On the Verge of Lunacy

Note: I don't claim to be an expert in the mythology and religion of the six tribes featured here. My source for this information is Fay-Cooper Cole's The Wild Tribes of Davao District, Mindanao. This entry is solely a list for future references. The deities and mythological creatures here are from Fay-Cooper Cole's The Wild Tribes of Davao District, Mindanao . This is a list of the gods, goddesses, and spirits/spirit classes of the Bagobo, Bila-an, Kulaman, Tagakaolo, Ata, and Mandaya. I retained the spelling of the names found in the book. For full accounts of the myths and customs of the tribes, I recommend reading the book. BAGOBO Eugpamolak Manobo/Manama/Kalayagan  - first and greatest creator whose home is in the sky. Offerings for him should be white. Tolus ka balakat - name means "dweller in the balakat"; loves blood but not the flesh of humans and is one of the three deities for whom the yearly sacrifice is made. Mandarangan and Darago - husba...

This volume is a record of Cole's study of the six tribes from Davao District, namely; Bagobo, Bila-an, Kulaman, Tagakaolo, Ata, and Mandaya. Each section describes the laws and customs, religion, arts and crafts, physical appearance and measurements, warfare and medical practices, and the mythology, religion and accompanying ceremonies of the tribes. There is also a section concerning human sacrifice which was observed in almost all the tribes mentioned. The important chapter on the Bagobo is the most extensive and also serves as the point of comparison with the other tribes. All six tribes have a lot in common and differ only in specific details. Of their similarities, the most prominent is the appearance of the deity Mandarangan/Mandalangan in the myths of the tribes and the importance given to the warrior class and the medium/healers/midwives. There are separate sections on the creation myths and lists of important deities and spirits. A description of the soul and its r...

Jake Turnet is stuck in a world destroyed by nuclear holocaust after an overdose of PBT, a psychic chemical that opened the doorway. This world, unlike his own is populated by warlocks and witches and all manner of mythical creatures. He has to find a way to get back to his worldline but he would have to get past an ambitious ruler and his minions with the help of witches, Kell and Cheryn, and a vegetarian dragon, Kaliglia. This book, published in 1972 (now out of print), is a mix of fantasy, sci-fi, and romance. It wasn't stated how Cheryn, the Crimson Witch of Eye Mountain, met Jake. How their relationship developed wasn't explained either but Cheryn finds herself madly in love with Jake and ended up helping him. The battle scenes using magic weren't bad but repetitive. The best part of this book for me was when Jake, Cheryn, and Kaliglia passed through the gate to get to Jake's worldline. The ending seemed like it was rushed. Cheryn suddenly gained so much...

This book gives an overview of the Irish myths and legends and the existing problems in the  study of this field. O'Grady proposes the creation of a book that will cover both epic and annalistic/genealogical literature. He claims that although bardic literature constitutes the glory of early Irish history, it is also the stumbling block in its appreciation. There is a short introduction to bardic history as well as an overview of the five ages that should make up his proposed book. He also gives an account of the evolution of the pantheon and how important it is to include the cycles in the proposed book. A section on the deification of heroes and kings is informative. The mythological record of the bards according to O'Grady is as follows: Age of Keasair Age of Partholan and the Earliest Fomorian Gods Age of the Nemedian Gods and Second Cycle of the Fomorians Firbolgs and Third Cycle of the Fomoroh Last Cycle: Tuatha de Danan I don't recommend th...

This volume can be divided into two parts. First is the introduction of the Popol Vuh; second, the translation of the work itself. It is important to read the introduction as it provides a detailed background of the work of the author and the explanation of the events mentioned in the Popol Vuh. The translation, although not a very difficult read, wouldn't make sense without the exhaustive work of the author. The Popol Vuh highlights the following: (1) The creation stories, (2) the exploits of Hunahpu One and Hunahpu Seven and Xbalanque and Hunahpu, and (3) the first four men and the stories of their descendants. There is a section describing how the Popol Vuh might be used either as a historical narrative or a store of myths that will provide insights into the life of the Quiche Maya. Readers need not be versed in Maya mythology to appreciate this book. The writing is easy to understand and the author did a good job in providing additional information about difficult episo...

Ryoma Echizen and the rest of Seigaku are back and go head to head with the best middle and high school tennis players in the country in the U-17 selection camp. The middle schoolers, which includes most of Seigaku's rivals from other schools, soon find that U-17 is full of talented players and wily coaches who want to test their limits. Players are grouped in several courts depending on their abilities. Shuffle matches let courts move up or down the ranks. In the preliminary matches, several players are eliminated while Ryoma is disqualified for not showing up when he goes looking for Tokugawa, a player from court one, for a match. He has to leave the camp along with the losers. They were not leaving however. They are sent to a drunkard coach, Nyudo, and undergo extensive and difficult training. Meanwhile, the middle schoolers who won, are slowly moving up the court ranking, led by the powerful Jujiroh Oni. It seems like the middle schoolers can't get along with the coach...