16
Oct
05

Magic Spells and Other Stories (part 1)

Spell2 "angna angna, sula puhin, somas kidot, moko moko."

Anyone who grew up in the Tito, Vic and Joey film era in the mid to late 80s would probably have a slight recollection of the phrase above. It was a kind of magic spell they were chanting in one of their films. I don’t really remember which scene it was, and not even sure if the late Rene Requiestas was there as well.

Anyway, chanting the said phrase was supposed to bewitch someone. And as far as I can recall, it was to make their love interests fall for them (as was often the main conflict in the trio’s otherwise plot-less movies of slapsticks and tasteless toilet humour.)

It was not however, until my freshman year in UP in the third floor of Kalayaan Residence Hall (to be exact) when I realised the unpleasant meaning contained in it. Someone equally jologs to have seen the film on TV pointed out to me that the chant was actually a kind of anagram. It was simply a play of words, in which if you put each syllable in a 4×4 matrix, and then read from top to bottom, the meaning would be revealed.

After learning this, I went to my room, picked up a pen and an old bluebook and as instructed, put each syllable on a 4×4 matrix. With a loud voice, I then, began to recite the new phrase from top to bottom starting from the left row.

Man, that was quite a revelation!

(To be continued.)




5 Responses to “Magic Spells and Other Stories (part 1)”


  1. 1    Corey October 17, 2005 at 7:45 am

    LMFAO now THAT was funny. i had to restrain myself from belting out a “muwahahahaha!” because i’m in an internet cafe. but rest assured i’m going home and laugh about it all night. LOL

  2. 2    Joie October 17, 2005 at 10:00 pm

    Jonathan, Jonathan! You never stop to amuse people… Hehehe! I just noticed how you spelled humour - talagang European ka na ah!

  3. 3    Jonathan October 18, 2005 at 2:52 am

    Hullo, Joie! :) European, indeed! Nah,,it’s just that we use british english here at the uni.

    Btw, now I remember it was Armelo Beluan who told me the secret behind the chant. Where’s this guy now? I wonder…

  4. 4    Jane October 18, 2005 at 11:07 pm

    neps! can’t contain my laughter.

    And waiting for the continuation–hehehe..

  5. 5    Jonathan October 19, 2005 at 7:40 am

    jane, gawa ka nga ng chant na pambabae…magaling ka sa ganyan di ba? hehehe..i mean sa wordplay! hahaha

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