#babaylan

Princess Urduja and the Babaylans: Warrior Princess

My elder kindred, one of two full Filipino oc’s, and the ancestor of Arietta, Brielle, Esme, and Evie <3

Hi everyone! So I finally have the first issue of the Moysing Publication up on Patreon! ✨The Moysing Publication✨ is now up on Patreon and Substack!

Moysing is a monthly digital written publication on my research, focusing on the folklore, beliefs, and practices of the Philippines.

I will also be posting my first podcast episode next month! As I start to lean away from social media and be more connected to my community and followers, I will be posting most of my content on Substack and Patreon. I will also be showing more of who I am by creating videos, just like what I did on Tiktok, but more based on YouTube.

Some posts posted there will be free, while others are subscription posts only. This is to help me continue doing what I love doing, which is researching and writing about our pre-colonial history, culture, folklore, beliefs, and practices through an academic way with cited sources and research based practices.

For those who prefer supporting me through Patreon, here is the link to my post on Issue #1 of Moysing where you can read April's Issue.

✨Here is a sneak preview of the articles.✨

- Folklore, Beliefs, & Practices from the Philippines: Madalag, Aklan

- Mahinay and Masangsang: Ancestors from Panay

- The Legend of "Manga-Kapid" from Antique

- The Legend of Manlonggong from Pandan, Antique

- Kundiman, Lullabies, & Folk Songs from Panay: Music Sheets and All

This fantastic painting of a babaylan can be found on our "About the podcast" page, and it's a painting by mural artist Carlos "Botong" Francisco as part of "The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines"

It's one of the most iconic images of a babaylan in our memory.

An interesting detail about Hi Nay is that we often mention a babaylan in it; Mari's Nanay, but we're very careful to avoid calling Mari a babaylan despite her upbringing and babaylan knowledge. This is because one aspect of being a babaylan that Mari doesn't have is community leadership.

As a fairly new immigrant, she's isolated and lonely. Her guilt keeps her from opening up fully, yet it's so clear from her interactions with others that she aches for community, connection and companionship, even going so far as to try to connect to her enemies.

But still, she wants to help and she wants to heal, and this gives her the opportunity to connect with those around her.

Women held such an important role during pre-colonial times. Of course the Spaniards knew just who to attack to dismantle the system. They couldn't have women (this includes trans women) leading spirituality as in their religion, it's always been male-centered. I'll always believe that Christianity/Catholicism is a mistake. It just put us further back than where we were. Not to romanticize pre-colonial "Philippines", but we already recognized trans and third/neuter gender, had same-sex marriage (asog/bayok marrying men) when currently it is illegal, and women able to own property and have the right to rule without it being seen as "woke" because it was just the norm. The Spaniards perverted these beliefs and traditions. Hunted and killed the asogs, destroyed their properties, banned same-sex marriage, burnt religious texts and destroyed indigenous shrines to proclaim we never had our own religions and traditions before they came. Now babaylans were labeled as witches, demon worshippers, or simply being mentally ill.

Magwayen Boxer Codex inspired depiction

Below the text in Badlit contains an old folk invocation/prayer that reads:

Malulutong Mahulayon

Kon kami pagahunoson

Ihatag Mo ang kamatayon

Nga tawhay ug malinawon

Kay sa agak nga mahumpayon

whenever you pray to her recite this prayer:

OM MAGAWAYAN DEWI NAMAHA