The Kataw is one of the merfolk in the Philippine Mythology. In Visayan, Katau was believed to have higher rankings than other water and sea creatures as those of Sirena, Sireno and Siyokoy. It is believed that the Kataws are the reigning rulers of the kingdom Bantay Tubig.[1]
Based on physical features, Kataws, along the Sireyna and Sireyno, were the Bantay Tubig-creatures that bear likeness to human while Siyokoy are those that resemble water-creatures. Unlike Sirena, they have feet instead of tails but they have gills on their bodies and fins in their arms. These marine creatures disguise themselves as fishermen asking for help. When approached by mortals, the Kataws drown them into the abyss.[1][2]
According to old folks, Kataws have the ability to manipulate and control water-type elements and related forces such as pressure, tides, waves, bubbles and the likes. Also, they can change water to ice.[1]
The modern understanding of the Kataw portrays them as more human-like, bearing feet instead of tails, but with fins along their arms and gills on their bodies.[1][2][3] but some depictions sometimes aligned them with the mermaid-like image of having a fish tail mermaid-like image of having a fish tail.[3] The belief in the Kataw, a type of merfolk in Philippine mythology, is widespread and dates back to the early colonial period. In his 1668 manuscript Historia de las Islas e Indios de Bisayas, Jesuit priest Francisco Ignacio Alzina included illustrations of both male and female Kataw, highlighting how deeply rooted the belief was in Visayan culture.[3] Kataw are typically described as having the upper body of a human and the lower body of a fish, often depicted as beautiful maidens with long, dark hair and black eyes. They are believed to dwell in underwater homes and are associated with either good fortune or misfortune.
According to Filipino folklorist Maximo D. Ramos, the Visayan Kataw also referred to as sirena, duyong, or catao in different regions appear in numerous folktales and are known for singing melancholic songs that lure fishermen.[4][2] In the colonial-era Pavón manuscripts, the catao is described as a large marine creature with the upper body of a woman and the lower body of a fish, considered by locals as an extinct species from the island of Negros.[5]
Further analysis by Damiana L. Eugenio, in her anthology of Philippine legends, affirms the Kataw’s place in the oral tradition of the Visayas and notes its varying names and representations across the archipelago.[6]
The Kataw appears as a race in the Pedro Penduko and Pedro Penduko at ang mga Engkantao television series. In the show, Kataws are portrayed as more powerful than other bantay tubig or sea beings such as the sirena, sireno, and siyokoy, and are depicted as rulers of the underwater kingdom.[7]Kataws are shown with human-like features, unlike the more beastly siyokoy. They have feet instead of tails, gills on their bodies, and fins on their arms. In line with traditional folklore, the show also portrays them as deceptive beings who pose as fishermen to lure humans before dragging them underwater. They are capable of controlling water elements such as tides, waves, and pressure, and can also turn water into ice.[8][9]
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