When Erin Entrada Kelly wrote Lalani of the Distant Sea, her goal was to infuse the novel with elements from Filipino culture. Her home land stresses the importance of community, the power of the natural world, and the triumph of overcoming hardship. In addition to these broad concepts, which are emphasized in Lalani’s journey to Mount Isa, Kelly also borrows specific aspects of Filipino folklore to craft her mythical creatures.

When Lalani first embarks on her journey to Isa, she must cross the Veiled Sea, which is guarded by an eel-woman named Ditasa-Ulod. This character is based on Filipino mermaids that are known as the naga. These creatures are described as having the bodies of eels or water snakes with the faces of beautiful women, much like Ditasa-Ulod herself.

Once Lalani arrives on the island, she is bitten by an insect called a goyuk. These shapeshifting creatures are based on witches known as mamabarang and assume the form of insects, just as the sorceresses in the novel take the shape of the goyuk to repel invaders who enter their territory.

When Lalani wanders into the whenbo forest, she learns that the trees have absorbed the spirits of the drowned sailors who never reached Isa.