The Mythology Class: Where Philippine Legends Become Reality
SynopsisPlot
Borrowing elements from The Lord of the Rings and The Phantom Tollbooth, author and creator Arnold Arre reinvents age-old Filipino fables, constructing a rich world of fantasy and adventure for a new generation. The Mythology Class follows Nicole Lacson, an anthropology student at the University of the Philippines. When she is summoned to a secret meeting by the mysterious Madame Enkanta, Nicole finds herself face-to-face with living creatures from mythology and folklore that she never imagined existed in real life! Tikblangs, kapres and a range of engkantos—fantasy figures from her grandfather's bedtime stories—challenge her previously-held notions of reality. Nicole embarks on a quest through the streets of metropolitan Manila with a ragtag crew of college students. With guest appearances from legendary Filipino heroes like Sulayman, Kubin and Lamang, Nicole's class must face down and repel an ancient evil.
Story
About this book
The Mythology Class follows Nicole Lacson, an anthropology student at the University of the Philippines, who is drawn into a hidden world when a figure called Madame Enkanta summons her to a secret gathering. There, Nicole encounters creatures from Filipino mythology and folklore, beings she had only heard about in her grandfather's bedtime stories. Tikbalangs, kapres, and various engkantos (enchanted spirits from traditional Philippine tales) turn out to be real, upending everything she thought she understood about the world around her.
Nicole sets out on a quest through the streets of metropolitan Manila alongside a small, loosely assembled group of fellow college students. Along the way, legendary Filipino heroes such as Sulayman, Kubin, and Lamang appear as the group confronts an ancient threat. Arnold Arre, the book's author and creator, draws on traditional fables and rebuilds them inside a contemporary action setting, placing old stories in recognizable modern locations.
The book received the Philippine National Book Award. Its premise connects university life in Quezon City with a layer of myth that runs beneath everyday Manila, treating Filipino folklore not as distant history but as something still present in the landscape.
