Nuno sa punso

Nuno
Title	Nuno sa punso
Description	Goblin of the anthill
Gender	Male
Region	Philippines

A nuno or nuno sa punso ("old man of the mound") is a dwarf-like creature in Philippine mythology. It is believed to live in an anthill or termite mound, hence its name, literally 'Ancestor/Grandparent living in the anthill'.

"The "nono" are the spirits of old persons. When a tree is to be felled, or a piece of virgin ground broken, and on many other occasions, permission is asked of the nono. Should this precaution be neglected misfortune will surely ensue." The nuno is described to be a small old man with a long beard, and differs from a duwende or dwarf of Philippine folklore. The duwende is a playful hobgoblin who shows himself to children, while the nuno is a goblin easily angered and will do harm to those who damage or disturb his mound. If an invader destroys the nuno's home by kicking it, the offender's foot will become swollen. Nuno sa punso are also believed to inhabit places such as underneath large rocks, trees, riverbanks, caves, or a backyard.

Nunos have the ability to curse trespassers. A curse may include the following:

In order for a nuno to successfully curse a person, the trespasser must come in close proximity of the nuno. If the trespasser is within range, the Nuno can spit on any part of the trespasser's body. The trespasser will then experience aches or soreness on the affected part of the body, such as stomach pains, swollen genitals (after urinating on the mound), or swollen feet (after kicking the mound).

There is a common belief that if modern medicine is unable to cure a particular illness, the ailment may be due to a nuno's curse. The victim is brought to an albularyo, a Philippine practitioner of traditional medicine. The albularyo will perform a ceremony known as tawas. During this process, a piece of a candle is melted and the molten wax poured onto a disc or spoon. The molten wax is in turn poured into water. The image formed on the water will then be interpreted by the albularyo. The image aids in determining the cause of the patient's illness and where the curse actually happened.

In order to be cured, the victim's family may be asked to provide an offering to the nuno such as fruits or other food, drinks, or a material object. If the victim is still not healed after the offering, it may be necessary to personally ask the nuno's forgiveness, which is believed to be a wise measure, in order to prevent the permanent possession of the victim by an evil spirit, which could later cause the victim to become insane.

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Wikipedia