Do dwendes really exist?
By Kim Atienza
OUR world, though modern, is filled with superstition. Filipinos, in particular, especially those in the rural areas, swear by so many superstitious beliefs.
These beliefs are more common among our elders, who usually warn us about the do’s and don’ts towards a prosperous life.
Part of our pamahiin is the belief in the existence of mythical creatures. One of these is the dwarf, locally known as Duwende. They say, dwarves live in the woods, on mounds of earth (punso), all around us. Thus, the expression, nuno sa punso.
Dwarves are pictured as a small man with a long beard.
Their character is said to vary by their color. A red Duwende is said to be deceitful and evil.
There are also those that are white. They are calm, quiet, helpful. White ones can heal someone under a spell.
Black dwarves brings fortune; green ones are fond of children.
Our culture tells us that Duwendes must be respected. When passing by their homes, one is advised to say ‘Tabi-tabi po,’’ or “Makikiraan po.’’
Humans must also be careful not to ruin their place or else, they might get mad and cast you a spell, such as some incurable sickness.
The question remains. Do dwarves exist? Or are they just part of Filipinos’ imagination?
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TRIVIA PA MORE (Various Sources):
– You cannot snore and dream at the same time.
– Recycling one glass jar saves enough energy to watch TV for three hours.
– 95 percent of people text things they could never say in person.
– “The Lego Movie’’ used during filming a total of 3,863,484 unique Lego bricks. 15,080,330 Lego pieces would be needed to recreate the movie with 183 different types of Lego mini figures.
– A single ant can live up to 29 years.
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Send your questions on anything and everything to Kuya Kim through my Twitter account @kuyakim_atienza using #AlaminKayKuyaKim.