51: PAST LIVES | The Eternal Love Story of Maruja

Buckle up, lovebirds and skeptics! This week, we're diving into the heart-stopping saga of Maruja, a love story so strong it just couldn't stay buried. From Mars Ravelo's comic genius to cinematic reboots, Maruja's undying romance with Gabriel has been making fans swoon for over a century.

We're peeling back the layers of this epic melodrama where forbidden love meets ghostly whispers. Maruja, destined for a loveless marriage, pulls the ultimate bridezilla move with a tragic twist, promising a love revival a hundred years later. Does her reincarnated self, Cristy, get a supernatural second shot at a happily ever after? Or is she just experiencing some seriously vintage déjà vu?

Tune in for a spectral analysis of love, betrayal, and the kind of romantic antics that only a century of longing can brew. Let's decode why Maruja's story keeps resurrecting in Filipino pop culture—because who doesn't like a good old-fashioned love story that refuses to die?

Correction: You CAN get divorced in the Philippines but only if you are Muslim, per the Code of Muslim Personal Laws of 1977.

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The Gods Must Be Crazy is a podcast on Philippine Mythology hosted by friends Anama Dimapilis and Ice Lacsamana, avid mythology nerds and semi-professional gossips. Follow us over at @godsmustbecrazy.pod on Instagram and Facebook for more good stuff. We welcome any suggestions on future topics or episodes. You can also join us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thegodsmustbecrazypodcast.

You can also find us on Youtube – Gods Must Be Crazy Podcast channel, where we post some of our episodes and interviews. For other inquiries, please email us at godsmustbecrazy.pod@gmail.com

The intro and outro music is by Brian O’Reilly (@dendriform on Instagram).

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References/Further Reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maruja

https://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2014/02/14/1290145/enduring-appeal-maruja

https://www.balita.ca/darna-dyesebel-and-maruja/

https://www.gmanetwork.com/lifestyle/news/109250/tiktok-user-goes-viral-for-finding-her-look-alike-at-the-national-museum/story

50: O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? | Indarapatra & Sulayman, A Maguindanao Epic

How many brothers does it take to kill five monsters & bring an entire civilization out from hiding?

In our 50th episode, we cover the epic tale of Indarapatra and Sulayman, two gallant brothers whose heroics helped the people of Maguindanao (the precursor modern-day Mindanao). This set the foundation for a civilization and culture so strong they were able to flourish and put up incredible resistance across centuries of Spanish invasion.

This epic story has everything: from self-driving boats, A.I.-powered weapons, surveillance trees to a literal man-made stove-top. Join us as we look to understand possible historical precursors to this tale, while trying to disentangle the epic figure of Raja Sulayman from his historical counterpart, one of the last great rulers of Old Manila.

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The Gods Must Be Crazy is a podcast on Philippine Mythology hosted by friends Anama Dimapilis and Ice Lacsamana, avid mythology nerds and semi-professional gossips. Follow us over at @godsmustbecrazy.pod on Instagram and Facebook for more good stuff. We welcome any suggestions on future topics or episodes. You can also join us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thegodsmustbecrazypodcast.

You can also find us on Youtube – Gods Must Be Crazy Podcast channel, where we post some of our episodes and interviews. For other inquiries, please email us at godsmustbecrazy.pod@gmail.com

The intro and outro music is by Brian O’Reilly (@dendriform on Instagram).

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References/Further Reading:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maguindanao_people#Culture
• https://sharjahart.org/sharjah-art-foundation/people/saleeby-najeeb-m
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Najeeb_Mitry_Saleeby
• https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1710/rajah-indara-patra-and-the-dragons-a-mindanao-legend
• https://morohistorylawandreligion.wordpress.com/chapter-01/history-of-magindanao/magindanao-history-and-genealogies/the-mythology-of-mindanao/
• https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/blogs/post/the-legends-of-the-sarimanok/
• https://sacred-texts.com/asia/pft/pft47.htm
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajah_Sulayman
• https://www.jstor.org/stable/1497353

49: HE WILL ROCK  YOU | Bernardo Carpio, the Lost Hero of the Tagalogs

In this seismic episode, we're cracking open the legend of Bernardo Carpio, the mythical giant (or man-sized hero, depending on who you ask) whose shrugs supposedly cause earthquakes. From his tangled roots in forbidden love to his epic showdowns, Carpio's story is more than just a tale – it's a tectonic narrative of resistance and resilience.

But wait, it's not all about muscle, might, and mountain-sized struggles. Dive into the pre-colonial origins and find out how an alligator ties into this earth-shattering saga.

We'll also explore how this hero’s tale has morphed into a symbol of freedom against oppressors, from Spanish colonizers to modern-day challenges. Are we still waiting for Carpio to break free and usher in an era of justice? Or is he just a mythic reminder to keep fighting the good fight?

Buckle up for a mythological adventure that's going to rock your world – hopefully only metaphorically.

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The Gods Must Be Crazy is a podcast on Philippine Mythology hosted by friends Anama Dimapilis and Ice Lacsamana, avid mythology nerds and semi-professional gossips. Follow us over at @godsmustbecrazy.pod on Instagram and Facebook for more good stuff. We welcome any suggestions on future topics or episodes.  You can also join us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thegodsmustbecrazypodcast.

You can also find us on Youtube – Gods Must Be Crazy Podcast channel, where we post some of our episodes and interviews. For other inquiries, please email us at godsmustbecrazy.pod@gmail.com

The intro and outro music is by Brian O’Reilly (@dendriform on Instagram).

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References/Further Reading:

Eugenio, Damiana (2002). Philippine Folk Literature: The Legends. University of the Philippines Press. pp. 4–5. ISBN 971-542-357-4.

"Ang Alamat ni Bernardo Carpio: A Philippine Legendary Hero". The Katig Group. January 5, 2006. Retrieved January 13, 2007.

"The Valley Fault System". Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. Archived from the original on March 7, 2007. Retrieved January 15, 2007.

Ocampo, Ambeth (August 17, 2007). "Looking Back: Natural calamities". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on September 21, 2007.

http://www.philippinestamps.net/RP2012-Carpio.htm