A Folklore Writer’s Journey To Catalog Philippine Mythology

It takes time and effort to achieve one's dreams. Jean Karl Gaverza's goal of researching every folklore and mythology of the Philippines is within reach.

Gaverza is a mythology writer and researcher behind Philippine Spirits. Featured in books and zines, the many halimaw of our folklore come to life through his research of mythical creatures. 

Talented artists join in the effort to draw the creatures that form part of Gaverza’s mission to create a grand catalog of Filipino folklore.

Humble beginnings, celebrating diversity

Gaverza's journey began with his ethnolinguistics thesis. From his original goal of creating a numerical system for the Zamboanga Southern Subanon language, he asked his professor to change his topic to Philippine mythology after he became intrigued by a folklore story someone told him. Containing themes and motifs of Philippine mythologies, his thesis became his first catalog.

Surprisingly, Gaverza had never written professionally before he began Philippine Spirits. His brainchild started from wanting to write daily or weekly research-based stories until publishing an encyclopedia. However, his readers liked his fiction more, which prompted him to publish a zine followed by a book released in 2018.

"I'm so curious. I really want to get all the information from everywhere. So after that, I started Philippine Spirits. So Philippine Spirits is a platform to share my stories," he said.

His web page consists of stories of mythical creatures in all parts of the Philippines and is also available online through social media.

To preserve and celebrate the diversity of languages, he commissions translators to transcribe his interviews in the local language including Bicolano and Chavacano. Gaverza also gets inspiration for his stories from his hometown of Iloilo, where he catalogs urban legends, modern myths, and recent legends.

Creative license

A self-proclaimed iconoclast who rebels against things, he said writing about mythology "is what I do; this is where it is. I have applicable criticisms."

However, drawing a thin line between free writing and the nature of being a researcher has been challenging for Gaverza. While producing catalogs, he struggles to choose between authentic research and creative writing.

"So as a creative (writer), I'm very free. As a researcher, I'm constrained."

He referenced the myth of Sidapa and Bulan as an example. It was initially believed that Sidapa and Bulan, coming from two different mythologies, were homosexual lovers and were used as great folkloric representations of LGBTQIA+ during the pre-colonial era. But in 2019, it was revealed as a hoax. Sidapa and Bulan are categorized as modern myths, which he also cataloged.

An artistic movement

Aside from Gaverza, other artists and writers do not shy away from exposure—which they can get at Komikon, an annual event for all artists, writers, and creators to gather and present their works to the public.

"It's all original comics by different artists. Everyone is doing folklore, everyone is doing myths," he said.

Pinoy indie authors gather at the yearly event, with Batibat and Aswang stories hounding the place. "If you want to see how popular Filipino folklore is, go to their (events) and browse through their selections."

Gaverza was recently invited to the University of the Philippines-Diliman for "Binalot Talks," where he discussed his works. His platform also takes part in their Inktober version through "Halimaween," where artists reimagine a new Philippine mythical creature on each day of October.

Not taking things at face value

To Gaverza, researching myths is not just done by a simple Google search. Reading and research are bread and butter to create a story.

People must also learn to discern sources. He recommended reading Filipiniana books, Maximo Ramos's series, and browsing Project Gutenberg for e-books.

"Don't take things at face value, but also double check," he said.

Learning how to differentiate your work is also his reminder to everyone. Weigh if you are researching for the academe, and differentiate to whom you are writing.

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Layout by: Bella Dela Merced