#waray

This is my new blog for learning Tagalog and Waray Waray (and possibly other Filipino languages later on!)

Okay, I just realized something...

I think it would be really sweet if Roselyna teaches MC a few words and sentences in Waray, especially if they're bestfriends or mutual crushes (and maybe you can teach her some of your twin language in return). 😊

Anon asked:

I have this fantasy story i’m working on and i’d like some advice. my protagonist is a Filipino girl, and she must learn magic to defeat a witch who held her captive. She travels back to her homeland because there she can better learn kulam, a form of folk magic in the Philippines. 

I know that the Philippines is very diverse, so my research will mostly be focused on Talalora, Samar due to the prominence of kulam there. My problem is that i’m very wary about creating fantasy countries based on real ones, especially ones with cultures so foreign to me, so i’m wondering where should i stay true to the inspiration and where should I let my imagination run wild? I’m afraid of erasing anything, so should i just base my story in the real world to avoid this? 

Disclaimer: My heritage is Tagalog and Ilokano, which are two of the most dominant ethnic cultures, so I can’t speak much on the experiences and cultures of marginalized indigenous ethnic groups in the Philippines.

Narrow down the culture

You’re right that the Philippines are incredibly diverse, composed of hundreds of different ethnic groups that’re often flattened into one monolithic entity. So much of what we think of as “Filipino” culture–language, food, customs, traditions, etc.–is primarily sourced from Tagalog and/or Spanish culture and erroneously applied to the entire island nation. This cultural erasure is a huge issue in modern Filipino discourse and dialogue. So I want to make it clear that you aren’t just writing a Filipino girl; if you’re focusing on Samar, you’re specifically writing a Waray homecoming (and possibly reconnection) narrative. 

Most of your research should therefore pertain mostly to Waray people and culture rather than those more broadly labeled “Filipino.”

Using Filipino Cultural Magic in battle (Kulam)

Moving on to your plot, I’m not so sure about the cultural accuracy of your kulam. Again, I’m not very familiar with specifically Waray culture and folk narratives. However, of all of the Filipino cultural mythologies I have seen, I’ve never read about kulam being used as a form of battle or confrontational magic as you describe here. In fact, I can’t recall any stories where the main character practices kulam, period, because it’s often associated with dark harmful magic (again, this is just based on my knowledge). 

In many stories the villain may practice magic–and possibly kidnap people, like in your story–but the hero often defeats them by merit of their own strength, wits, kindness, etc. Obviously, you don’t have to strictly adhere to tradition, but it just might be weird to have your protagonist and antagonist duking it out with battle magic when that narrative doesn’t make sense with Waray culture. 

Fantasy Philippines 

Regarding creating fantasy countries, we have an ask: Fantasy Cultures: Mass Answer that addresses that somewhat. Overall, I would say avoid “letting your imagination run wild” because you run the risk of overwriting existing, deeply important cultural information. Instead, I would stay true to your Waray cultural inspiration wherever possible and then use your best judgement to fill in the worldbuilding gaps, if you find any. I do think it’s possible to write fantasy countries that are still deeply true to Filipino culture. 

A resource: If you’re open to reading children’s literature, check out Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Entrada Kelly; she’s Visayan (the larger cultural group the Waray people belong to) and does an excellent job of writing an unfamiliar fantasy world that nevertheless feels deeply and beautifully Filipino.

Any indigenous Filipino followers, feel free to chime in!

Sorry and thank you!

I'll be doing a post (actually several), on Bisayan myths and practices soon, and a whole Bisayan deity list like I did for the Tagalog last year on my blog, thepinaywriter.com Especially now that my classes are done and it's summer.

Ilonggo.

Jk.

Okay. For me, it's a tie between Northern Bicolano and Ilocano.

And that's saying something coming from a Cebuana. These are based from personal accounts lang naman. Northern Bicolanos (or maybe just the bunch I met) have strong push to every word. Like, if it was a gun, it's a sweet old calibre 45. Ilocano is machine gun. One time I thought there was an epic rap battle going on sa tindahan ni Aleng Nena, then it turns out it's just an ilocano guy buying something.

Numbers in Languages of the Philippines.

There are actually two sets of numbers in most philippine languages, as a version of the Spanish counting system is used alongside the original counting system. I have chosen the native language system here, with the exception of Waray-Waray numbers 11-20 (in modern Waray-Waray the original numbers past ten are almost never used except for one hundred and one thousand)

Tagalog is the most widely spoken and also the official language of the Philippines. It is a Central Philippine Language in the Philippine group of the Malayo-Polynesian language family. 

Cebuano is the next most widely spoken, and it is in the Visayan group of Central Philippine languages. It is spoken mostly on the Island of Mindanao and the southern Visayas.

Ilocano is spoken on the Island of Luzon, and it is in the Northern Luzon group of the Philippine languages.

Hiligaynon is a Visayan language spoken in the Western part of the Visayas and a small portion of Mindanao.

Waray-Waray (also known simply as “Waray”) is in the Central Visayan subgroup of the Visayan languages, and is spoken in the Eastern part of the Visayas.

Kapampangan is in the Central Luzon group of the Philippine languages, and is spoken in a Southern part of the Island of Luzon.

Tausug is spoken in the Sulu province of the Philippines and parts of the East coast of the Island of Borneo, in Malaysia. It is in the Southern Visayan subgroup of the Visayan languages.