A Tinguian hunting tale warns against using red-and-yellow striped blankets resembling a wild pig’s back. While camping, one man overheard spirits mistaking him for prey due to his blanket. He swapped it with a companion’s, leading to the other’s death. Since then, Tinguian avoid such blankets in spirit-haunted areas, underscoring caution and the perils of deception in folklore.
Source
Philippine Folk Tales
compiled and annotated by
Mabel Cook Cole
A.C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, 1916
► Themes of the story
Cunning and Deception: The protagonist’s deceitful act of exchanging blankets to save himself results in his companion’s death.
Supernatural Beings: The presence of spirits who mistake the blanket for a wild pig highlights interactions with supernatural entities.
Cultural Heroes: The story reflects the cultural beliefs and practices of the Tinguian people, emphasizing the importance of cultural awareness and traditions.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about Philippines peoples
Three Tinguian once went to the mountains to hunt deer. They took their blankets with them, for they expected to be gone several days, and the nights in the mountains are cold. The blankets of two of the men were of the blue-and-white designs such as are commonly worn by the Tinguian, but that of the third was covered with red and yellow stripes like the back of a little wild pig. At night the men rolled up in their blankets and lay down under a tree to sleep; but while the one in the striped blanket was still awake two spirits came near and saw him. “Oh,” he heard one spirit say to the other, “here we have something to eat, for here is a little wild pig.”
► Continue reading…
Then the man quickly took the blanket off one of his sleeping companions and put his own in its place. Very soon the spirits came and ate the man under the striped blanket.
Since that time the Tinguian never sleep under that kind of a blanket if they are where the spirits can get them.
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