Bayog was a type of male-to-female transgender shaman who practiced the old animist religion among the Tagalog people of the Philippines. They were also known as asog among the Visayan people.
They were considered to be a third gender, and they often wore female clothing and accessories. They were respected and feared for their spiritual powers, and they performed rituals, healing, divination, and sorcery. They communicated with the spirits (anito) and deities (diwata) through séances, sacrifices, and offerings.
Bayog shamans were different from babaylan, who were mostly female shamans. Bayog shamans were also distinct from bakla, who are modern male-to-female transgender people influenced by the Western concept of homosexuality. Bayog shamans were part of the pre-colonial Philippine culture, and they were gradually suppressed and marginalized by the Spanish colonization and Christianization. Today, bayog shamans are no longer practiced, but their legacy lives on in the folklore and history of the Philippines.
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This article was written by Roy Tan.