Dalaketnon-Philippine Folklore

October 15, 2010 by coco810

When i was young my Nana used to tell tales from her childhood memories. Stories that kept my imagination alive.

I can still clearly remember this certain creature. We use call it Dalaketnon. Dalaketnons are bad engkantos. They appeared as handsome male and beautiful female. Dress in a fashionable manner and live in mansion to fit in with mortal people. Some believe that the only way to Dalaket, their dwelling place, is by entering the Dalaket trees. These creatures abduct people and take them to their world. They hold a feast for their victims and force them to eat the Black Rice that put them under their spell making them their slaves.

My Nana was an orphan at the age of 8. She lived with her aunts and cousins in Bicol. One Morning, she saw her eldest aunt running around looking for her daughter. They looked for her day and night. But she is still nowhere to be found. Out of desperation,they asked for a local shaman to perform a ritual to know her whereabouts. The shaman offered a chicken while chanting spells. The shaman said that if the chicken's head is in a bow position, the maiden will never be found.But if the chicken's head is looking upward, they still have a chance to take her back.

Thank God the chicken's head is looking upward. The shaman instructed the maiden's father to find the biggest acacia tree in the woods near their house and wait till sunset. It is a very dangerous mission but nothing can surpass a father's love to get her daughter back, even an evil entity.
He brought his bolo and salt, lots and lots of it. The shaman told him not to eat or drink anything or else he can never comeback again.

Sunset is coming. The maiden's father is ready and everybody is praying hard for them. As he walk to the tree he disappeared with out a trace, like a bubble that popped in the air. Hours passed by. My Nana still waiting for her cousin and his father outside along with the other.

Midnight struck, Nana saw her uncle and cousin comeout of the tree. Everybody still in shocked. The maiden is awake but it seems like she is not there in her body. She can't hear or talk to them. Her mind is totally blank.

They brought the maiden to the shaman's place. He danced and chanted words my Nana cannot understand. After a couple of minutes, she is back. They let her rest and gain her strenght.

The next day, Nana asked her cousin what happened to her. The maiden said, "A Prince came to me.He brought me to his palace made of gold. Everyone is beautiful. It is breath taking.They held a feast for me. But their rice is black. I refused but he kept on making me eat it. The next thing i know i was here."