We've got a ghost!
Horror movies always struck me as being strange. I mean, if some ax murderer or poltergeist is running around, how stupid is it to go looking for it? I’m not particularly superstitious, but most Filipinos are, including my wife. Yes, we have an altar in the house, complete with candles for the standard prayers, and a statue of the Blessed Virgin. Rebecca lights candles for her ancestors and our son, and makes a small offering of food and drink on the anniversary of a deceased person’s birth or death. Normally, she makes the offerings for her father, grandmothers, or grandfathers. But there is something else there on the altar, too. A little bottle of oil containing bits of plants from the jungle near Abulug. This oil was prepared by one of the town brujas.
What is a bruja? Well, the word comes from Spanish, and it means “witch”. There are other terms in use throughout the Philippines, but Ybanags use the Spanish word. In Abulug, there are two brujas, who compete for business. One performs “Good” magic, and one performs “Bad” magic. An interesting note is that these elderly ladies are twin sisters, who had a falling out decades ago, so they now compete. In the old days, before the town hospital was built, if you got sick or injured, the bruja was the only medical care available. Normally, the treatment would consist of some prayers, a spell of some kind, and rubbing of oil on your skin, or a poultice, or some form of potion or herbal medicine. Sometimes you got better, and sometimes not, but that is all they had up there until the 1970’s. So, to this day, Rebecca’s mother, and to a lesser extent Becky herself, absolutely trust the bruja’s judgment when it comes to health. In fact, my mother in law broke her wrist last year falling off a tricy, and she refused to go to the doctor, an old family friend no less, until Rebecca convinced her to visit the bruja first and the two of them assured her that a cast was still necessary… along with the bruja’s magic oil.
Whatever your problem: health, looking for love, revenge, no money, or whatever, one of the brujas in town will have a solution to your problem, for a small “donation”, usually not more than 100 pesos or so. They are healer, psychiatrist, and bartender, all in one. The first time I went to Abulug, we came from Abu Dhabi and were under death threats back there. Someone stated that they had put a curse on me that would kill any chance Rebecca and I had together, possibly even killing me in the process. The first stop Rebecca made in Abulug was to one of the brujas in order to get a special “powerful” oil to protect me, and she looked for me immediately, making the sign of the cross on my forehead with the oil. She also went to the other bruja to have a curse of her own put on the person in the Middle East. When we returned home, Becky spread the oil around each door frame in both of our flats to keep out the curse. Now all of this may seem to go against Catholic Doctrine, and the Church always says that prayer can cure all ills and protect you. In fact, Rebecca, in her heart, believes this to be true. Abulug is probably 99% Catholic, and I talked about this with Father Carlos. He told me that as long as people still say their prayers, that there is no conflict. He said that the Church knows that there are spirits out in the world, and that if the brujas make people feel safe, then that is fine. Yet, the old tribal and animist beliefs still persist in the rural areas. Abulug was, and still is to a certain extent, isolated somewhat from the modern world. Places like the jungle, the mountains, or the cemetery are scary and unknown, with all manner of creatures and evil spirits residing there. There are stories about the FX drivers traveling between Pamplona and Tuguegarao passing an old cemetery by Ballesteros and seeing a white lady or dog man standing in the middle of the road. I can understand this. I’ve walked to the beach alone along a jungle path up there, dark and overgrown, and gotten the creeps. At night, there is no light whatsoever (Great place for a telescope, BTW), and if the moon is not out it gets so dark that you can barely see your hand in front of your face. It can be very, very easy to let your mind play tricks on you in such a setting.
So, back to my story. I’ve seen three ghosts in my time, and all could be explained somewhat, so I’m still skeptical, but I’m not going to go poking around looking for answers either.
1. When I was a kid in North Carolina, I saw what looked like an English soldier standing in a field out a window at my Grandmother’s house. Next second he disappeared. I explain this by active childhood imagination (Though NC WAS an English colony once).
2. When I moved to Chicago, I stayed with a bunch of guys in a dumpy old apartment, and I was allowed to pay my rent in beer. We were drinking one night, and one of the guys, a fire and brimstone Pentecostal, was telling me about demons. I said, “Bulls**t… They don’t exist.” After a heated argument, I said, “OK. If there are any wimpy demons around, then stop being girly and show yourself!”. At that moment, the door to the refrigerator in the kitchen violently swung open, but no one was there. We all saw it, but we were drinking beer, so I’m skeptical.
3. About two months ago, I was staying at a hotel in Seoul, alone, and in the middle of the night, I felt someone pushing on my bum, as if trying to wake me up. I woke up and there was no-one there. Ten seconds later, my phone rang. It was Rebecca asking me if I was alright (She had a bad feeling.) Again, I’m skeptical, though this certainly was a bit unnerving and weird.
We were watching “Ghost Hunters” last night, and it was talking about a house with a White Lady (Filipino term for ghost). Rebecca then blurted out that we have a white lady staying in our house. I said, “Huh? I’ve never seen anything.” Becky said, “You remember the maid, Venus, who we had last year? Well, I let her go because when you were gone, the white lady came to me one night with a frown on her face. When I let Venus go, she came back and the frown was gone the next night.” I asked, “What did she look like?” She said, “She was young, looked Filipino, very beautiful with long black hair down to her feet. Dressed in white, but her teeth were pointed and jagged.”
So, Rebecca went to our neighbor, Sophie, and told her about the White Lady, and Sophie verified that the compound bruja (I never even KNEW there was a bruja here!) told her that we have a white lady, but that she was kind and was protecting us. She said that the maid was probably up to no good. So, when Rebecca heard this, she then began to leave offerings to the White Lady, since she believes that she is a sort of guardian angel. Sophie said that there is another White Lady a few houses down, who is the sister of the one in our house.
Again, I am skeptical. I’ve never seen or heard anything in the house. Keep in mind that because I travel so frequently, Becky is often here alone with Juanito, and she still sometimes gets a little nervous. She is also like a wounded tiger when protecting our son, so if we had any evil ghosts she would certainly come out fighting, you can safely bet on that. So, we have a friendly ghost in our house. Perhaps I’ll bump into her someday, but it would suit me fine if I never see her.
I belive evrything you said John .my wife belives in spirits too ..Have you heard of the Third-eye .Peole who see things befor they happen ..Phil n Jess
Hi John
Not sure if I believe or not, although my Filipina wife does believe in strange things being spirit related. Although she claims that she is just a ‘normal’ Catholic.
Recently her mother died, and while my wife was at her late mothers house a green butterfly landed by the TV, then landed on her for a few seconds before flying out of the window. My wife is 100% certain this was some sort of spirit message from her mother. I know her mother really liked a dress we gave her which was green. On top of the TV was a family photo that she really liked.
Another time, We owned some apartments which we were trying to rent (without success), when it was suggested we ask the local Priest for a blessing. Within a week, the apartments were all rented. Maybe the Priest actually told people these places were for rent, I don’t know.
Somebody once said “there are things we know that we know about; things we know that we don’t know about; and things we don’t know we don’t know about”
how true
Hi John – Yes, all you’ve written is pretty much considered fact in the northern provinces (and elsewhere in the islands, I’m sure).
It’s always best to keep any bruja happily on your side. You don’t want to be on the receiving end of any curse or other ill-well. Rebecca was right to visit both of the brujas – sort of a professional courtesy in that when you need one’s services, you don’t want to offend one by soliciting the other.
Baketko (asawako) [my wife] has a sibling who employs an “evil” bruja alone, seeking curses against everyone she believes worthy of such afflictions. Most of her patronage was because of ill luck and problems in her daily life, and she would have “her” bruja place curses on those she believed did the same to her. In reality, it appears that another bruja who is offended by not being sought out is placing minor, little annoying curses on the sibling; making her life “testy”! Of course, we visit the brujas and have each do what they do to remove curses placed on us and to shield us from further such curses. (The sibling, btw, has lost her “beauty” because of the work of brujas!)
Ya gotta love this life!
Hi JOhn,
I’ve lived in HK for 7 years and now been living in the US for the past 6 years but i still have those superstitious belief becka has, and am 100% catholic. When my cousin was still a boy, he thought he was talking to one of our uncles but as he turned around the uncle he thought he was talking to was behind him and looking back again, nobody was there. Then a bedspacer in our house went home to the province for a while and while she was gone, my lola died, she didnt know that but as she was talking to one of my aunts she said she just talked to my lola awhile ago asking her how she was, although she didnt answered her, she thought nothing of it until she found out she was already buried while she was gone…. thats when she collapsed… (he-he-he)
In Marinduque, the time of the “witch doctors” has disappeared after the last “arbolaria” died about five years ago. But there is still one local medicine man that cures snake bites. The locals also believe that some people are more susceptible to seeing ghosts than others. I know this for a fact, because the wife of our caretaker has seen a White Lady near the beach house several times but her husband or myself have never seen one for the last 10 years. The story of a butterfly inside the house in the middle of the night also happened to us. My wife believes it is the spirit of her dead mother who is visiting us. Cheers, John!
Visiting my grandmother many years ago on her death bed one morning..said a man with beutiful blue eyes dressed in white was beside her bed that nite holding his hand out asking her to come with him, hospital staff said no one was in her room but RN’s (all women ) she was scared and declined, next nite she evidentally did…passed away in her sleep. Fasts forward 20 years, visiting my terminal Uncle George in hospital, he was somewhat lucid, was “talking” to my long deceased Grandpa ‘Mac’ and My great uncle ‘Johnie’ brothers who were both from the old Country Ireland. Mac and Johnny were well known for their love of ale…George was never a drinker, he leans over to me in the hospital bed and says..
“oohh look at those two Mac and Johnny waving at me to come join them…but I know they just want to go drinking”, I smiled and looked at George then the wall with a tear in my eye and told him maybe they just want to sit and talk to you George. He passed away shortly after….
My Grandma ( Mac’s wife) was from Ireland, like my Grandpa she was sent here alone at age 13 for a better life, she saved for 8 years when she was older to fulfill a dream of visiting her home again,this was before USA entered WWII, had tickets for boatride to leave next morning,she had dream her boat was torpedoed and all aboard died, scared her so bad she did not go…few days later ship was torpedoed all died !
Me: Hope no one from FAA reads this….I see shapes and and occasionally hear things when i am close to falling asleep. The shapes are alway objects floating by ceiling, such as , as strage as it sounds, pineapples , screwdrivers, wiggly shapes, orbs,things like that…they move through the walls when I bolt up in bed…I would swear on my life what I see is real but pineapples??? geez!!
the voices are more disturbing, same time at night. the 2 worst were my deceased dad calling my name, and my daughter, still here thank you,…when I heard my lil girls ‘voice’ I was a bit upset, told what ever it was they could use any voice but family…so far no more voices! this doesn’t happen often …few time a year. I used to to feel a bit frightned, now I pretty much have marked it up to REM stage of sleep. I just wish the ‘voice’ would give me the 6 winning lottery numbers !!!
Great, love to hear these accounts. I was told about the wail of the Wakwak in the Mindanao forest at night, and I wish this house had an open fire still.
Hey John,
BOO!!
Rose seems to be just like Rebecca, so is just something I need to get use to, and accept it. It’s ok with me though, who am I to say there aren’t ghosts, or souls still searching for answers…I just don’t know.
So bring it all on, is ok with me ..interesting article.
Ingatz,
Danny
Hi John!
I will share with you my one and only possible ghostly encounter. I run a fire protection service. Part of my duties include going to some accounts and checking smoke alarms, exit lighting, and fire extinguishers. I had one account that was a mental facility located in a remote area. I was required to perform monthly service calls because the neighbors kept trying to burn the place down. The clients at this facility were pretty scary partly because it was obvious that some were just feigning mental illness to escape prison terms. There was one dormitory that was locked up and no longer used. I had a key to this building and would include it in the monthly service. I let myself in and locked the door behind me to keep one of the inmates from sneaking up on me. I go down this long hall and when I pass one room I hear voices and footsteps. I called out hello and then there was silence. I started walking briskly. Aw who am I kidding, I ran like hell! Then I heard the door to the room slam. I left with my heart racing. I shared my encounter with a staff member and he guessed the exact room number involved. He said that there was a client murdered and stuffed in a closet in that room. The guilty parties felt remorse after a few hours and revealed what they had done. When I left the building I checked all of the doors and windows so I don’t believe someone had been in there. I was really happy when the state closed that place down. I will take my chances with the Aswange any time over Jason the axe murderer. I was watching a series about the Wek tribe in New Guinea and noted that they also believe in Aswange spirits. Maybe there is a culture connection.
Tom, sounds like something out of clive owen film ..I was saying run forest run when you mentioned the door slam…lmao..I’d have run like the devil himself was chasing me too !!!!!
I’m fascinated by the superstitions in the Philippines and surprised by the absolute belief Filipinos have in them – for example, an aswang (sort of like a vampire that sucks the foetuses of unborn children from wombs via their mother’s bellybutton) is not just a tale to scare children, it’s a genuine fear.
Hi John,
I remember when I was about 12yo, and my dad was mad about something that the pastor or our parish, Father Murphy, had done. He pounded his fist on the dinner table and said something to the effect “that damned Father Murphy!” Just then one of the kitchen cupboards flew open and spilled out the contents.
Years later now grown up, we children were remenising about it and having a good laugh. The lights flickered, dimmed and went out for a couple of seconds.
Never bad mouth Father Murphy…Even after he’s dead
hi..g’day…me hubby asking why is there ghost called white lady but ain’t have white man? :}.Most of the time we discussed locally here..
There were times when a person is so stress,mentally, emotionally, physically tired, lack of sleep..it’s funny how things played in our brain..Last time somebody approached me asking help..that there is a ghost in his room trying to hurt him..Knowing that he is physically and mentally tired and suffering from anger regards to his Dad’s condition who had been shot and in the hospital.(recovering from it then)…Simply advised him to have a good sleep (relax sleep) and eat..you cannot help to the situation anyway in this kind of condition..After a day or 2..he comes back and said..it’s gone.:}.
Don’t get me wrong I encountered 3 times when my granny died, apartment we rented and when my dad died..existing,.be it. I respect nature, why not this phenomena..
How does the aborigines call it?..cannot mimic the word..MOMO (slang for ghost in tagalog)..
Lyn
Lyn
Phil: Never heard of that… I think some of my teachers in school had it though… I never got away with anything!
Barry: I’ve heard about the animals before. my mother in law believes a lot about that kind of thing… from spirits to forecasting typhoons.
Paul: I once bought Becky a St. benedict medal because she was worried about a curse and my step mother (from Ecuador) said that prayers to St. benedict are stronger than curses. I asked her if she believes in curses, and she said, “Well no, but just in case….)
Cris: Nothing wrong with believing. The superstitions are part of the culture. Besides… You never can know 100% about everything. There are just some things that can’t be explained.
David: I find the whole topic fascinating. There might be something to it. Modern drugs are tested using placebos, and many times the mind “heals”. The mysteries of the body can never be 100% known.
Brian: You know, seeing things right when you wake up or are tired isn’t that unusual, I think. When you are in REM sleep, your mind is truly in a different place. I wouldn’t worry too much about the FAA reading this.
Jonaky: I don’t like wails…grunts or growls, ok, but wails?
Danny: Getting used to it isn’t hard. It really doesn’t hurt anyone to hold these beliefs.
Tom: I think I would have freaked out too. But, if you were starring in Slasher Film Part VIII, you would have gone to take a look, and maybe never left! Like I said, don’t go looking for it!
Brian: Got that right!
foxratpig: I’ve heard of the aswang. All of Becky’s family believe in them. When someone in the family is pregnant, the bruja has a very busy week!
Hudson: Pissing off a priest can bring really bad juju… A dead one? Egads! Better break out the rosary!
Yes John, Wakwak wails. Becky will know about that.
Lyn: Especially when I’m sleepy, I don’t trust what I see or hear.