What is Gayuma?

Gayuma is a well-known tradition in the Philippines, although it is called by different names across various regions. In Tagalog, it is known as gayuma. In some Visayan communities and parts of Mindoro, it is called lumay. Among the Maranaw, the terms kakasi and kata-o sa kabakagowi a tao are used. Although the names and practices may differ, they generally serve the same purpose: to attract, win someone over, or bind a person to their partner.

Among the Visayans, there is also a charm known as bakwit. It was reportedly used by women in the past to prevent their loved ones from leaving or becoming attracted to someone else. It is a form of love magic intended to keep a person attached and devoted to their partner.

Many people assume that gayuma is simply a potion given to someone to make them fall in love. However, it can take many forms. It may be made from different parts of plants, special oils, powders, prayers, incantations, objects carried as love charms, or materials taken from the body, such as fingernails and hair.

The rarity, uniqueness, and difficulty of obtaining the ingredients are also believed to contribute to the power of a charm. One example is a love charm made from the tiwid-tiwid bird. According to tradition, the bird’s genital organ is removed while it is still alive, and the bird must remain capable of flying afterward. The collected part is then dried under the sun, ground into powder, and mixed into a cigarette. The charm is believed to begin taking effect once the woman desired by the man inhales the smoke. Because the ingredient is extremely difficult to obtain in this manner, the charm is believed to be more powerful.

Love magic has long been part of Filipino culture and traditional belief. Records from Manila dating from 1611 to 1639 show that love charms were the most frequently documented form of folk magic. This suggests that gayuma has long been regarded as a way of dealing with problems and concerns related to love.

LEARN MORE: Gayuma: Ingredients, How It Affects a Person, and Its Limitations

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Madale, A. T. (1997). The Maranaws, dwellers of the lake. Rex Book Store. https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=xr8_P6mJ-ZIC

Mawson, S. J. (2023). Folk magic in the Philippines, 1611–39. Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 54(2), 220–244. https://repositorio.ulisboa.pt/entities/publication/3775df93-3c0a-4796-8b2b-aa94c1cd1b33

Scott, W. H. (1994). Barangay: Sixteenth-century Philippine culture and society. Ateneo de Manila University Press. https://archive.org/details/BarangaySixteenthCenturyPhilippineCultureAndSociety

Zorc, R. D. (2020). Reactions to Blust’s “The resurrection of Proto-Philippines.” Oceanic Linguistics, 59, 394–425. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349486960_Reactions_to_Blust%27s_The_Resurrection_of_Proto-Philippines