Babaylan Stories

Long before colonization, before history remembered the Philippine archipelago as one nation, the islands were divided among four great realms where rival clans, ancient spirits, and forgotten legends shaped the fate of the land. Fifteen-year-old Pang dreams of only one thing: earning his father's approval and proving himself worthy of becoming a warrior. But after a routine trip into a sacred forest leads him to a mysterious encounter, a monstrous beast, and an unlikely alliance with a scholar and a young Babaylan, his life is changed forever. As the three are forced into a single kawan to undertake the Eagle Clan's Rite of Passage, they soon discover that the trials awaiting them are far greater than anyone imagined. Ancient powers stir, old enemies awaken, and a destiny buried for centuries begins to resurface. Blending Filipino mythology, coming-of-age adventure, humor, and epic fantasy, DIWA is a story about friendship, courage, identity, and the spirit that binds a people together.

Meet Maria Clara, ang modernang Maria Clara sa panahon ngayon kung saan sakit sa ulo siya ng kanyang Daddy. Nag-iisang anak kaya naman lumaki siyang nasusunod ang lahat ng gusto. Hanggang sa isang araw ng masagad niya ang kanyang Daddy. Ipinatapon siya nito sa probinsya nila sa Bukidnon upang bigyan siya ng leksyon; dapat niyang mapalago ang maliit nilang negosyo na Flower Farm. Sisiw para sa kanya dahil naturuan na siya sa ganoong larangan. Pero sa pagpunta niya sa nasabing probinsya, hindi lang pala ang pagpapalago ng Flower farm ang magiging misyon niya dahil sa isang iglap ay mapapadpad siya sa ibang mundo na ni-minsan sa panaginip ay hindi niya naisip na mararating niya. ---------- All Rights Reserved Copyright ©2021 by J. O. Arandia written: ©2018 First Publish: June 11, 2021 End: Book Cover: @seleskies ❤️

Underneath the Danao Lake, ancient forces are stirring up, and the fate of one sister will rock the very core of not one, but two universes. Benjamin and Alina Donaire keep their family's coffee plantation and YouTube channel running from the fabled Camotes Islands. They chronicle traditional farming methods for their expanding audience. It's a place where modern life meets ancient folklore. It wasn't until Alina saw some strange marks in a cave on their land that she learned she was born with the blood of the fabled binukot princess Nagmalitong Yawa. Splintered into seven parts, dispersed over visible and invisible dimensions, Benjamin watches as his sister's soul, her own essence, shatters right before his eyes. In a Philippines where truth and myth blend, where legendary animals roam the highways alongside jeepneys, and where the mysterious depths of Danao Lake in the Camotes Island conceal long-lost secrets, he must now race against the clock to reach his destination. Finding his sister's soul fragments is important to Benjamin, but he isn't the only one. Recognizing the binukot's blood in Alina's veins, an ancient force has awakened and will do whatever to seize her power for its own sinister agenda. In The Last Light, Philippine mythology is interwoven with a modern-day story of fate, family, and those locations where the barriers of modernity crumble to expose the enchantment that has always lain dormant. With riveting suspense and intensely personal stakes, this novel updates Philippine legend for the modern era, making it ideal for those who enjoyed Trese, The Bone Witch, and When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain.

Long ago, it is said the great Bakunawa, the serpent of the sea and skies, tried to swallow the moons and plunge the world into eternal night. Legends claim the gods struck it down. But legends are often written by the victors - and sometimes, they hide truths darker than the night itself. In a realm where eight ancient clans once stood as pillars of balance, whispers of forgotten power stir again. One by one, young heirs are summoned to fulfill destinies they barely understand - heirs bound not only by bloodlines, but by secrets buried deep in the bones of the world. At the center of it all is Libulan Mayari, a boy unlike any before him - the first male babaylan in a clan where only women were believed capable of wielding the sacred gifts of life, spirit, and healing. Marked by a color he chose himself - pink, the hue of dawn and quiet rebellion - Libulan's very existence shatters ancient traditions. Yet with his rise comes unease, for the old stories begin to crack, revealing something hidden beneath. Together with the other young masters - Thaddeus, Kaiana, and Marcus among others- Libulan embarks on a journey across cursed islands, forgotten temples, and living mountains. Along the way, they encounter creatures of myth - not as monsters, but as relics of a stolen past. The young masters soon realize that the true enemy is not chaos or ancient beasts... but the rewritten history that imprisoned both the Bakunawa and their own clans in chains of lies. As the last moon trembles in the sky, they must decide: Will they protect the world built on falsehoods - or tear it down to reveal the forgotten truth?

I always had these made-up characters in my head for the longest time. I can't remember all of them, but they are buried deep in my thoughts. At some times in a day, faces, and details of the characters I imagined would pop in my head, only for them to vanish again in the next few minutes. There were a lot of them, some I named after songs, some I named after my favorite Apex Legend, some of them are named after poems that I have read...some have blue eyes.. some have red hair.. some can pull big-ass swords out of their sweater holes.. and some can turn invisible but only when someone's not looking (trust me, I come up with such random characters with silly powers) Now, I'm writing this short novel, hoping that I could give justice to these characters. To give them life.. to give them a voice.. a passion.. a lover.. and a reason for being created. I don't want them caged in my head. I always took inspiration from Quentin Tarantino's works, and I am hoping to navigate in the same direction as him, though I am in a completely different vessel, far smaller than his. But it's always good to start with something. If you guys have read The Copper Gauntlet and The Magician, you can tell that I took inspiration from those two books as well. I always fancied teenage people having magical powers in a modern setting (like David Stutler in the Sorcerer's Apprentice film back in 2010). Now, I take you to the story of Aloy, a normal teenage boy, who finds himself snared between factions with roots in Philippine folkore.. This story is still a work in progress, and it's not perfect. And yes, the cover image needs some re-work, I bought it online, from one of those Facebook groups for writers.. I'm hoping to get a digital artist soon and to use this platform as a way to eventually publish this book. Again, what you're reading now, and what you're about to read next isn't perfect. But I hope you'll still enjoy it nevertheless.

Normal lang ang pamumuhay ni Stella. Nagbago ang lahat dahil lang sa isang panaginip, matapos syangguluhin nito ng kay tagal na panahon ay nakatanggap sya ng kakaibang kapangyarihan. Sabayan si Stell kanyang pagdiskubre ng katotohanan tungkol sa mundong ating kinagagalawan.

My thoughts on Filipino cosmology. Books I'm reading. Craft lessons I'm learning. Questions I can't answer. What it means to be a keeper of stories. Raw. Unfiltered. Real.

BOUND BY TIME, CURSED BY LOVE ''Five centuries. One soul. And the hunger that grows stronger every time I lose her''. From the sacred rituals of 16th-century tribes to the glowing skyline of 2035 Manila-now a city of glass towers, electric rain, and digital ghosts-Louis has lived under the Talavera's Curse, a fate binding him to the same soul across time. In every lifetime, he finds her. In every life, she slips away. Now, in what may be her final incarnation, their souls cross paths once more. As fragments of her past lives begin to surface and memories bleed into the present, she is drawn into a truth she was never meant to remember. Louis must awaken the truth buried deep inside her heart-before time, or the curse, takes her again. Copyright © Jul 2025 Written by L.L.L. First Published on Wattpad

Layla was raised to be her father's bargaining piece - a daughter to be wed for alliances. But fire lived in her veins, and love did not bow to power. In Kalem she found a kindred spirit, a man as cursed as he was free, a wanderer who became her anchor. When betrayal within her village opened the gates to Datu Silang's wrath, everything burned: her people scattered, her father slain, she herself dragged away into darkness. Yet love is not easily crushed. Together, Layla and Kalem will rise from ruin - forging warriors out of fishermen, priestesses out of daughters, and hope out of ashes. Layla and Kalem is a story of love, loss, and rebellion in a precolonial land, where fire and water meet to defy the tide of conquest.

Tala is a 21-year-old first year medical student at the University of the Philippines Philippine General Hospital. Unbeknownst to most, she hails from generations of babaylans, Filipino shamans tasked with appeasing, harnessing, or communicating with spirits of the dead and of nature. While groomed to practice the ancient traditions of her forebears, she must also make her way into the world while protecting her family's legacy, both financially and socially. Though her sheltered youth makes her naive and inexperienced, she is eager to explore. Narciso is a 28-year-old pathology resident trying to juggle work and a family secret that has only barely evaded escape. He is the youngest in a family of aswangs, ordinary humans by day, monstrous shapeshifters by night, able to hide their true nature through stealth, as well as wealth accumulated through generations of assimilation with society through a booming family-owned sugar conglomerate. Narciso is torn between the vagaries of his origins, unwanted family obligations, and his medical vocation. Tala and Narciso eventually meet at the Philippine General Hospital. Narciso has become weary of the world and Tala's enthusiasm, compassion, and innervating conversations are like a breath of fresh air. Despite having different backgrounds and values, the two are inexplicably drawn to each other. Tala quickly discovers that Narciso is far more complex than she initially assumed. As their unlikely friendship grows deeper, Tala begins to understand how fear and ignorance can cause people to be unforgiving, judge others harshly, and make careless, life-altering decisions. Along with this newfound understanding comes a greater appreciation for her own heritage.

Tittle: I'm a Supernatural Hunter Genres:Paranormal/Fantasy/Romance/Comedy Date started:Dec. 3,2018 Date finished:____________ A/N:"read at your own risk na Lang kayo guys... Dito talaga ako stock palagi eh.. hehe.. thanks. " ps:Hindi po horror itong story.

In the islands of Vijayas, magic and monsters abound. Here, victory does not come to the strong, nor to the swift, but only to the sly. And Tikum Kadlum might just be the craftiest of them all. A former timawa (warrior-serf) and all-time scoundrel, the man himself is no stranger to the arcane and the mysterious things hidden in the Great Archipelago. He's been through it all, betraying and scamming his way from one adventurous caper to the next. Now, he just wants to return to his hometown with his daughter, Ukok, and live a peaceful life. But things are about to change when the Black Dog starts a cat and mouse chase against Amburukay, the queen of the manghihiwit... Follow Tikum and Ukok journey through the lands of Vijayas and avoid the clutches of a sorceress with a grudge to settle, steal from a powerful babaylan and her bagani sister, slay hungry monsters, fight against bandits, outsmart a cunning foe, escape from a few killers here and there. And perhaps, defeat someone as strong as a demi-god. AUTHOR'S NOTE: This novel is a mash-up of sword and sorcery and dark fantasy set in the Pre-Colonial times of the Philippines long before THE SONGS OF STRIFE story. With excerpts from A Study of Our Baganis by Lamberto Aguilar. Also this will be posted in RoyalRoad under the same username. Disclaimer: Some character names and terms used in the story are taken from the Suguidanon Epics of IloIlo and Panay or from general pre-colonial times. But they are, in no way, accurate representation of the actual characters of the epic chants or exact translations. If you like to read short stories with overarching arcs this one is for you!

A young group of bullies Senior High students will uncover the hidden character of Athena unexpectedly, suspected as the reason for all the evilness happening downtown.

Before the Philippines were colonized by foreign countries, Filipinos have Babaylan who is equally ranked to the status of a chieftain (Datu). The Babaylan guided her people with her knowledge in food, animals, clothing, medicine and other ways of life. Sooner or later, the name of Babaylan was changed into ambularyo, manghihilot and other practitioners. They have expertise in healing with the use of herbs, amulets and other traditional medicines. Today we still have ambularyo and other medical practioners and they are focused to heal the sick and to treat various diseases. #herbal plants #cure #treatment #health #medicine

A young apprentice in ancient Philippines yearns for a forbidden life, but she is also torn by the violent spiritual calling as a shaman. As a shifting tide of foreign iron and ancient rituals threatens her home, she must face a visceral truth: history is not written in song but in the blood of those sacrificed to the gods.

Nayon ng Barasan, pook na naging simula ng kaniyang paglalakbay. Ang tumunghay sa pagsibol ng kaniyang kapangyarihan at ang tahanang ni minsan ay hindi niya ninais na lisanin. Takot ang siyang madarama sa pagtuklas ng mga bagong bagay na hindi kapani-paniwala ngunit siya'y hindi natitinag sa mga bagay na 'yon. Tunghayan ang paglalakbay ng isang Babaylan sa mga pook na hindi niya pa nagagawang suyurin ng kaniyang tingin. Mga bagay na hindi niya pa nagagawang paniwalaa ngunit ang hiwagang dala ay nagdadala ng kakaibang dama sa kaniyang diwa. Sa pagdating ng bagong yugto ng kaniyang pag-iral, mababago niya kaya ang tadhanang nakarugtong sa kaniyang buhay? O tatanggapin niya ito ng taos puso? "Ang Silakbo ng damdamin at ang Hiraya ng isip kapag pinagsama'y walang makapipigil." ------ ctto for the pictures that I used in the cover. Written by: SerDern - Ince ❂

This book contains the world building elements and some lore I took from Visayan mythology to make my Bagani Saga stories. I've also added some fragments and pieces from my published and unpublished works here. I hope you enjoy this pedants! 😊 Author's note: As with all world building elements, some of the things here are inspired by facts (or in this case, Visayan mythology and Philippine History). My version does not genuinely follow the local mythology. So, just apply large amounts of suspension of disbelief if you notice something odd. It also extends to the depiction of places or the setting in general. Again, just to be clear this version is not accurate and are purely 'fictionalized'. The author would like to invoke his right to artistic liberties :)

Five teens. One ancient legacy. A battle for Ma'i's soul. In the scattered islands of Ma'i, where jungle meets city and myth hides in the cracks of everyday life, stories of gods and guardians have faded into superstition-forgotten relics of a time when the divine walked among mortals. But not all myths stay buried. When long-dormant deities rise again-vengeful, powerful, and determined to reclaim a world that has moved on-five teenagers are thrust into the center of a war they never saw coming. Each one is the descendant of a forgotten babaylan line, carrying within them gifts they never asked for, bound to a heritage they were never taught to understand. As chaos begins to ripple across Ma'i-storms that defy science, creatures thought to exist only in folklore, whispers of war in both the mortal and spirit realms-these teens must come together. They are strangers from different walks of life, with fractured pasts, clashing beliefs, and wounds that run deeper than they know. To survive, they must uncover the truth of their bloodlines, unlock their ancestral power, and confront the gods-old and new-who would see the world burn to remake it in their image. But power alone will not be enough. They must learn to trust each other, forgive what they find in themselves, and fight not just for survival, but for the soul of Ma'i itself. Will they rise as protectors-or fall as pawns in a war older than time? The fate of their world may depend not on their strength... but on their courage to remember who they truly are.

A modern-day female psychiatrist, descended from a line of powerful babaylan, wants to end her lineage by never marrying or having children. Meanwhile, the heir of a cursed, elite family must marry a babaylan or die before his 30th birthday. Their lives intertwine, triggering a reckoning with ancestral betrayal, spiritual power, and forbidden love.

fanfic scenarios to sate your Trese obsession 😌 the dialogues, settings and other characters are up to you, im just giving you guys some plots you can use 💯