Mimi's Chilling Tales For Grown Ups Only

T A M A W O !! by mimi illenberger mapa The belief on fairies is universal. A famous writer, folklorist and preternatural researcher Patricia Lysaght of Dublin, Ireland has this to say about fairies in general - - Fairies are mythical beings or legendary creatures, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural. Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term fairy offers many definitions. Sometimes the term describes any magical creature, including goblins or gnomes: at other times, the term only describes a specific type of more ethereal creatures. In modern usage, fairies are usually depicted as tiny human-appearing creatures with wings and the ability to perform magic. In Philippine Mythology, a diwata, also known as encantada (engkantada), is a mythical creature or goddess similar to Western fairies or nymphs, possessing supernatural powers. Diwatas are avatars of Nature, w...

K  A P R E mimi illenberger mapa While doing research for his dissertation on folk healing, a former teacher stumbled on several  strange tales involving supernatural beings, prompting him to suggest to his peers in graduate school that perhaps the university  “should look into the feasibility of offering courses in parapsychology so that students will  have enlightened information on phenomena which science  is still hesitant to certify as worthy of investigation.” This particular tale I wish to share with my readers today  began in a university campus more than a decade ago and simply refused to die down. As the years rolled by , the stories involving the creature  even became more scary as more people came forward  to add their own experience to it; the teacher felt the case was indeed worthy of investigation. This is the story of a kapre ( the name used in  Philippine folk lore for the  mythical tree-sitting demon)  ...

THE GIRL AND THE LOST CAP (A Ghost Story From Germany) A certain boy and girl, whose names this tale telleth not, once lived near a church. The boy being mischi evously inclined, was in the habit of trying to frighten the girl in a variety of ways, till she became at last so accustomed to his tricks, that she ceased to care for anything whatever, putting down everything strange that she saw and heard to the boy's mischief. One washing-day, the girl was sent by her mother to fetch home the linen, which had been spread to dry in the churchyard. When she had nearly filled her basket, she happened to look up, and saw sitting on a tomb near her a figure dressed in white from head to foot, but was not the least alarmed, believing it to be the boy playing her, as usual, a trick. So she ran up to it, and pulling its cap off said, "You shall not frighten me, this time." Then when she had finished collecting the linen she went home. But, to her astonishment -- for he cou...

In the course of my long career as a regular ghost story writer ( Ghost Stories & Strange Tales) in the country’s leading weekly magazines (Women’s Journal, Woman Today and Astroscope) , I  discovered for myself  that one good, reliable  source of ghost stories and strange tales are the people who have lived in  Malacanang Palace – the presidential family, their staff,  the security guards and even  their occasional guests.  As somebody said, at day time, the palace is the country’s seat of power but once the lights are turned off at night, it is just another haunted house. Manuel Quezon, III – grandson of President Quezon – has this interesting observation “ I grew up with these stories, not from family but from old folks who’d worked there and who believed these tales.  Lots of people got spooked in Malacanang Palace.   It is also rumoured that some of the ghosts you bump into while walking through its dark, silent corridors ar...

According to a tenacious legend circulating throughout Europe, after Pilate had delivered Him to the Jews for crucifixion, Jesus was being dragged out of the judgement hall  when he paused for a moment to rest.  Seeing this, Cartaphilus , a porter employed by Pontius Pilate, cruelly struck Him on th back with His hand and jeered. “Go quicker, Jesus, go quicker, why do you loiter?”           In reply, Jesus looked at the porter and said, “I am going and you will wait until I return.” THE GHOST OF JUDAS ESCARIOT mimi illenberger mapa   My grandmother was an irrepressible youngster running wild and free in her parents hacienda  in Mindoro. But she still remembered  how her old nanny, Yaya Duliang,  would admonish her to refrain from laughing too loud or rough playing with the neighbourhood children on Good Fridays. She said it was a time for piety and prayers; that it was terribly disrespectful for p...

There was this phosphorescent figure kneeling before her transformed mom. She was radiant with happiness as she gave him her hand which he brought to his lips. From  a distance she could tell he was an officer in gala uniform.  Ralph!         “” I’ve patiently waited for so long too, my darling.  But your ordained time had not yet come. But now, it has…so come, our friends await us and they are playing our song,  can you hear it?”  His reply was like an echo in the wind. THE  LONG  WAIT  mimi illenberger mapa         Bataan had just fallen into the hands of the Japanese when Carmen G. Duyan-duyan found herself widowed. She had only been married for less than fifteen months,  when her husband Ralph, a second lieutenant , became one of the many victims of Japanese atrocity during the infamous “Death March” where thousands  of exhausted prisoners died. On ...

A  SHIVERY  ACCOUNT  BY  A  FIRST  TIMER  TO  THE  ISLAND “ The penitentiary is rumoured to be haunted by tormented souls; that even  Native Americans claim it is the energy portal where evil spirits are allowed to come through and  is whispered to be the last stop before entering hell.”       As a writer of ghost stories and strange tales  the eerie stories and dark mystique  behind the world’s infamous penitentiary had always fascinated me and so when the opportunity to see the place  came,  I decided to see the island up close.        I am a regular visitor of the United States, vacationing long stretches of time with my maternal relatives who are residents of California  and yet  for  some reason  I missed historic San Francisco in my forays to the scenic, historic and interesting places in the area. So as early as September ...