2011 dyke of the year

A specific sub-set of mythical creatures in Philippine mythology.

Bakunawa

According to the Visayan mythology of the Philippines, the Bakunawa (also spelled Baconaua) is a huge sea serpent believed to cause the eclipse by swallowing either the sun or the moon. In some tales it is described as having a mouth as wide as a lake. In ancient times, when an eclipse occurred the natives would create noise by banging household items, drums or other things, or play soothing music, for they believed that such sounds spooked the Bakunawa into regurgitating the moon or sun it swallowed. To this day, superstitious folks continue to practice creating noise during an eclipse.

Minokawa

In Bagobo myth, the minokawa is responsible for the lunar eclipse. It was believed that this island-sized bird always tried to swallow the moon. To discourage it from consuming the moon completely, the people would make loud noise. Its abode is somewhere outside the eastern sky (probably space). This gargantuan bird has a beak and talons of steel, eyes like mirrors, and tough sharp feathers.

Arimaonga

The Maranao people used to blame the gigantic, four legged, and tiger-like arimaonga for eclipses. Whenever there was an eclipse, people thought the arimaonga was trying to eat the sun or the moon. The name arimaonga may have been derived from the Indonesian arimao meaning, “tiger”.

Bawa

A creature living in a sky cave. It flies out and swallows the moon when the food is scarce. Also known as Baua / Calulundan.

Tambanakawa

The Mandaya and the Bukidnon people once believed that the lunar eclipse was caused by the tambanakawa or tambanokano, a gigantic crab in the sea, as it tried to devour the moon. Aside from lunar eclipse, it was also believed to create the sea’s tides and big waves by scuttling around. The Bukidnon people believe this huge crab from the mountains caused the great deluge by plugging the world’s navel in the sea. The Manobo people, on the other hand, believe the tambanakawa is a huge spider or scorpion that attacked the moon once in a while in an attempt to eat it.

Sawa

In other Tagalog lore and in the myths of the Ati of Panay, Sawa is a giant serpent that swallows the sun and causes eclipses.

Kedu

The natives of Maguindanao once believed that the eclipse was caused by the monstrous serpent kedu swallowing either the sun or the moon. The belief in the kedu is a Hindu influence which proliferated in some parts of Mindanao before the arrival of Islam. Kedu is derived from the Sanskrit Ketu. In Hindu myth, after the asura (demon) Svarbhanu’s head was cut off by Vishnu, his body joined with a snake and became Ketu. In Vedic astrology, when Ketu and Rahu, the bodiless head of Svarbhanu, align with the sun, moon, and Earth, eclipses occur.

Olimaw

The Olimaw is the Ilocano Moon Eater. It is described as a: Winged Serpent, Phantom, Giant, Beast, Dragon. Its name is a cognate of Halimaw ('monster' in some Philippine languages) and Arimaonga (The Maranao Moon-eating lion)

Laho

According to the myth of ancient Kapampangans, the laho or lawu (also spelled lahu) was a huge serpent that caused the eclipse by swallowing the sun or the moon. The ancient Kapampangan’s concept of the laho was derived from the Sanskrit Rahu after some Hindu-Buddhist beliefs were introduced and incorporated into the locality following the gradual settlement of Hindu-Buddhist-influenced immigrants in ancient times. In Vedic myth, Rahu is the severed head of the demon Svarbhanu, attempting to devour the sun and the moon.

ANALYSIS

Similarities:

The creatures share a certain kind of hostility towards the sun and moon, thus vowing to eat them.

Their stories are used to explain the phenomenon of eclipses. In connection with this, the people would make noises like scream and play gongs to drive the mythical creatures away.

Certain creatures are influenced by Hindu and Vedic myths.

Some have serpent-like bodies and depicted as dragon-like.

The origin of their appearances is usually related to the environment of the tribe who believed them.

Personal opinions:

Frankly, I've never experienced the practice of making noises whenever there's an eclipse. More or less, I adapted the western and scientific reminder of not looking too close at it or it will blind you - and if you want to, make sure to wear protective glasses. Another alternative would be placing a basin of water where the image can be reflected on the water's surface. Naturally, it's amusing that such practices exist in the superstitious realm of Philippine beliefs.

My personal favorites would be: Mikonawa, Arimaonga, and Tambanakawa. Mikonawa features a bird-like dragon (or dragon-like bird) with fiery feathers, and as someone who lives in the part of the Philippines from where the famous Philippine Eagle is hailed, and even reared and preserved in zoos because of its endangered status, its appearance and existence is closer to me than the rest. Arimaonga takes on a unique form, that of a tiger, despite the country not being a famous habitat for tigers. Turns out, for the Maranaos, they interpret solar eclipses as the sun eating the moon. With the sun's flare resembling a lion's mane, they conjured the image of the Arimaonga, who eats the moon during the phenomenon. It seems pretty interesting to me that the Maranaos swerved from the serpent-like depiction of the celestial eaters. At first, the Tambanakawa is intimidating in its size and appearance - a crab enlarged, its carapace shell wide and gigantic enough to cover an entire land as its big pincer-like claws tread the sand of the shore. Its a creature worth pissing in my pants if I ever see one, and I think, maybe, it is its magnanimity that enthralled me. I used to pick up little hermit crabs by the beach and compared to the Tambanakawa, their tiny size have always looked harmless to me. To be in the position of the hermit crab and picked up by the Tambanakawa though is a different story, although less likely since the myths do not involve stories of Tambanakawa eating people despite the temper associated to it (him). It only ever tries to swallow the sun, who is his mother in the stories. The Mikonawa has more chances of sweeping me off the land and gulping me down than the Tambanakawa. It also does not say that the Arimaonga eats people, only the moon. But it begs the question if it has consciousness enough to not eat people when, after all, the the moon herself is always depicted as a female deity. Does that mean I can pet the Arimaonga? I don't want to take my chances, but it'd be cool if I can.

As per our usual bullshit there’s one code of conduct for men and a much stricter one for women, though I would assume any gentleman worthy of the name would do his best to watch his language in front of The Ladies, and if a fellow is not quite in control of himself perhaps some lesser cussing might occur. (”Damn” etc.) Or a whole torrent of filthy words–depends on who it is.

Now you’ve got your religious-style cursing which was a bigger deal in previous centuries, I think, than in the 18th and 19th; which is not to say people didn’t raise their eyebrows at blasphemy and the breaking of the third commandment, but there were ways of getting around it–principally softening it with the use of contractions. Blimey, strewth, zounds, and ‘sblood were, variously, mangled variations of “God blind me”, “God’s truth”, “God’s wounds,” and “God’s blood”. I’ve also seen ‘God’s teeth” used but that might be an error or alternative to God’s truth. Damn/dem/deuce/dash was popular as a verb or adjective (damned/demmed/deuced/dashed). Blazes was a stand-in term for hell. Cussed itself meant ‘cursed’, and was used like ‘damned’. Mention of hell and the Devil were also very strong words–”oh hell!” “Devil take it/you!” etc. might be enough to make a lady grow very pale, indeed.

Then you’ve got your anatomical cussing, which goes back even further in the history of the English language. Fuck was a word in common use from the 16th century, but it only became particularly taboo in the 18th. Cunt/quim was rude, but used often in vulgar conversation or writing. Prick/cock were probably more descriptive than used as specific insults to a person. Shit and piss were, again, words found everywhere below a certain level of society or in very ribald conversation, but would never be uttered by a genteel woman in company. Arse/ass is…ass. Ballocks/bollocks are testicles, and much the same exclamation as it remains today–could also be shortened to ‘bally’, used much as one might use ‘bloody’, which was also in use from the 1700s.

Enemies to be insulted might be variously called bastards, bitches (for both men and women!), cockchafer/cocksucker/cockteaser, or an adventuress (for a sexually-available woman), among other things.

Amusingly, I’ve found notes hinting that the word “bull” was improper to say–and not because one automatically appended it with -shit. It’s because bulls are rather known for their virility, and so to even mention the animal in the most general terms is to stand up and scream SEX during the tea-party. They’d opt for top cow (BUTCH LESBIAN COW WHO TOPS,) seed ox (which sounds even dirtier to me??) or gentleman cow...which I cannot type with a straight face.

Also, you do not talk of pants–you say inexpressibles; instead of legs, you say limbs; instead of breast, you might mention bosom…if you must.

I would say most of these, if not all, would be preferably avoided in genteel company, and before women and children; but people are people and if one is in the habit of using such language often and can be careless, something shocking may slip out.

No I am not repeating myself. Let us move beyond the keep of the castle and to the outer region of the castle.

Blacksmith

The blacksmith was the heart of the castle or the town. Blacksmiths were the most important of the trades which is why there are so many people with the surname Smith. The blacksmith worked at the forge and would have had a team of people working for him. The blacksmith would be paid a high sum by the castle's lord especially if he was skilled at making weapons or armour. A specialist armourer would have been extremely expensive to employ. The blacksmith could be employed within the castle walls or outside them. He would likely be provided with a house near the forge or sleep in a chamber off from it with his apprentices.

Porter

The porters were the gatekeepers of a Castle. You would not be able to go through the gates and the main entrances to a castle. The porter was responsible for making sure nobody came or went from the castle without proof of leave. The porter would be fed and housed with the castle barracks.

Groom

The groom or the stableboy/hand is employed at the stables to care for the horses. They would muck out the stalls, care for the horses, feed the horses, brush the horses, keep the tack clean and ready the horses when needed. The grooms would have to have some knowledge of the horses and likely a strong sense of smell. Grooms often slept in the stables or would have lived in the town as a tenant.

Bailiff

The bailiff was hired by the lord to act as his representative. The bailiff would act as an overseer, making sure the lands were in order. He would also be collect fines and rents from the tenants. The bailiff was nearly always somebody brought from another town or place from the kingdom so he could be impartial and fair. The bailiff would have been provided a small cottage near the castle if he had a family or a small chamber within the castle walls.

Watchmen

The watchman or guard was responsible for security in the castle. They were tasked to patrol the battlements and corridors of the castle, including guarding the most important places of the castle such as the treasury room. The watchman would be kitted out on the Lord's coin, trained as part of the garrison and wear the livery of the lord. Watchmen would have slept in the barracks, been fed by the castle kitchens and would have had to report to their captain or the Constable for orders.

Gamekeeper

The castle does not run itself. The castle would remain a pile of stones without servants to keep it running. The guide below focuses on the private household of the lord himself, anybody who worked inside the main keep of the castle. I will be expanding outside the walls in a future post.

The Steward/Seneschal

This person was the head of the household staff. They would have the task of running things on the Lord's estate. They are the managers, so it is up to them to keep the staff in line. The steward would keep the castle accounts and keep the lord informed of all of the goings on of the lands and tenants. They would have to be educated needing to do accounts and write letters. Though the castle's Lady would be expected to do all these things, the steward served as a backup and assistant in all the tasks even representing the lord and lady when they were unavailable.

The Chamberlain

The chamberlain is the servant employed to look after the Lord's bedchamber. He would look after the Lord's clothes as well and keep track of the other servants' liveries, the official uniforms of the guards, pages and squires. This was not always the case, some larger households had a separate office but most medium seized manors and castles lumped them together. The chamberlain's main task was ensuring the lord was kept happy. He would even be the last servant a lord would see at night before he went to bed at night. They would be educated.

The Marshal

A Marshal was in charge of the stables as well as the military presence in the castle. They would oversee the household's horses, carts, wagons, and containers. He oversaw blacksmiths, horse grooms and stableboys. He also oversaw the transporting of goods. The Marshal was sometimes in charge of disciplining servants. They would likely come from a middle class background as well as having military experience and education.

The Page

A page was a young noble boy about seven years old who would be sent to serve a Lord. He would be in charge of tidying up after the lord, carrying messages to other servants and occupants of the castle and serving him at meals. Unlike others on the list, the page would not be paid. His experience was his payment as he would learn the running of a castle and manners of a lord.

The Lady's Maid

The lady's maid is be the female body attendant of the castle's noble women. She would be in charge of caring for the lady's chamber and her things. She would dress the lady and attend her wherever she would. (The lady's maid would basically do all the work a chamberlain would but you know the wage gap...)

Maidservant

A housemaid/maidservant works to clean the castle. She would be among the first to awaken every morning. Her first task would be sweeping the floors. The thing with mediaeval floors a that they were often covered with a thin layer of rushes, a kind of grass. Weekly if not daily, a maidservant would be expected to change out the rushes and scatter new ones. If it really needed it, she would scrub the stone floors which would be done with a soap called lye, made from ashes and lard. The maidservant would also be expected to go into the bedchambers when the occupants awoke. She would empty the chamberpots if need be. She would get rid of the ashes from the fire and ready the fire for later. She would make up the bed or strip it for the laundresses. She would wash anything that needed washing including furniture and ornaments.

Laundress

The laundress was responsible for the cleaning of anything made of fabric in the household. The laundress would have to fetch their own water either from the castle well or from a nearby river. They would heat the water in large vats and add lye soap (the most popular of the cleaning agents). The constant exposure to soap and hot water was physically tough on the hands of the laundresses and their backs. When the detergents were added to the water, the laundress would dump them into the vat and stir that shit like soup. To dry it they would pin it out on lines or beat the water from it. The laundress might make money by selling secrets. Since they are handling unmentionables, they knew what happened behind closed bedchamber doors or what didn't.

Nursemaid

The nursemaid was in charge of the castle's children. They would ensure the child was fed, washed and generally kept alive while the parents would either be away at court or busy with the lands. The nursemaid would be a common woman from the surrounding lands who would come in to care for a noble child in the stead of the mother who would be expected to get on with other jobs. The nursemaid would be an underlying of the noble governess, a sort of hands-off nanny.

Cook

The cook was one of the most important servants in the castle. They would have the task of overseeing the running of the kitchens and keeping supplies in order. They would likely be on call at all times. Henry VIII's cook was often woken in the night because his royal master wanted a midnight snack. The cook was a valued member of the household and would have been highly sought after if they were a very skilled cook. Cooks would have been paid a handsome wage.

Scullion

The scullion was the lowest member of staff. They would be responsible for scrubbing and cleaning the servants quarters and the kitchens. They would scrub floors with lye, scour pots with sand, sweep put the fireplace and clean up after the other servants. They were the first to rise in a castle and tasked to light all the fires in the kitchens.

Payment & Lifestyle

Within the mediaeval household, payment came from the hand of the steward. As the Lord's manager of accounts, he was in charge of paying staff.

The grander jobs in the castle such as the marshal, the chamberlain, nursemaid and lady's maid would pay better. They would have certain privileges including better bedchambers.

A nursemaid who was breastfeeding the Lord's children would be a valued member of staff. She would be fed better than the other servants.

The page would sleep in a chamber off the lord's bedchamber or sometimes at the foot of the bed. A page would wear the Lord's livery so he would be dressed on the Lord's coin.

The chamberlain would have rooms close to the lord and lady, just in case they were needed by the master in any kind of emergency.

The cook would sleep near the kitchens so they were close enough just in case they are needed in the night.

The other household servants would all sleep in chambers together. The women would sleep in one and the men would sleep in another. Nightly dalliances were frowned upon massively.

Please tell me I'm not the only one who likes literally every character just not Invisigal sigh

being white-passing mixed race feels like

take it easy but take it <- litany against burnout/apathy cycle

fuck it we ball <- litany against perfectionism

in a loop, ask yourself which

one of these applies?