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[iconicartistmagazine]

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Gaolei

[minjeongwinters]

If you’re still answering questions - this is sorta vague I guess, but in my fantasy story, I have a character that’s Filipino and immortal and one thing I wanted for them was that they become sort of an urban legend and that if someone invokes their name, they can feel it and use their magic to help. But then I was worried about the invoking the name thing; that’s big with a lot of European lore and also with some Native American spirits (that’s what I am) but I wasn’t sure if the names are A Thing in any sort of Filipino mythology or lore. Or if it’s even weird to include magic like that in a Filipino character? I haven’t read as much as I should about Filipino magic, and I wanted to start really digging into the character’s background. They’re like 1300 years old (and gay and non-binary)

Hi! Yes, I'll be keeping my askbox open for a while, because I would genuinely like to help people write Filipino characters (to the extent that I can, as a Bisaya person).

I'm sure you already know this, but for those people who don't: I'd like to take this chance to say that the Philippines has 170+ ethnolinguistic groups and I can't speak for them. E.g. I'd have absolutely no idea what an Itneg person would say about this matter. Every ethnolinguistic group has a unique set of mythology. This is just a gentle reminder to specify which one/s is or are your character's ethnic group/s!

To me, it's not weird to include magic like that for a Filipino character. At first, I did instinctively find it weird, but that's because many of the Bisaya myths with which I grew up (or read about in the past few years) have a recurring theme of "HEY, PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM US" rather than inviting supernatural entities/deities.

For example, one of the most common and uniquely Bisaya phrases you'll hear is "purya buyag," which basically is like... "buyag, leave us alone, haha." Modern Bisaya people typically understand buyag as simply an abstract concept of misfortune. However, the name buyag originates from a myth of an evil witch, so we're essentially asking this witch to stay away even after so many generations.

But when I sat down to think about it, I remembered that the idea of invoking otherworldly entities is pretty darn universal.

The ancient Pangasinan people invoked Ama-Gaoley ("Supreme Father" in their language) for combat, travel, and trade. Precolonial Tagalogs invoked Lingga to cure diseases and Lakampati, an androgynous god, for land and agriculture stuff.

Did they do this with names, specifically? I don't know, but it seems logical that names would be involved in invoking these deities. So in short, I do not find it weird. I think invoking some higher being's power using their name is a concept you can easily find in countless cultures across the globe.

A possible example of invocation through name is the word yawa in Bisaya. Modern Bisaya people use yawa as a cuss word and it's typically interpreted as a synonym for devil. It's actually the name of a precolonial goddess/babaylan (powerful witch), Nagmalitong Yawa. Yawa was demonized by Spanish friars, hence its associations now.

The average Christian/Catholic would avoid mentioning the devil when in distress. However, Bisaya people tend to invoke her name in distressing or intense situations, which is super interesting. Maybe in a way, we're subconsciously praying for her help, invoking her through name; a habit that's endured her colonial vilification.

A more obvious example is bahala. It's a popular expression found across multiple Philippine languages and derives from Bathala, the name of the Tagalog god. Bahala pretty much means "whatever," so it's like saying "whatever, leave it to our god."

Just be very specific about your character's ethnolinguistic group/s. Bisaya magic is super different from Iloko magic, etc.

I hope this helped! Feel free to send me any follow-up questions or questions to clear up any confusion.

[artfilemagazine]

Gao Lei in conversation with Elisabeth Condon

http://www.artfilemagazine.com/Gao-Lei

[iconicartistmagazine]

BRISK PEONY in Print Edition Vol.4 - The Greatest Issue ⚡ OUT NOW! Don't miss this oppurtunity! 💥 www.iconicartist.eu #Photography @gaolei_434000 #Styling @lanxuan100200 #FashionDesigner @wangranmilano #IconicArtistMagazine #PrintEditionVol4 #TheGreatestIssue #BriskPeony #GaoLei (presso Milan, Italy) https://www.instagram.com/p/CLXXbxiHJEZ/?igshid=k67y2g27jw37

[iconicartistmagazine]

BRISK PEONY in Print Edition Vol.4 - The Greatest Issue ⚡ OUT NOW! Don't miss this oppurtunity! 💥 www.iconicartist.eu #Photography @gaolei_434000 #Styling @lanxuan100200 #FashionDesigner @wangranmilano #IconicArtistMagazine #PrintEditionVol4 #TheGreatestIssue #BriskPeony #GaoLei (presso Milan, Italy) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKZxNyDHuUN/?igshid=1nrrqxz1o8sqn

[iconicartistmagazine]

The Editors' Pick for today is @gaolei_434000 🤍 Chosen by @jonathan.lorilla 💥 Styling @xuxustyle Makeup & Hair @xu.mark Submit your best artwork every thursday for a chance to be featured! Hundreds of talented artists worldwide have joined and we provide an opportunity for their work to be showcased and seen as some of the best creative people. We want to simplify the process by opening up our publication to all photographers regardless of their experience, credits or popularity our criteria is purely based on talent. Visit our website www.iconicartistmagazine.com to see more! ⚡ #IconicArtistMagazine #EditorsPick #PhotoVogue #China #PhotoVogueFestival #Artist #Portrait #PicoftheDay #Lensculture #ItalianPanorama #Stylist #Styling #LifeFramer #FineArt #Fashion #Milan #Italy #Photographer #Iso800 #500px #Instagram #Inspiration #Alwaysupportalent #GaoLei (presso Milan, Italy) https://www.instagram.com/p/CIDqODeHlDK/?igshid=1qy6z2e0j40xf

[artsxdesign]

Gao Lei - Blow Head, TV Antenna // #gaolei