Immortal Elements

Glossary 9

Pintados- warriors with enormous strength and skills that is said to be given by the god war, Apolaki. They were called pintados because of the tattoos adorned their whole body. The more the tattoo, the stronger the warrior and the higher the rank.

Bakunawa- is a serpent-like dragon in Philippine mythology. It is believed to be the cause of eclipses, earthquakes, rains, and wind. The movements of the Bakunawa served as a geomantic calendar system for ancient Filipinos and were part of the shamanistic rituals of the babaylan.

Engkantao- the offspring of mating between humans and engkanto, diwata, anito. 

Babaylan- were shamans of the various ethnic groups of the pre-colonial Philippine islands. These shamans specialized in communicating, appeasing, or harnessing the spirits of the dead and the spirits of nature. They were almost always women or feminized men.

Pantas- guardian and/or teacher. 

Luzon- sits at the northern end of the Philippines, and is the country’s largest and most populous island. It’s known for its mountains, beaches and coral reefs, and is home to Manila, the national capital. Set on a deep bay with famed sunsets, the city has many Spanish-colonial landmarks, national memorials and monuments, a centuries-old Chinatown and a diversity of museums

Visayas- is one of the Philippines' 3 main island groups. In Central Visayas, Cebu City’s Spanish colonial architecture includes the triangular Fort San Pedro and the Basilica del Santo Niño. Bohol Island’s Chocolate Hills are a group of more than 1,000 conical, grass-covered mounds that turn brown in the dry season. In Corella, rare bug-eyed primates called tarsiers are protected at the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary.

Samar- is the third largest island in the Philippines. Located in eastern Visayas, within central Philippines. The island is divided into three provinces: Samar, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar.

Datu- the leader of a certain group. 

Katolanon- being the spiritual leader and personified contact to the deities, also assumed the role of the datu if the datu has not yet returned from his travels. He also acts as the datu during transition periods, where the official datu (leader) has yet to be chosen.

Lakan- is regarded as the head of all the datus within the pact. 

Albularyo- is a Filipino term for a witch doctor, folk healer or medicine men.