Do Engkantos fall in love with human beings?

It is not seldom when we meet simple rural folks that we minister to in the Ministry of Spiritual Liberation and Exorcisms that they would recount to us how an engkanto (spirit in nature) has taken fancy of a lad or young maiden. And because of this they are unable to marry because the engkanto placed a spell on them. At the end of the story, they would recount how often times in a dream, the engkanto would visit the victim at night and either molest the person or promise them that they would be taken to their kingdom to made a king or queen.

Artist's conception of an Engkanto
http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs15/f/2008/142/4/4/44c6a03bb88065c71dbad94c9ee762a8.jpg

This kind of stories abound across provinces, cultures, and nationalities. They are present in many folklores. But as Christians, what is the proper way to understand all these? That malevolent spirits can take fancy on a human beings is already found in  Sacred Scriptures. The first one is in the story of the seduction or temptation of Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-5). The second example is found in the Book of Tobith, in the Old Testament. In the story of the maiden Sarah, a demon named Asmodeus, placed a curse on anyone who would attempt to marry her, such that on the night that the marriage would be consumated, the demon would slaughter the groom. Before the marriage of the young Tobias to Sarah, the maiden was already given in marriage to seven men. And all of them died even before the marriage was consumated. It is only through divine intervention, when the angel of the Lord, Raphael, taught Tobias how to overcome the demon that finally Sarah was truly wedded. 

Prayer of Sarah and Tobias to be delivered from the curse
and the binding of Asmodeus by the Angel Raphael
http://www.artbible.info/images/steen-tobias-sara_grt.jpg

In both biblical stories, the malevolent spirits have shown their real color and intention, that is, the destruction of life. In the case of the seduction of Eve and Adam, the entrance of death to them and to all their offspring. In the case of Sarah, the death of all who would marry her. This intention is also in many respects present in Philippine folklore regarding engkantos "falling-in love" with humans. If the object of "affection" of the engkanto is left on their own most of the time, whether it be in the morning or night, the engkanto may attempt to abduct the victim. Abduction by an engkanto would often take the form of the victim getting weaker and sicker by the day until they die, or that they enter into a trance-like state and never wake up until they die. In either case death is the outcome of falling under the spell of an engkanto. The only way to be free of the spell in folklorish belief is to substitute something of equal value to the engkanto. In more combatant situations, one can wear an anting-anting to ward them off, or allow a powerful local healer or shaman or albularyo to perform a ritual over the person so that the engkanto would leave the person.

When we talk about substitution, it is often the offering or consecration of another person to the engkanto. In some cases, the offspring in the womb is consecrated to them so that the engkanto would not take the mother. Then when the offspring grows up the cycle continues as was before. This probably was the case of the story I recounted in an earlier post entitled "24 Albularyos = 24 Demons = 24 Curses".

It must be made very clear, that the engkantos do not take fancy of human persons because of the physical appearance. The engkantos being "spirits" and therefore "immaterial", and consequently "immortal" are not attracted to "material beauty or appearance" because this fades away. They are attracted to the "immaterial", "immortal", "spiritual" part of man, and that is none other than the soul. And this alone is reason enough not to be ever entangled with them. For ALL ENGKANTOS ARE MALEVOLENT NO MATTER HOW THEY PRESENT THEMSELVES TO BE. THEY WANT TO BE FEARED AND WORSHIPED. TO APPEASE THEM BY ANY OFFERING IS AN ACT OF IDOLATRY.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church categorically teaches:

2112 The first commandment condemns polytheism. It requires man neither to believe in, nor to venerate, other divinities than the one true God. ... These empty idols make their worshipers empty: "Those who make them are like them; so are all who trust in them."God, however, is the "living God" who gives life and intervenes in history

2113 Idolatry not only refers to false pagan worship. It remains a constant temptation to faith. Idolatry consists in divinizing what is not God. Man commits idolatry whenever he honors and reveres a creature in place of God, whether this be gods or demons (for example, satanism), power, pleasure, race, ancestors, the state, money, etc. ... Idolatry rejects the unique Lordship of God; it is therefore incompatible with communion with God.

 

And it is also for the same reason that a Christian, a Catholic should shun all relations with healers who say that their power comes from "laman lupa" (invisible beings who live in a different kingdom), or from diwatas (fairies) or nuno (elf/dwarf) or from a birtud/agimat/anting-anting, or inherited from an ancestor. ALL THIS POWER IS NOT FROM THE ALMIGHTY and therefore puts a person at risk spiritually. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church clearly teaches:

2116 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.

2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another's credulity.