Editing Merfolk (section)

==Philippines==

Merfolk, known collectively as Taga-Dagat or sometimes Bantay Tubig ("Water Guardians"), are aquatic beings in [[Philippine mythology]]. Due to the country's diverse cultures and languages across its many islands, tales of merfolk vary widely. These beings are often considered [[engkanto]] or supernatural entities or nature spirits and are believed to guard bodies of water.<ref name="Manuel 1958 55">{{Cite journal |last=Manuel |first=E. Arsenio |date=1958 |title=Tayabas Tagalog Awit Fragments from Quezon Province |url=https://doi.org/10.2307/1177378 |journal=Folklore Studies |volume=17 |pages=55 |doi=10.2307/1177378 |issn=0388-0370|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name="laguna" /><ref name=":0">{{cite book |title=Mga Engkanto: A Bestiary of Filipino Fairies|year=2003 |publisher= eLf ideas Publication|location=Philippines }}</ref>
The most well-known merfolk figure is the [[Sirena (Philippine mythology)|Sirena]], a mermaid-like creature with the upper body of a human female and the tail of a fish. Sirenas are known for their mesmerizing voices, which they use to lure fishermen or sailors to their deaths by drowning or abduction. In some stories, Sirenas are portrayed as malevolent, while in others, they can become kind and loyal if they fall in love with a human.<ref>{{cite web| last = Waterhouse| first = John William| title = Mermaid| url = http://folknation.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/| access-date = 2008-08-09| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081028115345/http://folknation.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/| archive-date = 2008-10-28}}</ref> The Sireno is the male counterpart of the Sirena, though it appears less frequently in stories. Sometimes, Sirena are paired with the [[Siyokoy (Philippine mythology)|Siyokoy]] (also spelled Shokoy or Syokoy), another type of aquatic creature. Siyokoy are depicted as hostile sea monsters with scales, webbed limbs, and grotesque features. Unlike the Sirena, Siyokoy are more animalistic and are believed to drown humans. Their name is thought to originate from the Hokkien term [[List of supernatural beings in Chinese folklore|shui gui]], referring to water spirits in Chinese folklore.<ref name="Manuel 1958 55"/><ref name="laguna">{{Cite journal |last=Go |first=Bon Juan |year=2005 |title=Ma'l in Chinese Records – Mindoro or Bai? An Examination of a Historical Puzzle |url=http://www.philippinestudies.net/ojs/index.php/ps/article/download/216/223 |journal=Philippine Studies |location=Quezon City |publisher=Ateneo de Manila University |volume=53 |issue=1 |pages=119–138 |access-date=October 16, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Pattane">{{Cite book |last=Patanne |first=E. P. |title=The Philippines in the 6th to 16th Centuries |publisher=LSA Press |year=1996 |isbn=971-91666-0-6 |location=San Juan}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Scott, William Henry. |title=Prehispanic Source Materials for the Study of Philippine History |publisher=New Day Publishers |year=1984 |isbn=971-10-0226-4 |location=Quezon City |page=70 |chapter=Societies in Prehispanic Philippines}}</ref> Another merfolk being is the [[Kataw (Philippine mythology)|Kataw]], often considered a higher-ranking water entity than the Sirena or Siyokoy. Kataw resemble humans but have gills, fins, and sometimes even human feet and the ability to manipulate water elements. They are known to disguise themselves as fishermen and lure humans into the sea. A human-eating version of the Sirena is the Magindara, often portrayed in Bicolano folklore.<ref name=":0"/><ref>Eugenio, Damiana L. (2002). ''Philippine Folk Literature: The Legends''. University of the Philippines Press. ISBN 9715423586.</ref><ref name=":2">Alzina, Francisco Ignacio (1668). ''Historia de las Islas e Indios de Bisayas''.</ref>