Beliefs in Malolos, Bulacan

Article by Jake

Tagalog Paper No. 573.

Beliefs in Malolos By Claro T. Martin.

Classification:

1.-Tagalog: Malolos, Bulacan Province. 2.-Summary: Folklore: Beliefs.

Manila November 22, 1924.

BELIEFS FROM MALOLOS, BULAKAN

By Claro T. Martin

I. On marriage:

1. On the wedding ceremony in the church, the bride and the groom have each a candle on their fronts. The one whose candle is extinguished first is believed to be the first to die.
2. In the ceremony also, the two are supposed to kneel during the whole period and the one who stands first after the ceremony will be dominant over the other.
3. In the dining table, if the member of the household changes his place now and then this person will be "mababauhin" or will always be widowed.
4. Before the two leave the house on the first day of their marriage life the dishes are purposely broken. By any member of the family as a wish for them to have children.

II. Concerning birth

1. The soul or spirit of the dead cares beek to the family in the third night of his death to visit the bereaved
2. If the body of the dead is soft (for as is often the case, the body of the dead is stiff,) some one in the family is believed to follow not long afterwards
3. If the dead is a lady, a gentleman will follow and vice-varsa this is in the vicinity not in the family.
4. In the night (especially from 10-12, and dark) when one happens to pasa by a house, in his walk, in which somebody is dying and continues on his way without paying attention to what he notices, it is believed that some form of extraordinary size as a cat, dog, pig or a coffin will stop him on his way and make him change his mind.
5. Nobody is allowed to sweep with the "walls" or broom when the dead is at state, because it is believed that the rest of the family will follow one by one in a short space of time.
6. When one seen a black butterfly, it is a sign that a relative who is away is dead.
7. When one dreams that all his teeth fell, one of his relatives is dead.

III. On Birth and Christening:

1. The one who sponsors the christening of a child the child will follow the characteristics and traits of his god-father or god-mother.
2. When a child is born in midnight, it is believed that the child will be brave -- the time of birth has an influence over the shaping of the child's character.
3. A woman who is pregnant must be in the house when the dead is being taken down -- it is believed that she will have hardships in delivering.
4. In the Christening, when these is only one girl and many boys, this girl will have many admirers and the same with the boy of there are many girls and he is alone.

IV: Miscellaneous

1. The corner-tiendas do not sell needles in the evening because if they do all the rest in the stock will be rusty.
2. It is a luck to find anything that is of value on one's way -- if it is money and the one who finds it gambles with it, he is sure to win.
3. That the mounds of the termites are inhabited by the "tao-sa-punso" and if anybody destroys them, some misfortune will befall him as a punishment.
4. Nobody is allowed in the evening to clean with the "walls" because the centipedes will fall.
5. Thirteen (13) is a bad number in any occasion.
6. During meals, the dishes must not be put one on another for it is believed that the hardships of the family will be increased.
7. When the rainbow appear, the place where the rainbow originates is the place caught by the farmers especially because they ballers is to be "matabang" not tasty or salty.
8. The child's high must not be measured because the child's growth will stop.
9. Money is easy if the "tagasoos" appear in the house. (tagasoos is a kind of ant.)
10. The "ahas bahay" which is a snake that is always found in the houses (in corners and in the roofs) is a good sign for it is believed that the family in the house will not have economic difficulty.

V. Beliefs on Natural Phenomenons

1. That there is a lady in the moon who often shows in the moon and this Lady is Sta. Rosa.
2. Far mountain range of mountain has an "encantador" or an "encantadora" as the Mt. Arayat is under the power of an “encantadora” named "Sinukuan".
3. When the people hear the thunder, they say that God is having his joy-ride in heaven.
4. There are black spirits who appear any animal from and they are called "tianaca" or "aswangs".
5. If one sees a rainbow and keeps on looking at it, the rainbow will not last long but it will disappear readily.

References

https://nlpdl.nlp.gov.ph/OB01/NLPOBMN0037016573/bs/datejpg.htm