Tag Archives: Balladeer’s Blog

BAYBAYAN: PHILIPPINE EPIC MYTH PART FOUR

Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of this epic myth of the Bukidnon people of the Philippines.

PART FOUR

Philippine IslandsThe demigod Baybayan led his hundreds of followers up the mountain atop which would land the Salimbal – the divine craft sent down from Skyland by the supreme deity Magbabaya. The Earthly realm, in its fundamental evil, made a concentrated effort to lure Baybayan’s followers away from their quest. The impure world sought to prevent as many of the demigod’s followers as possible from reaching the land of the gods.

First all the rocks then the very ground itself turned to gold, to tempt the followers into staying behind to collect the gold and live the comfortable and pleasant life of the wealthy. Some of Baybayan’s disciples yielded to this temptation and stayed behind to accumulate wealth. Vile nature intensified its attack as even the leaves on the trees and the grass turned to gold in order to tempt away a few more of the disciples. Continue reading →

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM AUGUST 29th

This was Week Two for the divisions covered here at Balladeer’s Blog.

* NAIA *

Marian Knights helmet newBATTLE IN THE TOP FIVE – The top ranked MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS traveled to face the number 4 team in the nation – the SAINT XAVIER UNIVERSITY COUGARS. This crossover game in the Mid-States Football Association was all Marian most of the game. The Knights thoroughly dominated the Cougars and when all the dust had settled Marian University went back home boasting a FORTY-FIVE to THIRTEEN manhandling of SXU.

Baker University Wildcats NEWNUMBER SIX GETS TOPPLED – The number 15 BAKER UNIVERSITY WILDCATS were on the road against the 6th ranked GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY VIKINGS yesterday. This game wound up being an undisputed Instant Classic that practically redefined the expression Smash-Mouth Football. The Wildcats pulled off the upset, dragging down the Vikings by a final tally of 20-15.   Continue reading →

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BAYBAYAN: PHILIPPINE EPIC MYTH PART THREE

Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of this epic myth of the Bukidnon people of the Philippines.

PART THREE

MindanaoWith Alisngaran’s wedding to his beloved postponed by the rising of the dual suns and the arrival of the mountain- sized boar called the Makadingding, that most valued disciple of the demigod Baybayan was filled with sorrow. Other couples among Baybayan’s hundreds of disciples had gotten married already. Baybayan assured Alisngaran that he and his woman could get married once arrived in Skyland, the home of the gods, but the loving couple were still despondent. 

Alisngaran and his intended bride announced they would rather stay on Earth among the unblessed rather than risk getting separated or getting killed unwed in the dangerous journey to Skyland. Baybayan was saddened by this but he agreed to let them stay behind and exempted Alisngaran from any further actions on his behalf.

Meanwhile the Makadingding was still running amok and killing everything in its path. With Alisngaran “retired” that left twelve remaining members of Baybayan’s inner circle of disciples. He sent that dozen into action, pitting their spears and kampilan swords against the enormous boar. As the battle raged three of them wound up getting devoured by the creature and three more were killed by the Makadingding’s tusks, tail and spiny quills.    Continue reading →

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SCREAMTIME (1984)

Screamtime 1Screamtime is one of the forgotten horror anthology films from the 1980’s. Supposedly the three main horror tales were originally filmed as individual episodes of a British tv series. Depending on which source you use either the series was cancelled (or never picked up) OR the episodes were deemed to be of too poor a quality.

The trio of horror stories were then edited into movie format for theatrical release with a wraparound story set in New York City. The oddity of the hard-assed New Yorkers watching three veddy, veddy British horror tales is part of the fun of this lame but bearable film. VHS it ain’t. Hell, it’s not even Beta.  Continue reading →

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BAYBAYAN: PHILIPPINE EPIC MYTH PART TWO

Bukidnon political mapBalladeer’s Blog continues its examination of this epic myth of the Bukidnon people of the Philippines. 

PART TWO

The demigod Baybayan had warned his 13 favorite disciples that a time of various trials was coming. When pressed for details he explained that the time in question would be heralded by the rising of two suns in the east.

Next an enormous boar with sharp quills all over its body would appear and blot out both suns with its gigantic form. The world would be plunged into darkness and many would die before the creature – called the Makadingding – could be slain. Continue reading →

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LIBERALS & CONSERVATIVES & INTELLIGENCE

Liberals conservatives

When you learn to look beyond the now-meaningless words “liberal” and “conservative” …

Just as American Conservatives have hopelessly politicized the word “patriot” to the point where it’s meaningless, American Liberals have hopelessly politicized the word “intellectual” to the point where it is meaningless, too. Conservatives will describe someone as a “patriot” IF that person mindlessly agrees with all their political views. Liberals will describe someone as an “intellectual” IF that person mindlessly agrees with all their political views.

In reality neither American Conservatives nor American Liberals are in any way fit to bestow labels like patriot and intellectual on anyone NOR are they fit to strip away such labels. Liberals are hilarious the way they pretend that even semi-literate movie stars and singers are “intellectual” as long as they unquestioningly spout Liberal dogma. American Liberals simultaneously pretend that even people who have multiple degrees are “dumb” if they hold opinions that the mindless conformists of liberalism disagree with.

Take for instance George Clooney. He dropped out of college but because he zealously spouts nothing but liberal talking points the American Left considers him “intellectual”. On the other hand if he was a Hollywood celebrity who dropped out of college and who expressed opinions that American Liberals disagree with he would be mocked and ridiculed as “an uneducated white American”.

American Liberals are Continue reading →

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM AUGUST 22nd

No matter what ESPN says THIS was opening weekend for the 2015 College Football Season for plenty of 4-year and 2-year schools.

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Dickinson State Blue Hawks helmet NEWBLUE HAWKS RESURGENT? – Everyone has been pointing to this as the season that the DICKINSON STATE BLUE HAWKS return to gridiron prominence. There’s a long way to go of course but at least the Blue Hawks got their 2015 campaign started on a triumphant note, defeating the visiting MONTANA STATE- NORTHERN LIGHTS in a very entertaining 17-7 battle.  

Edward Waters Tigers helmetMAIM CANADA – The EDWARD WATERS (FL) TIGERS welcomed Canada’s LANGARA COLLEGE FALCONS but left their guests questioning their lives. The Tigers dominated the team from Vancouver on both sides of the ball, folding, spindling and mutilating the hapless Falcons to the tune of SEVENTY-SIX to SEVEN!  Continue reading →

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BAYBAYAN: PHILIPPINE EPIC MYTH

Philippines Baybayan 1In the past Balladeer’s Blog has examined neglected epic myths from around the world. From Vietnam I dealt with A War Between Gods, from the Navajo pantheon I explored the saga of the war god Nayanazgeni battling the dark gods called the Anaye and I even examined the Dinka people’s epic about Aiwel Longar.

Epics from Inuit, Iroquois, Chinese, Korean and Bunyoro myths were also tackled.   

This time around I move on to the Philippines for a look at the epic myth of the demigod named Baybayan.

BAYBAYAN

This enjoyable and often action-packed tale comes from the Bukidnon people of the Philippine island of Mindanao. This story fuses native Bukidnon beliefs with elements of Vietnamese, Christian and Muslim myths.   

Baybayan’s mother, whose real name was considered too sacred to share with non-Bukidnons, was a beautiful and virtuous mortal woman. In Philippine myths the gods in Skyland found Earth women to be more beautiful than the goddeses in their celestial homeland. One of those gods frequently visited Baybayan’s mother in her dreams and had sex with her. (Exact godly parentage was never an obsession in Philippine or Vietnamese myths. It was enough to just refer to a hero as “the child of a god and a mortal woman.”) Continue reading →

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NJCAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON POLL FROM BALLADEER’S BLOG

Another of my Preseason Polls as the 2015 college football season kicks off tonight, at least in the divisions covered here at Balladeer’s Blog.

Iowa Western CollegeNJCAA – 1. IOWA WESTERN COLLEGE REIVERS      ###      2. EAST MISSISSIPPI LIONS      ###      3. ARIZONA WESTERN COLLEGE MATADORS      ###      4. TRINITY VALLEY CARDINALS      ###      5. HUTCHINSON COLLEGE BLUE DRAGONS      ###       Continue reading →

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D3 FOOTBALL TOP 25

The divisions covered here kick off the 2015 season this Friday, August 21st! Here’s another of my preseason Top 25 lists.

Whitewater Warhawks helmet newD3 – 1. UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AT WHITEWATER WARHAWKS (Defending Champions)      ###      2. UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT UNION PURPLE RAIDERS      ###      3. UNIVERSITY OF MARY HARDIN- BAYLOR CRUSADERS      ###      4. LINFIELD COLLEGE WILDCATS      ###      5. WARTBURG UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS      ###       Continue reading →

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