In celebration of Halloween in the Philippines, why not try hunting down these five famous Filipino mythological creatures. It’ll be a change from them having to haunt us the rest of the year.
Horse (or half thereof)
The tikbalang is half human, half horse, with a human head and a horse’s body. They are known for their speed and mischievous nature. They like to cause trouble for people who invade their home by leading people to get lost, stealing women they take a fancy to, and playing tricks on trespassers’ senses.
Bat Woman
The Manananggal”– is known to be a woman by day but will transform to an intestine-eating monster by night. She will be seen flying to look for something to eat. Her body gets cut at the waist and will often sprout her bat-like wings.
Hornless Goat
The sigbin is a creature who sucks blood from its victims. It’s a strangely-built creature that looks like a cross between a goat and a kangaroo. You can tell it’s nearby because of its nauseating smell. Sigbins walk backwards with their heads between their hind legs. They are thought to kill children in order to take their hearts. They are also thought to be familiars whose masters use the said collected children’s hearts for spells.
Ape
The amomongois a hairy ape that allegedly lives in a cave in Mt. Kanlaon, Negros Occidental. Their size is similar to a man, but they have long, ape-like nails. They are known for attacking people and disemboweling goats and chickens.
Any animal, really
The aswang is the most popular and feared creature in the Philippines. They are known to be shape-shifters for they sometimes turn into animals such as a large bird, a dog, or a hog when they need to escape. One type of aswang has a long tongue that is uses to pierce the navel of a pregnant woman and suck the unborn baby out of its mother’s womb.
