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Chapter 2: Review of Related Literature
Our country is girdled with many beliefs, superstitions or
what we call “pamahiin.” These superstitions are the
characteristics that gives our country distinction among other
nations. By identifying different superstitions more precisely,
we can not only define our country just unique but we can clearly
see the quirkiness of every barangay. There are sites that we can
use as a tool initiating our research regarding the local
superstitions in different barangay in General Trias.
According to Lena (2017), Cavitenos believed that people
should not sweep the floor at night because if you brush the
wastes on the floor so will your lucks inside your house so
Cavitenos only swept the floor at morning to clean the house at
same time, remain the luck your house contains. As we read the
article, a question piqued our interest, why do luck can be swept
at night. By doing a chain research, there was an article about
superstition why you shouldn’t sweep the floor at night.
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According to Mansoor (2016), people have superstition
telling that if you sweep the dust out of your front door after
dark, it will bring unwelcome stranger to visit. A detailed
article talking about superstition but in the perception of other
people, this is more likely an omen to them. Omen differs from
superstition; superstition are beliefs on human reason or
scientific knowledge while omen is something a portend a good or
evil event or circumstance in the future; an augury or
foreboding. In the article, many readers have tackled their
thoughts regarding the article. By reading the article, there
were similarities of reasons why such superstition exists. People
have believed that this superstition existed long way before the
electricity exists. It is said that people prohibit the sweeping
of floor at night due to loss of jewelries such as earring,
necklace, rings or prestigious bracelet because you don’t clearly
see what you are sweeping and a tendency of this jewelries are
swept along thus the superstition were born and called to be bad
luck.
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SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
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According to Naag (2018) whose article is related to
superstition of why you shouldn’t sweep the floor at night is
that if you sweep or mop the floor at night, you also make
Goddess Laksmhi leave the house. Goddess Laksmhi is a Hindu god
of wealth and beauty. By this article, we can conclude that this
superstition does not only invoked inside Philippines but also
around the world.
Superstitions does not only define the beliefs of a human
reason but also entails scientific reason. In the same article,
it was said that there were scientific reasons why you shouldn’t
sweep/mop the floor at night. It was said that there is a higher
chance of dust to be blown and suspended in the air thus making
it more possible to be inhaled and get you sick. It can also
stick in your clothes and make you dirtier. Since people believed
that floor can be the most dirties place in your house, because
all bacteria or germs live in the floor, there will be tendency
that you can transmit those germs or bacteria that lives on the
floor inside your body.
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The following superstitions is taken from Lopez (2013)
A guy who has mole on his nape is a heartthrob. Well it was
said the history of that superstition is that there was a person
who has a mole on his nape is constantly teased by his friends,
to get revenge he spread out the rumors that people who has mole
on his nape is a heartthrob.
In the same article, it is said that, “Don’t give someone a
pair of shoes, or the person will either walk away from you or
end up walking all over you.” Well the superstition contradicts
the “kasabihan” If you’re good to other people, then they will be
good to you. This superstition only exists in Philippines and
explanation regarding the superstition is unclear.
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Another superstition is after going to a wake, don't go
straight home. Go somewhere else first so evil spirits will not
follow you home. This superstition is also one of the unique
superstition of Philippines because according to Escalona (2018)
Filipinos believe in many supernatural beings such as ghost,
kapre or aswang. These beliefs can be connected evil spirits. But
this supernatural beliefs on supernatural can only be connected
in this superstition but there is also one of this mystifying
superstition that many Filipinos believe especially in the All
saints day. This superstition is almost similar to the famous
superstition “pagpag.” Pagpag superstition refers to people after
visiting a wake should jump through a something that is burning
so that the spirits wouldn’t follow them. It is believed that
spirits hate smokes and cuts the tethering of spirits to the
people. These two superstitions are almost closely related to
each other with only difference that the other one tells that you
should go somewhere else besides your house first so that those
spirits wouldn’t stay at your home while on the other side is
smoke is an effective way to make spirits go away.
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If a girl gets her period for the first time, she should
wipe her face with her blood to prevent future acne problems.
This superstition in Philippine is believed by many people
traditionally done. It is said that it is very effective and
somehow prevents acne problems.
Don't comb your hair at night; you will either become
forgetful or your parents will die. People believed in the saying
simple action could lead to huge consequences and this is one of
the superstitions that do supports that belief. This is somehow
related to the superstition that don’t cut your nails at night or
your luck will run out.
You can cure your asthma by placing a cat near your throat
and chest while saying a prayer. Well this superstition do exists
in Philippines but defies the scientific explanation. In the
science realm, it is said that you shouldn’t be near anything
that furry or anything that can trigger allergy in nostrils as
this can trigger your asthma. But even though there is this
explanation, this superstition continues to exist
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Don't open an umbrella indoors. Bad luck will "rain" down on
you. Some also say lizards or insects will fall on you. Many
superstitions regarding about bad lucks is numerous such black
cats and other things and this is another one of Filipino
superstition that may trigger bad luck onto you.
If you dreamed you were dying, bite the trunk of a tree in
your backyard to pass the misfortune on to the tree. This
superstition can be really terrifying. This is a superstition in
Filipino that most people do especially in provinces. In a
scientific reason, there is this law of belief, the concept tells
that what you believe will be your reality according to Tracy.
Filipino strongly believe in their dreams and have tried to
understand the meanings of this dreams and others believe that
this is your premonition of what will happen to you. Other
Filipinos also believe that this dream you see will happen on
another dimension where you also exist. The power of dreams
affects your beliefs and will actually affect the decision and
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way of thinking in your everyday life. To counter this, the
superstition of biting the trunk of the tree to pass the
misfortune was born.
The following superstitions is taken from Escalona (2018)
The number of staircases should not be divisible by three.
As you enter a household with staircases there are three words
you should remember Oro (Gold), Plata (Silver), Mata (Death).
With every step you take you chant one word from Oro to Mata in
order. Many Filipinos try and avoid the final word which is Mata
thus making the number of stairs not divisible by three to avoid
Mata (Death) which denotes bad luck while the other two promote
Good luck.
Going Straight home after attending a wake.
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We call this superstition “Pagpag” some of you may have
heard it before, for “Pagpag” signifies shaking off. When in the
context of a wake “Pagpag” means refreaining from going home
after the wake and going to other places to shake of the spirit
that may have followed you, to avoid brining the sprit to your
home.
The reassurance of you being a human.
A common thing to say by a Filipino is “Tao po.” Today, we
often use this phrase to determine whether there’s a person in
the area we are going to, such as knocking unto a door or saying
it in front of a shop, calling out to the store keeper but its
origin of use was actually to reassure that the knocker is a
person and not a possibly harmful supernatural creature.
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Serving of noodles during celebrations, especially on
birthdays.
Often during a celebration, usually on a birthday party we
often see this dish served be it carbonara, spaghetti or some
other kind of pancit since most Filipinos believe or claim that
eating pancit will give you long life and to this date it is
usually served during birthdays a lot.
Respecting the elementals
Due to the rich folklore of the Philippines, we are often
greeted with stories about such elementals be it from giants
smoking tobacco, to small, grumpy, old men living in anthills.
Giving fear and cautiousness. Many superstitions to date are
still believing in such and so the phrase “Tabi tabi po” or
excuse me was invented when passing through areas where
elementals were likely to dwell such as the outdoors, anthills
and belete trees.
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Failure to do so shall disturb said creatures and cause
random unexplained sickness that can only be cured by an
albulrayo or a Folk healer.
As in the past, Filipinos first religion is called to be a
naturist or worshipping the nature. This belief may can be rooted
to this as Filipinos is greatly inclined to the belief of
supernatural beings living in the nature
Blaming elves for your missing things.
There is a belief that when objects or materials in the
house go missing it is caused by playful or mischievous elves or
dwendes, believed to be mostly harmless aside from the kind that
takes small children
Another one of supernatural beliefs of Filipinos. This
belief is somehow related to Nuno sa Punso, Filipino prohibits
people from disturbing Nuno, a supernatural or mythological
creature which with a counterpart of a elf, preventing curses or
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the lost of their children, missing things have similarities of
Filipino believing the lost of children is due to anger of Nuno
Turning plates upside down when someone leaves in the middle
of a meal.
It is believed that during a meal when a person leaves early
everyone else who stayed must turn their plates upside down to
ensure the safety of the person whom had left.
Another Meal superstition which is less believed upon is the
dining table shouldn’t be cleared or cleaned while a person is
not yet finished eating for if this is to be done, the last
person who finished eating shall a lonely life.
Siblings shouldn’t marry within the same year.
The superstition believed is to be known as “Sukob” and it
is advised for siblings to avoid marrying in the same year for
doing so shall divide the luck between two marriages.
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Another type of “Sukob” is avoiding a marriage within the same
year wherein a death of an immediate family member had occurred
doing so shall impose bad luck upon the marriage.
To add on to marriage superstitions is the bride trying on
her dress before the day of the marriage and in doing so bad luck
shall be imposed upon the marriage and cancelling of the union or
marriage.
Being cautious when showing fondness over babies.
As we know trying to avoid interacting with such cute babies
is very hard or giving them, such complements but here in the
Philippines some believe that this may be a root cause of
sickness. This is often considered by the name “Usog” or “Bati”.
According to the superstition when a person whom with strong
energy had greeted the child, the child may soon experience
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discomfort and due to this reason people from the countryside or
older people are known to say the phrase “Pwersa usog” when
showing fondness to children in order to counter any usog that
may occur if not said the parents may employ such maladies to
their children to usog, they may ask the greeter to streak their
saliva on the suffering child ‘s forehead in order to cure the
child.
The following superstitious belief came from Catibog (2017)
You should not walk over someone if they are lying down,
they will never grow taller. Doing a little background of
Filipino traits, it is undeniable that most Filipinos are short.
This belief is not just categorized as a normal superstitious
belief but this is known to be one of baby lores or we call kid
superstitious beliefs. Many grandparents in Philippines tell this
to their grand child as a prohibition of having a grand child
small. There were no other meaning than this and just a plain
beliefs of Filipino baby lores.
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If you take a picture with 3 persons, the middle person will
die. This superstitious belief according to study, have heavily
influenced Asians. There were no history of where do the belief
exactly started other than it all started of just a coincidence
but this belief is declining due to modernization. The influence
of phone and camera have easily diminished the upholdings of this
belief but many still say if you want to avoid this belief just
add a fourth person to make it a even number or just a grab a
stranger.
You should not sleep while you’re hungry because your spirit
will go to place where there’s food and it will become trapped
there. This belief is also one of the unique filipino
superstitious belief. Although many people have believed in this
belief. In the science realm, its just merely a cause and effect.
According to studies of a profession sleep advisor. If your going
to sleep while your body is hungry it will cause you less energy,
lose muscle mass, low insulin, lack of sleep, and mood swings.
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These results are all a leading factor to a bad health such as
dizziness. This might add to the reason why such belief started
as there were studies of being dizzy is a sign of loss of spirit.
If you sleep with wet hair, it will make you crazy, bald or
blind. This is one of another famous grandmother beliefs and many
currently still believes in it especially the Filipinos. This
belief is partly true and if you ask your grandmother, they can’t
explain the reason why, but scientist have said that if you sleep
with wet hair, it will cause hair breakage although they are
still questioning why it would make you crazy or blind.
If you are lost, turn your clothes inside out because the
elves are teasing you. This superstitious belief has become a
common belief amongst filipino as if you’ve watched Alamat ng
Agimat, one of his episode clearly depicted this belief. It is
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common for Filipino to believe in such supernatural beings and it
is still widely believed up until now.
You should jump on the new year’s eve so you’ll grow taller.
This is also one of Filipino favorite beliefs done during the new
year. Most Filipino children have been told by their parents to
jump during new year’s eve so they’ll get taller. This belief has
been passed down to many generations and still continues to exist
and be followed by many Filipino people who wishes to get taller
as a basic feature of Filipino is being short.
If you point a finger at night or trees at night, you have
to bite that finger to prevent you from having bad luck. Another
plain old belief of the Filipino, this belief is another one of
the unique beliefs of Philippines hold although this belief is
not really known to most of Filipinos as it was said to live only
in most provinces.
NOTE
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Provide a summary or synthesis of the RRL.
Provide local statistics/data (General Trias) about
superstitious beliefs, etc.
Check your subject-verb agreement, possessive case,
capitalizations, punctuations,
Paragraph alignment: justify
Make use of the highlighted words in the Microsoft Office
Word as your cue for errors in spellings, punctuations, etc.
Provide a reference list for all the resources/RRL you used
– use APA 6th ed. style
