangketa ay walang kapangyarihan o walang bisa, ito ay dahil ang mga an$ngan$ng, bukod sa mahirap makuha, ay bibihira. Ang pinakamadaling paraan upang makakuha ng an$ngan$ng ay kapag binigay ito ng da$ng nagmamay ari nito sa isang tao. 4ayroon din namang nagsasabi na upang makakuha nito kailangang matalo ang isang higanteng espiritu sa paraan ng pakikipaglaban na tanging kamay lamang ang g inagamit. 4ayroon din namang naniniwala na ito ay makukuha sa pamamagitan ng paglulon ng kristal na patak mula sa puso ng saging, sa kalagitnaan ng gabi. 4araming iba't ibang paraan ng pagkuha ng an$ngan$ng ngunit, ang pagnanakaw nito mula sa mayari ay hindi makabubu$. Iapag ang isang an$ngan$ng ay kinuha ng sapilitan sa mayari nito o kaya nama'y hindi alam ng may ari na nawala ito, ang an$ngan$ng ay nawawalan ng bisa, kung kaya ang pagnanakaw dito ay walang magiging silbi.
Pinagmumulan ng 9apangyarihan
Ang mga an$ngan$ng ay pinaniniwalaang makapangyarihan. ;ukod pa sa pinanghahawakang talisman, may kalakip din ang marami sa mga an$ngan$ng na mga dasal at orasyon. Ang mga dasal na ito ang nagpapadali sa mayari ng an$ngan$ng na tawagin ang mga puwersang nagbibigay kapangyarihan dito. 4ay kakayahan itong tawagin ang mga anghel, demonyo at iba pang mga elemento na nasasakop ng orasyon upang tulungan ang may hawak dito sa mga panahon ng kagipitan. Iba)t ibang 8ri
4ay iba't ibang uri ng an$ngan$ng. 9inakapangkaraniwan na uri nito ay ang mga metal na palawit sa kuwintas. 4aaari rin namang mga taoo kagaya ng kay Pardong 9u$k o di kaya naman ay mga piraso ng papel na may orasyon, samantalang ang ilan ay hindi nangangailangan ng anumang simbolo. #sang uri ng an$ngan$ng ang $natawag nilang hiyas isang talisman na nakukuha mula sa mga makapangyarihang bagay mula sa kalikasan. #sa ring uri ng an$ngan$ng ang $natawag na mutya, na buhat sa mga halaman kagaya ng mga puno ng saging at niyog. ;ukod dito, may iba't ibang anyo din ito. 4aaring ngipin ng buwaya o ahas, kakaibang bato, sungay ng guinea na ibon, kakaibang ugat, gulugod ng balyena, palikpik ng pa$ng at kung anuanu pang mga bagay na kakaiba ang itsura at may kakaibang pinagmulan. Iba)t ibang kapangyarihan
Ang mga an$ngan$ng ay may iba'tibang gamit ayon sa nais ng mayari nito. 4ay mga an$ngan$ng na ginagamit bilang pampaswerte para sa mga nagsusugal at mangangalakal, o kaya naman ito ay maaaring magamit bilang gayuma para sa pagibig. 4aaari rin itong maging proteksyon sa anumang masasamang elemento, sa sinumang kaaway o kaya ay sa karamdaman. 9wede ring maprotektahan nito ang may hawak mula sa bala, o kaya maglaho na lang bigla kung kailan naisin. 4insan, ito rin ay pinagmumulan ng kakaibang kakayahan kagaya ng panghihilot, panghuhula o pangungulam. ga iskonsepsyon
4araming mga maling paniniwala ukol sa an$ngan$ng, isa na rito ay ang paniniwala na kasama sa mga kapangyarihan ng an$ngan$ng ang pagbibigay ng tamang mga numero para sasweepstakes . ;agaman ito ay nagdadala ng swerte, hindi nagbibigay ng eksaktong kombinasyon ng mga mananalong numero. #sa pa ay ang pagiisip ng marami na kapareho nito ang relihiyon. Ang an$ngan$ng at ang pananalig sa relihiyon ay dalawang magkaibang bagay, bagaman pareho silang nagbibigay ng proteksyon sa mga taong naniniwala dito, ang dalawa ay nakapaloob sa magkaibang konteksto. 4aaaring sabihin na ginamit lamang ng mga dayuhang mananakop ang paniniwala ng mga tao tungkol sa an$ngan$ng upang madaling matanggap ng mga ito ang relihiyong ipinapakilala nila. h%pE(l.wikipilipinas.orginde/.phpQ$tleRAn$ngAn$ng
T+ A6TI63-A6TI63 4F A68"IT4
*he An$ngAn$ng is a stone or other small ob?ect co)ered with cabalis$c inscrip$ons. #t is worn around the neck, and is supposed to render its owner imper)ious to knife or bullet. 4any are wearing these charms, especially the *ulisanes or outlaws. *he An$ngAn$ng must not be confused, howe)er, with the scapular, a purely religious symbol worn by a great number of the Bhris$an Filipinos. 4any of the older Filipinos remember 4anuelito, the great *ulisane, who, more than (Jy years ago, kept all the 5aguna de ;ai district in a state of fear. 2is robber band was well organi0ed and obeyed his slightest wish. 2e had many boats on the lake and many hiding places in the mountains, and throughout the country there was no )illager who did not fear to oppose him, or who would refuse to help him in any way when reuired to do so. #n )ain the &uardia Bi)il hunted him. 4any $mes they surrounded the band, but 4anuelito always escaped. 4any shots were (red at him, but he was ne)er hitL and once, when he was cut o from his men and surrounded, he broke through the line, and though (Jy bullets whistled around him he did not recei)e a scratch. *he oOcers of the &uardia Bi)il blamed their men for the bad marksmanship that allowed 4anuelito to escape. *hey told all the people that it should ne)er occur again, and promised that the ne/t (ght should end in the death of the outlaw. *he people, howe)er, did not belie)e that 4anuelito could be killed, for he wore on his breast a famous An$ngAn$ng that he had recei)ed from 4angagauay, the gi)er of life and death. *his charm was a stone co)ered with mysterious signs. #t was wrapped in silk and hung by a string from the robber's neck, and e)en if a gun were (red within a few feet of him the An$ngAn$ng was sure to turn the bullet in another direc$on. #t was this charm that always sa)ed him from the &uardia Bi)il. 4anuelito was )ery proud of his An$ngAn$ng, and many $mes, when a (esta was being held in some town, he and his band would come down from the mountains and take part in the games. 4anuelito would stand in the town pla0a and allow his men to shoot at him, and each $me the An$ngAn$ng would turn aside the bullets. *he people were )ery much impressed, and though a few of the wiser ones secretly thought that the guns were only loaded with powder, they were afraid to say anythingL so the greater number thought it )ery wonderful and belie)ed that there was no charm so powerful as the An$ngAn$ng of 4anuelito. For years the *ulisane, protected by his charm, con$nued to rob and plunder. *he &uardia Bi)il hunted him e)erywhere, but could ne)er kill him. 2e grew bolder and bolder, and e)en came close to 4anila to rob the li%le towns ?ust outside the city. At last the go)ernment grew $red of sending out the &uardia Bi)il, and ordered a regiment of 4acabebes to hunt and kill the *ulisane and his men. 4anuelito was at 9asay when news was brought to him that the 4acabebes were coming. #nstead of running from these (erce li%le (ghters, he decided to meet them, and many people oered to help him, belie)ing that the An$ngAn$ng would turn away all bullets and gi)e them )ictory. 7o 4anuelito and
many men leJ the town, built trenches in the hills near 7an 9edro 4aca$, and waited for the 4acabebes to appear. *hey had not long to wait. *he 4acabebes, hurrying from 4anila, reached 7an 9edro 4aca$ and soon found that 4anuelito was wai$ng to (ght them. *hey leJ the town at once and ad)anced on the *ulisane trenches. #t was a great (ght. From the other hills close by many people watched the ba%le. Fi)e $mes the 4acabebes ad)anced, and were forced to fall back before the (erce (re of the *ulisanes. ;ut the 4acabebe ne)er knows defeat, and once more their line went forward and in one terrible charge swept o)er the trenches and bayoneted the outlaws. #n )ain 4anuelito called on his men to (ght. *hey broke and ran in e)ery direc$on. *hen, seeing that all was lost, 4anuelito started to follow themL but a )olley rang out, and, struck by twenty bullets, he fell to the ground dead. *he 4acabebes chased t he ying *ulisanes and killed that of all the band only a few many, safely reached the mountains. While the 4acabebes were chasing the outlaws, many people came down from the hills and stood around the body of 4anuelito. *hey could hardly belie)e their eyes, but the many wounds and the blood staining the ground pro)ed that the great *ulisane was indeed dead. What of the An$ngAn$ngQ 2ad it lost its powerQ ne man $midly unbu%oned the shirt of the dead robber and pulled out the charm. *he mystery was e/plained. Fi/ed (rmly in the center of t he An$ngAn$ng was a sil)er bullet. *here was but one e/plana$on. *he 4acabebes had melted a statue of the Sirgin and used it to make bullets to (re at 4anuelito. Against such bullets the charm was useless, but against ordinary lead it ne)er would ha)e failed. 2ad not the people seen 4anuelito's own men (re at himQ *he charm was taken from the neck of the dead *ulisane and many copies were made of it. >)en to this day hundreds of people are wearing them. *hey will tell you about 4anuelito's great (ght and also about his famous An$ngAn$ng. @;ut,@ you say, @the An$ngAn$ng was useless. 4anuelito was killed.@ *hey answer, @Tes, 7enor, it is trueL but the 4acabebes used bullets of sil)er. 2ad they used lead the story would ha)e been dierent. 9oor 4anuelitoU@ When the 5ilies Ceturn A legend of the Bhinese #n)asion. 6uiapo, e)en at the $me of the early 7paniards, and for years aJer, was a deserted (eld. *he story is an old one and generally known to the *agallos. At the $me when the 9asig owed peacefully along between owery banksL when its breast was not torn by puOng steamersL and when only a few clustering huts marked the present site of 4anila, there grew on the banks of the ri)er a beau$ful (eld of lilies.
*he lilies glistened like sil)er in the sunlight, and their sweet odor (lled the air with delicious perfume. Po hand plucked them from the earth, and no foot trampled out their fragranceL for an ancient prophecy had said that while the lilies stood the happiness of the people should endure. ;ut aJer a $me there came dark days in the history of the 9hilippines. Tellow hordes swept across the water and carried all before them. *he people could hardly e/pect to resist the in)aders, for their warrior king, 5oku, had profaned the word of the god, and, in the form of a li0ard, was ful(lling his punishment. *heir armies were weak and sca%ered, and the conuerors marched on in triumph. As report aJer report of disaster reached 5u0on, the people trembled for the safety of their fair land. Warriors gathered has$ly for the defense of the na$on, and all waited for the enemy to appear. ne day the water was do%ed with the ?unks of the in)aders. *hey came slowly down the bay, and anchored near the mouth of the 9asig. *hen from the boats poured the yellow warriors. 7pears rained upon them, stones and arrows laid them low, but their numbers were countless. *he people were swept back along the ri)er banks. Fiercely they fought, but numbers told against them. Foot by foot they were pressed back, $ll they stood on the border of the (eld of lilies, where they made their last stand. ;ut it was to no purpose. *he in)aders poured from the ships, and in one desperate charge dro)e back the ranks of the people, who fought and died among their sacred lilies. All through the night the ba%le raged, and at daybreak, when the )ictorious in)aders rested on their spears, the beau$ful (eld was no more. *he lilies were crushed and torn. *he bodies of dead and dying warriors lay e)erywhere, and the crushed owers were stained with the blood of friend and foe. *he peace of the land was lost. 4any years ha)e passed since then. Pew races ha)e come to the #slands, and new manners and customs ha)e been introduced. *he 9asig s$ll ows on to the sea, but its banks are harnessed by bridges. 5oJy dwellings and stores take the place of the li%le huts, and a great city marks the site of the li%le )illage. Where once was the beau$ful (eld is now a busy part of the great city. #t is called 6uiapo, aJer the lilies. 4any of the older people remember the prophecy and wonder if the lilies will e)er return. *he land is now a peaceful and contented one. Bomfort and happiness may be found among its inhabitants. 9erhaps the fair, strange women from the great land o)er the sea are the lilies. Who can tellQ h%pEwww.sacredte/ts.comasiapfspfs1:.htm Agimat #pinaskil noong 4arso 1:, +VV< ni Coberto AMonue)o
4ahirap paniwalaan ang agimat. 7inasabing nagbibigay ng kapangyarihan sa tao ang agimat, at sa pamamagitan nito ay lumalakas ang tao upang salagin ang bala, makabighani ng binibini, makagapi sa kaaway, at makapagtanghal ng kagilagilalas na mahika. Agimat ang tagapamagitan ng dimensiyong pisikal at dimensiyong sobrenatural, at upang maganap ito ay kinakailangang taglayin ng agimat ang dalawang katangianE ang habangalon [wa)e length] ng materyal na realidad at ang habangalon ng espiritwal na realidad. #big sabihin, dapat makapasok sa dalawang dimensiyon ang agimatKayon sa paniniwala ng taoKat kung paano nangyayari ito ay isang kababalaghan. Pgunit bago maganap ito, ang isang bagay, gaya ng kuwintas, susi o panyo, ay kinakailangang magkaroon muna ng dikaraniwang kapangyarihang ikinabit ng isa ring puwersang sobrenatural. Ang isang bagay ay walang kapangyarihang magluwal ng sariling kapangyarihang sobrenatural, dahil kung magkakagayon ay maipapalagay na nakahihigit iyon sa tao at hindi dapat tawaging bagay.X Ang puwersang ito ay maaaring nagmumula sa isip, dahil ang isip ay maipapalagay na makapangyarihan bago pa man nalikha ang tao. Ang isip ang nakapagbibigay ng sagisag sa isang bagay upang ang karaniwang kuwintas, susi o panyo ay malampasan ang nakagawiang pakahulugan, pahiwa$g, at pagkakagamit !o silbi nito" at magkarga ng kaisipang matalik sa lumikha at sa tao na gumagamit ng agimat. 2alimbawa, ang isip na naglatag ng paniniwalang ang an$gong singsing ay makagagayuma sa sinumang dalaga ay maaaring kinakargahan ang singsing ng lakas sa bisa ng paniniwala ng tagapagsuot ng singsing. Iailangang paniwalaan ng serye ng mga tao ang bisa ng agimat, at makulayan ng kung anoanong sabisabi at guniguni mula sa madla upang ang relikya ng nakalipas ay matagumpay na makairal sa makabagong panahon. Ang isip ay maaaring likha ng tao o kayaYy ng 4aykapal. #pinapalagay dito na ang 4aykapal bilang Gakilang #sip ay maaaring makapili ng isang bagay na makakargahan niya ng kapangyarihan upang ang kapangyarihang ito ay magamit ng tao saanman niya naisin. Pgunit maaaring hindi kinakailangang gawin ito ng 4aykapalKkung ipagpapalagay na ibinigay na niya ang lahat sa tao at ganap ang talino, kakayahan, at kapangyarihan nito para magtagumpay sa hamon ng kalikasanKmaliban na lamang kung hindi sapat ang kakayahan ng tao upang lampasan ang aba niyang kalagayan. Ang tao bilang 4ortal ay maipapalagay na may hanggahan dahil sa katangiang pisikal, kaya mananalig ito sa mga dinakikitang bagay na wala pang sagot ang agham at teknolohiya. 7a kabilang dako, ang pagiging mortal ng tao ay nawawakasan sa lakas ng kaniyang isip na may kapangyarihang magplano, lumikha, manggagad, umimbento, at magdisenyoL at makairal sa guniguni upang ang larang ng guniguni ay magkaroon ng butoYt laman sa realidad. Ang #sip ng *ao ang maaaring nagkakarga ng konsepto, pamahiin, paniniwala, pakahulugan, at pahiwa$g sa isang bagay upang ang bagay na ito ay maging tulay ng tao mulang dimensiyong materyal tungong espiritwal. Iaya dumarami ang lucky charmsX na bulaklak ng dila para sa agimatX o pantaboy ng malasX na ipinalalaganap ng mga e ksperto sa feng shui at astrolohiya. 9inaniniwalaan ang agimat sa bisa nito. 2alimbawa, ang susing may dalawang dahon, pakpak, at mutya na popular noon sa ;inangonan, Ci0al ay hindi karaniwang susi na magbubukas ng pinto. 4agbubukas ng dimensiyong espiritwal ang nasabing susi, upang ang tao na may hawak nito ay makatulay sa larang ng guniguni mula sa daigdig na pisikal at materyal. Iung hihiramin ang konsepto ng Iadungayan ng mga #fugaw, ang Iadungayan ay daigdig na $nutuluyan ng mga kaluluwa, at makapapasok lamang dito ang tao kung siya ay mamamatay o kayaYy magtataglay ng pambihirang susi na makapagbubukas ng dimensiyong espiritwal. Ang Iadungayan ay salamin ng pisikal na daigdig, at kung ano ang nagaganap sa daigdig ay nagaganap din sa Iadungayan. 4aaaring bago maganap sa pisikal na daigdig ang isang pangyayari, gaya ng digmaan o taggutom, ay naganap na iyon sa daigdig ng mga kaluluwa. Ang pisikal na daigdig ay maaaring ekstensiyon lamang ng Iadungayan, o maaaring kabaligtaran, kung ipagpapalagay na parang sirang plaka lamang na inuulit sa Iadungayan ang naganap sa pisikal na daigdig at wala nang
panghihimasok na magagawa pa ang tao, maliban na lamang kung mamamagitan ang puwersang sobrenatural. Iaakitakit ang agimat dahil ang isang karaniwang bagay ay lumalampas sa ordinaryong pag$ngin ng madla. Ang an$ngan$ng, gaya ng ipinamalas ni Pardong 9u$k o 9epeng Agimat, ay nagiging mabisa sa a$ng guniguni upang malunasan ang sakit, paghihirap, at kung minsan, kaalipnan ng tao. 7a oras na maging agimat ang isang bagay, ang bagay na ito ay mawawakasan ang tungkulin bilang karaniwang panyo, susi, at kuwintas na pawang materyal na magagamit ng tao. Iailangang taglayin ng agimat ang mabigat na tungkuling iniaatas dito ng 4aylikha nito, at iyon ay maging kasangkapan ng tao na lampasan ang anumang pagiging karaniwan. 4agsisimula ito sa mga sagisag, pakahulugan, at pahiwa$g na pawang hindi mauunawaan mismo ng bagay, bagkus ng mga tao lamang na naniniwala sa kakayahan ng isip na dumako sa dimensiyong kamanghamangha sa abot ng a$ng karanasan at kaalaman. Iapag nabigo ang agimat na gampanan ang tungkulin nito batay sa natatanging pakahulugan, pahiwa$g, at sagisag na pawang ibinigay ng sinumang maylikha nitoYt siyang pinaniniwalaan ng mga deboto, mawawakasan ang turing dito na pagiging agimat, at kailangang magbalik sa sinaunang silbi nito. *atawagin yaong walang talab, walang bisa, kahit labislabis ang inaasahan ng tao na $la nasisiraan ng ulo.
h%pEalimbukad.com+VV<V31:agimat
ission Statement:
*he sole mission of this website is to unco)er the real truth on the mys$cal, mysterious and e/traordinary life of an amulet holder. #n the past, worthy indi)idual must pass the death related test before they are granted an amulet. ;ut in this modern genera$on, amulet bearer's life has a purpose and e)ery teacher encountered will take the bearer closer to hisher des$ny. >)ery life's turn is a pu00le of ma0e which leads to one's des$ny. Actual e)il presence are also e/perienced as well as dierent une/plainable situa$ons. With this e/posure, the bearer will soon reali0e that heshe has to prepare and learn the Art of ortal !ombat . As the bearer gets older depending on the path heshe has chosen !&ood or >)il", will begin to reali0e physical manifesta$on of its powers star$ng with dreams. *his web site will ha)e an e/change forum, e)ery story on the amulet's bearer must be )eri(ed and non (c$onal. 2elp me unco)er the truth not created by mo)ies which is based solely on myths and fantasies. 9leasebookmark this site as it will con$nue to e)ol)ed as # write my true account in this e/traordinary e/periences. h%pEwww.synaly$cs.comagimat
Anng-Anng, The +istory The Ancient gypan 4racle
*he people of the 9hilippines is a race of races. #n the blood of the Filipino, according to an Anthropologist, the propor$on of racial mi/ture in Filipinos is as followsE Pegrito, 1V ZL #ndones, 3V ZL 4alay, 8VZL Bhinese, 1VZL #ndian, HZL >uropean and American, 3ZL and Arab, +Z. #t is therefore not pu00ling that magic can ow through the )eins of many Filipinos. #ndeed, 4agic in the 9hilippines began since the arri)al of the (rst Pegrito N the (rst se%lers who walked to the 9hilippines through land bridge from the Asian mainland N aJer the last of the Gawn 4enX disappeared. *hough crude, as the Pegrito had a culture of the 9aleolithic period, magic was known to be prac$ced and these prac$$oners were mostly re)ered, but some were feared. *hrough the history of the 9hilippines, the cultures of succeeding arri)als enriched each other to form the culture of the Filipino. And so was the prac$ces of 4agic impro)ed. pon the arri)al of the >uropeans, and then the Americans, the magic of the west was 9hilippini0ed as well. *he culture of the Filipino has a large pool of legends, myths, and supers$$ons. *here was, in fact, belief in the e/istence of witches, wi0ards, and the supernatural. WasX because it is now regarded, as with most of the world, as myth and legend. ;ut that is contrary to truth, for we all know that they do. *oday, the works of a few open magic prac$$oners are a%ributed to the 7aints, as the 9hilippines has a ma?ority Bhris$an populous. *he An$ngAn$ng was a great source of protec$on, a powerful talisman to ward o e)il spirits. 7adly, these arts and beliefs were slowly fading, as the youth were not ones to put faith in such folly. With the coming of the great cataclysm, these talismans became a harsh reality in sur)i)al. )er half the islands that cons$tuted the 9hilippines, were washed away, gi)en back to the sea. Cumored reports were true, appro/imately
charm, be it e)er stolen, or e)en somehow lost, will dim to nothing, un$l reunited with one of the proper lineage. >ach is $ed to the owner, and the owner to it, a symbio$c rela$onship passed down amongst the bloodlines. #t has been theori0ed that these are some form of rune, bestowing these wonderous giJs. With such power comes great responsibility. As the talismans (ll the owner with power, they also saturate their morals. nbeknownst to the user, they will gradually become more inclined to protect the weak and defeat e)il where)er it may lie. &ranted, they will not foolishly ?ump into any ba%le or situa$on without thought, but they will be inclined to ser)e the islands as a protector. #n a way, they ser)e as the chi)alrous champions of these isles. P5A!TITI465S 4F A3I! angkukulam and ambabarang
*he 4angkukulam ang 4ambabarang are those who prac$ce something similar to what has been popularly called )oodoo N 7orcery, Gark 4agic. #n fact, they are almost synonymous. *hey usually perform their rituals alone, but most of them belong in a cult. #n most cases, they employ the use of dolls !not unlike the so called )oodooX dolls". *hey use these dolls by chan$ng a prayer to them as to cause the sub?ect of the curse to e/perience what the 4angkukulam or 4ambabarang do to the dolls. *heir methods usually in)ol)e a personal item of the sub?ect. Tou can ask the 4angkukulam or 4ambabarang to take re)enge on someone, but beware for this usually yields bad things to happen to you, too. *he dierence in 4angkukulam and 4ambabarang is simple. *he 4angkukulam needs the use of a personal property of the prospected )ic$m. *he 4ambabarang on the other hand is more powerful. *hey need only the memory of the )ic$mtobeYs face to perform the e)il on them. Albularyo %+erbolerio(, +ilotero, and the 2abaylan
*he albularyo !albularya, female", hilotero !hilotera, female", and ;abaylan !female" prac$ce branches of wi0ardy and witchcraJ in the presence of 4uggles. *hey are the healers. *he albularyo prac$ce mostly the (eld of 2erbology, where the name was de ri)ed from. ;ut his prac$ce has e/panded into that of detec$on and repulsion of the Gark Arts. *he albularyo employs chants, and plants known to achie)e the desired eects. *he hilotero ha)e powers of healing through touch and employ hilotX or massage. *hey use a special e/ternally applied po$on that smells a lot like coconut oil. *hey go to lengths to hide this as only common oil as to put it in containers such as ohnson and ohnsonYs ;aby il. *he babaylan are tribal priestesspoets. *hey heal, and they guide using chants and morality stories. *he babaylan are called catalonansX by the *agalog. ;abaylan is a Sisayan term. ;abaylan are held high by the 4uggles of her tribe. *hese prac$$oners of magic ha)e been gi)en authori0a$on by the 9hilippine 4agic Authority. *hey work with the Authority and are careful. *hey usually accredit their work to the spirits and &od. ;ut it is in no doubt that it is salamangkaX or magic. ;ut it is belie)ed that it is indeed
from &od, as indirectly as it it, because, as de)out Bhris$ans most of the Albularyo and 2ilotero are, it is regarded a giJ from &od. odern ;itches and ;iards
*he prac$ce of modern WitchcraJ and Wi0ardry is today most common in the islands. As with most of the wi0arding communi$es in other parts of the world, the Wi0ards and Witches of the #slands 9hilippines go to lenghts to hide their e/istence. *hey li)e in communi$es far from the ci$es. *hese se%lements are usually in one of the more than 8,DVV uninhabited islands of the D,1VD islands. *he islands and the surrounding areas are usually bewitched so as to not a%ract a%en$on and cause ordinary people to get lost !such as Iawayanan, said to be located within a large ;amboo ?ungle". 5eference - agic in the Philippines by: Andrei iller
h%pEwww.synaly$cs.comagimatdoc1.html Ang Agimat, na kilala rin bilang anng-anng o bertud, ang pamosong katawagan para sa mutya o ang amuleto sa 9ilipinas. 4alaki ang ginagampanang papel nito sa mitolohiya ng katutubong 9ilipino. ;agamat marami na ang naging pagbabago sa konteksto ng agimat, ginagamit pa rin ito sa pang araw araw na pamumuhay ng mga residente. 7a mga katha at relihiyon, ang agimat ay iniuugnay sa isang tao at sa kanyang mga ideya ukol sa pamumuno, kapangyarihan, nasyonalismo at rebolusyon. Pinagmulan
Ang pinagmulan nang paggamit ng agimat ayon sa mitolohiya ay nagmula pa bago duma$ng ang mga >spanyol at ang Iatolisismo . Ang pagsamba ng mga sinaunang 9ilipino ay nakasentro sa mga espiritu, anito at mga diyos, kung saan si ;athala ang pinakamataas. Ang ganitong buhay ispirituwal ang nagbigay ng ibaYt ibang paniniwala ukol sa agimat at sa mga kapangyarihang nilalaman nito. 7a pagda$ng ng Iatolisismo ay nadagdagan pa ang mga mahiwaga at paganong elemento na hinaluan ng mga relihiyosong katauhan at konsepto gaya ng #spiritu 7anto, 7an$sima *rinidad, 7agrada Familia, Sirgen 4adre, ang 4ata, at iba pa na naidagdag sa kredo ng agimat. 7a rebolusyon at digmaan, naging mahalaga ang agimat bilang bahagi ng armas pangdigmaan. 9inaniniwalaan na ang laman nitong ispirituwal at mahiwagang kapangyarihan ay magbibigay ng walang hanggang lakas, proteksyon, at kagalingan. Ang agimat sa kasaysayan
Poong Cebolusyon ng 1H<= laban sa >spanya, ginamit ni >milio Aguinaldo ang an$ngan$ng na 7an$sima *rinidad. Gala naman ni Andres ;onifacio ang amuletong $natawag na 7an$ago de &alicia !;irhen del 9ilar", habang si Antonio 5una ay gumamit ng Sirgen 4adre. Iaramihan sa miyembro ng Ia$punan ay mayroong mga an$ngan$ng.
7i 4anuelito, ang kilalang *ulisan, ay pinaniniwalaang may an$ngan$ng dahil sa ilang ulit niyang natakasan ang mga bala ng baril mula sa mga &uardia 7ibil. Ang grupong 5apiang 4alaya na nagmartsa noong 1<=D upang ipakita ang pagtutol sa rehimeng 4arcos ay walangtakot na hinarap ang military dala ang kanilang mga bolo at an$ngan$ng. Iba
Ang pinakakaraniwang anyo ng agimat ay ang amuleto na nakaukit sa bato, metal o kahoy, na karaniwang isinusuot sa leeg. Ang agimat ay maaari ring isang dasal o orasyon, na mula sa wikang 5a$n. Pakasulat ito sa isang piraso ng papel, i$nutupi at inilalagay sa pitaka, o kayaYy $natahi sa tela at isinasabit sa bahagi ng katawan na hindi makikita ng ibang tao. Ang agimat at puwede ring isang maliit na bato, ngipin ng buwaya o piraso ng tuyong prutas na inilalagay sa loob ng maliit na tela. Iba
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An$ngAn$ngE *he 4yth, 2istory, and 9romise of the An$ng
h%pE(l.wikipilipinas.orginde/.phpQ$tleRAgimat
An$ngan$ng
*he #nng-anng is an amulet, talisman, or charm, belie)ed to posses mys$cal supernatural proper$es. #t is most commonly used by folkbelie)ers as a means of protec$on or as a repellent to sickness, danger, and e)en death. *he other names for this 9hilippine )ernacular areE ginam-mol or galinggaling in #locanoL mutya in *agalogL likit in WarayL odom in ;icolL and adimat in 4uslim. =edit> 4rigin of the ;ord
*here are theories tracing the origin of the word anng-anng. ne of this is the theory of 5orna Ce)illa 4on$lla. According to her anng-anng was deri)ed from the >nglish word @an$@, or against. Although it is logical, it is disputed because of the fact that the anng-anng dates much earlier than the Americans from whom supposedly the word comes from. *here are other )iew points that it is an obsolete na$)e term. 2owe)er, none of the languages in the 9hilippines gi)es the real key to its origin. n the other hand, ose &arcia 9anganiban belie)es the the word was deri)ed from the 4alaysian word anng, which means @dangling@, and a)anese word anng-anng means @ear pendants.@ =edit> Ac?uision
*he fact that Filipinos are unable to de(ne the real nature of the @an$ngan$ng@ makes it more enigma$c. @An$ngan$ng@ is not a common item that can be bought anywhere else and is not easy to acuire. *here are lots of debate being held regarding the acuisi$on of the item. 7ome people insist that it can be acuired aJer defea$ng a certain spiritual giant in a bare hand combat. 7$ll, the others belie)e that it can be achie)ed by swallowing a crystal drop of water from the heart of a banana tree at the dead of night. r it can simply be recei)ed from the pre)ious owner. *here are se)eral methods to acuire the item, but stealing an @an$ngan$ng@ is not an op$on because the act takes away its power. *hus, the item becomes useless. @An$ngan$ng@ also loses its power when it lea)es its master's possession without his knowledge or blessing. *he @an$ngan$ngs@ sold at holy places are considered as patay !deadblanks with no power". *hese kinds ha)e to undergo sacred and secret rituals in order to become powerful and eec$)e.
=edit> Form
*here are dierent kinds of @an$ngan$ng@ which come in dierent forms. #t can be a crocodileYs tooth, snakeYs fang, whaleYs spine, sharkYs (n, odd stones, roosterYs spur, guinea birdYs horn, plant's roots, herbs, or anything rare andor strange like a twintailed li0ard and twoheaded snake. =edit> 8ses
>ach @an$ngan$ng@ ser)es dierent purposes. 7ome of them pro)ides a promise of romance or lo)e charms while others promises the holder to be imper)ious to bullets, to disappear and reappear at will, and to ward o e)il spirits and be protected from danger. *here are also @an$ngan$ngs@ that oer special giJs, such as the mysterious and esoteric art of hilot !massage and healing", hula !fortune telling", and kulam !spells and witchcraJ". =edit> Anng-anng and !hrisanity
ne of the most intriguing aspects of the @an$ngan$ng@ is its associa$on with religious belief. Celigious medals are being passed on as @an$ngan$ng@ which u%er confusion. 7omehow, the folk ad religious beliefs share similar use to the owner @power to protect its possessor from danger.@ 2owe)er, the a%empt to associate it with religion is an established religious betrayal embedded in the consciousness of the Filipinos.
h%pEen.wikipilipinas.orginde/.phpQ$tleRAn$ngan$ng *he wearing of amulets to ward o e)il spirits and demons goes way back. 2ow far back, no one really knows. Why would the 9hilippinesbe any dierentQ #n the 9hilippines, these pendants are calledannganng, agimat or bertude, depending on the language.
# recently spo%ed one of the neighborhood children !a young girl" wearing an amulet and when # asked about it, she shied away and didn't want to talk about it. 7o\ # decided to do a li%le research. A commenter men$oned anng-anng in response to an older ar$cle, but # didn't pay much a%en$on to it. ;hat are these talismen@
*he Wikipedia ar$cle on the Agimat gi)es a brief synopsis. *he anng-anng can be amulets or stones, worn or ingested. ne source is the heart of a banana tree. *he aforemen$oned commenter said that the holy mountain, 4ount ;anahaw, contains doorways to parallel worlds. 9eople supposedly don't return with gold or treasure, butanng-anng of immense
power. *he mountain has been closed to )isitors since +VV8 !due to e/cessi)e li%ering" and is scheduled to be reopened in +V1V. People $ith Po$er
When # asked my wife about anng-anng, she told me it ga)e people power. 9opularFilipino folklore history states that certain heroes had power due to ha)ing these talismen in their possession. >)en deposed !and deceased" 9resident 4arcos was supposed to ha)e one that made him in)isible. #t didn't help much when he was forced into e/ile, though, did itQ *he only people with e/traordinary powers that #')e e)er seen ha)e been on tele)ision. *heannganng seems to be a popular part of some of the local *S series as well as some of the mo)ies.
#'m not saying that people don't get power from amulets and talismen such as these. #f you belie)e in something strongly enough, it has the ability to manifest itself and a talisman is ?ust one way to focus that manifesta$on. # personally belie)e the power of the mind is far stronger than anything you can possibly possess, but most people don't ha)e the knowledge or ability to use their mind power. 9erhaps the anng-anng is nothing more than a conduit for this power. h%pEwww.untwisted)orte/.com+VV<V:V8(lipinofolklorean$ngan$ng Anng-Anngs From Around the Philippines by Fr. Francisco Gemetrio, 7.. GateE 1V+:+VVD
Amulets, talismans, and charms ha)e been worn for centuries by F ilipinos to protect themsel)es from e)il spells and male)olent spirits, to gain an ad)antage o)er others, to defend themsel)es against accidents and sickness, or to a%ract lo)e and good fortune. #n the 9hilippines, these amulets, talismans, and charms are collec$)ely known as an$ng an$ng. *hese ob?ects are thought to possess magical powers, and they are oJen made from materials with religious or supers$$ous signi(cance. An$ngan$ngs )ary all across the na$on, and there are amulets and charms that address almost e)ery kind of need. 4any belie)e that the best $me to acuire materials for an an$ngan$ng is on &ood Friday, because there is a belief that the spirits roaming the earth lamen$ng the death of Bhrist will add e/tra potency to the materials. Although some people procure their supernatural talismans from a tambalan !uack doctor", some belie)e that the talismans work best when they are found accidentally.
Top ! Maranao amulet consisng o a secret book o #oran passages, a crocodile$s tooth, and payer beads% &oom !ssorted amulets to protect the wearer against a he' ()kulam*+% an-rape% and a corn amulet to keep in the cash bo' or good luck in business
7ome e/amples of an$ngan$ng from around the 9hilippines are as followsE
*he ;ilaan belie)e in the supernatural powers of the an$ngan$ng. An an$ngan$ng could be a crocodile tooth, tree roots, or a piece of colored glass found in a big balete tree. 7ome Filipinos belie)e that a wearer of an$ngan$ng will not die unless he or she )omits it. #n 5aguna, an an$ngan$ng called a tagibulagX is belie)ed to gi)e its wearer the power of in)isibility. 4others pinned blessed medals or agnus dei on the clothes of their babies to protect them from e)il spirits. A broom made from coconut midribs and placed on the door of a house is belie)ed to frighten spirits from entering the house. Wearing a diamond !also called a mu$aX" will protect the wearer from barangX !sorcery" and e)il spirits. A babyYs mantle or cowl at birth should be wrapped in cloth aJer it has been dried and kept inside a chest in the house. #t is said to bring good luck to the owner. A li0ard with a forked tail caught on &ood Friday ser)es as an amulet and brings good luck to whoe)er found it. Animal horns planted in the yard of a store will bring bad luck to the store. At midnight on &ood Friday, a certain species of banana yields a hard stone, which, if caught and swallowed, will make its possessor irresis$ble to women. 7ome parents belie)e that le-ng their child wear a necklace of crocodile teeth will keep the child healthy and immune from diseases. Wearing a crocodile tooth also protects the wearer from being struck by lightning. *he *iruray ha)e kebelX, a charm related to water. #t is belie)ed to make a personYs skin thick and hard, and that possessing a kebel will keep one from being slashed by bladed weapons.
Girec$ons are also speci(ed to ensure that the an$ngan$ng will work its magic. *hese include remo)ing the amulet when one is defeca$ng, drinking into/ica$ng liuor, bathing, or while ha)ing se/ual intercourse as these acts cause the amulet to lose its potency. Bare must also be taken whene)er the an$ng an$ng is leJ lying around where it could get wet, or be handled by children.
e ! large iory medallion with t he decapitated head o /aint Paul% 0ight ! belt containing passages rom the #oran supposed to render the wearer bullet-proo
e ! Muslim charm consisng o a piece o magic wood coered with black cloth (amulets are not to be seen by human eyes+% 0ight ! brass 1gurine o /anago !postol to gie a man courage (originally or men in bale+
7ourceE 2emetrio /.3., 4r. 4rancisco. 5ncyclopedia o Philippine 4olk &elies and 6ustoms. 7aier 8niersity, 9::9. h%pEwww.librarylink.org.phfeatar$cle.aspQar$cleidR118 Anng-Anng Talisman agnets
4ade from a cast of an original an$ngan$ng medallion from the 9hilippines. 9lease specify if you would like the triangular @>ye f &od@ or the roundish @7iyete Arkangheles@ !7e)en Archangels". ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
# ha)e always been fascinated by the An$ngAn$ng medallions K the fact that not much research is wri%en about these enigma$c medallions makes them e)en more desirable. # lo)e the designs, the imbedded cryp$c acronyms and its folkartsy feel. An$ng or An$ngAn$ng is an old 4alay word that pertains to an item that is hanging or dangling, such as an earring or pendant. *he An$ngAn$ng medallions that we know today are indigenous to the 9hilippines. 7ome say that the 7panish Batholic priests brought the original designs to the 9hilippines as a way to con)ert the na$)es. ;ut, others claim that the prac$ce of An$ngAn$ng has been in place before the 7panish coloni0ers arri)ed. #n any case, it has e)ol)ed into a prac$ce and a belief system in which spiritualism, old folk supers$$on and Batholism are intertwined. *hese medallions feature )ery intricate high relief designs, and uniuely handcast. *he ancient designs ha)e been handed down o)er the years, and secrecy surrounds the actual craJ of making the medallions.
*he 7ocial 9sychology of the An$ngan$ng
# casual )isit to 6uiapo Bhurch on any gi)en day can gi)e anyone an idea of the supers$$ous nature of the typical Filipino. 2ere and there around the )icinity of the church can be seen the )arious traders of religion and occult. #n this motley array of )ast and rich cultural tradi$ons, the scapular and rosary )endors, the fortune tellers, and the amulet sellers mi/ed together to make this part of 4anila the center of di)ina$on and mys$cism in the 9hilippines. #ndeed, in the deelpy religious and supers$$ous nature of Filipino culture, it is hard to tell where religion and occult di)ides.
/agrada 4amilia anng anng. This medallion o;ers good luck or business and protecon against ghouls like kbalang, im na dwende, kapre, and aswang.
*he occult merchants occupy a huge space around the 6uiapo Bhurch . 4ost sellers ha)e a makeshiJ stall composed of a small table and small baskets where they put all their occult merchandise that cater to the Filipino curiosityE from amulets, to herbal medicines, books on folk healing, lo)e po$ons, eli/irs, and )arious other ob?ects such as oddshaped stones, gems, crystals, and other freaks of nature called the mutya. From my own inter)iews with se)eral of these occult )endors, # found that the an$ng an$ng !amulets", are the bestsellers among the )arious magical ob?ects that they sell. 4any people buy themE men and women, young and the old. *he an$ng an$ngs are priced according to their si0e and the materials used. &enerally, the bigger the si0e the more e/pensi)e it would be. f course, the material used also determines the priceE an$ng an$ng that is cast in e/pensi)e red bron0e commands a slightly higher price than the cheaper yellow bron0e. *he an$ng an$ngs range in price from anywhere between +V pesos to DVV pesos.
! group o anng-anng belieers in
*here are hundreds of design to choose from, ranging from the medallion of the # n(nito Gios, the 7an$ssima *rinidad, the #n(nita Gios, to that of the )arious other lesser gods, angels, and saints of Folk Batholic mythology. *he anthropomorphic (gures of the &ods are oJen accompanied by mysterious ini$als and cabalis$c inscrip$ons in 5a$n and *agalog. 4any of these ini$als are actually the numerous names of &od and the power words !oraciones" that he had spoken. *hey are wri%en in ini$als because they are meant to be secret and not spoken or u%ered, not unlike the belief of the ews who wanted &odYs name hidden, and thus remo)ed the )owels of &odYs name in the scriptures, lea)ing it to be read as T2W2 or T2S2, which cannot be pronounced because of the absence of )owels. #n the an$ng an$ng, the remo)al of )owels is no longer deemed necessary. #t was already enough to put ?ust the ini$als of &od. *hus many ini$als that can be found on the an$ng an$ng are read as A.A.A, 4.4.4., 5.4., 2.A.2., .A.2., .#.A., and so on, which are all the )arious names of the #n(nito Gios, the #n(nita Gios, or the 7an$ssima *rinidad. At present the an$ng an$ngs are s$ll popular and many people s$ll buy them. #t is hard to tell if people buy them because they genuinely belie)e in them, or because they are ?ust curious about them. ;ut for the faithful, the an$ng an$ng ha)e a )ariety of purposeE there are an$ng an$ngs that would make one imper)ious to bullets and kni)es !kabal at kunat"L there are those that can make one in)isible to enemies !tagabulag"L there are those that can gi)e one powers to control the elements !impasibilidad"L there are an$ng an$ng that can make one be a%rac$)e to the opposite se/ !gayuma"L there are the an$ngan$ngs that can make one lucky in business and gamblingL there are those that gi)e protec$on against illnessesL and there are also the an$ng an$ngs that can protect one against the ghouls and e)il elementals of 9hilippine folkloreE the $kbalang, kapre, mangkukulam, nuno sa punso and the i$m na dwende. *he Filipino philosophy of wala namang mawawala kung maniniwalaX plays an important role in the culture of the an$ngan$ng. *here is nothing wrong in belie)ing something that one cannot pro)e to be eec$)e or infec$)e, unless one is hacked by a bolo and either sur)i)ed or killed. ;ut there is no shortage of genuinely honest people who swear in their honor that the an$ngan$ng sa)ed their li)es or made their li)es worthwhile. #n Ba)ite and ;atangas for instance, # met many aged an$ngan$ng people who told me fascina$ng stories about how they sur)i)ed assassina$ons, accidents, and lifethreatening illnesses because their an$ngan$ngs protected them. ne only has to ha)e faith in the an$ngan$ng to achie)e its powers. # myself subscribe to the concept of wala namang mawawala kung manininiwala X. *here is nothing wrong in belie)ing unless the belief limits your abili$es as an indi)idual. *he an$ng an$ng does the otherwise by pro)iding inspira$on that &od is with the common people, and that in this modern $me of high technology, the an$ng an$ng s$ll pro)ides hope and faith to the oppressed people. &od would reward their faith and de)o$on with 2is protec$on and blessing. #ndeed my friends and colleagues started trea$ng me dierently when they disco)ered that # was keeping a collec$on of an$ngan$ngs. *hey thought that an$ngan$ngs are only worn by supers$$ous and weird people. ;ut what if the an$ngan$ng really has the power to sa)e me from harm, illness, and other e)il thingsQ What if by a freak accident # get hit by a truck and sur)i)eQ ne thing is for sure, howe)er. # always cross the street with e/treme cau$on, e)en though # may carry an an$ngan$ng in my pocket. # will ne)er test the power of the an$ngan$ng as it is tantamount to challenging the power of &od.
!nng anng scar o =n1nito 2ios in bale ormaon. This scar is an e;ece protecon against gun and other weapons.
Guring the 9hilippineAmerican War !1H<<1hy did not these men surrender? =t was an e'hibion o solid heroism, the like o which = shall not see again. !t least oer the graes o these men, whose acons we cannot @uite understand, should be wrien the word )heroes*. Many o these men wore anng anngs or charms to presere lieA.*
*he an$ngan$ng therefore ser)ed as the )ital ob?ect with which the Filipinos pinned their hopes in order to gain an edge in the war against the superiorarmed American troops. Pe)ertheless, the psychological impact of possessing the an$ng an$ng could ha)e made the war more blooodily contested. Without the an$ngan$ngs, one could hardly say if the war lasted as long as it did. *he an$ngan$ng is an important part of the Filipino ba%le gear, along with his bolo and crude (rearm. 4ore recently, during the 5apiang 4alaya massacre of 1<=D, those killed were found to be wearing the supposedly magical )ests that could turn bullets into snakes and ?ust fall harmlessly around them. ;ut as it happened, the bullets easily tore through the )ests and esh of the 5apiang 4alaya kapa$d. *atang Salen$n Gelos 7antos, the spiritual leader of the 5apiang 4alaya also died )iolentlyKallegedly beaten by an inmate in the Pa$onal 4ental 2ospital where the 7upremo was con(ned as a luna$c. # think that the reason why the an$ngan$ng failed is that Filipinos who used them become )ery fatalis$c. *heir u%er disregard for safety and cau$on led into their own doom. 2e re comes into mind another one of those old Filipino sayings that may ha)e signi(cance to the an$ngan$ngE nasa tao ang gawa, nasa 2iyos ang awa X. 9eople who belie)e in the power of the an$ngan$ngs must also e/ercise cau$on and discipline and not become foolish and defy logic. #magine what faith, reason, and hard work can do to defeat e)il.
/anssima Trinidad anng-anng. 5'cellent protector against all eil.
;e that as it may, the an$ng an$ng s$ll plays a signi(cant role in the social psychology of the Filipino people. 4ost people who belie)e them come from the lower strata of society, the common folk who are depri)ed of wealth and social power but who ne)ertheless gain spiritual and psychological powers through the an$ng an$ng. *he an$ng an$ng e)ol)ed from being a magical ob?ect that protects the Filipinos from e)il and harm to religious ob?ects that ser)e as temporary or e)en permanent receptacles of &od. *he an$ng an$ng is thus worshipped as &od itself, or his )arious forms and representa$ons. #n this conceptual framework, &od becomes a genie which, through proper de)o$on, faith, and mysterious incanta$ons, can be summoned to protect the belie)er from e)il and harm. *hrough the oraciones, the belie)er achie)es a unity, a oneness with the =n1nito 2ios and is thus able to gain &odYs uali$es that can make him a supermanKa man bearing the powers of &od, because through his faith and hard work, the old ; ible saying is thus applied to himE Tou shall be as gods. Note This arcle was originally published at the Philippine Bnline 6hronicles . To 1nd other interesng arcles on Philippine ie and 6ulture, please isit the site here.
9osted by Gennis Sillegas at +EVV 94 h%pEdennis)illegas.blogspot.com+V1VV<socialpsychologyofan$ngan$ng.html FA !4565: Anng-anng and the Filipino aral Arts 2y Perry 3il S. allari August D, +VV<
Sarious oraciones inscribed on a )est. *his an$ngan$ng was said to belong to &eneral 4acario 7akay. *he acuisi$on of an an$ngan$ng,X an ob?ect of supernatural powers is a common part of the old prac$ce of arnisescrima. While the mys$cal amulet is the most common form of an$ngan$ng in the 9hilippines, the an$ngan$ng comes in )aried forms. #t could be a prayer !oracion", a small stone or a crocodile tooth. *he ways of acuiring an an$ngan$ng are also di)erse. 7ome were passed on from father to son while others were belie)ed to be acuired aJer defea$ng spirit warriors. *he belief system behind the an$ngan$ng is a combina$on of animism and Batholicism. *hose who own an an$ngan$ng belie)e that its power is best replenished and tested during &ood Fridays. *he Batholic Bhurch as well as the )arious e)angelical churches in the 9hilippines does not condone the use of an$ngan$ng. #tYs etymology unknown, the an$ngan$ng was also known by other names such as agimat,X bertud,X or galing.X *he an$ngan$ng is dis$nct from the gayuma [lo)e po$on],X which is another popular facet of 9hilippine esoterica.
#t was in 1<<<, at the turn of the century that a number of my Filipino mar$al arts !F4A" colleagues began e/perimen$ng with oraciones. *heyY)e ?oined an ancient blade cult whose ini$a$on rites include being hacked by a )ery sharp bolo se)eral $mes. *his par$cular type of an$ngan$ng belongs to the kabalX or kunat oracionX category that were belie)ed to make the bearer imper)ious to bladed weapon a%acks. All of my friends emerged unharmed from the hacking ritual. ;ut one of them, who later on tried to replicate the feat in an independent demonstra$on, sustained a )ery nasty in?ury. Another type of an$ngan$ng that is also commonly associated with escrimadores is the tagaliwas [di)erter]X that claims to ha)e the power to cause the bullets to miss from guns (red at point blank range. #n an ar$cle $tled nmasking the Art Ar$st by 4arilit0 Gi0on !Capid ournal Sol. = Po. 3", Comeo 4acapagal, one of the senior students of the late legendary grandmaster Antonio *atangX #llustrisimo narrates his e/perience on his teacherYs demonstra$on of this kind of power, it says, ;efore *atangYs health deteriorated in 1<<+, his mind was )ery sharp and focused, his will power tremendous. n &ood Fridays we would go to empty lots to test his power. n a sheet of bond paper, *atang would scribble a few oraciones and ha)e it set up for target. Pow, my two elder sons and # are competent shots, but at a distance of ()e meters we are only shoo$ng around that H / 11 inches sheet of paper, knocking its edges only at three meters. &ood sight pictures, good suee0e, good ammo, but we could not hit the target. Whate)er the mechanisms, it worked.X ne documented massuse of an$ngan$ng that ended in disaster was the case of Salen$n delos 7antos and his religiopoli$cal society 5apiang 4alaya. #n 4ay +1, 1<=D, the then H=year old Gelos 7antos and the members of his society demanded reforms from the administra$on of 9resident Ferdinand 4arcos. *he group, armed with bolos and belie)ing that their an$ngan$ng could ward o all harms against their person marched against the military and ended up being massacred. *he use of the an$ngan$ng is almost always associated with uprisings in the 9hilippines. Guring the 1H<= 9hilippine Ce)olu$on against 7pain, #t was said that the 7upremo of the Ia$punan, Andres ;onifacio carried an amulet called 7an$ago de &alicia N ;irhen del 9ilar for protec$on. 4anong #gnacio 4abait, an oldschool escrimador whom # ha)e befriended in +VVV showed me his own an$ngan$ng N it was a talisman implanted in one of his arms by his father. 2e in$mated to me that his father was also an escrimador who ha)e fought against the 7paniards and consecu$)ely against the Americans. 4anong #gnacio himself fought against the apanese in 4anila during World War ##. *he implant looked like a bead that mo)ed about under his skin. # surmised that, that kind of an$ngan$ng was the same kind possessed by the founder of the 9hilippine #ndependent Bhurch, ®orio Aglipay as men$oned in Pid AnimaYs book *he Filipino 4ar$al Arts,X it reads, 9erhaps the coincidence that this writer is AglipayYs godson uali(es him for the re)ela$on of factual informa$on about the Aglipayan bishop which are heretofore unchronicled. From my grandfather who was a priest in his church, # gathered that his early morning gurgle cons$tuted not water but )inegar. Cefuted as a manYs e/traordinary strength, one manifesta$on of AglipayYs strength was in the way he toyed a hea)y iron bar like a child toying a pencil, holding one of its $ps between thumb and inde/ (nger and swaying it. AglipayYs trip to ;angued Abra was characteri0ed by lodging in my grandfatherYs house. 2is siestas there were aided by one of grandfatherYs sons, Agus$n, whom he was par$cularly fond of. *he bishopYs back
was a strange phenomenon, according to ncle Agus$n. 7ca%ered on dierent places on his back were ()e esh corns and about the si0e of corn grains, too. 9ressing one of these would send them all scrambling playfully, taking each other Ys dierent places in the manner of childrenYs games.X While there are s$ll escrimadores that consider an$ngan$ng as part of their mar$al arts prac$ce, the ma?ority of F4A prac$$oners in the 9hilippines today, including the top masters put more importance to prac$cal skills than esoteric prac$ces. # got the following succinct answer from 4aster Tuli Como, another senior student of *atang #llustrisimo and founder of ;ahad ubu when # asked his opinion on the sub?ectE # belie)e in oracion but # gi)e more importance to prac$cal skills. *he ;ible says that we ha)e guardian angels and they were there for our protec$on. # belie)e in that. ;ut to say that #Yll use an oracion so that my opponent would not be able to hit me, that is another story.X
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The culture of the anng-anng
%ne o& the 'ests o& Tatang Valenn delos Santos (#uthor)s collecon* >)ery culture has produced its own set of talismans and amulets, and the 9hilippines is no e/cep$on. While some cultures may regard amulets merely as magical accessories to protect one against harm and bad luck, the culture of the Filipino anng-anng may be dierent, being so ingrained as to be regarded as a religion in itself. Potably, the anng-anng in)ariably contained mi/ed symbols of the ancient Filipino religion, Coman Batholicism, the Bhris$an rthodo/ church, and udaism. For those who belie)e in its di)ine proper$es, the anng-anng is one of the few manmade ob?ects that can make man closer to &od or e)en achie)e the uali$es of &od. #t is a longheld belief among the mys$cs, both in the >ast and the West, that amulets ser )e as temporary or e)en constant habita$on of &od and other di)ine spirits. *he animist belief that inanimate ob?ects can become receptacles of dwelling of the di)ine is shown through the ancient worship of statues, relics, beads, portraits, tombs, and of course, amulets. ;efore the coming of the 7paniards, the early Filipinos were already known to keep amulets, talismans, charms, and )arious other ob?ects to protect them from harm, the elements, and the e)il spirits. Brocodile tooth, gems, oddshaped stones, and e)en fossili0ed remains of animals were the earliest known e/amples of anng-anngused by the early Filipinos. *he an$ng an$ng has many other names in the *agalog le/iconE bertud, agimat, gamit , talisman, mutya, orgaling. #t also comes in many forms. #t can be a medallion, a small book, a piece of paper, a ta%oo, a crocodile tooth, a meteorite, a )est or scarf inscribed with oraciones, and many others. Po one is uite
sure how the wordanng-anng came to be. According to 5orna 4on$lla, an$ngan$ng may ha)e e)ol)ed from the 5a$n word an$,X and thus means an$an$X or againstagainst.X #ndeed if the present belief in the popular use of anng-anng is to be considered, 4on$lla may be correct, since the annganng is mostly used to protect its wearer against harm and illness. ;ut there are also some who put forward the theory that the term is actually deri)ed from the a)anese word anng-anngX which means ear pendants. !nng-anng may also ha)e been deri)ed from the ;ahasa 4elayu word anngX that means danglingX or swinging.X
!nng-anng medallions in
The enigma and promise of the anng-anng
9art of the a%rac$on of the anng-anng lies in its esoteric nature. ;asically, man is a%racted to the unknown, to the mysterious. 4ost anng-anng pieces are pu00ling because of their cabalis$c (gures, mysterious oraciones, and hidden ini$als. 4any people who possess these are )ery secre$)e and would not want to re)eal what they keep, e/cept maybe those pieces they wear around. *hey belie)e that the mys$cal nature of the anng-anngtheir own co)enant with the godsis what makes it powerful. nce re)ealed to others, its power diminishes or disappears altogether. *he secret symbols and ini$als are part of the original mys$cal theogony of the *agalog. *he oracionesK the prayers summoning the di)ineKare mostly hidden in ini$als. # found that many of these ini$als are the numerous names of &od and the words &od had spoken. For instance, the ini$als 4.4.4. and A.A.A. appear on many medallions which, according to an$ngan$ng belie)ers, are the ini$als of the true names of the 7an$ssima *rinidad !2oly *rinity". We will unlock these secrets later in this ar$cle as we e/amine each of the medallions. 4any of the symbols are connected with the FilipinosY concept of &od. *he most commonly seen symbol is the >ye contained in a triangle, which represents the ;athala or the #n(nito Gios, the ancient Filipino &od. *his symbol appears in many emblems, banners, and seals of many millenarian groups in 7outhern *agalog. *he connec$on of &od to the anng-anng, therefore, is key to understanding its nature. *o unlock the secrets of the anng-anngYs hidden meanings, myths, and symbolisms, one must be able to understand the FilipinoYs concept of &od. *he anng-anng is the FilipinoYs way to approach &od, and to contain &od within a medallion or )est, and thereby achie)e a di)ine connec$on which will gi)e him the uali$es of &od. Another a%rac$on of the anng-anng is the promise it gi)es to its possessor. 4any who keep them belie)e that the anng-anng gi)es them spiritual power that can protect them from material harm. 4any of the people who put their faith in the anng-anng, such as the kapad of the 5apiang 4alaya,
held the no$on that they gain supernatural powers through the anng-anng. *hey can become in)isible to enemies, imper)ious to bullets and kni)es, escape mortal dangers, be in two places at the same $me, perform miracles, and so on. *herefore, theanng-anng endows them with the a%ributes of the gods. With all these a%ributes of power and promise, many people who belie)e in the anng-anng spend most of their li)es searching for the most powerful ones. *hey go to the most remote places in search of the anng-anng. *hey undergo great sacri(ce and peril to hunt them. For e/ample, in the past, it was a common belief that an unchristened fetus, recently aborted or miscarried, must be e/humed from the cemetery, put into a bo%le or ?ar, soaked in liuor, and eaten one tablespoon e)eryday for a whole year. *he pickled fetus is s$ll belie)ed powerful by some of the most radical faithful in the *agalog region. *his author knows of a person who fell gra)ely ill aJer ea$ng pickled fetus for a week. *here are also people who swallow the anng-anng, in the belief that once ingested, its powers are absorbed by the body. *his is called the subo !swallow", s$ll being prac$ced by many belie)ers. Another e/treme is thebaon, in which the anng-anng is embedded into the belie)erYs skin, like what 4arcos was said to ha)e had inside the skin of his back.
The theogony of the anng-anng
*he ancient Filipinos belie)ed in the e/istence of &od. #n *agalog mythology, &od is the ;athalang 4aykapal or ;athala, the creator of the uni)erse. Although the name ;athala may be *agalog, it has counterparts in other parts of the 9hilippines. ;athala rules the world. 2e pro)ides man with his needs and protects the world against e)il. *here are other dei$es in the ancient religion of the *agalogs, but ;athala is the highest and most powerful. *o make the conuest easy and readily con)ert Filipinos into the new religion, the friar missionaries interpreted ;athala to be the same 7panish &od of the Coman Batholic religion. Cather than erase t he old belief in the ;athala, the friars simply adapted the ;athala into the new faith. *he friars may ha)e e)en encouraged local beliefs and supers$$ons among the Filipinos, including the belief in anng-anng, to create a market for similar ob?ects like scapulars, scar)es, relics, medallions, and rosaries. *he )enera$on of material ob?ects, long a tradi$on among the Filipinos, has thus been encouraged and fused with Coman Batholicism. *he Filipinos then created their own interpreta$ons of these ob?ects to suit their beliefs. *hus, many of the symbols that can be seen on the anng-anng are fusions of the Coman Batholic faith and the precolonial religion of the Filipinos. *he important change ins$tuted by the friar missionaries had something to do with the concept of &od among the Filipinos. Although ;athala is interpreted by the friars to be the same 7panish &od of the Coman Batholics, ;athalaYs monotheis$c being was changed, as he was now )iewed as consis$ng of three persons. *his is the Goctrine of the 7an$ssima *rinidad !2oly *rinity of &od the Father, &od the 7on, and &od the 2oly 7pirit". *his doctrine is the most important dogma of Batholicism. #n the book Batechism of the Coman Batholic Bhurch published by the Sa$can, the doctrine is statedE
The Trinity is Bne. >e do not coness three Cods, but Bne Cod in t hree persons. The diine persons do not share the one diinity among themseles but each o them is Cod whole and enre.
The Tres Personas or Sanssima Trinidad$ This image is no" anned in +oman ,atholic churches ut is sll eing used in man. altars o& olk ,atholic religions in Southern Tagalog such as the Tres Personas Solo Dios and the Iglesia 0ata"at ng 1ahi$ It is also &re2uentl. used on anng-anng medallions and 'ests$ *he early Filipinos may ha)e diOculty understanding this concept of the 7an$ssima *rinidad. 2ow can the ;athala be ne and *hree at the same $meQ *o sol)e this theological crisis, and to retain the easier concept that the &od is only ne, the *agalogs created the mythology of the #n(nito Gios. #n this new theogony, ;athala is again ne, but his name has become the #n(nito Gios, and immediately below him Kbut also &ods in their own right Kare the 7an$ssima *rinidadE &od the Father, &od the 7on, and &od the 2oly 7pirit. *he concept of the ;athala#n(nito Gios e/is$ng before the 7an$ssima *rinidad may seem easier to understand for the early Filipinos. 2ere, the line is clearE the #n(nito Gios is the ne and nly &od. 2e retains his role as the creator of the uni)erse, the pro)ider of mankind, and the protector against e)il. *he later arri)al of the 7an$ssima *rinidad into the Filipino theogony created the myth that the 7an$ssima *rinidad, a newcomer in Filipino theogony, wanted to bap$0e, i.e., con)ert, the #n(nito Gios, not knowing that the #n(nito Gios was already e/is$ng e)en before the 7an$ssima *rinidad e/isted. *he #n(nito Gios is higher than, although one with, the 7an$ssima *rinidad.
The altar o& the religious sect Tres Personas Solo Dios$ In the pantheon o& Gods the Infnito Dios (Bathala* sits on a higher le'el than the Sanssima Trinidad$ The Infnito Dios and the Sanssima Trinidad are %ne ho"e'er consistent "ith the +oman ,atholic teaching that God is %ne in three persons$
The ythology of the In&nito 'ios
The medallion o& the Infnito Dios$ The central fgure is that o& Bathala/Infnito Dios eing ap3ed . 4esus ,hrist one o& the Sanssima Trinidad$ (#uthor)s collecon*
*he world of the 9hilippine anng-anng is mainly based on the mythology of the #n(nito Gios. *he #n(nito Gios is represented by a single eye in a triangle. *his symbol is s$ll widely used in many folk Batholic religions in the *agalog region, such as the =glesia >atawat ng ahi, 6iudad Misca de 2ios, Tres Personas /olo 2ios , to name a few. >)en the #apunan of Andres ;onifacio and later the re)olu$onary go)ernment of &eneral AguinaldoKboth of whom were known to ha)e kept an an$ngan$ngused this symbol in many of their oOcial seals and banners.
The 5ye, symbol o Cod ound in many anng-anng medallions and scares. This one was seen by the author on the oothills o Mount &anahaw and 2olores,
#nimasola the 0inged 5.e$This s.mol is used in the altar o& the ,iudad Misca de Dios a religious millenarian group located on Banaha"$
The =n1nito 2ios decided to create beings to assist him in his task o creaon. >hile thinking, the =n1nito 2ios suddenly had perspiraon on his right side. >hen he wiped his right side, the droplets became 9G spirits. Two o these spirits became 8ph Madac and !bo Natac, the two elders who reside in the two corners o the 5arth and are the guardians o the /un and the Moon. The ne't si' spirits became the beings who reside outside the earth. They did not want to receie any blessings rom the =n1nito 2ios.
Their names are 5lim, &orim, Morim, &icairim, Persulam and Mim. The ne't seen spirits became the unbapDed !rchangels named !maley, !lpacor, !macor, !palco, !lco, !rago, and !Daragoe.
The 1rst 9G spirit beings that emanated rom =n1nito 2ios
The si' spirit beings that did not want to take any authority rom the =n1nito 2ios
The seen archangels, unbapDed The last spirit was called uDbel, a spirit whose name means light o heaen. Eis name is &ecca, the being who will later rebel against the =n1nito 2ios. Eis other name is ucier. Meanwhile, the =n1nito 2ios decided to create other beings. >hile thinking, he suddenly perspired on his le side. >iping the perspiraon, the droplets became eight spirit beings. 4ie o them became the beings who went to 3esus 6hrist while he was nailed to the cross to ask or his blessing. &ut beore he could gie his blessing to these 1e spirits, 3esus e'pired. The 1e spirits neer receied their blessings and thereore retained their original names o =stac, =natac, =snatac, Tartaraw, and /arapao. The last three spirit beings became known as the Tres Personas, or the /ansima Trinidad. The =n1nito 2ios gae them the task to create the world and its inhabitants. Bn each o the eyes o the Tres Personas can be seen the leer M, which is the inial o their names Magob, Mariagob, and Magogab.(9+
