Duwende: the small people of Filipino houses and anthills
Small enough to step on, which is exactly the problem.
4 min read · Published 31 October 2026
A duwende is a small, human-like spirit of Filipino folklore that lives in anthills and termite mounds, in old trees, and in the dark corners of houses. The name comes from the Spanish duende, a house spirit. Duwende are often sorted by colour: white ones are friendly and may bring luck, black ones are mischievous or harmful. The best known is the nuno sa punso, the old man of the mound, who punishes anyone who damages his home with swelling, rashes or fever. Filipinos say 'tabi tabi po' when passing a mound or a dark spot outdoors to ask permission, and an albularyo is called when someone falls ill after offending one.
A Spanish name for an older belief
Duwende is the Filipino spelling of the Spanish *duende*, the house spirit of Spanish folklore, a word often traced to *dueño de casa*, owner of the house. The name arrived with the Spanish, but the belief it was attached to was already there: small spirits who own a piece of ground, a tree or a corner of a home, and who expect people living nearby to behave as guests.
Descriptions vary. Some duwende are a hand's height, some the size of a small child. Many are pictured as old men with beards; others as children in old-fashioned clothes. Children are said to see them more easily than adults, and a good number of Filipino families have a story about a child's invisible playmate who turned out, in the retelling, to be a duwende.
White, black, and the ones in between
Many households sort duwende by colour, and the colour tells you what to expect.
| Kind | Temper | What the stories say |
|---|---|---|
| White duwende | Friendly | Brings luck, plays with children, may help a household that respects it |
| Black duwende | Mischievous or harmful | Hides things, causes accidents and illness, frightens people at night |
| Red duwende | Unpredictable | Mentioned in some regions; tellings disagree on whether it helps or harms |
The nuno sa punso
The most feared and most respected of the small spirits is the nuno sa punso, the old man of the mound. *Nuno* means grandparent or ancestor, and *punso* is the anthill or termite mound where he lives. He is pictured as a tiny, ancient, bearded man, and he guards his mound closely.
Kick his punso, step on it, relieve yourself on it or dig it up without asking, and the stories say he will punish you. The punishment has its own word: a person who is nanuno has been afflicted by a nuno, usually with swelling of the foot or leg that touched the mound, rashes, fever, or pain that ordinary treatment does not help. Some tellings add that a person who offends him badly can fall seriously ill.
A spirit that punishes you for kicking an anthill is a better teacher of manners than most adults, and I'd keep him for that alone.
Tabi tabi po, and what to do if it is too late
The everyday protection is courtesy. Before walking past a mound, a large tree, a dark corner of the yard or any place where something unseen might live, Filipinos say tabi tabi po, roughly 'excuse me, please let me pass', with the respectful *po*. The same phrase protects travellers from the tikbalang, and the same habit of respect towards the unseen runs through usog.
When someone falls ill and a nuno or duwende is suspected, families go to an albularyo. The healer may confirm the cause through pagtatawas, reading the shapes of melted wax or alum in water, and then advise an apology at the mound, an offering of food, or prayers and herbal treatment to undo the harm.
Living with duwende today
Duwende belief is among the most widespread in the Philippines and among the easiest to see in daily life. Builders sometimes ask permission before clearing a site, children are told not to play near anthills, and some families leave a small offering of food when strange things start happening in the house. Duwende figurines are sold as lucky charms, usually the white, friendly kind.
The figure appears constantly in Filipino comics, film and television, often as a comic character granting wishes or causing chaos, and in stories passed down to children as a reason to watch where they step.
Questions people ask
- What is a duwende in English?
- A duwende is usually translated as a dwarf, goblin or elf. It is a small spirit of Filipino folklore that lives in anthills, trees and houses; the word comes from the Spanish duende, a house spirit.
- What is a nuno sa punso?
- The nuno sa punso is the old man of the mound: a tiny, ancient spirit who lives in an anthill or termite mound and punishes people who damage it, usually with swelling, rashes or fever.
- What does tabi tabi po mean?
- It is a respectful request, roughly 'excuse me, please let me pass', said when walking past places where spirits are believed to live, such as anthills, big trees and dark spots outdoors.
- What happens if you step on a duwende's home?
- The stories say you may become nanuno, afflicted by the nuno: swelling of the foot or leg, rashes, fever or illness that ordinary medicine does not help. Families then go to a folk healer, who may advise an apology and an offering at the mound.
- Are white duwende good luck?
- In many Filipino households, yes. White duwende are described as friendly spirits who bring luck and play with children, and duwende figurines sold as charms are usually of this kind. Black duwende are the troublesome ones.
Salimah Ibrahim