This article only refers to babaylan as it is depicted in the Trese series and not it's real life precolonial Philippine counterpart.
Babaylan are shamans, typically female, that are proficient in magicks. Unlike other magicks users like salamankero, babaylan specialize in healing magic and are often referred to as healers in the series.
Customs[]
Babaylan have been shown to be proficient in healing spells, imbuing sigils with psychic power as they pray over them.[1]
Babaylan have trials usually occurring in balete trees. In one of their final trials, they commune with spirits from Skyworld for three days and three nights, as the spirits lend their help in teaching the potential babaylan healing spells.[2]
The Trials of the Babaylan-Mandirigma are undertaken in the Great Balete Tree and overseen by the Council of Babaylan.[3]
History[]
Overseen by the Council of Babaylan, Anton Trese finished the Great Balete Tree Trials in forty days and forty nights.[3]
The Babaylan of Makiling helped Metalero forge the fifth Trese child into a blade when she was stillborn.[4]
The child's younger twin sister, Alexandra Trese, went through training to fulfill her role as Babaylan-Mandirigma. When she was seven, she was sent to a tribe to learn the ways of the Babaylan through the summer.[3]
Eventually, she also undertook the Great Balete Tree Trials when she turned eighteen, still overseen by the Council. Exiting the tree after three years, she helped the Council of Babaylan heal the wounded from the conflict between enkanto and the black duwende tribes, which went on for a hundred days.[3]
Known Babaylan[]
- Council of Babaylan - A congregation of ten babaylan that oversees the Great Balete Tree Trials. They reside in an unknown mountain.[3]
- Babaylan of Makiling - A babaylan proficient in working with metals. He helped forge Sinag into a kris.[3]
Trivia[]
- For the TV series, Miranda Trese was retconned as a babaylan herself.