Philippine mythology is the body of myths, tales, and superstitions held by Filipinos, mostly originating from beliefs held during the pre-Hispanic era. Some of these beliefs stem from pre-Christian religion that was specially influenced by the Hind...
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A duende is a fairy- or goblin-like mythological creature from Iberian, South American, Chamorro and Filipino folklore.
The word is often considered to be the Spanish and Portuguese equivalent of the English word sprite or the Japanese word yōkai and is used as an umbrella term for any fairy-like being such as goblins, pixies and elves. The Spanish term originated as a contraction of the phrase dueño de casa or duen de casa, "possessor of a house", and was originally conceptualized as a mischievous spirit inhabiting a house.
Usage
Chamorro people in the Marianas tell tales of taotaomonas, duendes and other spirits. A duende, according to the Chamorro-English Dictionary by Donald Topping, Pedro Ogo and Bernadita Dungca, is a goblin, elf, ghost or spook in the form of a dwarf, a mischievous spirit which hides or takes small children.
Some Filipinos believe in dwende, which frequently live in rocks and caves, old trees, unvisited and dark parts of houses or in ant hills where they are called nuno sa punso (old man of the mound). They are either categorized as good or evil depending on their color, white or black, respectively, and often play with children.
Philipines Mythology
