Monday, August 23, 2010

Philippine Mythological Creatures

Aswang

The Aswang is perhaps the most famous Philippine mythological creature. The aswang is a ghoul or vampire, an eater of the dead, and a lycanth.

Aswangs can change from a human to an animal form, usually as a bat, a pig or a black dog. Some aswangs can change form at will, others through the use of foul oils concocted by evil magicians. Aswangs appear at night to prey upon unwary travellers or sleeping people. It is said that they have a peculiar liking for the taste of human liver. The myth of the Aswang is popular in the Visayas, especially in provinces such as Capiz, Antique, and Iloilo.

Dila

In the Tagalog language, the word dila means tongue. The Dila is a tongue of a spirit that passes through the bamboo flooring of provincial houses. It then licks certain humans to death.

Diwatas and Engkantos

Diwatas, or fairies, are said to reside in large trees, such as acacia and balete. They are the guardian sprits of nature, bringing blessings or curses upon those who do good or harm to the forests and mountains. One such famous Diwata is Maria Makiling, guardian of Mount Makiling in Laguna province.

Engkanto (sometimes spelled Encanto) is an umbrella term for most supernatural beings. The common connotation is that they are faires who reside primarily in the forests and the sea. They can also be called encantado (male) or encantada (female).

In other parts of the country, Diwatas are analogous to nymphs.

Duwende

Duwende (or duende in Spanish) means dwarf. In the Philippines, duwendes frequently live in houses or in trees in rural areas. They are known to be either good or mischievous, depending on how homeowners treat them. Filipinos usually leave food on the floor, so that the duwende residing (or guarding) the house would not be angry with them.

Kapre

Kapres, tall and dark giants, are known to inhabit forests under old acacia or mango trees. Kapres are said to smoke huge rolls of tobacco, which is why some superstitious Filipinos living in rural areas are very wary about the smell of burning tobacco at night. Kapres usually make people lost with their mystical powers. If you're stuck in a place and you keep going around in circles, you're said to be played around by a Kapre. To escape its control, you must remove your t-shirt, and wear it inside-out.

Manananggal

A Manananggal is a sorceress who has the power to divide her body into two. She usually appears as a pretty newcomer to small villages and barrios. To feed, the self-segmenter chooses an isolated place where she will leave her lower torso while she hunts at night. When she separates from her lower torso, she loses her beauty and her true monstrous form emerges — huge leather bat wings sprout from her back and allow her to fly. She then goes off in search of houses where pregnant women reside. Upon choosing a suitable victim, the Manananggal alights on the house and inserts her tongue through the roof. The tongue is long, hollow and extremely flexible. She uses it to puncture the womb of the sleeping woman and to suck out the fetus. At other times, she seduces men with her beauty and lures them to a private place before eating them alive. She usually eats the insides, like the heart, stomach or the liver.

Sunlight is deadly to the Manananggal when she is in her monstrous form. Should her two halves still be separate with the coming of dawn, she will be destroyed. According to legend, to destroy the Manananggal, one should search for the lower torso that she leaves behind during her nightly hunts. Salt, ash, and/or garlic should then be placed on the exposed flesh, preventing the monster from combining again and leaving it vulnerable to sunlight. Small containers of salt, ash and raw rice, and the smell of burning rubber are said to deter the Manananggal from approaching one's house.

Mangkukulam

The Mangkukulam uses dark magic spells to harm their victims. They are known to curse their enemies with evil and wicked spells. Common mangkukulam tools include black candles, voodoo dolls, human hair, and needles.

A "Mambabarang" is a kind of a mangkukulam. The difference is that the mambabarang uses magical insects to bring harm to his victims. These insects are released after incantations, when they will search for their supposed victim and burrow themselves into the victim's skin. The victim then suffers from pus-filled boils from where the insects exit their temporary host.

Matruculan

The Matruculan is believed to enter a virgin's house and then impregnates her. After some time, Matruculans return to the house to kill the pregnant mother, open her abdomen, and eat the growing fetus.

Multo

Multo, the Tagalog word for ghost, comes from the Spanish word muerto, which means "dead". Superstitious Filipinos believe that some kind of multo, often a spirit of their former kin, regularly visits them. It is also believed that in death, a dead person is first visited by and then fetched by another dead spirit. This is called, in Tagalog, "pagsundo" (to fetch). The Tagalog word for being visited by a multo is 'minumulto'(being haunted), or 'dinadalaw' (being visited).

Nuno sa punso

The Nuno sa Punso inhabits mounds, such as anthills, in the ground. Superstitious Filipinos, when passing by a mound, will ask the resident nuno's permission to let them pass. Strange and sudden illnesses that befall a person are sometimes attributed to nunos.

Santelmo

Santelmo, or Santo Elmo, is a fireball seen by dozens of Filipinos, especially those living in the Sierra Madre Mountains. It was scientifically explained as electric fields which have diverged from the lines. However, the sightings were reported since the Spanish era (1500s-1800s). (See also Shinen and Will-o-Wisps) There were also sightings in the Alps and Himalayas.

Sirena and siyokoy

The Sirena is a mermaid. Sirenas are reportedly often seen ashore by fishermen, especially in the towns bordering the Pacific Ocean. The Siyokoy is the male counterpart of the Sirena. Siyokoys have gill slits, are colored brown or green, and have scaly skin, comparable to that of fishes.

Tikbalang

The Tikbalang is a half-horse, half-man creature. Its head and lower body are that of a horse, and its torso and arms are that of a human. Tikbalangs are very playful with people, and they usually make a person imagine things that aren't real. Sometimes a Tikbalang drives a person crazy. Male tikbalangs are said to lure beautiful women into the forest, after which, they are never heard from again.

Legends say that when a person tames a Tikbalang then retrieves a sample of hair from its mane, the Tikbalang will be that person's slave for life.

It is said that when a brief shower of rain falls while the sun is shining, a pair of Tikbalangs are being wed.

Tiyanak

The Tiyanak (related to Changelings) is the offspring of a woman and a demon. The Tiyanak can also be the aborted fetus, which comes to life to take revenge on its mother. Most Tiyanaks are said to live in forests. If they see a human, they transform into what looks like a normal baby. When the person notices the Tiyanak and comes near to take a look at it, that's when the Tiyanak changes back to its true form and eats its prey. They are typically portrayed to have reddish or dark skin and glowing eyes. Contrary to popular belief, some of them do grow into adolesence and lead somewhat normal lives. There are, however, tell-tale signs that they are tiyanaks. One, they talk very fast and possess an accent quite similar to sellers in wet markets. Two, they cannot help but sing almost all the time. Three, they have a know-it-all attitude. Four, they never reach 5 feet. Lastly, they would normally grow their hair long enough to touch their waists.

By Jayson with No comments

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