Saturday, January 31, 2009

Danag who?

My Saturday started out so late that everything happened way too late as well. I mean, I had lunch past 2pm, went out to starbucks around 7pm and continued my read on Twilight, and shopped for grocery around 9pm(!)

Yes, I confess, my time management skills don't work on weekends. Like Saturday is cut short. (note to self: don't EVER forget to set the alarm to 9am on weekends.)

Speaking of Twilight, I'm on my way to Chapter 9.

Now don't call me slow. Let it be known (to all) that I only read on weekends. It's been my rule. There's just much to do after work that reading a book is the least thing I'd be doing. As much as it's tempting to catch up with my read, I just can't. Though there were times I managed to read a chapter before sleeping.

And just to satisfy people's curiousity(?) over the after-work activities that preoccupies me, those are nothing but normal chores of a girl living alone; like cooking for my dinner (unless my laziness reigns, a bento from Seiyu is always the substitute), washing the clutter thereafter (i can't stand dirty kitchen!), Skype sessions with T (a must!), press my pants because I don't iron on weekends (hate this chore); take a half-bath (this would mean excluding the hair from getting wet); and if I have little time left before finally calling it a day, I check my emails or browse the net 'til past 12.

On to Twilight (again), Chapter 7 mentioned about Danag (a Filipino vampire).

As quoted from Meyer's book, Danag is:
"Supposedly responsible for planting taro on the islands long ago. The myth continued that the Danag worked with humans for many years, but the partnership ended one day when a woman cut her finger and a Danag sucked her wound, enjoying the taste so much that it drained her body completely of blood."
This caught me by surprised because I am not aware of him/it. I've heard of Dracula, Lestat...now, Edward Cullen; but Danag -- never.

So like any curious individual, I typed 'Danag' in Google search, and to my surprise (again), Wikipedia doesn't know him but BlogCatalog listed 4 results. I checked the dates of those blogposts that mentioned him and judging from the date, people probably became aware of Danag after reading Twilight (like me).

Not sure where Ms. Meyer got this folklore. I should know; I'm a Filipino. 

2 comments:

The Demigoddess said...

Hey you!
I only read the Twilight books because of peer pressure. I hate how it attempted to recreate vampires, giving them the capacity to walk among humans in daytime and how they had marble-like skin and glowed like diamonds in the sun. I hate Stephenie for trying to debunk--and failing miserably--the image of vampires that Anne Rice and Vampire the Masquerade have established for eons! Gah! I hate the author..

Anyhoo, yeah, I am Filipino, too and I did the exact same thing after reading about Danag in Twilight. Unless Stephenie made this up, Danag's donot exist in Filipino folklore.

amor said...

@demigoddess, I gave up searching for Danag. For sure, production companies (in Phils) are now thinking of putting up a Danag story in the future...to justify its existence (as a myth).

Anyway, i enjoy reading your insights that i have officially signed up as one of your stalkers. lol!