Lalani of the Distant Sea

When Erin Entrada Kelly wrote Lalani of the Distant Sea, her goal was to infuse the novel with elements from Filipino culture. Her home land stresses the importance of community, the power of the natural world, and the triumph of overcoming hardship. In addition to these broad concepts, which are emphasized in Lalani’s journey to Mount Isa, Kelly also borrows specific aspects of Filipino folklore to craft her mythical creatures.

When Lalani first embarks on her journey to Isa, she must cross the Veiled Sea, which is guarded by an eel-woman named Ditasa-Ulod. This character is based on Filipino mermaids that are known as the naga. These creatures are described as having the bodies of eels or water snakes with the faces of beautiful women, much like Ditasa-Ulod herself.

Once Lalani arrives on the island, she is bitten by an insect called a goyuk. These shapeshifting creatures are based on witches known as mamabarang and assume the form of insects, just as the sorceresses in the novel take the shape of the goyuk to repel invaders who enter their territory.

When Lalani wanders into the whenbo forest, she learns that the trees have absorbed the spirits of the drowned sailors who never reached Isa. While no exact parallel exists in Filipino mythology, trees are often depicted as the homes of supernatural beings.

One of the creatures that Lalani encounters in the yootah poses as an animal in distress and devours the hands of kind-hearted people who reach out to help. This being is based on a Filipino vampire called the tiyanak. It can assume the shape of an infant and will reveal its true form to feed on the person who picks the baby up.

Lalani and Usoa must battle a giant raptor named Bai-Vinca. There is no parallel in folklore for this specific creature, but birds are a prevalent motif in Filipino folk tales.

One of Lalani’s last challenges is to avoid stepping on the mounds of the nunso. If a person does this, the nunso will drag them underground. The nuno sa punso in Filipino myth is a highly territorial dwarf nature spirit. A person must ask permission to pass its dwelling or dire consequences will ensue.

Lalani’s ultimate goal in the novel is to find the guardian spirit of Mount Isa, whose name is Fei Diwata. In Filipino myth, a diwata is a fairy. In the novel, readers see Fei Diwata emerging from a tree when she first encounters Lalani. This parallels the folk belief that the diwata prefer to live in trees.

It is important to recognize the diversity inherent in Filipino culture because the archipelago consists of over 7,000 islands. Its beliefs spanned multiple traditions but were heavily influenced by contact with Christian and Muslim traders active in the region. Before these new religions arrived, most Filipino beliefs were animistic. This differs markedly from the monotheistic concept of a central god who lives above creation, as animism suggests that nature itself is sentient, and all its various elements are ensouled. This immanent spirituality is reflected in the mythical creatures that Lalani encounters on her quest.