philippine folklore: or the stuff filipino nightmares and fantasy are made of

Philippine folklore, as in other cultures, is predominantly about heaven and hell, good and evil. A duality that is present in most things. And similarly, it too has survived a long history of dominations and exits - both actual and artificial - by forces that brought religions, other traditions and philosophies. It may have been due to the fact that the Philippines is made up of 7,000+ islands that most of the indigenous verbal and spiritual beliefs and practices managed to retain their form despite these inevitable influences. And from generation to generation, across vast expanse of seas and majestic mountains, it persisted for better or for worse and now co-exists, though perhaps slightly altered, with the modern times and sometimes even mingles with popular culture.

But this is not a discourse on the intriguingly deep aspects of Philippine folklore (ie, did the church, to necessitate their existence, play a major role in the birth of some folktales? or did the Chinese trade legends and feng shui along with silk and porcelain during the Spanish conquest?). This is actually just another platform to showcase my new PhotoShop creations. Of course I kid.

Anyway, below are some of fiercest and nastiest characters in Philippine folklore that have caused many a sleepless night to children everywhere in my country. But with evil there should be good, right? So I also included some beings to complete the circle that makes for some good storytelling.

.

.

.

aswang

The aswang is, I think, the most popular dark creature ever to work this Southeast Asian island at night. It can be both male or female and can be described as a fusion of the West's vampire and werewolf. Vampire in the sense that it is as blood-thirsty and werewolf because it can shift shape or form. They appear like normal people physically during daytime, though they can't look others straight in the eyes. At night, a female aswang transforms into a tik-tik while the male morphs into a wak-wak (both bird-like creatures) to sniff for preys, particularly pregnant women. Or they transform into a black dog for better disguise. It is believed that being an aswang runs in the family, passed on from parents to their children like some unending chain of evil heirloom.

The aswang is a popular mythical creature in the Visayan islands, particularly in Capiz where both my parents come from. Yeah, I have heard tales upon tales of personal encounters with such creatures from my grandparents, parents and relatives and I may be wrong in using the word "mythical".

.

,.

manananggal

I personally believe that the manananggal (from the root word tanggal or to sever), contrary to popular belief, is not of Visayan origin as I did not hear of it first from my kins. Actually, I've come to know about it in Tagalog (general term for mainland Luzon, also its primary dialect) movies. Anyway, the manananggal is commonly believed to be a female who, after applying a special oil called lana throughout her body, can halve it. After bat-like wings spring from her back, she leaves the other half of her body (from the waist down) and take to the night skies to hunt for prey. When she catches an irresistible scent, she lands on the roof and unleashes her extendable tongue to home in on bodily orifices through which blood can be sucked.

.

.

tikbalang

The tikbalang in a sense is the opposite of a centaur in that it has the torso and the head of a horse while its lower frame is that of a man. And unlike its Greek mythology counterpart, it is mostly nocturnal. It inhabits a tree and usually victimizes women by kidnapping them and making them his wife, or wives. Once taken into in his realm, the women has no way of getting a glimpse of the light of day ever again. As for the menfolk, the tikbalang just cast dark magic and spells on them which oftentimes lead to their doom. Unknowing victims are led to the tikbalang's lair when it makes them see things that aren't real, causing them to lose their way.

.

.

nuno sa punso

Of all the beings that cannot be empirically observed, the nuno sa punso, or simply nuno, must be the most irritable and vengeful one. It is depicted as a small bearded old man that dwells within a mound on the ground. In Western lore, it could be associated with a goblin. The nuno is easily angered by anyone who, unknowingly or not, disturbs his mound. Revenge by the nuno comes swift and blatant. A foot that might have so much as grazed the exterior of his mound would be swollen in minutes. And a man who peed on his mound will...oh you get the picture.

The belief about the nuno is so widespread that it's become a custom to say "tabi tabi po" when treading unfamiliar territories like forests. I can loosely translate "tabi tabi po" as "excuse me" or "just passing through". And by the way, beneath a nuno's mound is a magical palace. Nuno means ancestor while punso refers to mounds.

.

.

kapre

According to old wives' tales, the kapre is a giant creature that is dark, hairy and is fond of cigars. Further, they say, it inhabits a tree or ruins from which they can terrorize passersby. But perhaps for a very good reason. You see, it is believed that if one manages to slay it, a pot of gold and other riches could be found buried under the ground it patrols.

According to scholars, the word kapre is derived from the Spanish kapfre which the conquistadores, in turn, derived from the Moors' term for African non-believers, kaffi.

.

.

tiyanak

And now to the baby of evil folkloric beings, the tiyanak. The tiyanak is a maneater. It lures its prey by mimicking the look and sound of a human infant. Once a victim falls for the illusion, it transforms and attacks - still a baby in size and form but vicious and more Chucky-like.

.

.

diwata

The diwata or lambana are elementals generally believed to be guardians and protectors of nature and I think they are similar to fairies and nymphs. They are depicted as very beautiful creatures who can endow mortals with gifts of bounty if they do so desire but can also be malevolent to anybody who harms forests and mountains. The word diwata is derived from dev, the Sanskrit word for deity.

.

.

engkanto

Another folkloric or mythological creature is the engkanto. Engkantos are either male or female spirits that also dwell in nature, particularly in trees. They only act untowardly against men when their peace is intruded upon. They can take the form of either flaura or fauna and are sometimes pictorially depicted looking like other elementals such elves or goblins. But it is when they fancy a mortal that they can be the most exquisite and ethereal beings - hence the name engkanto from the Spanish word encantar or to enchant.

.

.

sirena

Like everywhere else, the sirena, the mermaid's equivalent in Philippine folklore, is one tragic creature. They are hated and are killed when caught by fishermen who consider them as jinxes, bringers of marine plagues and empty fishing nets. Though they cannot summon hexes, spells and magic against mortals, they can give supernatural powers to them. And one popular thread among sirena tales, again, like everywhere else, is their penchant for falling in love with men whom they can lure to follow them beneath the sea.

.

.

dwende

In Philippine folklore, the dwende is the West's equivalent to the dwarf. But I think our dwarf is far from the pictorial representations of their Western cousins. To me, they are more like Liliputians than dwarfs in apperance. Anyway, the dwende is fabled to be able to co-exist with humans. They can thrive in pots of plants in or outside the house or the bushes in the backyard. But their most populat habitat is the mushroom.

The dwende is often described as helpful, friendly and playful little spirits that are sometimes known to play harmless tricks on their unknowing hosts. But once offended, they can cause sickness and even death upon the wrongdoer - host or not.

.

.

agimat

Stereotypically illustrated as polygonal metallic objects, the agimat (also known as anting-anting and bertud) can also be of any material, from virtually any source. Tales abound with the agimat (equivalent to talisman, amulet and charm) as a croc's tooth, a precious stone or a mutya (supposedly the essence that falls from the heart of a banana tree). But whatever it may be, an agimat can protect its owner from harm or death caused by another man or evil spirits. Moreover, some agimats bring luck and even supernatural powers to the wearer.

On a side note, agimats in various forms are still a popular um commodity. In fact, there is one commercial district in the city of Manila, beside a well-known church. where they are sold openly. I guess, they are there for those who are desperate for what their faith can't provide them.

.

.