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Folklore

The manglalabas in the widow's house

WhereThis has no location, and never had one.
DoorSomething Told
Our judgementObscurity 5 of 6

Three days after a father's death, a manglalabas starts coming to his family's house at night. It throws stones, breaks the water-jars and pinches the widow, and the family decide to leave.

In the tale Dean S. Fansler printed in Filipino Popular Tales, the trouble starts three days after the father's death. A manglalabas begins coming to the family's house at night. It throws stones at the house, smashes the water-jars and shifts the beds. Next morning some pillows turn up in the kitchen.

On the second night it comes back and pinches the widow, and when she wakes she sees nothing. It empties every water-jar. The family decides to leave the house.

From the primary source
"Three days after the death of the father, the family began to be troubled at night by a manglalabas. [28] He threw stones at the house, broke the water-jars, and moved the beds. Some pillows were even found in the kitchen the next day. The second night, Manglalabas visited the house again. He pinched the widow; but when she woke up, she could not see anything. Manglalabas also emptied all the water-jars. Accordingly the family decided to abandon the house."
Dean S. Fansler (1921), Project Gutenberg ebook #8299, Filipino Popular TalesRead the source →
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