- Alan (legendary creature)
Infobox Philippine mythology
title = Alan
description = Deformedspirits
gender = Male/female
region = Tinguian
equivalent = The Alan are deformed spirits from the folklore of the "Tinguian" tribe of thePhilippines . They have wings, and their fingers and toes point backwards.The "Alan" are said to take drops of menstrual blood, miscarried fetuses, afterbirth, or other reproductive waste and transform them into human children, whom they then raise as their own. They live near springs in extremely fine houses, made of gold and other valuables.
Basic Legend
A "Tinguian" was once walking along a trail in the wood when he heard a strange sound in a large tree near him, and looking up he was startled to see that it was the home of the Alan-spirits who live in the wood.
He stopped and gazed for a moment at the horrible creatures, large as people, hanging from the limbs of the tree with their heads down like bats. They had wings to fly, and their toes were at the back of their feet, while their long fingers, which pointed backward, were fastened at the wrist.
"Surely," thought the man, "these terrible beings will eat me if they can catch me. I will run away as fast as I can while they are asleep." He tried to run but he was too frightened, and after a few steps he fell face down on the ground.
At this the "Alan" began to wail loudly, for they saw him fall and believed him dead And they came down out of the tree with gold and beads which they laid on him.
After a while the man gathered courage and, jumping up, he cried as loudly as he could, "Go away!"
The "Alan" did not move, but they looked at him and said: "Give us the one bead "nagaba" [a peculiar bead of double effect] , and you may have the rest." When the man refused to do this, they were angry and turned away, crying, "Then we are going to burn your house, for you are a bad man."
Thereupon the man went home as fast as he could go, but very soon after that his house burned, for the "Alan" kept their word.
References
* cite book
last = Cole
first = Fay-Cooper
authorlink = Fay-Cooper Cole
title = Traditions of the Tinguian
publisher = Field Museum of Natural History
date = 1915
pages = pp. 14-15
id = ASIN B0006AH7LY [http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC64933167&id=F3cAAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA74&lpg=PA74&dq=tinguian+alan#PPA14,M1]
* [http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/books/philippines/cole/manalan.html SurLaLune Fairy Tales: Man and the Alan]
* [http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/books/philippines/cole/alanhunters.html SurLaLune Fairy Tales: The Alan and the Hunters]
* [http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/books/philippines/cole/manalan.html]
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