Out of this World...

Engkantos and Engkantadas are an integral part of Philippines folklore, mythology and superstition.


Rare is the Filipino child who has not been chided for staying out after dark, for wandering into areas overgrown with old trees and tall weeds, or for not being careful while playing near mounds of earth ( punso ), which are believed to be inhabited by spirits ( nuno ) or gnomes ( duwendes ).


For sure, it probably would be easier to instill an appreciation for, or even serious belief in engkantos and engkantadas in rural children who live closer to nature. In children's closest encounter with these beings would probably be on on line games and in fantaseryes such as Encantadia and Etheria. What exactly are these beings?


Engkantos and Engkantadas are collectively considered as elementals or nature spirits. They are classified according to the elements they inhabit- air, water, earth and fire. Air elements are called sylphs, water elementals are nymphs, fire elementals are salamanders while earth elementals are called dwarves or gnomes.


Some people believe that engkantos are male fairies that live in the sea. While an engkantada or a diwata is also a fairy, a female one that is believed to safeguard mountains and forests. Some people do not distinguish diwatas with their genders as either male or female and instead just what it is an engkantada or engkantado. These engkantos are seemed to be concerned with protecting the environment and ensuring the abundance of harvests from the land and the sea.


Some stories say that when people abuse their generosity, they fight back. They lessen their visiting times to the fields to bless the plants, to teach the people to be independent. When the time comes that these people would be hungry enough, they ask the engkantos to forgive them and help them by giving the people another chance. These elementals would help them but sometimes, they agree with a condition, It is either to sacrifice themselves or just to curse them.


Another abuse that people do to them is by damaging their habitats like that of the gnomes that are seen in forests or even on soiled areas. This would look like a hill but it is smaller than the Chocolate Hills. Well, whenever people see these hills, they try to give a sign to the gnomes that they would pass cause they might step in them. This is an indeed a good thing that people do.


Let us go to elementals in the sea. They say that once you put yourself into the ocean waters, thou shall not make any loud noise because you might disturb these creatures and in exchange, they would do something to harm you and those that are with you can also be harmed.


I have a story that my teacher shared to us when I was in the fifth grade. This teacher of mine told us that she has friends that are unnatural. They are gnomes that lived beside their house. When she was still young, these gnomes would like to play with her so she cannot resist the offer. They always play in a beautiful place which is a garden full of flowers. But my teacher said that the garden was really in a dark place near their house and the time in that garden is not running so if she goes there at 6:00 in the evening, she would be also back at 6:00 in the evening. It is really magical, isn't it? But when my teacher got sick, the gnomes are really pushing her to go with them to play for a long time but she cannot because her mother would be very angry to her. Days passed by but the illness didn't disappear. So they decided to go to a quack doctor to ask for help. The quack doctor said that they have to give a gift of pardon to the gnomes to help Ms. Evelyn to be well so they gave many food to the gnomes and after a day, my teacher got well. Isn't it mysterious? I do not believe to out of the world creatures but I have to because I have to keep myself very safe. And so do my family members.


I hope that your being informed by your parents about these creatures. Beware! They might be behind you right now...