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The Magic Circle
"Alternately and together, it sunned and it rained, the sky turned red and violet and gray and through it all the sun shone fiercely. Then it drizzled. He was sure the wedding was on." (from the opening lines of the book)
- GenresShort Stories
61 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
9 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
About the author
Gilda Cordero-Fernando
33 books42 followersGilda Cordero-Fernando was a multiawarded writer, publisher and cultural icon from the Philippines. She was born in Manila, has a B.A. from St. Theresa’s College-Manila, and an M.A. from the Ateneo de Manila University.
She started off as a writer and was awarded the Palanca Award for Literature several times. She also wrote and illustrated children’s books.Her short stories are collected in The Butcher, The Baker and The Candlestick Maker (1962) and A Wilderness of Sweets (1973).
She had a very rich life as a publisher. In 1978 she launched GCF Books, which published landmark books on Philippine cultural history: Streets of Manila (1977), Turn of the Century (1978), Philippine Ancestral Houses (1980), Being Filipino (1981), The History of the Burgis (1987), Folk Architecture (1989), and The Soul Book (1991).
Cordero-Fernando also wore numerous other hats as a visual artist, fashion designer, playwright, art curator, and producer. In February 2000, she produced Luna: An Aswang Romance. In 2001 she produced Pinoy Pop Culture, the book and the show, for Bench.
In 1994, she received a Cultural Center of the Philippines (Gawad CCP) for her lifetime achievements in literature and publishing.
(from wikipedia.org.)
She started off as a writer and was awarded the Palanca Award for Literature several times. She also wrote and illustrated children’s books.Her short stories are collected in The Butcher, The Baker and The Candlestick Maker (1962) and A Wilderness of Sweets (1973).
She had a very rich life as a publisher. In 1978 she launched GCF Books, which published landmark books on Philippine cultural history: Streets of Manila (1977), Turn of the Century (1978), Philippine Ancestral Houses (1980), Being Filipino (1981), The History of the Burgis (1987), Folk Architecture (1989), and The Soul Book (1991).
Cordero-Fernando also wore numerous other hats as a visual artist, fashion designer, playwright, art curator, and producer. In February 2000, she produced Luna: An Aswang Romance. In 2001 she produced Pinoy Pop Culture, the book and the show, for Bench.
In 1994, she received a Cultural Center of the Philippines (Gawad CCP) for her lifetime achievements in literature and publishing.
(from wikipedia.org.)
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 2, 2019
“Umaaraw, umuulan. Kinakasal ang tikbalang.”
“The Magic Circle” opens with this Filipino belief about sun showers -- that is, when the sun is out and rain is falling at the same time, a tikbalang wedding is going on. This phrase doesn’t occur frequently anymore. I guess there has been barely any tikbalang weddings happening, which must be why their population is dwindling. A tikbalang, by the way, is a tall, humanoid creature with the head and hooves of a horse.
Yes, I know they are not real! It’s their extinction from the Filipino culture that concerns me. Philippine folklore is a treasure trove of strange and fascinating mythical creatures that are nearly forgotten by modernity -- and I am grateful to Gilda Cordero Fernando for showing what we can do with traditional mythology. We need more of these modern-day adaptations of traditional folklore.
The story starts with a poor boy named Jepoy, but the story isn’t about him at all. In the magic circle of Philippine mythological creatures, he was merely an observer to an important gathering. It was a wedding that turned into a meeting and then a funeral, where humans happen to be just accessories: topics for conversation, and the reasons for suffering.
It is a short story about one’s purpose in life, the role that we all play in contributing to the destruction of the environment, and how things die because we have forgotten. Worse, we now refuse to believe.
“The Magic Circle” is a timely reminder of the urgency of caring for the environment. What the book accomplishes is, in a sense -- magical. Who doesn't like a magical story with a very timely message to save the earth? Who doesn't like a story that relives the youthful days of humanity's enchantment with the spirit and elemental world?
This is a beautiful piece of literature for children that must be treasured and shared. And as an adult, it enthralled me as well --reminding me of how much fun it is to tell stories, to imagine, and to feel compassion for creatures big and small… whether from this world or others.
“The Magic Circle” opens with this Filipino belief about sun showers -- that is, when the sun is out and rain is falling at the same time, a tikbalang wedding is going on. This phrase doesn’t occur frequently anymore. I guess there has been barely any tikbalang weddings happening, which must be why their population is dwindling. A tikbalang, by the way, is a tall, humanoid creature with the head and hooves of a horse.
Yes, I know they are not real! It’s their extinction from the Filipino culture that concerns me. Philippine folklore is a treasure trove of strange and fascinating mythical creatures that are nearly forgotten by modernity -- and I am grateful to Gilda Cordero Fernando for showing what we can do with traditional mythology. We need more of these modern-day adaptations of traditional folklore.
The story starts with a poor boy named Jepoy, but the story isn’t about him at all. In the magic circle of Philippine mythological creatures, he was merely an observer to an important gathering. It was a wedding that turned into a meeting and then a funeral, where humans happen to be just accessories: topics for conversation, and the reasons for suffering.
It is a short story about one’s purpose in life, the role that we all play in contributing to the destruction of the environment, and how things die because we have forgotten. Worse, we now refuse to believe.
“The Magic Circle” is a timely reminder of the urgency of caring for the environment. What the book accomplishes is, in a sense -- magical. Who doesn't like a magical story with a very timely message to save the earth? Who doesn't like a story that relives the youthful days of humanity's enchantment with the spirit and elemental world?
This is a beautiful piece of literature for children that must be treasured and shared. And as an adult, it enthralled me as well --reminding me of how much fun it is to tell stories, to imagine, and to feel compassion for creatures big and small… whether from this world or others.
May 25, 2014
When it is raining and the sun's shining at the same time, beasts are being married in the netherworld.
In this story, it is the wedding of the tikbalang, the Philippine mythological creature that is half-human, half-beast. They are getting married in the underworld that can be accessed via an old tree. The boy, the oldest boy in town, accidentally discovers it when his dog Galis bumps to the tree while running away (from the boy) with the blouse of a snooty senyora that is being dried for ironing by the boy's mother, a laundrywoman.
The magic circle is that way going to the deepest part of the tree where the creatures parade one-by-one going to the party. In the story, these creatures are composed not only of the mythological characters but also animals, insects and even human beings like the legendary Mariang Makiling, Mariang Sinukuan, Mariang Condende and even the fat but beautiful "her face is like the moon" Dona Geronima. They converse and talk about us, the mortals - the human beings and how we are causing the destruction of mother earth and displacing them. The sad example of this is the fate of the kapre who used to stay on the tress lining Timog or New Manila (Quezon City) until a housewife calls the police and the kapre was detained and was let to stay in the empty abandoned tenement houses in Manila.
My favorite line is when the cockroach is asked what is his purpose in life. The cockroach says: Ang ipis ay salamin ng kababuyan ng tao (The cockroach is the mirror of man's filthiness). How true but don't you know that there are more cockroaches in tropical countries? Having visited colder or hotter countries, I would not say that Filipinos are more filthy than other races. It so happened that we have more cockroaches because of our weather. Excuses. Excuses.
This is a nice children's story. Very good use of Philippine mythology. Best to be read to children to appreaciate local folklore.
In this story, it is the wedding of the tikbalang, the Philippine mythological creature that is half-human, half-beast. They are getting married in the underworld that can be accessed via an old tree. The boy, the oldest boy in town, accidentally discovers it when his dog Galis bumps to the tree while running away (from the boy) with the blouse of a snooty senyora that is being dried for ironing by the boy's mother, a laundrywoman.
The magic circle is that way going to the deepest part of the tree where the creatures parade one-by-one going to the party. In the story, these creatures are composed not only of the mythological characters but also animals, insects and even human beings like the legendary Mariang Makiling, Mariang Sinukuan, Mariang Condende and even the fat but beautiful "her face is like the moon" Dona Geronima. They converse and talk about us, the mortals - the human beings and how we are causing the destruction of mother earth and displacing them. The sad example of this is the fate of the kapre who used to stay on the tress lining Timog or New Manila (Quezon City) until a housewife calls the police and the kapre was detained and was let to stay in the empty abandoned tenement houses in Manila.
My favorite line is when the cockroach is asked what is his purpose in life. The cockroach says: Ang ipis ay salamin ng kababuyan ng tao (The cockroach is the mirror of man's filthiness). How true but don't you know that there are more cockroaches in tropical countries? Having visited colder or hotter countries, I would not say that Filipinos are more filthy than other races. It so happened that we have more cockroaches because of our weather. Excuses. Excuses.
This is a nice children's story. Very good use of Philippine mythology. Best to be read to children to appreaciate local folklore.
July 17, 2015
The Magic Circle tells us a story by using the Philippine mythological creatures. It gives a perspective on the human life through the eyes of the invisibles. A dying kapre opens the window for us to look at what we have been doing to our planet. Our home that we live in side by side with the animals, plants and spirits.
More of my review at:
http://onemantra.blogspot.com/2015/06...
More of my review at:
http://onemantra.blogspot.com/2015/06...
March 24, 2016
This was a quick, but enjoyable read about Philippine mythological beings and how humans have been instrumental in the destruction of the environment, and ultimately, these wonderful creatures. It's something you'd want to read to kids to make them appreciate local folklore and how to better take care of our surroundings.
January 22, 2014
A beautiful Filipino fairytale about the folklores we grew up listening
May 8, 2016
Kaya pala.
Maganda.
Maganda.
December 24, 2014
A quick read... but very touching.
July 11, 2022
Well illustrated. Its writing is simple but the storytelling was not compromised. The art style of the illustrations go well with the theme of the story. An amazing collaborative work between Daroy and Cordero-Fernado.
December 9, 2025
The story of a boy going on a journey to help his struggling mom who is doing her best to raise him, and going through magical portals encountering creatures of Filipino island lore is the making for a full length movie!
Tell me more!
Tell me more!
April 25, 2017
Mesmerizing illustrations.
Read
December 28, 2017i think it is amazing stories
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews