'Main Note

Maximo Ramos¶

In his book Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology, Ramos attempts a taxonomic classification of these creatures. In the foreword, Juan R. Francisco writes that this is the first attempt to systematize the identities of the Philippine mythological beings for folklore scholarship.

It started with his professor Dr. Wayland D. Hand, who guided this student in his attempt to classify the entire pre-Hispanic Philippine pantheon for the end goal of determining what an aswang is. It is important to note that Dr. Hand was an American Folklorist, so the folklore studies passed down and advised to his students were western, which shows in Ramos’ works. He justifies the European categories by arguing its usefulness in relating Philippine folklore to folklore scholarship in the rest of the world.

He also focused his works on Lower Mythology which are “beings which, while in fact having no objective reality, are regarded in folk traditions to actually existent, to be generally maleficent and for a variety of reasons to rank below the creatures of higher mythology (ghosts, ancestral spirits, angels, deities, upper divinities)” ^[Dr. Wayland D. Hand’s Lectures on the Creatures of Lower Mythology]

His study focused not on the names, but on traits and functions

12 categories by Maximo Ramos¶

1. Demons
   • corporeal or incorporeal beings believed to terrify persons or to harass them with nightmares, diseases and similar misfortunes
2. Dragons
3. Dwarfs
4. Elves
5. Ghouls
6. Giants
7. Merfolk
8. Ogres
9. Vampires
10. Viscera Suckers
11. Werewolves
12. Witches