The Aswang Complex in Philippine Folklore - Paperback
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The Aswang Complex in Philippine Folklore: A Scholarly Study
This academic work presents a comprehensive examination of the aswang belief system, one of the most dominant yet understudied aspects of Filipino folk culture. Written by Maximo D. Ramos, the "Dean of Philippine Lower Mythology," this book provides vernacular texts with English translations, offering readers direct access to primary source materials.
Academic Content and Cultural Analysis
The book addresses a critical gap in Philippine literary and social studies by treating the aswang belief as legitimate folklore worthy of scholarly attention. Unlike Western fairy tales about witches and dwarfs that are commonly taught in schools, Philippine folktales have been dismissed as superstitious. This volume challenges that perspective by presenting the aswang complex as both literary heritage and ethnographic data.
The text includes illustrative accounts in vernacular languages with accompanying translations, making it accessible to both Filipino speakers and English-language scholars. This bilingual approach preserves the authenticity of the original narratives while enabling broader academic engagement.
Social Function and Cultural Significance
The study reveals how aswang beliefs function as mechanisms of social control within Filipino communities. Field notes demonstrate practical applications: parents use aswang tales to discipline children, property owners invoke the belief to protect their land from trespassers, and communities employ the aswang label to address deviant behavior through social avoidance and coercion toward conformity.
This functional perspective explains the belief's persistence across generations, positioning it as a culturally embedded system rather than mere superstition.
Maximo D. Ramos served as editor-in-chief of Phoenix Publishing House (1963-1980) and held faculty positions at National Teachers College, Feati University, Far Eastern University, and University of the East. His academic credentials include a B.S.E. from UP (1933), M.A. in English from Indiana University (1946), and Ph.D. from UP (1965). His extensive bibliography includes Tales of Long Ago in the Philippines, Philippine Myths, Legends, and Folktales, The Creatures of Midnight, and numerous articles in academic journals.
This paperback edition from Createspace Independent Publishing Platform makes Ramos's research accessible to students of Filipino society, anthropology researchers, and anyone interested in Southeast Asian cultural studies.
About the Author
Maximo D. Ramos is considered the "Dean of Philippine Lower Mythology." He was the former editor in chief of Phoenix Publishing House (1963 1980) and served as faculty member of National Teachers College, Feati University, Far Eastern University, and dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences of the University of the East. He was also former head of the English Department of the Philippine normal College. He was a high school valedictorian (1930), had a B.S.E. (English major, UP, 1933), an M.A. in English (Indiana University, 1946), a Certificate in the Teaching of English as a Second Language (University of California at Los Angeles, 1962), and a Ph.D. (UP, 1965). He was the author of Tales of Long Ago in the Philippines; Philippine Myths, Legends, and Folktales; Legends of Lower Gods; The Creatures of Midnight; The Aswang Complex in Philippine Folklore; Philippine Demonological Legends and Their Cultural Bearings; Boyhood in Monsoon Country; Patricia of the Green Hills and Other Stories and Poems; and Remembrance of Lents Past and Other Essays. He also wrote numerous articles, stories, and verses that appeared in several magazines and journals.
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Author
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The Aswang Complex in Philippine Folklore: A Scholarly Study
This academic work presents a comprehensive examination of the aswang belief system, one of the most dominant yet understudied aspects of Filipino folk culture. Written by Maximo D. Ramos, the "Dean of Philippine Lower Mythology," this book provides vernacular texts with English translations, offering readers direct access to primary source materials.
Academic Content and Cultural Analysis
The book addresses a critical gap in Philippine literary and social studies by treating the aswang belief as legitimate folklore worthy of scholarly attention. Unlike Western fairy tales about witches and dwarfs that are commonly taught in schools, Philippine folktales have been dismissed as superstitious. This volume challenges that perspective by presenting the aswang complex as both literary heritage and ethnographic data.
The text includes illustrative accounts in vernacular languages with accompanying translations, making it accessible to both Filipino speakers and English-language scholars. This bilingual approach preserves the authenticity of the original narratives while enabling broader academic engagement.
Social Function and Cultural Significance
The study reveals how aswang beliefs function as mechanisms of social control within Filipino communities. Field notes demonstrate practical applications: parents use aswang tales to discipline children, property owners invoke the belief to protect their land from trespassers, and communities employ the aswang label to address deviant behavior through social avoidance and coercion toward conformity.
This functional perspective explains the belief's persistence across generations, positioning it as a culturally embedded system rather than mere superstition.
Maximo D. Ramos served as editor-in-chief of Phoenix Publishing House (1963-1980) and held faculty positions at National Teachers College, Feati University, Far Eastern University, and University of the East. His academic credentials include a B.S.E. from UP (1933), M.A. in English from Indiana University (1946), and Ph.D. from UP (1965). His extensive bibliography includes Tales of Long Ago in the Philippines, Philippine Myths, Legends, and Folktales, The Creatures of Midnight, and numerous articles in academic journals.
This paperback edition from Createspace Independent Publishing Platform makes Ramos's research accessible to students of Filipino society, anthropology researchers, and anyone interested in Southeast Asian cultural studies.
About the Author
Maximo D. Ramos is considered the "Dean of Philippine Lower Mythology." He was the former editor in chief of Phoenix Publishing House (1963 1980) and served as faculty member of National Teachers College, Feati University, Far Eastern University, and dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences of the University of the East. He was also former head of the English Department of the Philippine normal College. He was a high school valedictorian (1930), had a B.S.E. (English major, UP, 1933), an M.A. in English (Indiana University, 1946), a Certificate in the Teaching of English as a Second Language (University of California at Los Angeles, 1962), and a Ph.D. (UP, 1965). He was the author of Tales of Long Ago in the Philippines; Philippine Myths, Legends, and Folktales; Legends of Lower Gods; The Creatures of Midnight; The Aswang Complex in Philippine Folklore; Philippine Demonological Legends and Their Cultural Bearings; Boyhood in Monsoon Country; Patricia of the Green Hills and Other Stories and Poems; and Remembrance of Lents Past and Other Essays. He also wrote numerous articles, stories, and verses that appeared in several magazines and journals.
Contributor(s)
Author