SANTILMO: The Souls of People Lost at Sea • THE ASWANG PROJECT

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According to the Tagalogs of Oriental Mindoro, the Santilmo is a ball of fire, believed to be the souls of people who perished in the sea. They are restless souls doomed to wander for a while on earth while expiating their sins. They are considered dangerous to seamen, for they try to set the sails on fire and to drown the men. An Oriental Mindoro legend narrates the encounter of Mang Ando and his companions with the santilmo. They felt the weather getting bad and then they saw a ball of fire approaching them. When it alighted on the sail of their batel, Mang Ando ordered his companions to spray vinegar on the fire and salt on the sail. With a whip, they beat and beat the fire, all the while also spraying it with vinegar, salt, and water. After a while, the fire dimmed and finally died out and the weather improved.

A pen and ink sketch of Santilmo flames attacking a boat in the middle of a stormy sea. The few crew members of the small boat struggle to keep the flames at bay. — Santilmo by Ralph Angelo B. Reyes

The Souls of People Lost at Sea (A Tagalog tale from Mindoro)

Mamang Ando was a seaman. He regularly shipped agricultural products from Mindoro to Luzon. He was skillful in this work because this had been his occupation since he was a young man.

At dawn one morning, he set sail on his batel as usual. He had a full load of copra, palay, and bananas.. His kumpadre, Mamang Ente and some crew members were with him. Because they were sailing against the wind, they were making slow progress.

One night after supper, a strong wind suddenly began to blow. Big waves started rolling. No star was in sight. The crew members became alert. After a while they saw a light from afar.

“Mang Ando,” said one of them, “we are about to meet something. See that light over there?”

“That might be the santilmo, ” said another. “We might get into trouble if that touches our outrigger.”

“Kumpadre,” Mang Ente interrupted, “What exactly is the santilmo?”

Mamang Ando explained, “The santilmo is said to be the souls of people lost at sea. Their souls become balls of fire at sea. When the weather is bad, these

balls of fire appear and find something to cling to. If not repelled, they can set the banca on fire.”

While Mamang Ando was explaining, the fire that was approaching the boat was getting bigger. At first glance, the fire looked red but later it turned bluish. As it neared, the fire blazed even brighter like a torch. Soon it had alighted on the sail. Mang Ando quickly got a can of vinegar and splashed some of it on the fire. He told the men to get salt and sprinkle it on the sails. Afterwards, they took poles and started beating the fire while at the same time sprinkling vinegar, salt, and water on it.

The fire gradually dimmed until it finally disappeared. In a little while, the weather also improved. A favorable wind blew, so that the boat sailed faster. The people in the boat who had witnessed the mysterious occurrence were silent for a long time. Each one seemed silently thanking God for their deliverance.

Source: A. del Rosario, “Isang Pag-aaral ng mga Kuwentong Bayan sa Oriental Mindoro,” pp. 126-127. Narrated by Estanislao Lumpas. Trans, by D.L. Eugenio.

Jordan Clark

Jordan Clark is a Canadian born descendant of Scottish immigrants living on the homelands of the Lekwungen speaking peoples. His interest in Philippine myth and folklore began in 2004. Finding it difficult to track down resources on the topic, he founded The Aswang Project in 2006. Shortly after, he embarked on a 5 year journey, along with producing partner Cheryl Anne del Rosario, to make the 2011 feature length documentary THE ASWANG PHENOMENON – an exploration of the aswang myth and its effects on Philippine society. In 2015 he directed “The Creatures of Philippine Mythology” web-series, which features 3 folkloric beings from the Philippines – the TIKBALANG, KAPRE and BAKUNAWA. Episodes are available to watch on YouTube. Jordan recently oversaw the editing for the English language release of Ferdinand Blumentritt’s DICCIONARIO MITOLÓGICO DE FILIPINAS (Dictionary of Philippine Mythology) and is working on two more releases with fellow creators scheduled for release later this year. When his nose isn’t in a book, he spends time with his amazing Filipina wife of 20 years and their smart and wonderful teenaged daughter.