(Updated April 2024)
Folklore, legends and myths are filled with an assortment of creatures and other fantastic beings which invoke amazement, fascination, horror, and even nightmares to those who have developed a likening to the subject matter. All over the world, tales of old are inhabited by monstrosities and supernatural beings that played with the imagination of our ancestors. Even to this day, tales of such creatures and beings are told to scare naughty children, to feed the imagination, or to simply point a moral lesson. Sadly, the modern world has taken its toll on our old heritage and many denizens of our old tales have been reduced to obscurity or entirely forgotten. What were once part of our beliefs and traditions became nothing more than tall tales, heresy, and considered by most as ignorant superstition.
The same could be said with the once rich bestiary of Philippine folklore and mythology. Nowadays, majority of the country’s populace are only familiar with the aswang, engkanto, kapre, manananggal, tikbalang and tiyanak. Thanks to local horror films, such creatures continue to haunt the imagination of some Filipinos. During colonial times, research on Filipino folklore and mythology such as those of Ferdinand Blumentritt, Isabelo de los Reyes, various Spanish missionaries and American scholars have been published. Some those research have been incorporated into later works on Filipino culture and history such as those of Francisco Demetrio, Damiana Eugenio, F. Landa Jocano, Maximo Ramos and many more and published as academic supplements to those who need them. Sad to say, however, that such works are accessible only to a few.
This list aims to reintroduce Philippine folklore and mythology’s myriad creatures and other beings that were obscured by centuries of colonization and modernity. Here you will learn that aswang is but a term referring to a variety of nocturnal monstrosities that prey on humans. You will find out that the tikbalang is not the only horse-headed entity in the Philippines.
While majority of Filipinos today think of the entries listed here as mere figments of imagination, those who claim to have encountered them would say otherwise.
NOTE: Details of entries here are subject to revision as I continue my research. For fellow researchers on the subject matter, I have provided links for some of the related literature (available online for free) in the references section.
ABAD
According to Bicolano folklore the abad is a spirit in the form of a man garbed like a priest. This spirit follows the procession on Good Friday and is mostly unseen. The person lucky enough to see the abad could obtain an anting-anting (charm) from the spirit. The person must get part of the ribbon belt the spirit wears. If obtained successfully, this makes the person invulnerable.
ABAT or AWOK
Today, people from Eastern Visayas consider the abat as synonymous with aswang; however, in olden days the abat or awok from the folklore of the Waray people from Leyte and Samar was an aswang variant related to the manananggal. At day the abat is a normal person but after sundown he/she performs a ritual at home or in a secluded area, which involves applying an ointment on the body while murmuring an incantation while staring at the moon. Like the manananggal, the abat separates from the lower part of its body, however, according to some, only the head and hands fly off, leaving the rest behind. The abat has big, bulging and hungry eyes, disheveled hair and long bony fingers with long sharp claws. Small children and pregnant women are the abat‘s frequent victims.
AGALON HAYOPAN or SAROPAN
In Bicolano folklore, when an aswang, especially one that has gotten too old no longer wants to hunt for human prey itself, the aswang moves and lives by the swamp or along the river. There, the hayopan raises crocodiles that follow its bidding. When the hayopan craves for human flesh, it simply orders these crocodiles to go hunt for a person and bring the corpse back home so it may cook and eat the victim’s remains.
AGBARBARANGAY
According to Ilocano folklore, the agbarbarangay or barbarangay are a group of night spirits described as beautiful men and women, who sail through the air on a golden flying boat. When they want to rest, they anchor their boat on top of a tree. They are mostly invisible and only certain animals can see them such as dogs, which howl at them. Sometimes, they bring on their boat the person living near the tree where they are anchored and takes him for a ride in the night sky. The reason is that they deem this person worthy to learn their secrets of healing; to make him a medicine man. They first ask what diseases plague the village and upon knowing these they teach the chosen person how to treat these diseases, giving him instructions on what herbs and roots to use. Sometimes, they run out of time, for they must return to their world before dawn so they leave the chosen person on the crotch of a tree where, in the morning, he is found sleeping by the villagers.
AGHOY
The aghoy, according to Waray folklore, are the spirits of deceased little children returning to the land of the living to help their loved ones, people who were good to them during their lifetime or those they deem worthy. They are tiny, around four inches tall, can turn invisible and may communicate through whistling. They are also very fast and can jump from house to house. They help sick loved ones or other people, aiding them in looking for roots and herbs of medicinal value. They warn their loved ones and friends against persons who mean to do them harm. They also give information on the whereabouts of lost things. Sometimes the aghoy play pranks on their loved ones, where they would change the sleeping person’s position in bed.
Some say the aghoy are actually hideous in appearance and only pretend to be good. Their true form is said to be shadowy humanoids covered in pitch-black hair. The male aghoy allegedly rape women in their sleep like an incubus.
AGRAKRAKIT
As per old Ilocano beliefs, the agrakrakit is the spirit that ferries the souls of the dead to the afterlife. This belief may have given rise to the tales about the kuraret.
AGTA
The agta from Waray folklore is a man as black as charcoal, very tall (some say around 9 feet tall), has long kinky hair and goes about naked. He is active after dark between 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., hanging out in big trees while smoking a tinostos (cigar), wandering alone, following people, or sneaking in houses and scaring those who see him. As a prankster, the agta topples trees on the path of travelers or steals firewood and clothes left to dry outdoors. He likes women and may abduct one once in a while. With a shower of petals, the agta lures the woman to a secluded area, captures her, and brings her to his lair where she’ll serve as his bride. Most of the abducted women either go insane or die of fright. A woman may escape the agta’s clutches by hitting his private part. This giant contends with those who attempt to acquire the mutya (pearl) of a certain variety of banana plant, which endows its possessor with supernatural abilities.
In Western Visayas, the agta is a small, dark-complexioned and solitary being. This agta only shows itself to people it likes, especially children and beautiful women. It could also be seen by bending over and looking down backward through the opening between the legs. Being fond of women and children, the agta may pinch them in the leg sometimes, leaving a dark mark on the skin. This being helps fishermen by revealing spots in the river or sea where fish are plenty.
AKOP
In Tinguian or Itneg folklore, Akop is an evil spirit who brings death to someone, especially a woman whose spouse just passed away. This spirit is said to have no body, only a head with long slimy arms and legs attached to it. Upon sensing that a man has died, Akop stalks the wake and when it gets the chance, it gives the widow a cold embrace and, dooming her to follow her husband to the grave. Such misfortune can only be averted if the spirit is kept away from the widow. This is done by hiding the widow behind a barricade of pillows in one corner during the three days the deceased husband’s body is kept in the house. When the wife sleeps she must be covered with a fish net so when Akop tries to reach for her, its long fingers will be entangled among the meshes. Another alternative is to cover the widow with a white blanket which she must wear as a bandoleer during the day until after the burial. The widow may also wear certain seeds which the spirit dislikes.
ALALIA
According to Ilocano folklore, the alalia, al-alya or al-al-lia are the spirits or ghosts of the dead, which on the third and ninth nights after burial visit the place where they died or their relatives in the form of groans, the cracking of glass, rattling of beds, banging of doors or strange footsteps around the house. It is believed that these ghosts take a walk at eight o’clock in the evening and at midnight. An alalia may also be present when pigs grunt, dogs howl or chickens get startled, followed by the smell of a snuffed candle. This presence is said to warn the relatives to pray for the soul of the deceased. It may also appear as a thin, human-shaped shadow garbed in burial clothes and with lack-luster eyes, or it appears as a pair of hand shadows or hand prints moving on the wall.
In other areas the alalia are known as bambanig.
ALAN
The alan of Tinguian or Itneg folklore and myths are humanoid beings with certain deformities. They have wings for arms, which they use to fly, skin as tough as carabao hide and their fingers point backward from their wrists while their toes are at the back of their feet. They spend some of their time hanging upside-down from trees deep in the forest with their clawed feet tightly holding onto a branch, waiting for potential prey to pass below – may it be an animal or a human. Their houses are on top of trees. The alan scavenge discarded placenta of newborn human children, menstrual blood or fetuses from miscarriages. From these they create human children who possess extraordinary abilities whom they raise as their own offspring. They store in earthen jars items such as beads, necklaces or bracelets, which belonged to the people they killed.
Some alan reside near springs with a few living underwater.
ALASIP
In old Tagalog folklore the alasip is a person who at night turns into a ravenous creature that preys on people, killing them in their sleep to eat their liver. To turn into an alasip is called nag-aalasip and is done by an aswang.
ALED
The aled according to Gaddang beliefs are aggressive spirits feared by the natives. In their normal form, the aled are invisible but can change into human or non-human forms. Sometimes they take the guise of pigs, birds or a person.
As spirits, the aled inhabit trees, rocks, stumps and other things in the forest. Anyone touched by the aled immediately becomes dizzy, weak and could die within a few days if not subjected to a ritual. It’s in the nature of the aled to kill. They are also eat human corpses.
AM-AMBLING
These spirits from Ilocano folklore, harm their victims by emitting a foul odor that charms anyone who smells it. The person loses consciousness, feels nauseated, perspires profusely, with the ears becoming soft and cold.
AMALANHIG
According to Waray and Western Visayan folklore, the amalanhig or maranhig also known as amamanhig or amaranhit is a person who came back to life after death and feeds on blood. Upon turning undead, the amalanhig lives in the woods or the forest as a bloodsucking creature. It looks like an emaciated corpse with a body so stiff that it can’t climb a crooked tree. It cannot cross any body of water because if it gets wet, the creature is reduced into a heap of worms. The creature’s presence is usually made known by the stench of rotting flesh. Day or night the amalanhig attacks individuals it meets, sucking their blood through their nose until they die. The victims then turn into amalanhig as well. Other tales say the amalanhig tickles its victims to death. Amalanhig means “stiff one”.
AMAMARANG
According to folklore from some areas in Visayas and Mindanao, the amamarang are ordinary women by day but are, in fact, aswang whose faces become hideous at night while their hair grow longer and harden like wires. When an amamarang ambushes a lone person she strangles him with her hands while her hair tries to get into the victim’s ears, nose and mouth to suffocate. The hair has a nauseating smell that could make the victim lose consciousness.
In other areas, amamarang are self-segmenters (like the manananggal) that use their wire-like hair to grab or tackle people who wander alone after dark.
AMARAW
The amaraw from Isneg folklore is a spirit always looking for people to eat. It climbs trees in search of victims and when it captures one, it takes the person’s kaduduwa or soul on top of a mountain.
AMBABOY
The ambaboy from folklore in Sagada are pinading spirits that assume the form of pythons and inhabit trees held sacred by the natives. They kill by constriction anyone foolish enough to desecrate their abode.
AMOMONGGO
According to folklore from Negros Occidental the amomonggo are large, monkey-like but tailless beasts with sharp claws. Some accounts from the olden days alleged these creatures would raid villages, attack people and take away children to devour. One story tells of a white amomonggo spotted near a cave at the foot of Kanlaon Volcano. Amomonggo means “old monkey” in Hiligaynon.
AMOROKPOK
According to folklore from San Joaquin, Iloilo, the amorokpok are mostly invisible creatures but when they are seen they are described as dark humanoids with hairy bodies. they are said to be the soldiers of the tamawo, who guard the trees that lead to the tamawo abode. They punish anyone who disturbs or cuts down the trees they are guarding by slapping the culprit, which results to the person falling severely ill afterwards and then die. That is why, in the olden days, when a person fell ill and died after going to the forest, people speculate that he was slapped by the amorokpok.
ANANANGGAL
Like the manananggal, the anananggal from Visayan and Bicolano folklore separate at the waist but they are wingless. Instead of flying, they float or levitate. When not on the hunt for people after dark, they enter a wake unseen (they can become invisible) and sniff the corpse to their satisfaction like ghouls. The anananggal are afraid of citrus fruits at night since these are believed to hinder their ability to float in the air.
ANAYO
According to folklore from Tayabas, Quezon, the anayo are spirits who punish with madness and other ailments those who do not show or pay respect when venturing into the forest or bathe in some remote river where human presence is forbidden.
ANDAGAW
The Buid Mangyan people of Mindoro say the andagaw look like persons but are invisible most of the time. These invisible beings live in houses under mountain peaks, which can only be reached through doorways called sakbawan (openings into the earth) such as springs and caves. The andagaw are very aloof and mostly avoid contact with humans. People who pass by an area believed to be part of the andagaw territory are careful not to disturb or offend the latter.
ANDUDUNO
The anduduno from Bicolano folklore is an aswang who can smell if a person is terminally ill. It prowls outside or under the house of the victim and uses its very long, snake-like tongue to lick the sick person to hasten death. Sometimes it waits outside the house of a dying person or lies flat on its belly on the roof with its long tongue dangling like a dog panting. Once the person dies, it sneaks in and replaces the corpse with a cut banana trunk. Also, when it finds a woman in labor, it lies under the house directly under her or enters the house and hides under the bed and – like a drug addict – finds ecstasy in smelling the mixture of amniotic fluid and blood that comes out of the woman. When it gets the chance, it sucks the woman’s blood. In Camarines it is known as paraduno. The anduduno’s very long tongue is often mistaken as a separate creature called dila.
ANGAB
According to Waray folklore, the angab is a harmful spirit either in the form of a goat with very long ears or a huge (some claim as huge as an African elephant) cow or carabao with red eyes. It runs really fast and is invisible most of the time. It comes out at night, sometimes announcing its presence through whistling. It delights in frightening people, especially women when the male members of the household are away. It is said that it is hard to kill an angab. It won’t die when stabbed. What one should do is to cut the angab into four pieces: first cutting it in half from head to tail then cutting the two halves horizontally. To prevent the pieces from fusing back together, each must be buried separately at a crossroads.
ANGAKOKANG
According to Gaddang beliefs, the angakokang is an invisible entity whose presence is detected through its dog-like whining or whimpering in the stillness of the night. Its whining can cause illness to those who hear it. If not treated through a ritual, the victim will die.
ANGGITAY
The anggitay from Visayan folklore is a creature similar to the centaurs of Greek mythology. The upper half of the body is that of a woman while the lower half from the waist down is that of a horse. Some claim she has a single horn on her forehead. She shows up when it suddenly rains on a sunny day and usually disappears upon noticing that she’s been seen. She could be lured with gold, jewels and precious stones, for it is believed the anggitay is attracted to these. Some speculate the anggitay is the female counterpart of the tikbalang.
ANGONGOOL
The angongool or angungulkol is a creature from Bicolano folklore said to look like a large monkey that lurks in swamps and riverbanks where it attacks fishermen and boatmen. It tackles and hugs the unsuspecting victim so tight until plants grow on the victim’s bones, causing his death. The creature is spooked away with noise created by beating on the sides of the boat.
ANGU-ANGU LAUD
According to beliefs of negritos from the Cadig region of Camarines Norte, the angu-angu laud or angongolood is a spirit of monkey-like shape and general behavior. This spirit lives on an island off the coast but manages to cross into the mainland and lurk in its forests to trouble the natives. It causes harm by seizing a wayfarer and causing him to petrify or turn to stone. The angu-angu laud makes its presence known by beating on the buttresses of trees as it wanders through the forest.
ANI-ANI
In Sambal belief, the ani-ani is a bearded giant eighteen or twenty feet tall. It can transform into a carabao, a goat, or a dog. Like the kapre it hangs out in huge trees and smokes a large cigar. The ani-ani is distinguished by its flat nose, thick lips, big clawed fingers, legs as thick as medium-sized tree trunks, and a smell described as goat stench. It likes to block paths in the forest and is mostly active during the new moon.
ANIOAAS
According to folklore from Ilocos Norte, the anioaas or aniwaas (a.k.a. alingaas) is the soul of a murder victim. It departs in the form of steam before the body grows cold and stiff. Instead of moving on it lingers in the world, often haunting places where it used to frequent as a living person, and appears to its relatives as a shadow.
ANITO
The pre-colonial natives of Luzon referred to the anito as spirits of nature and those of deceased ancestors, which they worshiped. The anito are often represented in households and sacred areas by anthropomorphic idols carved from wood, the most popular are the bulul or bul-ol rice god idols of the Igorot. The natives pray, perform rituals and sacrifices to the anito for good harvest, good hunting, fertility, rites of passage, battles and other undertakings. Along with the diwata, anito worship in the Philippines was almost eliminated by Spanish friars who took charge in the destruction of the idols. Despite this, worship and belief in the anito continues today with some incorporated into local festivities such as the Pahiyas Festival of Lucban, Quezon.
During ancient times in Visayas, anito originally referred to the various rituals performed for the diwata.
ANNANI
The annani from Ibanag frolklore are elf-like beings that look human except for their pointed ears. All of them wear colorful or white clothes, headbands made from either leaves or metal, and girdles or sash. The females generally wear a ring of flowers around their head. They eat human food, and love to smoke and chew betel nut. They are mostly offered with the head of a slaughtered carabao served with native wine. They have a wide knowledge on healing, longevity and other secret arts which they sometimes share with human friends. As guardians of certain places they are unable to leave their territory, otherwise they will fade away.
ANSISIT
In Waray and Ilocano folklore, the ansisit is an old, big-bellied man the size of a three-year-old child. His head is big as well as his eyes, nose, mouth and joints. He is often seen dozing off while seated on top of an anthill at noon. At sunset he wakes up and roams around. Fearful that his abode might be destroyed, he hates farmers tilling the land nearby. He also dislikes people sweeping the floor or the yard because the scattered dust might get into his eyes. When disturbed or offended, he manifests his anger to a person through scabs, fever, chills, dark blue pinch marks on the skin or swollen toes.
APDEL
Apdel or Apadel according to Tinguian or Itneg belief is the spirit that supposedly resides in peculiar-shaped stones called pinaing which are found under trees, along rivers or streams or at the gate of villages. Apdel is regarded as the guardian spirit of villages, which it must protect from sickness and enemies during ceremonies or when away. Apdel may appear as a red rooster or as a white dog.
APU
According to Kapampangan folklore, the apu is a small old woman who is mostly invisible. She dwells in lonely places. If a person is passing through a place believed to be an apu’s territory, the passerby must ask for an excuse from the apu so that if he happened accidentally stepped on the unseen apu, he will be excused and won’t be punished with illness or even death. Anyone who insults the apu is punished with severe sickness that could be cured by asking forgiveness from the apu.
APU JUNGAL
In Subanon beliefs, Apu Jungal is the spirit propitiated by hunters of boar. He has the body of a man and the head of a pig. He is called upon before and after the hunt to bless the pack of dogs accompanying the hunters. When a hunter has killed seven boars, he must offer some of the intestines and meat of his kill as tribute to Apu Jungal.
ARAN
According to folklore from Cagayan, the aran is a gnome-like creature with wide feet that are turned backwards. It is as small as a child, has red hair and its skin is wrinkled. Although it has poor eyesight, it has superb hearing. This creature is known to court human maidens and steals rice. It owns gold and precious stones which it hoards in its underground lair. Maidens who fear being courted by the aran wear a necklace of garlic or crocodile teeth to discourage the creature.
Among the Gaddang people, the aran is a mist-like entity in the forest. At night it sneaks into a house and possesses a sleeping person. This person will then act as if he is losing his mind and later dies.
ARIMAONGA
Maranao folklore and myths tell of the gigantic, four legged, and tiger-like arimaonga who is said to cause the eclipse. Whenever an eclipse occured, the people thought the arimaonga was trying to swallow the sun or the moon. The name arimaonga may have been derived from the Indonesian arimao meaning, “tiger”.
ASBO
The asbo according to folklore from Bicol and Masbate is a flightless aswang that takes the form of a four-legged beast. A person by day, the asbo turns at night into a black, bear-like beast with a long snout. It sucks the blood of its victims after mauling them to death and devours only a bit of the flesh and innards, especially the heart and liver.
According to some, asbo signifies “corpse-eater” or “man-eater”. In certain districts of Bicol, the asbo is considered as synonymous with aswang while in others it is considered as equivalent to the aswang na lakaw (walking aswang).
ASWANG
Distinct from ordinary cannibals, aswang refers to men and women who feed on the blood, flesh, and life force of people through supernatural means. Most appear as normal persons by day but at night they turn into terrifying creatures. Some don’t attack people but prefer to steal and eat corpses. Others can sever their upper bodies at the waist and leave the lower half, flying in the night sky to hunt for prey. There are those who don’t prey on people at all but use sorcery or witchcraft to harm their enemies. Most aswang possess superhuman strength, swiftness, and longevity.
It is said that the word aswang is derived from asu-asuhan or aso ang wangis which means “dog-like” as most have the ability to transform into dogs or dog-like creatures. A myth from Bicol, on the other hand, suggests that aswang takes root from the god of evil Asuan or Asuang. There is also a theory that linguistically, aswang is derived from the Moluccan keswange which is related to the suangi, a witch.
Some accounts allege that an aswang, when in its human form has rotten middle toenails. The act of an aswang turning into an animal or other creatures is called balondo or dalin in Visayas. When an aswang takes the liver of a person, the act is called kabkab. When a flying aswang roosts somewhere to observe its victims, it’s referred to as togpa. If an aswang flies into the air without wings, such act is called haway in old Visayan. Otapil refers to an aswang going to a secluded area either to perform a ritual or to prepare for its nocturnal activity. In Western Visayas, it is believed that aswang are most active during the season of bamboo shoots.
A newly-turned aswang is called bag-ong yanggaw in Hiligaynon and kurimo in Antiqueño (from the word rimo, referring to the nest of hair that allegedly grows in the belly of a person infected by an aswang). Having developed an insatiable appetite for human flesh for the first time, they are vicious but careless which results to foiled attacks. Some may even doubt their selves, desperately clinging to their humanity, and seek to be rid of their condition. In other parts of Visayas this condition is known as takud or salab. In Antique Province it’s also called langgaw (literally “vinegar”), bag-o nalanggawan or ginlanggaw (in the olden days aswang saliva was said to smell like pungent vinegar). When an aswang wanted to turn or infect someone, it would spit on a person’s food or into the mouth or ear of a sleeping individual.
During pre-colonial times times the aswang were known as alok in some parts of Visayas.
ASWANG NA BAKLAY
The aswang na baklay from folklore from Negros Island is an aswang variant that doesn’t have the ability to fly but walks instead in search of individuals to devour. It usually takes the form of a carabao (water buffalo).
ASWANG NA GALA
The aswang na gala na Tagalog folklore (literally, “wandering aswang”) are energy vampires who feed off the life force or vitality of sick, weary, stressed, and dying persons. They appear as normal people – some work in hospitals to prey on the patients. Staring into their eyes reveals their true nature because it is believed everything is reflected upside-down in their eyes.
Sometimes they feed suck the life force of a yet to be born child, causing miscarriage.
ASWANG NA LIPAD
Distinct from their other flying kin, the aswang na lipad (means “flying aswang”) keep their human form and don’t need wings to fly.
Before setting out, an aswang na lipad takes its clothes off and applies on its armpits a green ointment made of herbs and fat. This concoction gives the aswang the ability to fly in the night sky.
The aswang na lipad never prey on living men; instead, they only take the liver of a fresh corpse and depart swiftly. When this “commodity” is scarce, they turn on farm animals for their liver.
The mere presence of citrus fruits nearby hinder their ability to fly.
ASWANG SA KALIBONAN (aswang of the forest)
The hairy aswang sa kalibonan or aswang libunan (a.k.a. aswang panlibonan, ungong panlibonan) from Bukidnon folklore or aswang sa talon in Hiligaynon is a vicious hairy aswang with a tongue that can stretch to great lengths and with a foul-smelling long hair which it uses to strangle and suffocate its victims. Unlike other aswang, it doesn’t disguise itself as a human. It lives deep in the jungle. Once a year, when it wants to taste human flesh, it lurks in the outskirts of the village and ambushes anyone who happens to pass by. It may also show itself bent over on the forest floor to a person before attacking. It can render a person unconscious by stuffing the victim’s mouth and nose with its long, wire-like hair – the stench of which could render anyone unconscious. Also, it may lie in wait underwater in a river or a stream and drown the person who takes a dip near it. This aswang variant is not afraid to attack and kill a group of people. It keeps a flock of black chicks which it gives to people who wish to become aswang. The smell of a certain stink bug known in Hiligaynon as tsangaw is associated with the aswang sa kalibonan’s presence.
ATROS
The atros are described as fair complexioned little people about three feet tall with bulging eyes, long pointed ears, red curly hair and big bellies. According to folklore from La Union and Pangasinan, the atros come out during new moon and full moon nights as a large band (either on foot or on horseback) parading a coffin while playing eerie music. Their arrival is preceded by the beating of drums and the sound of other instruments from a distance. People who hear the band hide immediately because the atros are notorious for taking the souls of those they see. Even the slightest noise from within a house may attract their attention. When this happens, they stop by in front of the house and one of its occupants will fall ill or die. It is believed the atros consume the souls of their victims. If a person happens to be outdoors during the atros’ arrival with nowhere to hide, he must lie down with his belly on the ground to prevent the atros from seeing him. The person, however, must make sure that the parading atros don’t step on his shadow or his soul will tag along and be imprisoned in the coffin. Others believe wearing hats render people invisible to the atros. They seem to have similarities with the nightmarchers of Hawaiian legend. In Ilocano folklore, the atros are a group of huge ugly creatures. The live in the mountains and when they descend to the lowlands, their presence is preceded by a foul smell. Because of their size, sometimes they cause landslides while traveling downhill. They are mostly invisible but when seen, they are wearing flashy clothing. Any individual who accidentally bumps into an atros suffers difficulty in breathing, dizziness and exhaustion. If they happen to like a person, they will give that person the gift of healing.
AWUK
The awuk (also spelled auc) from old Cebuano beliefs are strange people of the hills, who suck the blood of other people, especially the sick ones to hasten their deaths. According to folklore, there was a man who was very sick. No one was watching over this man one night, allowing the awuk to sneak into his room, pierce his neck with bagacay (a small species of bamboo) tubes and suck his blood. The awuk were said to have come from the neighboring hills, carrying torches and bagacay tubes and buckets banging by their sides.
BABOY-BABOY
According to folklore from Marinduque, the baboy-baboy is an aswang that appears as a huge pig. It feeds off the vitality of sick people and those of babies inside pregnant women’s wombs. It’s modus is to lurk around or under (if the house is on stilts) the house of its victims when everyone is asleep while making low pig-like grunts.
BABOY GAYAT
The baboy gayat from Buhid Mangyan folklore is an evil spirit that usually roams at night. It imitates the sounds of a wild pig caught in a trap, and when someone goes out to check, it attacks the person, eating the victim alive.
BACKLESS WOMAN
This ghost from Ilocano folklore isn’t widely known as only a handful of individuals claim to have encountered her. She is described as a beautiful woman in a long white dress. What makes her scary is the huge gaping wound or hole in her back, or according to others she doesn’t have a back at all – only exposed bones and bloody flesh. She appears to be similar (at least in appearance) to the sundel bolong from Indonesian folklore. The sundel bolong is the vengeful spirit of a woman who died while pregnant, or who died during childbirth and has a gaping hole in her back.
BADDI
The baddi is Ilocos Norte’s version of the sirena or mermaid. She is a water spirit who can make the water boil, bubble and swallow up anyone she wishes. The lower half of her body is the tail of a fish while the upper half is that of a woman and her hair is like seaweed. She has an underwater golden castle where she keeps a vast treasure which she shows to her human “guests”. She asks the persons she brings into her abode what they want to eat and if they answered fish or water vegetables, they aren’t allowed to go home.
BAGAT
In Western Visayan folklore, the bagat are either aswang or other supernatural entities that scare or waylay travelers anytime they want. They take the form of monstrous animals of huge proportions or frightful apparitions like a floating coffin or candle. Some may even chase or wrestle with the terrified victim just for the fun of it. There are ways to discourage a bagat such as greeting it as if it is someone familiar or biting hard on its thumb if it wrestles the victim.
Some bagat that are aswang are often encountered walking with disheveled hair which stood on end while their faces are contorted in a terrifying sight with eyes staring wildly ahead.
BAGSANG
This is a huge seven-headed serpent from the Sugidanon epics of the Panay-Bukidnon or tumandok in Panay Island, Western Visayas. It resides in the Underworld. It influences farming practices of the tumandok where the position of its mouth is looked into when planting or harvesting rice to make sure that it doesn’t consume part of the seedlings and crops. The lunar eclipse is also attributed by the tumandok to the great serpent eating the moon, making it bleed. They believe that there used to be seven moons but Bagsang ate six of them, leaving only one.
BAJJANG
According to negrito folklore from Eastern Zambales, the bajjang is a spirit with two reversed heads, fiery eyes and of abnormal height. It is an evil spirit that causes trouble to hunters and people who venture into the forest. A few ways to keep this spirit at bay is to blow at it (with a blow dart) or shoot arrows into the air.
BAKAYAUWAN
In Ifugao lore, the bakayauwan are benevolent mountain spirits that appear as hunters in the forest. They prefer flying or floating in the air instead of walking. They help human hunters who deserve their generosity.
BAKUNAWA
According myths from the Visayan islands of the Philippines, the bakunawa (also spelled baconaua) is a huge sea serpent that causes the eclipse by swallowing either the sun or the moon. In some tales it is described as having a mouth as wide as a lake.
It was once believed that the world had seven moons and that one day the bakunawa rose from the depths of the ocean and started to swallow the moons one by one. The last moon was only spared because Bathala planted bamboo on it. Thus, every time an eclipse occurred, the people thought the bakunawa was trying to devour the sun or the moon so in order to prevent this they would make a lot of noise to spook the creature away. The belief and practice persists today, especially on the Island of Panay and some neighboring Visayan islands.
BALANDANG
According to the beliefs of the negritos in Pinatubo, Zambales, the balandang is a powerful being of the forest who is considered the leader of wild pigs and dear, and greatly influences the outcome of hunting activities within its domain. If the hunter has been successful, a portion of the meat and/or the liver of the kill is cut and placed on a nearby rock or log with the hunter shouting, “This is your share, balandang!” to placate the spirit.
BALANDING
In the beliefs of the negritos in Pinatubo, Zambales, the balanding is considered as an evil and very dangerous spirit of the mountains and forests – a real fiend. Offended or not, it kills those it catches.
BALAU
In Tinguian or Itneg myths, Balau was a bird of prey of immense size, whose lair was in the island of Baboyan. Balau had human-like intelligence and could talk. This huge bird met its end in the hands of a boy with supernatural abilities, who beheaded Balau with ease.
BALBAL
The balbal is a corpse-eater from Tagbanua folklore. It has sharp curved nails, sharp pointed teeth, and a long proboscis-like tongue. It glides in the night sky like a flying squirrel. When it finds a house with a dying person inside, it either lands on the roof and tears it open with its nails, waits under the house if it’s elevated, or hides under the victim’s bed. It sucks the victim’s life force using its tongue until he is dead. The balbal will then steals the corpse (when it’s on the roof it uses its strong tongue to snatch the deceased). In place of the corpse the balbal leaves a banana trunk or a clump of branches or grass made to resemble the dead. In other times it raids cemeteries for newly-buried corpses, using its claws to dig the grave.
Disguised as a normal person attending a wake, a balbal can spirit away the corpse when no one is looking. When suitable corpses are rare, it preys on the fetus inside a woman’s womb.
Among the Tiruray, the balbal are known as bolbol, which spread disease in villages and eat the entrails of the dead. To ward off the balbal, the exterior of houses were decorated with uar vines which the balbal feared because they thought the vines were snakes.
BALBALAN
The Tausug people believe the balbalan is a human witch who transforms into a hideous creature and flies at night and enjoys feeding on corpses, especially their liver. The balbalan may also be a person who, possessed by an evil spirit, involuntarily turns into flying creature at night. It makes people, especially babies, sick so that if they die, it will have dead bodies to eat. The natives make a lot of noise during a wake to keep the balbalan away while fathers of newborns take precautionary measures to protect their children from the creature. When the balbalan flies it makes a distinctive quacking sound. Among the Badjao, the balbalan looks like a person but when it sits, its knees are higher than its shoulders. The victims experience body pains, weakness, lethargy and sleepiness and the skin turns yellowish. It is also said to be a person by day but at night the upper half of the body flies off. A person is suspected of being a balbalan if excessive saliva flows from his/her mouth while sleeping. A mirror placed on the chest of a deceased person and thorny objects under the house during a wake keeps the balbalan away.
BALENDIK
Dumagat negritos in the northeast coast of Luzon describe the balendik as a tree-dwelling white spirit with thin legs and a horse-like head. Negritos who have a successful hunt in the forest chop off a part of their kill and throw it up a tree as offering to the creature saying: “This is for thee.”
The balendik is possibly related to the tikbalang.
BALIKAKA
According to folklore from Bohol, the island of Cabilao is inhabited by a monster called balikaka. This creature is shaped like a dog and attacks livestock from time to time.
BALO
According to Tagalog farmer folklore in Tayabas, Quezon the balo are forest spirits that frighten wanderers. These beings manifest as floating smoke or shadows but most of the time they are invisible and can be heard as terrifying wails and moans.
BANAG
Ancient Visayans believed the banag were evil spirits that rampaged between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. when there was a moon, trampling plants, bushes, and even breaking branches and vines as they ran off to an unknown destination. It is said their rampaging even scared other engkanto that some of the latter were forced to fly to the moonlight to avoid them.
BANGKILAN
The bangkilan are powerful female aswang that can turn into big black pigs. They are so powerful that they can turn a normal person into an aswang by just kissing him/her. In Cuyonon, bangkilan means “fierce boar”.
BANIG
According to Isneg folklore the banig or bumabbanig are spirits who throw stones at people who enter the bush without a companion. They also make strange noise to scare lone travelers. Sweets are offered to placate them.
BANIX
The spirit called banix from Isinay folklore in Nueva Vizcaya takes on several forms such as a ball, a jar, or a headless man rolling on the ground. It has very big round eyes, that roll and twist. People are advised not to look into the banix’s eyes because it causes insanity or death. When seen, the banix usually has its head turned to one side, and those who see it must turn their head sideways at once to avoid meeting its gaze. A person who sees the banix, is struck with so much fright that a strange chill envelops his body, making his hair stand on end, turning his face pale, causing him to tremble, feel dizzy and grow weak especially his legs, so he cannot run away.
BANOG
In Tinguian or Itneg myths, the banog is a huge bird of prey that carries off people and animals such as deer and wild pigs. It makes its nest on top of the tallest trees in the mountains. The people and animals snatched by the banog are not directly fed to its chicks; instead they are left in the nest and will only be eaten if the chicks are hungry. Because of this, most human prey are able to escape unless the mother banog eats them immediately. Banog chicks grow fast and could learn to fly in no time.
BANTAY
According to folklore from Pangasinan the bantay is a territorial spirit in the form of an old man that inhabits a tree on the riverbank. When a person attempts to pass by its tree, the bantay appears a large white rooster and blocks the path or chases away the trespasser. It may also claim other structures such as a bridge within the vicinity as part of its territory. With this, there are times it blocks travelers walking on the bridge while cackling threateningly. Meanwhile, the bantay from folklore in Cagayan is a bird of omen. When a native encounters this bird, if the said bird sings from the left bank of the river or creek, it is a bad omen so the native doesn’t proceed and returns home instead.
BANUWA
The banuwa from Isneg folklore is a mute spirit that eats people. Because of this its mouth is covered with blood.
BANWAANON
According to folklore from Cebu, the banwaanon (also spelled banwa-anon and means “of the forest”) are enchanted beings of the forest said to have Caucasian features including blond hair. They are also called Katsila because they remind those who have seen them of Castillans or the Spanish. These beings only appear to certain individuals. It is believed that they are from another dimension and big trees serve as portals to their world and vice versa.
BARANGABANG
According Isneg folklore this is a spirit who lives in a pool at the foot of a waterfall. It has the shape of an eel with four eyes and is very territorial causing those who fish or bathe in its abode to die.
BARANGAN
Widespread throughout Visayas and some parts of Luzon, the barangan or mambabarang (called mamararang in some areas of Negros Oriental) are said to be sorcerers (mostly men because they have to be courageous, a trait women allegedly lack) who inflict harm by using insects. They use tiny flesh-eating and parasitic, fly-like insects called barang which are kept in small containers. When a barangan wants to harm someone, he takes four or seven of these insects and exposes them to the hair or a piece of the intended victim’s clothing. After three days they are released near the target’s house. The insects attack while the victim is asleep, burrowing into his skin in hard to reach areas of the body and laying eggs there. When the eggs hatch the larvae spread under the victim’s skin while eating his flesh, making him suffer. Later, fully grown barang will emerge from open wounds. These also lay eggs in his flesh. Aside from barang, other small insects like flies will start to infest his body. The victim, if untreated, could die of infection.
BARAS
Known as kirbas among Ilocano folks, the baras is a tall, dark skinned, and hideous male creature n fond of beautiful women according to folklore from Pangasinan. It abducts sleeping girls and brings them to its lair deep in the forest. The abducted woman is locked up like a prized possession and is forced to entertain the baras.
BATANGUON
Not much is known about the batanguon except that they are said to be ugly and poor fairies. Some who claim to have encountered these beings describe them as girls in their early teenage years with disheveled hair, soot-covered skin, dressed in tattered rags, and go about barefoot.
BATIBAT
According to Ilocano folklore from Zambales, the batibat is a huge, hulking creature who sits on sleeping individuals – usually on top of the chest – smothering them to death. In other cases, it invades a person’s dream and induces nightmares. It may also appear as a huge, obese woman or a really fat creature with stocky, goat-like legs and hoof-like toes. The batibat lives within a tree or bamboo and continues to reside there even after the tree or bamboo has been cut down and used as part of a house’s support beam or foundation post. It attacks those who sleep near its dwelling. The batibat is also known to transfer from tree to tree and infests houses near its abode. Its attack is called bangungot by Tagalog folk. Some ways to survive a batibat attack is for the sleeper to force himself to move and bite his thumb hard or wiggle his big toe.
BATO-BATO
The bato-bato from Tagalog folklore are hulking humanoids of rock and minerals, 6 to 8 feet tall, and serve as sentries of the entrance to the territory of some engkanto. The bato-bato first appear as weird rock formations but will rise and chase away any person who sets foot on the area they are tasked to guard.
BAWA or BANUANHON
According to folklore from southern Iloilo and Antique Province, the bawa are ugly hairy creatures with dangling lips and wide mouths which enable them to grin from ear to ear. They live mostly near brooks. A bawa can transform into an old man, a cow or carabao but it mostly appears as a chicken. When in the form of a chicken, the sound it makes which is called ugtak, is similar to the clucking of a hen. Also, when in its chicken form, the bawa likes to play in unattended fireplaces and eats live embers. It may also disguise itself as a squash, watermelon or a pile of cow or carabao manure. The bawa are mischievous; they may harass the residents of a house near their abode, shaking the house as if there is an earthquake. They sometimes cause stiff necks or cause the neck of a person to twist or bend to one side so it appears as though that person has a deformed neck and is unable to face other directions without moving the whole body. If a person is able to overcome the bawa, he can acquire supernatural abilities such as unequaled speed in running and greater strength.
Folklore from other parts of Iloilo Province as well as Aklan and Capiz refer to the bawa as banuanhon. Their heads which are almost flat on top are covered with long hair. They have thin and hairy bodies while their arms and legs are considerably long, making them agile and fast runners – able to outrun the fastest animal. They can render themselves invisible or take the form of a carabao, wild pig, large dog or a fabulous bird. Some say the mere sight of these beings can make a person go insane for months.
BAWO
In Cebuano lore, the bawo are tall, muscular men who inhabit large trees. Unlike the agta, they wear loincloths. They are sometimes seen idling away on tree branches while smoking tobacco. They play pranks on people by calling their attention, only to disappear and cause confusion.
BAYUGO
The bayugo is some sort of invisible creature that hangs out or visits houses at night. When it does show itself it is described as a humanoid with red skin and often mistaken as a demon. The bayugo has a weird habit concerning sleeping people, especially children. It hits or punches the heads of children or persons who lay their heads beyond the edge of the sleeping mat or higher than those of their elders. Why the bayugo does this is never explained although some say it was probably made up by the elders to encourage proper sleeping etiquette among children.
BEKAT
In an Isneg folktale, Bekat was a female giant with a particular appetite for animal meat and, occasionally, human flesh. She had sharp teeth, long matted hair, and she had a strong sense of smell, especially for meat. She was a bit dim-witted, having tricked by children. Her house was a cave where she kept a small fire within to roast her prey. She met her end when she accidentally cut one of her legs at the knee with an axe in an attempt to cut down the tree where the children who tricked her took refuge.
BENTOHANGIN
According to the folklore of the Sulod or Tumandok people in Panay Island, the bentohangin is a being similar to the centaurs of Greek mythology. But unlike its Greek counterparts, the bentohangin has a beast-like face with a long mane and wings which it uses to fly.
BERBALANG
The berbalang are a tribe of ghouls from Cagayan Sulu folklore. When fresh corpses are nowhere to be found in their locality, they send out their astral bodies to other places in search of cadavers or feed on the innards of sleeping persons. They lie down and fall into a comatose or trance-like state then their moaning and glow-eyed astral bodies fly off. Lime juice washed all over a corpse or sprinkled on a grave and a cocoa nut pearl (some sort of agimat or charm) keep the berbalang at bay.
BERBEROKA
According to folklore from Apayao Province the berberoka is a big and amphibious creature that lurks in ponds and swamps, waiting for individuals to devour. It lures its victims, especially fishermen, by exposing a multitude of fish on the surface or in the shallows after sucking most of the water in. This entices the victims to wade in to gather the bounty of fish only to be overwhelmed by a huge torrent of water from the berberoka’s cavernous mouth. The victims either drown and then eaten or dragged down and eaten alive. Despite its fearsome reputation, the berberoka is afraid of crabs.
BINAGOONAN
According to the beliefs of the negritos from Pinatubo, Zambales, the binagoonan is a bad forest spirit who appears as a big man (in the Villar area he is said to be a horse-like humanoid like the tikbalang of the lowlanders) who sits on the bough of trees and has a body that glimmers like fire. He is mischievous and inflicts illness to those who trespass into his abode or disturbs him. He may also possess a person thus making the said individual very sick.
BINALIW
The binaliw (also known as tigbaliw, binaylo, tigbaylo) from Western Visayan folklore is an aswang that looks like an ordinary person and targets sick people. With the ability to turn itself invisible, it sneaks into the house where there is a sick person inside and spirits-away the victim, replacing him with a banana trunk made to look like him called lamat in Tagalog. Baliw or baylo means “to change”.
BINANGENAN
The Dumagat negritos from Baler believe that the binangenan or binangunan is somewhat similar to the tikbalang but has a flaming mane and tail. This spirit, who resides in balete trees, is said to bring danger, sickness and death. It is said that individuals who see this spirit tend to get really sick and die if not treated. This spirit and the binagoonan listed above are probably one and the same entity.
BINANGUNAN
This bloodsucker from Kapampangan folklore targets children. It can drain a child of his/her blood without even having physical contact with the victim. This creature doesn’t kill its victim at once but feeds off him/her for several days or weeks until the child is severely weak. With the victim near death, the binangunan moves on to another child to feed on.
BINGIL
As believed by the Kalinga and Gaddang tribes, the bingil are misshapen man-like beings with bodies riddled with pus-filled, rotting, and putrid wounds. Their large eyes reflect light and glow in the dark. Any person they touch will become ill and dies in two days. The bingil will plague a village unless a sangasang (offering shrine) is put up or a blood sacrifice is held.
BINOBAAN
The binobaan or inobaan is a man-eating ogre from Ifugao folklore. It could shape-shift into a person and, using this disguise, it welcomes individuals who stray in its domain. It entices the visitor to drink its excellent native wine. When the visitor falls asleep due to intoxication, the binobaan butchers the victim. There are times when the binobaan would resort to attacking people in the forest, ripping their flesh out.
BINUNLUNAN
According to Isneg myths, this spirit looks like a carabao and lives in an underwater cave. It roams at night and, when seen, it changes into a dog. Sometimes, this spirit is heard washing clothes or playing a musical instrument, but always disappears when approached.
BIROKA
The biroka from Isneg folklore is a spirit who lurks by the river and devours dead animals or people that are carried by the water current.
BITLAG
According to local folklore from Banate, Iloilo Province, this term, while can be used to refer to something else, is also used to refer to a ghost that appears as a floating uncovered coffin with a corpse inside and surrounded by lighted candles. This flying coffin appears to night travelers, either chasing them or blocking their path to scare them off their wits.
BLANGA
According to Bagobo myths, this is a buso who appears as a fast creature with four slender legs and has huge branching horns.
BOGTONG
This spirit from Isneg folklore kills people by throwing either stones or trees at them. It then carries off their corpses.
BOLAWAN DATOMANONG
This creature from Maranao myths is a golden two-headed lizard said to be a treasure from the skyworld and passed down as an heirloom. It has two heads – the second one is at the other end where the tail is supposed to be – which causes it to move in circles. This motion of the lizard is reminiscent of the Sagayan dance, therefore, it is also called Somagayan a Oray. As a magical creature, it can take on other forms such as a snake or a golden living doll about a foot tall. It can also foretell the future.
Whoever keeps the bolawan datomanong becomes rich because it attracts gold. However, after a period of time, it will suddenly disappear, especially when no longer needed, for it has to return to the skyworld where it really belongs. It can be summoned back through a certain ritual.
BONGO
According to old Bicolano myths, the bongo or bonggo are minions of the evil god Asuang. They are black-skinned and roam the forest or woods at night. They are hideous to look at and their eyes glow red like fire and the flames which shoot out of these eyes consume unlucky wayfarers when engulfed by it.
BOROKA
The boroka or buruka from Ilocano folklore is a beautiful witch who abducts and eats children, her favorite sustenance. She also attacks individuals who wander at night. Before setting out for her nocturnal raids, she turns into a bird-like creature with her body transforming into that of a dog or a horse, sprouts bird-like wings and grows sharp talons but retains her beautiful face and long, flowing hair.
The boroka’s name is a corruption of the word “bruja” which means “witch” in Spanish.
BOTBOT
According to old Waray beliefs, the botbot is a variety of tunan-on (earth spirits) in the form of a giant worm that makes the ground tremble when it moves underground. Its name is derived from the sound it makes ‘bot-bot-bot’ when it is moving. During late afternoon or at twilight, its head or nose may protrude above the ground. A person who accidentally steps on the botbot is punished with boils or abscess.
BOWA
The bowa from Isneg beliefs is a spirit that feeds on dead bodies. After a funeral, the house of the deceased is pelted with small stones to drive away the bowa waiting to steal the corpse buried under the house.
BROCA
According to folklore from Zambales, the broca, when in its human form, is a very beautiful woman. When unmarried, she lives in inaccessible forests, where she sleeps with her long-spreading, bird-like wings held across a branch of a tree, her head drawn back and her long hair hanging loosely behind. Late at night, when the villagers are asleep, she casts off the lower half of her body up to the hips, hides it in a thicket, and soars over the village while screeching, “Kik..kik…kik…kik-kee!” The fainter the sound, the nearer is the broca to the house she is about to enter. She usually sneaks through unlocked windows. Once she’s inside the house, she takes the heart and liver of her chosen target. The victim doesn’t feel a thing while the broca does her deed, but dies in sleep after the broca leaves.
A broca can get married, live a normal life during daytime, and even have children.
BRUJA
According to folklore from Laoag, Ilocos Norte, the bruja (a Spanish word for witch) is an ugly old woman who steals little children. She tricks the children to follow her home. To get their children back, the parents build a big fire and the bruja is forced to return the children, fearing that she will be burned by their parents. She also spreads diseases or epidemics. She wanders with a sack full of diseases which she throws at the people she sees or meets or at the houses she passes by. To keep her from spreading a disease in a house, the residents keep coals burning beside the entrance stairs or place a mixture of garlic and vinegar by the doors. The bruja is afraid of fire and she dislikes the smell of mixed garlic and vinegar.
BRUKA
The bruka from Isinay folklore is a vampire-like spirit or witch. It possesses people and makes them suffer until they die. It takes the form of a man or a woman whose entire body and clothing is red like blood. It kills sleeping individuals, including infants to feed on their blood and innards, especially the liver. This spirit’s name is a corruption of the Spanish word bruja, meaning “witch”, and probably derived from the Aragonese and Portuguese bruxa, a blood-sucking witch.
BUBUU
An aggressive kind of aswang, the buubuu deceives people of its presence by imitating the clucking of a hen laying eggs. The clueless victim is ambushed and overpowered. Before taking the hapless person to its home, the bubuu creates an exact likeness of its victim from a banana trunk or other plant materials and sends it to the victim’s home. Upon arriving home, the victim’s double gets sick. The real victim, on the other hand, is kept alive but restrained in the bubuu’s house. When the double finally dies, the bubuu butchers the victim.
BULALU TALUN
According to Tiruray beliefs, the bulalu talun is an evil spirit that lurks in the forest and feeds on human flesh.
BULISLIS
According to folklore from Tayabas, Quezon, the bulislis is a creature almost similar in shape to a man but has extremely long legs and thighs that when he sits squatting, his knees are two palms higher that his shoulders. His lips are so loose that when he laughs, they cover his eyes (it is uncertain if this creature has one eye similar to the bungisngis or if they are one and the same). With the bulislis distracted by his lips covering his eyes, anyone who is under his spell gets to escape, avoiding being devoured. It should be noted that among the Dumagat negritos of Baler, the bulislis is considered a goddess of happiness and beauty.
BULONG
As per folklore from Marinduque, the bulong is a spirit who hitches a ride on a person – sticking to his clothes – passing through the woods. This spirit usually targets individuals who are noisy or unruly while traversing the forest or woods. The bulong makes the person disoriented, causing him to wander away from the right path and end up lost in the middle of nowhere, and if he is not rid of the spirit, it will continue to lead him on until the victim ends up in the spirit’s cave. The person must take off his clothes and then wear them inside-out to detach the bulong from his clothes and to be free from its enchantment.
BUNGISNGIS
According to folklore from Bataan, the bungisngis is a one-eyed giant with large teeth and two tusks which protrude from the sides of its mouth, making it appear as if it’s always grinning. His name is derived from the word ngisi which means “to grin”. He is said to have a protruding upper lip so large that he uses it to cover the top of his head like a hat. He has superb hearing. He dwells in the forest and carries a club when searching for prey. He has a voracious appetite for anything palatable from animals and humans to cooked food. Being a giant, the bungisngis possesses incredible strength. In one tale, he displays this strength by lifting a carabao by its horns and throwing it knee-deep into the ground. Despite his hulking size and terrifying look, the bungisngis is a bit of a dimwit. His counterpart in Northern Davao is known as mahentoy.
BUNOG
According to folklore from Southern Iloilo, a bunog is a horse-like sea spirit with an ethereal glow emanating from its snow-white form. This sea mare is usually seen running on the surface of the water during heavy rains or when there’s a storm. The bunog may attack and destroy the boat of those who disturb it.
BURI
The buri from Bicolano myths is a one-eyed, three-throated inhabiting the swamps of a place called Punong.
BURINGCANTADA
The buringcantada (also spelled, buring cantada, buringkantada) are dark engkanto from Bicolano folklore, whose attitude towards humans depend on how they are treated, although, there are naturally malevolent ones. Their appearance vary from being human-like and of ordinary height to hideous and giant-like. Most are dark-skinned. The monstrous ones are hairy, mostly one-eyed, and sport a pair of tusk-like upper fangs. Most of them prefer to be left alone by humans. Their main food are the animals, plants, fruits, and root crops in the forest but there are times when they would eat persons who have strayed in their territory. Despite their seemingly savage traits, the buringcantada live in big, well-furnished, and multi-roomed houses hidden in plain sight through magic. These houses hold riches and are decorated with vines that sport brightly-colored flowers. Sometimes, the buringcantada would host a feast in their homes in the evening, which is attended by other creatures. They have servants which are lesser creatures. The buringcantada, however, are easy to dupe and some are dumb enough to believe that a strip of rope is a strand of hair from a much bigger monster.
BURKAN or KAMATOYAN
According to Bagobo folklore, the burkan or kamatoyan is a dead person’s bad soul (tebang or gimokud tebang) turned into a buso-like spirit. It digs out dead bodies and eats the flesh. It stands under the house of the dying, or hovers over it, ready to drink the watery blood of the corpse. It has a chin two spans long to catch the blood dripping from its lips. It lurks in graves, the forest and secluded places where it could be glimpsed as a mere shadow. If a weird laughter is heard at night, it means the spirit is calling for blood to drink and it is nearby if the laughter – tihi! – sounds faint or far away. It doesn’t kill people directly. Instead, it causes people to get sick so that if they eventually die, it will have dead bodies to eat.
BURULAKAW
The burulakaw, according to old folklore from Central Panay are women barely three feet tall with long flaming hair. When they fly they appear like meteorites. They fly and travel horizontally in a sloping manner starting from a point of origin, usually a stream or a shallow well and disappear upon reaching their destination. It is believed they are messengers of the diwata.
BUSALIAN
According to the Sulod or Tumandok people in Panay Island, the busalian are mighty priests or shamans who can command the elements, produce water from a rock by merely thrusting a spear into it, fly with the wind, and possess other supernatural abilities.
BUSISO
According to old beliefs of the Subanen people in Lakewood Zamboanga del Sur, there is a huge serpentine fish with a slippery body called busiso lurking in the lake. This fish is so big it can swallow small boats and people. Some elders claim that in 1974, this monstrous fish attacked some boaters, overturning their boat; fortunately no one was harmed. It is allegedly triggered by a certain native chant or song which causes it to attack boaters.
BUSO
The buso from Bagobo myths and legends are mostly malevolent beings that were once friendly and helpful to humans. They live as a tribe with their village surrounded by fruit-bearing plants like papaya. They barter these fruits in exchange for human children to eat. When no one is willing to barter, they raid human habitations, slaughtering with iron axes and machetes. They pile the bones of their victims under their dwellings. Having matulus or magical powers, they could run faster than a man and some can fly without wings. Their blood, when sprinkled on a plant, can make it grow faster and abundant.
Among the Mandaya people, these beings are known as tuglinsau, tagbusau, or mandangum while the Manobo people call them busaw. Tagbusau can possess warriors and fill them with rage and a desire to kill. In order to calm down the possessed warriors, cold water is dashed on them.
Some buso, as believed by the T’boli people, assume a shadow-like form of varying sizes and have a taste for human corpses, which they consider a delicacy. Unseen, these corpse-eaters hang out in groups on trees in graveyards where an internment is being held. When the grave is finally left alone, they descend on it and dig out the corpse, which they eat, leaving nothing but bones. When fresh corpses are rare, they dig out old corpses and feed on the carrion. Strong-smelling herbs or vinegar rubbed on a corpse keeps these corpse-eaters at bay. It is believed only dogs can see and smell the corpse-eating buso; therefore, one method in order for a person to see these beings’ true form is to dampen his eyes with dog tears.
BUSO BUNTUD
The buso buntud from Bagobo myths is a buso variant said to be as black as soot and has nine faces.
BUSO LUTUNG
According to old beliefs of the Bagobo people, the buso lutung is the result of a buso spirit possessing the corpse of a monkey. It is bigger than a man and has only one eye right in the middle of its forehead.
BUSO T’ABO
The buso t’abo from Bagobo folklore is a buso without a lower half of the body from the waist down. This is probably the Bagobo version of the manananggal.
BUWEBO
This, according to old Isneg beliefs, is a spirit who appears as fire, takes on various shapes and only comes out at night.
BUYAGAN
The buyagan from Eastern Visayan folk beliefs are practitioners of black magic or regular individuals believed to have been born at sunrise. Possessing an ability called “evil tongue”, even a positive remark to a person spells doom. For example, when a buyagan praises a woman’s good looks, that person will be stricken with skin diseases like warts, acne, or scabies. They can also harm animals and even plants. A well-meaning person, who has the power of buyag can accidentally blight a farmer’s crops or someone’s garden of vegetables after making a positive remark about them. One way to counter the buyag is to immediately say, “Pwera buyag,” after the suspected buyagan has said something that might be harmful, intentional or not.
CABO NEGRO
According to folklore from Nueva Ecija, the cabo negro is a spirit in the form of an extraordinarily tall black man. This spirit lives in large camarines and tamarind trees, and usually comes out at night. Those who claim to have seen him, say that he smokes a large tobacco pipe. He usually vanishes upon noticing that he’s been seen, or he scares people away by spewing flames from his pipe. He also causes mischief by throwing stones on the roofs of houses, especially those near his supposed home tree. Others claim that he eats people.
CAMA-CAMA
The cama-cama (kama-kama) or camacaon from Ilonggo folklore are like duende but unlike the latter, these little creatures are baby-faced, beardless and have extraordinarily large testicles which drag on the ground when they walk. They hoard treasure and come out only at twilight. They are notorious for pinching people who offend them or individuals whom they like, leaving dark marks or bruises on the skin.
CAMANA
According to local folklore in some parts of Zambales, the camana or kamana is a malign spirit that inhabits gloomy places. It assumes the form of small animals or becomes invisible. A person who encounters a camana must offer it food or other gifts, otherwise he will become sick. Those made ill by a camana can be cured through a mag-anito ritual.
Among the Ayta of Pinatubo, Zambales, it is believed that the camana lurks in places where a corpse is buried.
CARANGAT
The Gaddang people fear the carangat or caranget the most. These spirits are often invisible but when seen they are said to diminutive in size and long, pointed teeth, and hideous looks. They can turn into other forms and are very aggressive without provocation. The natives regard them as the true owners of the land and may do as they please with the tenants (the people). They inhabit trees, especially the balete and samalagad, riverbed boulders, wells, and underground in house yards or in the fields. Those that reside in the ground are called cutu sa zubag (lice of the ground) or kutong lupa in Tagalog.
The carangat always demand sacrifice or offering as a form of rental payment when people erect a new house or make a clearing. They make those who failed or were late to make offerings sick.
Anyone the carangat touch becomes sick, insane, and would die if not treated with a ritual. Some carangat are known to eat human corpses.
The Ifugao call these spirits calanget, while the Ibanag call them carango.
CARCARISON
According to old Ilocano folklore, when, after a shower around midnight, you hear a tiny squeaking sound in the street, you may be sure that a carcarison or agkarkarison is around and that somebody along that street will fall seriously ill and die next day. The carcarison is a small cart, pulled by a small headless bull, and occupied by three or four headless creatures resembling women. During times of epidemic, shower or no shower, and midnight or no midnight, the carcarison goes around in the village, it being the agent for the spread of disease. But in ordinary times, this cart of evil can be seen only occasionally, starting from a haunted tree and vanishing at the foot of another such tree. The way to prevent the headless visitors from entering your house is to build rice chaff smudges at the gate and under your house stairs, and also to draw white crosses with diluted lime on the door and on every post of your house. This will keep off the grim inmates of the carcarison.
CONDENADO
The condenado from Boholano folklore are ghosts, the restless spirits of sinners wandering the land of the living because they are unable to move to the afterlife. These spirits haunt their relatives at night and frighten the people they meet. They will only move on if their surviving relatives manage to secure pardon for their souls through constant praying. To avoid meeting a condenado when going out at night, one must utter prayers and make the sign of the cross on the forehead and the lips before leaving the house.
DADAY
According to Mandaya beliefs, the daday is the spirit of the dead who appears when a person has passed away. Such spirit is considered harmful and it haunts the place where the person died or places the deceased frequented when he was alive; this includes appearing to surviving relatives and making them ill.
DALAGANGAN
As believed by the Sulod or Tumandok people from Central Panay, the dalagangan were persons who had extraordinary strength despite having light bodies. This lightness accounts for their agility, ability to jump tremendous heights, and leap great distances.
DALAKETNON
The dalaketnon are engkanto from Waray folklore, who appear as tall, handsome and beautiful mestizos with some having blond hair and blue eyes. They look like ordinary humans but wear fashionable clothes while some ride the latest model of automobiles. It is said their good looks are a disguise and that their hair are actually white, their skin gray, and their eyes are all white. Their hidden abode can only be reached through a portal in dalaket trees. They are notorious human abductors. They lure a person to their abode where they hold a feast for the visitor, enticing him to eat their black rice. The black rice is bewitched and any human who tastes it either turns into a dalaketnon or becomes a slave to serve and entertain the dalaketnon and could only be set free depending on the masters’ whim. The dalaketnon can manifest tangible illusions of themselves which they use to confuse or disorient people.
DALAWIGAN
According to Isneg folklore this is a spirit who entices children to play, especially hide and seek, and hides them when they enter the bushes. After some time, the children are allowed to go home.
DALONGDONGAN
The Sulod or Tumandok people in Panay Island believe the dalongdongan are individuals who can’t be harmed physically after applying an oil with magical properties called dalongdong all over their body. Any bladed weapon, blunt weapons, and even bullets just bounce off their skin. Some dalongdongan who are adept in sorcery, would bury some strange roots or other things under the house of an enemy. Whoever steps on these either becomes insane or gets sick and dies later.
DAMBUHALA
The dambuhala from Tagalog folklore are the equivalent of the Japanese kaiju. It is the term given to beings and beasts of immense size and stature ranging from twice taller than a man to something bigger than an island. Later, the Spanish called them gigantes or giants, which became the local higante.
DAMMAT
This dammat from Isneg beliefs is a female spirit who lives in a cave filled with worms from decayed corpses. She only comes out at night because she is unable to walk outside in the day light.
DANAG
The danag or daddanag from Isneg folklore are bloodsucking spirits who also cause illness and mostly live under big trees. According to an Isneg legend, the danag was once in good terms with the people and taught them how to plant the taro root crop. One day, a woman cut her finger while working. She sucked on the wound to clean it. The curious danag volunteered to do it and found the blood sweet tasting so it sucked more until the woman died of blood loss. This is the reason why to this day the danag drinks the blood of people.
DANGGA or AGITOT
The dangga is a vampire-like aswang found in folklore from Panit-an, Capiz. This being is described as a very attractive and flamboyant man who roams at night in search of women. When he finds one, he seduces her, only to violate her and suck her blood on the spot. It is said a dangga is easily distracted by freshly drawn semen thrown at him. He will halt the assault on the woman and, instead, take his time lapping up the fluid, giving the victim ample time to escape.
Curiously, dangga in old Hiligaynon means “to seek love” or “to seek affection,” while agitot means “flamboyant man” or “gay man”.
DANGGAB
According to folklore from Samar and Leyte, the danggab is a person who roams after dark, searching for individuals to kill in order to eat their flesh and innards (basically an aswang and possibly related to the dangga of Capiz).
DARO-ANAK
In Bicolano myths, the daro-anak or daruanak is an ancient beast in the form of a serpent or a boar that has grown to an immense size as it got older. Weary of its size and old age, it plunged into the sea where it can move freely as a sea monster or disguise itself as an islet.
DAXOKON
According to Isneg folklore, daxokon (pronounced as dahokon) is a spirit who lives in a brook and catches the people who bathe in it during daytime. At night, he stalks the roads looking for travelers to eat.
DAYAMDAM
The dayamdam are tiny insect-like humanoids that reside in the forest according to folklore from Agusan. One has to first ask for their permission before picking fruits or cutting down trees in an area believed to be part of their domain.
DIGKUSANON
The digkusanon from folklore in Samar are beings that inhabit the air. They are known as envious, easily offended, and can cause inexplicable illness or loss of senses to a person. To appease the digkusanon, a ritual called pagmayaw is performed around a table laden with food, which serves as an altar of offering.
The digkusanon are said to have an enchanted city in Samar popularly known as the hidden city of Biringan or Araw City.
DIKAY DALIN
According to old beliefs from Pangasinan, dikay dalin are spirits living in the forest, who wander all over the world at night, spreading diseases such as cholera and smallpox. They travel fast because they have to be back home by four o’clock in the morning or at dawn. When they wander, one of them, who is on horseback, carries a black flag with a white cross on it. This one carrying the flag is followed by a drummer who in turn is followed by the rest. The last in the line is lame and when he cannot keep the pace, he makes his companions slow down with threats of revealing to the humans the cure for the diseases they are spreading. Whoever meets them should take off his clothes and lie flat on the ground, otherwise he will die. These spirits sometimes befriend human individuals. Once a person becomes their friend, he is supposed to go with them every night. They teach him the secrets of healing so he may become a good healer. If a person refuses to be their friend, they make him insane.
DIPRAW
This is a male spirit from Isneg folklore, who carries a large head-ax without a sawit (the obtuse projecting point at the back of the blade of an ordinary head-ax) and eats little children.
DIWATA
The diwata are nature spirits revered by the ancient ancestors as deities and guardians of nature. They usually serve as guardians of certain places. As mostly benevolent beings, they help worthy mortals who are in need. People who exploit the places under their care are severely punished, often turned into rocks, trees or animals. Some of these diwata become attracted to humans and lure them through their good looks and hypnotic singing into their abode. The most popular diwata is Maria Makiling, the guardian of Mount Makiling in Laguna. Diwata is derived from the Sanskrit deva meaning, “heavenly” or “divine”, which indicates that the belief was of Hindu influence.
DO-LINAW
In old Isneg beliefs, do-linaw is a spirit whose head is branched and who lives on a rocky declivity along the river, somewhere in Ilocos Norte.
DUENDE
The duende (also spelled, duwende or dwende) are magical little people found in folklore all over the Philippines. They live near human habitations or in the woods or forests. They tend to be capricious, sometimes acting benevolently toward humans and sometimes acting cruel. They have large heads. Most have beards and wear red clothes and dried squash fruit for a hat. Some only have one eye and have big noses. Duende vary in size with some barely bigger than a human hand. They live underground and come out at noon or after sunset. Like human societies, they too live in communities and have a leader – a king and even a queen. Those who belong to the upper class wear colorful clothes. They multiply by creating another duende from soil.
Black duende look different. They have greasy, coal-black skin, bloodshot eyes, and a pair of small horns. The texture of their skin is similar to that of frogs. They wear nothing but leaves to cover their private parts. They hiss at humans who can see them.
Sometimes a duende becomes attracted to a human and gives him/her gifts such as fruits and even accessories made of gold. A nasty duende could be turned to stone by a very skilled herbolario (witch doctor).
DUMADAY-O
According to a folklore from Antique Province, the dumaday-o ( means “visitors” or “strangers”) are human-looking beings that come from the sea. They bring with them illness and pestilence as they set foot on the beach. They are also known as lawodnon (of the sea) and puro-anon.
DUMAG
Dumag from Isneg folklore is a spirit who lives in the mountains and seizes children who are bathing in the stream near its abode, killing them on its banks.
DUMLAW
According to Isneg beliefs, dumlaw is a spirit who eats people. This spirit never keeps quiet if it cannot taste human flesh and blood. When its shouts are heard in the forest, it means it is looking for people to eat. Its house emits a very offensive odor.
EKEK
The ekek or ek-ek from Visayan folklore are persons who grow bird-like wings, beaks, and sharp talons at night. They fly off in search of persons to snatch and eat, or pregnant women to feed on the unborn child.
ENGKANTO
Engkanto (derived from the Spanish encanto) is a blanket term for the elf-like or fairy-like beings including the wee folk of Philippine folklore and myths. Originally, though, the term only referred to the beings that attracted humans through the enchantment of their melodious singing, luring the humans into their hidden abode, thus, they were called engkanto (means, “one who enchants” or “enchanter”). A female engkanto is called an engkantada (sometimes shortened to ada) while the male is called an engkantado. It is generally believed that engkanto abhor salt, the mere mention of it offends them.
The engkanto could be benevolent or malevolent or both. Through lavish parties and valuable gifts, some engkanto, especially the malevolent ones, entice human visitors to stay with them forever (think of Circe in Greek mythology). If a human tastes their food or drinks, he becomes bewitched to stay with them forever. An hour of stay in their abode is equivalent to a few days, weeks, months, years, or just a few minutes in the human world depending on the engkanto’s plain. Individuals who are eventually allowed to return home look exactly the same or have never aged the day they disappeared despite decades of being missing. Good engkanto, on the other hand, only want to play and want to be in the company of those they like or give human friends gifts without any negative consequences.
FAGAD
The Tiruray people believe the fagad is some sort of spirit that eats the dead. To protect the body of a newly-deceased during a wake, a mirror is placed on top of the corpse’s head to reflect his face, making him appear to have two heads or two faces which is believed to spook the fagad. When the fagad tries to get near the corpse, it will notice that the dead has “two faces,” scaring it away.
FANTASMA
According to folklore from Leyte and Samar, these are big and tall men and women in white clothing and they appear usually just after sunset and on midnights when the moon is bright. They appear and vanish into thin air like ghosts. They are always seen walking in streets and small trails leading into interior barrios when these are deserted. They wear a wistful look and a faraway glance. When someone meets a fantasma it is believed that the fantasma will do no harm if the person stays at the road side and does not block the way. He must not meet the fantasma or pass him by. Most often a male fantasma appears to a girl and a female fantasma, to a boy. Others describe the fantasma as a slender and very tall being with extremely long legs which are often mistaken for posts when it stands still. The fantasma scares night travelers; often standing still in the middle of the road or path and upon detecting the presence of a person about to pass by, the fantasma spreads its post-like legs so the frightened traveler can pass between them. But after the travelers passes under, the fantasma terrorizes the fleeing victim by chasing him, walking or running in long strides.
FIEU AWAS
The fieu awas from B’laan folk beliefs are forest diwata often encountered as a group of dancing women.
Some stories say they are all dressed in flowing white robes, have long silky hair that reached the ground, and don’t have faces (others say they do have faces and are very beautiful). They don’t say any words but just keep on dancing (usually around the person who encounters them) while a soft, ethereal glow envelops the surroundings.
The B’laan people of Davao del Sur have a folk dance called Maral Fieu Awas which means “dance of the beautiful nymphs” performed by girls as entertainment during festivals and rituals.
In other tribes, the fieu awas are known as kahoynon.
GABUNAN
According to Western Visayan folklore the gabunan are the most experienced, strongest and most cunning aswang. They usually don’t change their form into animals and remain strong and powerful during the day. They can attack a person even before sunset, pouncing on the victim, strangling him or breaking his neck. Most gabunan are so swift you won’t see them coming. They fly without wings. They can steal a baby unnoticed, replacing it with a piglet or large fish made to look like the infant.
Some gabunan have the ability to make an illusion of themselves out of their patadyong (traditional loose skirt) which they will throw at a victim. The disguised patadyong tackles the victim while the real gabunan observes the spectacle. The victim has no idea that the supposed gabunan he is wrestling for dear life with is just a patadyong which keeps on slipping and gliding off his hands every time he tries to get a hold of it. When the victim is finally weak, exhausted or incapacitated, the real gabunan unceremoniously carries him off to be butchered.
The oldest of the gabunan have coal-black skin, bloodshot eyes, protruding fangs, and long, white disheveled hair when in their true form. Despite their viciousness, the gabunan only eat human flesh once or twice a year.
GAEOK
The gaeok from folklore in Aklan is a diminutive goblin-like creature that can take the form of an animal. It calls people’s names and whoever answers will die.
GAKI
The gaki is a gigantic crab believed by the Igorot people to cause earthquakes. The god Lumawig once ordered the gaki to plug the world’s water hole to flood the lands, which killed the antediluvian people.
GATUI
The Ifugao tribe dread the gatui because it feasts on the souls of people, especially those of yet to be born children, causing miscarriage among expectant women.
The gatui is said to be like a harpy or a self-segmenter like the manananggal. Others describe it as a winged dog with a human face.
GAWIGAWEN
Gawigawen from Tinguian myths is a six-headed giant who rules an enchanted land called Adasen. He owns orange trees, the fruit of which are too dangerous to take because the branches of the tree are as sharp as knives. Gawigawen’s head-axe is the size of half the sky. The gate and walls of his village are decorated with the heads of slain enemies while the hair of defeated warriors adorn the roof of his house. Gawigawen was defeated and beheaded by a boy, the son of a warrior he beheaded and skinned for taking two of his oranges.
In another story, Gawigawen is a handsome chieftain who possesses magic and has eighteen concubines comprised of young women.
GIAMBOLAN
According to Tinguian myths, Giambolan was a giant Igorot headhunter who had ten heads. He had a huge shield and was armed with a head-axe and a spear. A giant boar’s tusk adorned his armlet. Giambolan was the lord of a place called Kaboyboyan where a beautiful spring flowed. One day he was challenged to a fight by two little boys, Ilwisan and Dondonyan who were both created by alans from menstrual blood. With the help of their magical weapons, the boys were able to slay Giambolan.
GISURAB
According to an Isneg folktale, Gisurab was a ferocious giant man with a taste for both animals and humans. He lived in a cave in the forest with his wife. Traps were scattered in the forest surrounding his cave to ensnare both animals and humans. He knew if a human was around because of his keen sense of smell. However, Gisurab was easy to fool which led to his demise.
GUBAN-ON
According to old Waray folklore the guban-on are spirit beings of the forest. To the natives, the guban-on own everything in the forest and should not be desecrated to avoid the guban-on’s wrath.
GUMON
The gumon from Hiligaynon folklore is an aswang related to the kubot and the manlalayog. It is described as a crawling, mass of hair stalking the woods or desolate places after dark. Within the tangle of hair is said to be a woman seeking human prey. It ensnares and wraps a person completely, strangling and suffocating the victim with its nauseating musk and by stuffing his orifices while sucking the blood and life force. When the gumon is done, it leaves a crushed and emaciated corpse. One way to defend one’s self against this creature is to set it on fire before it could attack. Gumon in Hiligaynon means “tangle”.
HARIMODON
The harimodon from Bicolano foklore are aswang that can transform into wild boars. Their saliva is so potent that any human who ingests it becomes one of them.
HIGANTENG BITIN
The higanteng bitin was a snake so huge and so old it could barely move and could no longer crawl. Instead it laid still on the forest floor until grass and moss grew on it. It was often mistaken for a log.
As the story goes, one day a man roaming the forest got tired and rested on top of a log which was overgrown with grass and moss. Suddenly he noticed that the log was moving. Curious, he walked on the top of the log, searching for its end. Upon reaching it, he was shocked to see the huge head of a snake. The log turned out to be a giant snake which cannot crawl anymore because of its size.
HIMAGAN
In Iloilo, a himagan is a person with the ability to cure an illness just by touching the patient. Others use their saliva to heal maladies.
HUANANGAN
The huanangan from Tinguian folk beliefs is a spirit that roams at night on horseback and kills the children it encounters.
HUBOT
The hubot from Western Visayan folklore are self-segmenting aswang related to the manananggal. Eyewitness accounts describe them as appearing like flying umbrellas from afar. This rather curious description is due to the hubots’ bat-like wings which are somewhat concave in shape and wide enough to cover their whole body. Their skin is pitch-black. These creatures are notorious for swooping down and snatching people who are still outdoors after dark. They are allegedly afraid of thorny branches, fearing that the thorns might tear the membranes of their wings. They don’t attack their neighbors; instead, they look for prospective victims in other villages or towns.
In some Karay-a tales the hubot are described as pitch-black, shadowy forms or a hovering clump of black mist that engulfs night travelers before carrying them in the air to be devoured somewhere.
HUKLOBAN
The hukloban or hukluban was a sorcerer much feared by the pre-colonial people of the Tagalog region and also Catanduanes and Bicol because of his/her ability to kill anyone by simply pointing a finger at them and without the aid of potions. A hukloban can destroy a house by merely saying so.
According to folklore from Bulacan, the hukloban was a wise old hermit, hundreds of years old like the biblical Methuselah, who possessed magic and was consulted for advice (reminds me of Tata Lino from the comedy show Bubblegang). In Camarines Sur, among the negritos, the hukluban functions as a healer who performs the nakas ritual to heal sick individuals whose illness is believed to be the doings of malign spirits. He also drives these spirits away during the ritual.
Today, persons of very old age are called matandang hukloban which has become synonymous with the derogatory “old hag” or “crone”.
HUKUT
According to negrito folklore from Eastern Zambales, the hukut is a hunting spirit who makes his presence known by a whistling sound. When offended, this spirit causes bad luck to hunters, meaning, they go home empty-handed.
IBINGAN
The ibingan is a huge and venomous red serpent with a prominent crest on its head, has many horns, and has a dorsal fin. According to Bicolano myths, it guards a cave occupied by water spirits and sea maids. It lies in wait at the mouth of the cave and crushes intruders with its powerful tail.
IBWA
The ibwa or ebwa is a corpse-eating spirit from Tinguian folk beliefs, described as human in shape. Upon learning that a person has passed away, the ibwa will go to the house of the newly-deceased and attempt to take the corpse. In some cases the ibwa may stalk the house of a dying person, ready to barge in and steal the body after the victim expires. The ibwa is driven away from wakes with weapons made of iron since it fears iron. Also, as it is believed that the ibwa might get jealous with the garments worn by the corpse and, thus, steal them along with the body, it is advised to burn holes on the said garments in order to discourage the spirit. To protect a newly-buried corpse from the ibwa, an iron plough-point or anything made of iron is placed over the grave. As an added measure, a fire is kept burning at the grave for nine nights.
The ibwa used to be harmless and was invited to wakes. In ancient times, the corpse of a newly-deceased is kept in the house for seven days. The body is propped up on a bamboo seat and below this are dishes which collect the fatty fluids that fall from the decomposing body. The accumulated fluid is placed in the grave during burial. It so happened that during such a wake, a mourner mistook a dish of the corpse’s fluid for a drink and handed it to the ibwa who relished the fluid. Since then the spirit acquired a taste for the fluids of corpses and, eventually, an appetite for the flesh of the dead.
IKKI
The ikki or iqui (also spelled ike) from Tagalog folklore is an ordinary person by day but at night transforms into a winged manananggal-like creature. Unlike the manananggal that separates from the lower half of its body at the waist, the ikki separates at the knees, leaving its lower legs and feet when it flies off. According to folklore from Quezon province, the ikki raids homes, feeding on the sleeping residents or attacks travelers, slashing their bodies open and taking home the heart and the liver. While in flight it often lets out a frightful shriek which sounds like “krrrr krrrr.”
IKUGAN
The ikugan from Manobo folklore are hairy ape-like men with large, long tails which they use to hang from trees, lying in wait for prey below, which they snatch with their hairy arms. These fierce beasts are said to abduct women and children who stray in their territory.
INIKADUWA
According to Maranao folk beliefs every person has a companion spirit in the form of a bird called inikaduwa. An inikaduwa may help or harm its human partner depending on whether the person is good or bad. When someone wishes to ask for the aid of his inikaduwa, especially when he wants to be cured from a mysterious illness, he can communicate with it through a pendarpaan, a shaman, who will serve as medium for the inikaduwa to possess.
INLABLABBUUT
The inlablabbuot or inlabbuut is a humanoid man-eating monster from Ifugao folklore. He is a male giant with long hair, ape-like teeth, long claws and thick tough skin. His home is in the mountains and there, with his smithy, he makes iron tools. He lures individuals into the forest by taking on the appearance of the victim’s relatives, friends or acquaintances. When he finds the chance, he mauls the victim and devours him/her.
INONGOK
Inongok is a man-like creature from Bicolano myths. Its complexion is completely black with shabby hair covering its body while the hair on its head is long and shaggy. From its dark eyes, tears of fire would roll down and form a pool of glittering red upon falling on the ground. Known as a harmless prankster, the inongok suddenly appears in isolated byways during the darkest night to frighten those who wander in the night.
INTUMBANGOL
The intumbangol were a pair of gigantic serpents found in the myths of the Bukidnon people. These serpents were believed to support the earth from the underworld and were regarded as responsible for earthquakes. One was male, the other was female. Their bodies formed a cross, their mouths below the water at the point where the earth and sky met. Their movements now and then shook the world. Their breathing produced winds while their panting caused violent storms. The intumbangol did not fall down to the underworld because they were held up by the great god Magbabaya. These snakes represent the chaos, unruliness and purposelessness of life. They are associated with the deity Tumpaa Nanapiyaw.
ITIRONG
The Isinay folk of Nueva Vizcaya say the itirong are men with long tails. These creatures attack people in the forest and eat them.
The Manobo people of Agusan call them tidung.
KABAYO DE BENTO
According to Waray folklore, the kabayo de bento is a winged horse like Pegasus of Greek mythology.
In other parts of Visayas it is called kabayong bento and pakpakan kabayo in Inabaknon.
KADONGAYAN
In Tinguian folklore, Kadongayan is an evil spirit who takes pleasure in mutilating corpses in wakes. He visits wakes and slits the mouth of the corpses from ear to ear, giving them a Glasgow smile. To avoid such harassment from the spirit, the family of a newly-deceased would nail to the door of the house a live chicken with its mouth split down to its throat. Another alternative is to kill a chicken, burn it in the fire, and then fasten its body beside the door. When Kadongayan approaches the house of the dead, he will notice the suffering of the chicken and, fearing he might suffer the same fate, leaves and never comes back.
KAGKAG
The kagkag are humanoid corpse-eaters according to folklore from Romblon. They live in the woods far away from villages. After dark, they come out of their hiding place and disperse to seek fresh corpses. Most listen for the groans of the dying or the wails of the dead’s relatives as well as the sounds of other corpse-eating creatures so they may avoid competing with the latter. Some crouch down with their ears to the ground to listen for prospective quarry. Others visit cemeteries for newly-buried corpses. When some kagkag succeed in acquiring a fresh corpse, they bring it to a secluded place or somewhere in the cemetery where it was found and call for the rest of the gang to converge. Placing the corpse on a banana leaf, they celebrate in a festive manner (some whoop and dance while others beat bones and skulls like drums), after which they feast on their quarry until nothing but bones are left.
KAHOYNON
This is the generic term for various tree spirits from old Waray beliefs. They usually live only in large trees such as the balete, lawaan, dungon and da-o. The kahoynon are vengeful to those who offend them or disturb their abode, especially those who damage or cut down the trees that they inhabit. As punishment, they give illness to the offenders.
KAKAP
According to old beliefs from Tayabas, Quezon, the kakap is a thin and slippery shadow shaped like a man with very strong claws and teeth. It can sneak through five-inch wide gaps in cages to steal chickens.
KALAG
Although generally referred to as the spirit or ghost of the dead, the kalag (sometimes spelled calag) from Sugbuhanon and Waray folklore is the name given to certain spirits that feed on human corpses and are used as accomplices by the mang-aawog sorcerers. A kalag makes sure the mang-aawog’s spell takes effect. After a victim of the the mang-aawog dies, the kalag visits the former’s wake and makes his bloated belly burst with a single touch.
KALAGYO
According to Tagalog folklore the kalagyo are playful little spirits that love to play with newborns or babies, especially those that haven’t been baptized yet. It is believed the kalagyo are responsible when a baby laughs or cries during sleep or giggles alone as if being entertained by an unseen playmate, much to the astonishment of the parents and other members of the family. When a baby suddenly disappears from the crib or beside the parents during sleep, only to be found unharmed under the bed or in another part of the house, it is said the kalagyo must have played with the baby.
In older beliefs, kalagyo is the spirit double or soul of a baby. In some parts of Laguna, when an infant gets frightened or acts strange it is believed that the soul may have left the body. The mother or the babysitter must call the child’s soul back by saying, “Uli, uli, kalagyo, (child’s name), magbalik ka sa bahay.” (Come back, come back, soul of [child’s name], return home). When the infant acts normal again, it is assumed the soul has returned to the child’s body.
KAMANAN-DAPLAK
The Sambal people believe the kamanan-daplak are tiny people that inhabit trees or bamboo groves along rivers and streams. Playful in nature, the kamanan-daplak call out people’s names after sundown and would laugh at the confused individuals who tried in vain to find out who called them. They are known to leave flowers at the side of unattended sleeping infants. They may also reveal themselves after dark as a group of kids singing, laughing, and playing from a distance only to disappear upon closer inspection, scaring the wits out of those who saw them. Their presence is detected through the fragrant smell of the ylang-ylang flower.
KAMATAYAN
According to folklore from Laguna, the kamatayan is the messenger of death. When a person dies, the kamatayan conducts the spirit of the deceased to the land of the dead. In popular media, the kamatayan is depicted as a skeleton garbed in a hooded black robe and carrying a scythe or karit in Tagalog.
KANTANOD
The kantanod from Tagalog folklore is an ordinary-looking person by day but at night it assumes a dark hideous form or that of a black dog or pig and goes to the house where a pregnant woman lives, to eat the child in the mother’s womb. It lurks hidden outside or sneaks into the house, hiding in the shadows and then sniffs the scent of the unborn child. When it leaves, the baby inside the womb is gone – spirited away by the kantanod – leaving the mother bleeding and in pain. When the kantanod visits a woman who is in the process of giving birth, its mere presence in the vicinity prevents the baby from coming out, prolonging the ordeal, which could result to a miscarriage unless it is driven away. If bright lights and garlic around the house fail to ward off the kantanod, the men of the house resort to making loud noises or use firearms to drive it off.
KANTASMA
According to some tales from Visayas, a kantasma is a tall dark man who scares the hell out of people by stretching his arms, fingers, legs, and torso to abnormal proportions and opening his mouth so wide while letting out a nerve-wracking shriek.
KAPAPUAN
The kapapuan are the roaming spirits of deceased ancestors in Panay Island.
KAPEROSA or WHITE LADY
The kaperosa from Tagalog folklore are female spirits or ghosts often seen wearing flowing, white dress, gowns, or robes. Their long black hair cover their faces. Some may be seen without heads or with rotting flesh while others have no facial features. Popularly known as “white lady” in the Philippines, the most famous is the white lady of Balete Drive. It is assumed the white lady is either the ghost of a murdered woman or an engkanto visiting the human world.
KAPRE
The general description of the kapre or cafre from various folklore all over the Philippines is that it is a very tall (around 5 meters according to folklore from Romblon), hairy man with pitch-black skin and smokes a cigar as big a a man’s thigh, which never burns out. He lives in huge trees and can take on various shapes and disappears at will. Although a mischievous entity who plays harmful pranks, terrifies night wanderers, and abducts or rapes women, the kapre can be friendly towards deserving human individuals. It is said that the kapre hates salt. However, old folklore from certain areas of Panay Island and Pampanga (the being is called kapri in Antique Province and Pampanga) have a different description about the kapre‘s appearance. According to folklore from these areas the kapre is a huge, hairy black man wearing a black garb similar to that of a monk or a friar and also inhabit long abandoned human abodes. In some areas of Capiz, the kapre is said to be a ravenous eater as tall as bamboo and with a long beard.
The term kapre is a corruption of the Spanish word cafre (means ‘brute’ in Spanish) which in turn is derived from the Arabic kafir which in Islamic terms means an unbeliever or an infidel. The Spanish used the term cafre to refer to any tall, dark and hairy creatures from native folklore with the term was later adopted by the natives, although it is certain that before this, our ancestors had their own terms for this being.
KARBUNGKO
According to a legend from Leyte, the karbungko (also spelled karbongko) was a huge snake that inhabited Lake Danao. It had fire in its mouth and the light emanating from this fire temporarily blinded those who saw it up close. Its scales were impenetrable making bladed and pointed weapons ineffective against it. Its name is allegedly derived from the term “karabong nga” meaning something bushy like the tail of a squirrel or like a tree with many leaves.
KARIBANG
According to Maranao myths, the karibang are dwarf-like beings with long hair and are somewhat obese, although, there are karibang who look like ordinary people with good looks. They are said to live underwater and when on the surface, they are mostly invisible. Like the duende, they also possess magic and can be either benevolent or malevolent depending on their mood.
KARKARMA
In Ilocano folk belief, a karkarma is the spirit or essence of a person, which leaves the body after death and makes its presence felt in the form of a fragrant scent, the odor of a burning candle, or a strange draft of wind. Instead of moving on, a karkarma inhabits a nearby tree to watch over their loved ones, take care of an unfinished business, or to haunt relatives who failed to visit when it was dying on its sickbed. A karkarma will only move on after a post-funerary offering of food is held for it.
There are cases when a karkarma leaves the body of a still living person in the form of vapor or an insect. The person won’t die but loses his reason and individuality. To make the karkarma return to the body, one has to say these words: “Intayon, intayon” or “Intayon kaddua,” while striking the chest with the palm of the hand.
KAS-KAS
According to Visayan folklore, the kas-kas is a bird-like aswang often heard circling the house of potential victims at night while making a sound from which its name is derived. If a house is elevated or on stilts it will prowl under it. In Siquijor, the kas-kas is described as having no eyes, ears, and nose, and its beak doesn’t have an opening.
In other areas like Cebu the kas-kas is believed to be a nocturnal bird that makes a sound when an aswang is on the prowl.
KATATAOAN
In Ilocano folklore, the katataoan are spirits or anito that take may take the form of giants sometimes and only reveal themselves to deserving humans. These spirits are known to pick up the bodies of dead people. When midnight comes they take on human forms and ride a phantom pahagad (carabao-drawn cart) in search of bodies to take with them. Their presence is preceded by the howl of dogs and the eerie sound of wooden cart wheels rolling on the dirt or concrete. Others sail the night skies on board a flying bangka or boat. It is said they eat the fresh corpses they find.
KATAW
The kataw or katao are the Visayan version of the European merfolk. They are benevolent and sometimes go to land disguised as humans, mingle with the populace, and help those who are in need. When offended, they cause the offender to walk into the sea or jump off a boat and drown.
Unlike the sirena, the kataw have feet instead of tails but they have gills and webbed fingers and toes. They are considered as the ruling class among the tubignon (elementals and other supernatural creatures or beings that inhabit bodies of water) because they have the ability to control the sea and related elements. They, unlike mermaids and sirens from European folklore, do not use singing to lure victims. Instead, they repeat whatever words they hear.
According to folklore from Negros Oriental, kataw are small – about the size of a child – and have blond hair. Aside from living underwater, they also inhabit holes in the ground, especially those near bodies of water and could sometimes be seen scampering along drainage ditches. Kataw hair is said to be a powerful charm for catching fish.
KATAWTAW-AN
The katataw-an from Ilocano beliefs are spirits of infants who died unbaptized. Unable to move on to the afterlife, these spirits wander around the village, especially at dusk. They can cause harm to unattended newly-born babies or if the latter did not undergo protective rituals against malign spirits.
KEDU
According to myths from Maguindanao the eclipse is caused by the monstrous serpent kedu swallowing either the sun or the moon. The belief in the kedu is a Hindu influence which proliferated in some parts of Mindanao before the arrival of Islam. Kedu is derived from the Sanskrit Ketu. In Hindu myth, after the asura (demon) Svarbhanu’s head was cut off by Vishnu, his body joined with a snake and became Ketu. In Vedic astrology, when Ketu and Rahu, the bodiless head of Svarbhanu, align with the sun, moon and Earth, eclipses occur. In Hindu mythology, this is interpreted as Ketu and Rahu trying to block the light of the sun or the moon.
KIBAAN
The kibaan (kiba-an) or kaibaan from Ilocano folklore are beings the size of a one-year-old child and have long hair the color of corn hair that reach their ankles, feet that are turned backwards, slanted eyes and golden teeth. They are mostly invisible and live in certain bushes and trees, especially the bagbagotot, a shrub with tiny black berries and small round leaves, which grows under large trees. A kibaan never goes alone and thus wander around in groups, playing along , swinging on vines or dancing under small, low-spreading trees to the tune of tiny guitars. They are notorious for stealing food and people’s personal belongings – even hair, plucking it off a person’s head while he is asleep. If they want to win the friendship of a human they serenade the chosen ones with their little guitars while remaining invisible. Those who become their friends are gifted with marvelous things such as a pot called kiraod which produces rice, jars of gold and silver, a cloak that makes its wearer invisible, and other valuable objects. Those who shun the kibaan‘s friendship are punished with disgusting skin diseases, a sightless eye or a wry mouth. These beings also inflict diseases to those who harm them even if it was by accident. The only way for one to be cured from the kibaan’s harm is by asking for the help of a person who has a kibaan friend to ask the offended kibaan to lift infliction.
Male kibaan can procreate with a female human. When a kibaan falls in love with a woman, he appears to her as a fine young lad with a grin to show off his teeth which gives off intense light that dazzles the woman. When a male kibaan dies, his human widow inherits his personal belongings including the magical ones provided she has been a good wife.
In Bolinao, Pangasinan the kibaan are known as kaybaan. These wee folk are believed to live in anthills and cause maladies such as sore eyes and skin diseases to those who offend them.
KIKIK
According to Bicolano folklore, a kikik is a nocturnal bird with an eerie call that foretells the impending death of a person or persons in a community. Others speculate that it is actually an aswang disguised as a bird. Upon hearing this bird the people invoke the anito for protection.
KILAT
According to Bagobo myths, kilat is the thunder spirit in the form of a huge horse or a carabao who runs through the sky during a rain or storm and whose neighs and roars are heard as thunderclaps. Lightning flashes when he shakes his bright mane. When kilat‘s roar is loudest, it means he is going to land on the ground, bringing various diseases. He breaks the necks of those who ridicule or mistreat animals. Bluish-black stones from the sky and used as whetstones are believed to be kilat‘s teeth which fell from his mouth during his rampage or when he was eating.
KILKILAN
The kilkilan from Ifugao myths are two-headed spirit dogs that accompany the gatui and the tayaban.
KIMAT
According to Tinguian myths, Kimat is a lightning spirit that appears as a big white dog and servant of the great spirits. When the great spirit Tadaklan wants to punish people who have violated taboos, Kimat is sent down as a lightning on the offenders’ house. It bites the house, setting it on fire.
KIWIG
According to folklore from Aklan, the kiwig is an aswang variant that at night transform into a large dog with a sloping back and a crooked tail. When in human form, the kiwig has a stooped posture because of its habit of prowling under elevated houses, especially in rural areas to lick sick or dying persons. The creature is notorious for attacking individuals who are still outdoors after dark and even livestock and poultry.
KOKOK
As per Badjao and Maranao folklore, the kokok or kukuk are spirits which always appear as a group and make people lose their way or abduct individuals. They are mostly active during rainy season and lurk in places where there are mangrove trees. They seduce persons to follow them – appearing as very attractive, irresistible men or women – and those who fall under their influence gradually lose their minds and turn into one of them if not rescued. A person who has been “kinokok” (enticed by the kokok) behaves as if he/she is insane such as singing to an invisible companion or laughing alone or running away only to end up under a big tree, in the mangrove or the beach and acting unnaturally. Unmarried persons are said to be easy prey to the kokok. One way to deter the kokok is for a person to take off his/her clothes because it is believed that these spirits don’t like seeing people naked.
KOLISAO
According to old beliefs from Negros Oriental, the kolisao (also called ong-ong) is a large monitor lizard with a monkey-like head and long hair. It resides near springs. It causes blisters to appear all over the body of those who disturb it. It can be forced to live elsewhere if a piece of iron is buried near its home.
KORO-KORO
A koro-koro is a black or brown bird in Bicol said to presage death. If heard at night, it means an aswang is on the prowl. If its call is followed by muffled rumblings in the sky, it warns of impending death. Localities inhabited by this bird are said to have an aswang resident. Interestingly, there is a village named after this bird but the residents there deny the presence of an aswang in the area.
KOROKOTO
In Eastern Visayan and Northern Mindanao folklore, the korokoto is an aswang that can turn into a dog or a cat. When it walks in its human form its feet don’t touch the ground. It hides behind bushes or trees in the woods and ambushes unsuspecting victims. It tackles the victim, drags him home, and cooks him. Its name is derived from the sound it makes “koto-koto”.
KOROKOY
In Bicol, this hearth cricket’s eerie sound is said to presage the death of a relative. If a sick person is in the house where the korokoy chirps, the help of a skilled healer is sought to prevent the patient’s death.
KUBOT
The kubot from Visayan folklore is a female aswang with very long and thick, disheveled hair which she uses to kill her victims. The kubot’s hair act like tentacles, grabbing or wrapping around the victim (in some cases the hair enters the victim’s orifices) and strangling or constricting him to death while sucking the life force. The kubot also uses her hair to fly, with the strands undulating or moving like jellyfish tentacles in the air. Her name means “to cling” or “to wrap”.
In Bantayan, Cebu the kubot is known as hamok.
KULLABANG
This spirit from Isneg folklore carries off people to its cave, which is full of human bones, and devours them.
KULARIUT
According to folklore from Pampanga, the kulariut or kalariut is an elusive being with big eyes, a long white beard, and a body covered by black hair. It lives in bamboo groves or in the forest. If a house is located near its home, it quietly observes the household members while they sleep. When it is attracted to a maiden, it takes her to its home against her will. Kulariut are hard to befriend since they are quite aloof. However, there is a belief that a person could tame a kulariut by stealing its loincloth and use it as a banner.
KULPANG
This is a spirit from Isneg folklore, who emerges only on very dark nights and enters houses to touch the sleeping inhabitants in an obscene manner.
KULUKUTOK
According to folklore from Camarines Norte, the kulukutok is a humanoid creature with a mouth so wide it can smile from ear to ear. It is notorious for sneaking into houses to steal food.
KUMAKATOK
According to Tagalog folklore, before World War 2, three tall persons (two elderly men and a young woman) dressed in hooded black robes would knock on the doors of houses in the middle of the night. Those who opened the door were told by the mysterious trio that a member of the family or household (usually the eldest or the one with an illness) will soon die. The trio usually showed up when there was an outbreak of diseases, especially cholera. They were believed to be harbingers of death.
In some parts of Visayas, after hearing tales about the trio of knockers, people painted their doors with a white cross to keep the trio at bay. Then rumors spread that the trio knocked on the doors of business and government establishments and even in churches.
After the war, visits from the trio became scarce until no one saw them again. It was speculated that most of the houses were destroyed in the war that the trio could not find a proper door to knock on. In Visayas they were called manoktok.
KUMAW
The kumaw or kumao from Sambal folklore is a hideous man that abducts children. It bleeds the children to death by pulling out their fingernails. The kumaw also attacks individuals who are still outdoors after dark, dragging the victim to a secluded place to devour him.
In Ilocos, among the Tinguian people, the kumaw is a malevolent spirit that can change its appearance, especially into a fabulous bird feared by the people because it snatches unattended children. It also has the habit of making individuals lose their way in the forest. Later, especially in the 1960’s, the kumaw became associated with a cult that kidnapped children and allegedly bled them to death in order to sprinkle their blood on a newly-built bridge or building as a ritual to ensure the durability or sturdiness of the structure. They were also believed to drink the blood or use it as sacrifice to their heathen god. Today, in Ilocos and Pangasinan kumaw is synonymous with kidnappers or abductors.
KURARET
According to folklore from Bangar, La Union, the kuraret takes and eats people’s souls by beheading them. While traveling at night, it pulls an iron cart containing the skulls of its previous victims. It passes by villages and enters the houses of those who fail to keep silent while it passed by their residence.
KURIPAP
The kuripap from Tagalog folklore are creatures similar to the tiyanak but don’t disguise themselves as ordinary babies. They’re no bigger than a one-year-old child and generally hideous in appearance: dark wrinkled skin, pointed teeth, big bald heads, and big bloodshot eyes. Some appear as hideous newly-born children with their umbilical cord still attached.
LA’AW
The la’aw are gentle pranksters in Manobo myths. They are tiny, elf-like forest-dwellers with feet pointed backward.
LABANG BAYAN
According to Buhid Mangyan folklore, the labang bayan is an evil spirit in the forest who imitates the sounds of a deer approaching to attract people, especially hunters, only for it to transform into a giant man-eating monster and kill and devour those who followed it.
LAGTAW
The lagtaw of Tausug folklore from Sulu is a shadow-like giant around fifty feet tall with fiery eyes, big ears and nose. It inhabits big trees and picks up persons who pass by and drops them on the ground. Sometimes at night it blocks people’s way, standing on the path with each of its legs on the sides of the trail. Anyone who tries to pass between its legs are crushed. Those who manage to go through, die of extreme fright afterwards. The Tausug believe that it also enters people’s dreams and induces nightmares.
LAHO
According to old myths from Pampanga, the laho or lawu (also spelled lahu) or rahu in eastern Zambales is a huge serpent that causes the eclipse by swallowing the sun or the moon.
The Kapampangan’s concept of the laho is derived from the Sanskrit Rahu after some Hindu-Buddhist beliefs were introduced and incorporated into the locality following the gradual settlement of Hindu-Buddhist-influenced immigrants in pre-colonial times. In Vedic myth, Rahu is the severed head of the demon Svarbhanu, attempting to devour the sun and the moon. As the story goes, Svarbhanu wanted to drink the amrit or nectar of immortality reserved only for the deva or gods. He disguised himself as a deva but the sun and the moon discovered his ploy and ratted him out to Lord Vishnu who promptly beheaded Svarbhanu. But before he could die, Svarbhanu was able to sip a drop of the amrit, thus, his severed head became Rahu, the bodiless serpent, while his body merged with a serpent and became Ketu – both became immortal entities in the heavens. From then on Rahu and Ketu chased the sun and the moon to devour them or to blot out their light as revenge for foiling Svarbhanu’s plans.
In Buddhist mythology, lunar and solar eclipse occur when Rahu attacks the sun and the moon. Rahu is only compelled to release them when the said celestial bodies recite hymns for the Buddha and the Buddha himself threatens to shatter Rahu into seven pieces.
LAHUA
According to negrito myths from Camarines Norte, earthquakes are caused by the lahua. This is a huge crocodile-like creature in the earth. In order to stop the lahua’s shaking of the earth, one must burn a little human hair, sprinkle ashes over the ground, or to call on the lahua and ask it to stop the earthquake.
LAKI
The laki from Bicolano folklore is the generally harmless form of the yasaw. It is a two-legged creature with hooves for feet, goat-like legs and a hairy body. Its face is that of a man but hideous. It is fond of scaring night travelers with its shrill, piercing voice.
LAMAN LUPA
Laman lupa is a collective term for dwarfs, gnomes, goblins, and other underground-dwellers in the Tagalog areas of Luzon. The duende and the nuno belong to this group. In Pampango they are referred to as laman labuad.
LAMAN NIN LOTA
According to the beliefs of negritos from Pinatubo, Zambales, these are spirits of the earth. When offended, especially by someone who travels through unfamiliar territory and doesn’t ask for permission, causes the offending traveler to walk around the same place and fail to arrive at his destination. The spirits may also cause him to suffer physical harm in the form of wounds or sickness.
LAMBANA
The lambana are believed to be finger-sized tree and plant dwellers in the forests and mountains of Luzon. They have pointed ears and slanted eyes. Some have insect-like wings which they use to fly while others can float in the air. They are sometimes seen playing among plants on a full moonlit night or after a light shower.
LAMPONG
In Ilongot belief, the lampong is a two-feet tall dwarf-like being wearing a black two-peaked cap, has bright yellow eyes set close together, and a long beard. It lives in the forest and serves as guardian and protector of the animals there. When an animal is being pursued or stalked by hunters, the lampong transforms itself into a white one-eyed deer with fine features and gets their attention, luring them to a chase away from the original target. It is said a hunter’s first five shots always misses the lampong. Should a hunter succeed in wounding the lampong in its animal form, he will incur the dwarf’s wrath in the form of a fatal illness which causes him to be bedridden, lose weight rapidly to a point that his body is skin and bone, and die eventually.
LANIB
As per folklore from Zambales and some parts of Ilocos, in a forest or in a bamboo grove, the wanderer will sometimes find himself suddenly caught in an invisible net and wrapped up in it. If he is not quick enough to strike a match, be it night-time or daytime, he will die in it. This net, called lanib, is set by malignant spirits (also called lanib by some) who never show themselves to anyone, but who, nevertheless, are well known for their nets. Once you get caught in the lanib, struggle however you may, you will never be able to extricate yourself from it. Even several persons, all mounted on horses or on carabaos, are known to have been caught in such a net and killed, men and beasts together, all because not one of them had a match ready to strike a light with. The lanib is usually set by its evil owners across old roads hemmed in by large trees; so that if you are traveling along such a way, you had best get a match ready at hand.
LAPPING
According to Isneg folklore, lapping is a spirit who has a dog’s body with a human head and ears like winnows.
LAXA
Laxa (pronounced as laha) from Isneg folklore is a danag who lives in caves situated along brooks and in thickets. This spirit is invisible most of time but sometimes it could be glimpsed from afar as a light.
LEWENRI
The lewenri are engkanto in Southern Iloilo and in Romblon with semi-glowing skin. They are only male and are said to be extremely attractive mestizos, often seen wearing white, black or violet clothes. With their soft and mesmerizing voice, the lewenri lure women to come with them to their abode in another realm but only if the women are willing. The lewenri employ the services of humans sometimes and they pay in gold, silver or human currency. Like most engkanto, they hate salt and spices.
LI-MUM’
According to Bontoc beliefs, the li-mum’ is the spiritual form of the human body or a ghost. It is seen at times wandering the village and enters houses. It causes nightmare by sitting on the chest or belly of a sleeping person.
LIBLIBAYU
In the olden days, the Ifugao and Kankanaey tribes held the invisible liblibayu responsible for stomachaches or intestinal troubles. When offended, these spirits cause stomachaches by piercing the belly of a victim with invisible spears. They can be appeased with an offering of rice wine and chicken or pig. There must always be pig or chicken in the offering, otherwise they will be offended more and cause more pain to the victim (demanding, no?).
The Tinguian people know them as liblibayan and are considered as lesser spirits who serve and aid human masters.
LIGAW NA TAO
According to Ifugao beliefs, the ligaw na tao is a wild, hairy man in the forest, notorious for stealing and eating children.
LITAO
In Ilocano folklore, the litao is believed to be the spirit or the lord of the waters who appears as a small man and lives in the branches of bamboo or trees on the riverbank. Sometimes he goes on land disguised as a normal person. Those who cut his trees without asking permission are punished with illness or drown mysteriously. Though he can appear as human, his true nature is often revealed due to his strong fishy smell. He is said to be the husband of the sirena, since according to Ilocano folklore, he was the one who created the sirena.
LOMON
According to folklore from Capiz Province, lomon are creatures around two feet in height and look like ordinary people. They prefer to live in old, ruined or abandoned houses – basically taking possession of any abode that hasn’t been occupied by any person for a long time. They are often mischievous but could be very dangerous sometimes. Lomon cause trouble to the new occupants of the old house that the creatures have taken over.
LUBI
Lubi was the name given to the tiny being allegedly caught in the woods of Basud, Camarines Norte after the liberation from Japanese occupation. The being was described as a young woman only six to seven inches tall and dressed in leaves. She was called Lubi because it was the only comprehensible word she spoke. Her captors cashed in on her as a sideshow freak in a carnival, making her dance all day in front of spectators. The song “lubi, lubi, ikembot mo” is said to have been derived from what the people sang as they urged her to dance. Unfortunately, due to severe exhaustion and maltreatment, Lubi died during a presentation in the town of Vinzons, her mouth foaming.
LUBUS
The lubus in olden times were believed to be Visayan herbalists who bartered strange roots which had miraculous effects.
LULID
According to folklore from Iloilo and Capiz, a lulid or lolid is a whitish, piglet-sized creature with a body resembling that of a horned beetle larva or a worm while its head is like a pig’s. Some lulid have very short legs but most have no limbs at all. They burrow underground like earthworms and inhabit mounds or hills where no plant nor weed grows. During full moonlit nights their grunts could be heard from their abode. Anyone who disturbs or destroys the hills where they live will die.
Others claim that a lulid looks like a very pale wrinkly-skinned infant without limbs and has a large head.
LULU
The lulu according to the beliefs of negritos from eastern Zambales, is a spirit as tall as a deer but has the head of a horse. It wanders in the forest and hunters fear it because it kills those who disturbs it. Meanwhile, according to negrito beliefs from the Cadig region of Camarines Norte, the lulu is hunting spirit – tall and black in appearance and has three dogs whose yelping can be heard in the forest sometimes.
LUMAWIG
According to old birth customs from Negros Oriental, the lumawig are spirits sometimes blamed for difficulties in giving birth. These spirits hold the baby from coming out smoothly. If not remedied, the will be born with a vein attached to the placenta and the mother’s inside navel, with death as a result.
LUMINTI
According to Isneg beliefs this is a spirit whose entire body is red.
LUNOD
As believed by the Manobo people, the lunod are the busaw of streams, rivers, and lakes. When given an offering, the lunod ensure the fishermen will have a good catch. When offended they drown people.
LUTAW
According to Tausug beliefs, the lutaw or lutao are the reanimated corpses of deceased sinners, especially big sinners. The devil takes possession of their bodies and forces them to rise from their graves. They appear in their dirty burial clothes. Their necks are usually bent or broken. They also have a very bad odor. They are said to show up just before sunset or after dark, chasing and scaring the wits out of people or strangling individuals to death. There is a belief that should a person encounter a lutaw, he shouldn’t run away with his back turned to the revenant or else it will chase him; instead, he must flee backwards while facing the lutaw so it won’t follow.
Originally, in Sulu Muslim culture only the bantut (male Muslims tagged as gay or homosexuals) were said to become lutaw after death. The belief is that by virtue of the bantut as social deviants or violators of the Islam norm, even the earth itself rejects their corpses, turning them into lutaw.
Later, the possibility of becoming a lutaw was extended to sinners, avenging murder victims, and Muslims who weren’t buried in time of the traditional schedule of burial.
MAGINDARA
The magindara or marindaga are beautiful but vicious freshwater and saltwater mermaids from Bicolano myths. They drown adults, especially evil persons, and feast on the victims’ flesh until nothing but bones are left for the fishes to pick. Also called “aswang ng dagat”, they lure fishermen into the water with their sad but enchanting singing or humming. Those who have respect for nature are often spared. While they are malevolent towards grown-ups, they are known to be gentle to children, often saving kids from drowning. Their tails look more like those of eels or sea snakes, and covered with colorful but sharp scales. They are believed to be guardians of rivers, springs, seas, and even lakes. Some guard treasures hidden in the depths. Others tend to be curious and take on a human form to mingle with the human populace. They bring rain to make lands fertile but can also bring disasters such as storms, floods, and drought when offended.
MAGKUKUTUD
The magkukutud (also spelled, magcucutud) is a nocturnal flier according to Kapampangan folklore, almost similar to the manananggal except that it has a flat nose and large ears. It also lays eggs in secluded places. When these eggs are found and cracked open they contain human body parts and organs. The magkukutud steals unattended corpses in wakes or digs out freshly-buried cadavers. Enchantment is allegedly used to make a corpse walk to the magkukutud’s house where the body is butchered and cooked.
Like the manananggal, the magkukutud’s weakness is its discarded lower half. Should salt or pepper be sprinkled on the exposed stump of the lower half or if it’s destroyed, the creature won’t be able to rejoin with it and ends up dead by sunrise.
MAGLALAGE
As per folklore from Nueva Ecija and Pampanga, the maglalage is a ghost that follows individuals who wander at night. When noticed, it doesn’t show its face but it suddenly sings eerily and very loud to scare whoever it is following. A person should avoid striking a maglalage because doing so brings bad luck.
MAGLIMBUNGANON
According to Waray folklore, the maglimbunganon are environmental spirits who inhabit trees, caves, rivers, springs, etc. They are usually invisible but when they do show up, they appear as tall people with Spanish mestizo features. Like ordinary people, they also go to church, and they grow old and die, but they have supernatural powers and they abhor salt.
MAGPOPO
According to old Visayan beliefs, this is a small viper with a crest and it crows like a rooster.
MAGPUPUTOL
The magpuputol from folklore in Luzon is an entity that can dislocate or detach its head, limbs, and other extremities. It terrifies people at night by showing up as just a head or a disembodied hand. The head often falls near the victims.
MAGTATANGGAL
Mentioned by Fray Juan de Plasencia in 1589 in his classification of local witches and sorcerers in Luzon, the magtatanggal of Catanduanes is a person who, at night, detaches his head along with the entrails from the body. It is related to the wuwug and ungga-ungga of Visayas.
MAGTITIMA
The magtitima or tomitima from Bukidnon beliefs are invisible spirits that inhabit trees, especially large old ones like the balete. They want to be treated as superior beings and they make those who cut their trees severely ill. As proud beings they aren’t easily appeased by offerings when one wishes to cut down their trees. Instead, very skilled herbolarios are employed to transfer them to another tree. Their preferred offering is white chicken served with native wine. A magtitima can appear as a white snake among the branches of the tree it inhabits.
MAHAK
The mahak is an aswang variant from Samar, who feeds on the vitality of sick people, especially children. She only shows herself to her victims and is mostly invisible to others. Her skin is so pale to the point that it’s almost white, her face wrinkled, her eyes glaring and bloodshot, and her long stiff hair stand on end. Her name is derived from the sound she makes, which is described as almost similar to that of a duck but raspy or husky. She sucks the vitality of sick individuals while clinging to the window next to her victims or while crouched under the house directly beneath the victim’s bed. She flees when discovered by the victims who alert other members of the family.
MAHOMANAY
According to Bagobo folklore, the mahomanay are fair-skinned male nature spirits that watch over and protect forest animals. They dwell in trees and spend some of their idle time chewing betel nut. Offerings of betel nut and anklets or leg ornaments are made for the mahomanay so the natives can hunt in the forest believed to be part of the spirits’ domain.
MAKABOTENG
In Tinguian beliefs, the makaboteng or boteng (a.k.a. sanadan) is a nature spirit and guardian of deer and wild pigs. His blessing is needed in order for the dogs that accompany hunters to succeed in the chase. He could make a hunter lose his quarry by making him follow an apparition – a child, a familiar person, or a fancy-looking animal. It is said anyone who sees such apparition loses control of himself and is forced to follow it (in a semi-hypnotized state) wherever it goes. One can be released from such spell if he accidentally hits an obstacle such as trees or stumbles on the ground. Upon escaping the makaboteng’s enchantment, the victim realizes that a considerable length of time has passed depending on how long he was under the spirit’s control (e.g.: an hour is equivalent to a day). Makaboteng means “one who frightens”.
MALAKAT
According to Waray folklore, a malakat is a man or a woman who turns into a hairy, canine or feline-like beast at night. While a malakat mauls a person, its hard wire-like hair strangles the victim or enters the eyes, nose, ears, and mouth to suffocate. The hair also emits a nauseating smell that could knock out the victim. When the victim is unconscious or dead, the malakat feeds on his flesh and innards.
MALIGNO
A Spanish word for “malign ones”, maligno was the name given to supernatural creatures, often described as hideous and misshapen, that are either benevolent or malevolent towards humans. They are generally humanoid in form but with varying physical abnormalities. Some of the beings and creatures listed here belong to this group.
MAMAMARANG
In Siquijor, the mamamarang are persons who practice haplit sorcery with a wooden manyika (doll) and pins as their main tools. The doll represents the victim and whenever it is pricked, he will feel excruciating pain. The needles are prepared and the doll is created during the seven Fridays of Lent. After the doll is created the mamamarang hires someone to take the doll to the church where a child is being baptized and have it baptized as well. The same thing must also be done to the doll during the child’s baptismal rite – even giving it a name similar to that of the child. If the child dies later, the doll will then be used for haplit as it is believed that the dead child’s spirit has possessed it to be the mamamarang’s servant.
MAMBABABOY
The mambababoy is an aswang according to folklore from Marinduque, who appears as a large black pig at night. It doesn’t prey on people; instead, it targets domesticated pigs.
MAMBUBUNO
As per Sambal folklore, the mambubuno is a mermaid-like creature with her tail split into two scaly limb-like appendages terminating into wide flippers. The upper part of the body is that of a woman but covered with black, slimy scales. She lives in underwater caves and could be glimpsed basking in the moonlight, especially when the moon is full. She abducts those who stray near her lair, using magic so the victims won’t drown while being kept underwater. The victims could only return home if the mambubuno allows them. Those who try to escape end up dead by drowning and their remains are eaten by the mambubuno. A day spent in her lair is equivalent to a year on the surface.
MAMELEU
The mameleu or mamaylo is a huge sea serpent from Western Visayan folklore. Its very long body which is as large around as a carabao’s is covered with big, hard scales. Each of its two white horns are two fathoms long. It has long fangs, fiery eyes which glow like torches and it spits greenish fluid on its prey. It bellows loud and long, the sound of which frightens those who hear it. It lives in the dark depths of the ocean and sometimes emerges near the surface. In other areas, especially in Negros it is called nanreben.
MAMPAK
According to folklore from Catanduanes, the mampak is a half-man, half-bat creature (some claim it is an aswang) of medium size with a hairy body and big eyes. It lurks in the forest and near rivers and carries off children.
MAMUMUYAG
A mamumuyag is a vindictive female hexer according to Eastern Visayan folklore, whose eyes look like those of cats or lizards when hit by the glare of the sun. She lives alone in the outskirts of the village and prefers that the people mind their own business. She leaves them be in return. Noise irritates her so people speak softly when she passes by. Eye to eye contact with her is a big no-no unless it can’t be avoided. She makes those who have offended her suffer through tumors or painful sores or a twisted mouth, which she inflicts through her black magic. Some say the images reflected on her eyes are inverted.
MANAGBATU
According to folklore from Cagayan, the managbatu is a dark spirit in the shape of a man. It inhabits trees and at midnight throws stones and clods at the houses near its dwelling. It causes sickness to people who offend it.
MANAGINULOD
The managinulod are hot-tempered hexers from Ilocano folklore, known for causing misfortune to their victims. Anyone who offends a managinulod will incur the latter’s wrath through misfortunes such as recurring or strange sickness or suffering accidents like a car crash or a burned house. Some pay a managinulod to harm their enemies.
MANAGTANEM
Ilocano folks believe the managtanem uses a type of voodoo similar to those practiced in the Caribbean. A managtanem’s ritualistic witchcraft utilizes a voodoo doll that represents the victim. Pins are stuck in various parts of the doll to inflict severe pain on the victim, making him suffer.
MANAGWALO
According to local folklore from Bugasong, Antique this is a huge crested snake in the mountains. It is allegedly heard crowing like a rooster at 3:00 AM or at noon. Cracks on the dam in the area are said to have been the result of the managwalo hitting the concrete with its tail.
MANANANEM
A witch from Pangasinan folklore, known to be most active during full moon. What sets her apart from other witches is that she lifts from the ground the footprint of an intended victim. Upon returning home she roasts the footprint, which causes the victim to suffer high fever. She may also cause other victims’ intestines to scramble.
In Zambales, the manananem are known as maniniblot.
MANANANGGAL
The most popular among self-segmenting viscera-suckers, the manananggal from Tagalog folklore appears as a normal woman by day but at night she goes to a secluded place and after going naked she rubs a special oil all over her body while chanting an incantation until a pair of bat-like wings sprout from her back. She grows a pair of fangs and her fingernails turn into sharp talons. Her body then separates at the waist and upper body flies off, leaving her lower half behind. On a full moonlit night, some manananggal stare at the moon until gooey tears come out of their eyes and the upper body detaches. She feeds on the blood of a fetus or sucks the fetus out of a pregnant woman using her very long, thread-like tongue which pierces the mother’s navel and reaches for the unborn child. She swoops down and disembowels individuals who wander after dark and eats the liver of sleeping children. To kill her, ash, salt, or spices must be sprinkled on her discarded lower half, preventing her from rejoining with it. Alternatively, the lower half could be burned or hidden away. If the manananggal fails to rejoin with her lower half, she will die at sunrise.
MANANGILAW
The manangilaw or manang hilaw are hairy humanoid giants said to be living in the mountains and caves of Bicol. Generally described as having big feet, bodies covered in black hair, deep voices, and vicious-looking, ape-like faces, the illusive manangilaw use vines, which some wrap around their waist like belts, to catch fish and shrimp in the river or hunt small animals. When their usual prey are hard to acquire, some manangilaw resort to eating children who have strayed in the forest. In the 1980’s two manangilaw, a mother and a child, were allegedly captured by soldiers patrolling in Mount Isarog. The two beasts were chained to train wagons for 15 days and were fed with live chicken and cow’s blood. Nobody knows what became of them.
MANAOG
According to Manobo myths, the manaog are revered spirit beings that reside in the smallest layer of the skyworld about the size of a gabi leaf. The manaog are fond of scaring children and making them cry.
MANBUKAY
The manbukay from Ilonggo folklore are female tamawo who hang out around shallow wells.
MANDARANGKAL
The mandarangkal from Tagalog folklore is an aswang in the guise of a gorgeous woman. She uses her good looks to seduce men to have sex with her in order to eat them. When the victim reaches orgasm, the mandarangkal grows claws and sharp, pointed teeth and bites or slits the victim’s throat and mauls him to death. She will then feast on his flesh.
Mandarangkal is the Tagalog name of the praying mantis which share the same habit with the monster – killing their mates. Female praying mantis are known to bite off the head of their males after mating.
So, be careful with the random gorgeous girl you meet in the club or other places, who wants to make out with you. She might be a mandarangkal and you’ll end up in the list of missing persons.
MANDURUGO
The blood-thirsty mandurugo from Tagalog folklore attracts men with her incredible beauty in order to suck their blood. The mandurugo marries a healthy, plump youth so she can have a ready supply of blood every night. The clueless husband loses weight rapidly, weakens and withers away as the days go by. When the mandurugo has drained him to death, the vampire flies away as a bird-like creature to look for another man to suck dry. Her victims aren’t limited to men. She sucks her victims’ blood with her long, thread-like tongue, the needle-like tip of which pricks the jugular. She may also pretend to kiss a sleeping man on the mouth while her tongue slips inside and pricks the insides of the mouth, drawing blood. A concoction of duhat (Java plum) mixed with ginger, manzanitas bark, yantok (a fruit-bearing rattan), blood and makahiya (mimosa) leaves is used as an offering to the mandurugo.
MANG-AAWOG
In Waray beliefs, the mang-aawog (also spelled mang-aawug) uses a spell called awog against people who still fruits or vegetables from a farm or a plantation (usually coconut plantation). The spell is maintained by an accomplice, the evil spirit called kalag. Anyone who takes and eats a produce from the farm or plantation without the owner’s consent develops a bloated belly that grows bigger and bigger each high tide as the full moon approaches. The victim won’t be able to eat nor defecate and only foul-smelling fluid comes out of his orifices. His belly will grow as large as the belly of a pregnant woman until he finally dies on the third full moon. During his wake, the kalag arrives and bursts his belly open with a single touch.
MANGALOK
The mangalok or mangangalek from Cuyonon folklore in Palawan is said to be a beautiful winged girl who eats the dead and kills sleeping people for their liver and innards. By day she sleeps soundly on the highest tree with her long flowing hair covering her face. At sunset she awakens and flies off to search for prospective victims. She enters the house and upon finding a suitable victim (usually a child or a pregnant woman) among the sleeping occupants, she extends her long hollow tongue and its pointed tip pierces the navel. She then proceeds to suck the innards or the fetus, killing the victim. Others say her tongue is inserted into the victim’s body via the anus. The mangalok is careful not to have her tongue touch a female victim’s genitalia, for it is allegedly poisonous to her. She may also visit a wake to feed on the deceased. The mangalok casts a spell on the people present in the wake so they won’t see her enter and feeds on the corpse’s innards while laughing at them (in the olden days embalming was uncommon). Today, she has become synonymous with aswang.
The mangalok is also called mamaw, a term still used today to scare children.
MANGHIHIKAP
The manghihikap were pre-colonial Tagalog sorcerers who could kill a person instantly with just a single touch.
MANGILIT
The mangilit or babalu from Tausug folklore is a normal person by day but at night, when most people are asleep, the head along with the entrails detaches from the body and flies off to suck the blood and eat the innards of individuals it chances upon, especially children. If the head is unable to reunite with its body before sunrise, the creature dies.
MANGINDAAN
According to old beliefs of negritos from eastern Zambales, this is a hunting spirit who makes hunters miss their target and doesn’t let fishermen catch fish in the river or stream.
MANGINGILAW
According to folklore, it is an ape-like giant in Panay Island’s forests. The mangingilaw has a hairy body, very long hair, big teeth, fangs and sharp claws. Its black and thick body hair is said to be so tough that the beast can withstand slashes and hacks from any bladed weapon. However, it could be wounded if a pointed weapon is thrust through its hairs. The mangingilaw is primarily a carnivore – with humans included in its menu – but there are times when it eats fruits and moss or algae. When it does crave for raw meat, the beast prefers live prey. It is said that a mangingilaw is on the hunt when a strange, beast-like whooping is heard in the forest, especially in the late afternoon and after sunset. The mangingilaw is known to stalk, ambush or chase hunters and wood gatherers and will only abandon the pursuit when the person exits the forest it inhabits.
The mangingilaw’s name is derived from the word kilaw, meaning “food prepared raw”. Also there is a local delicacy called kilawin, its main ingredient is either raw fish or pork mixed with vinegar and spices.
MANGKOKOLAM
The mangkokolam from Isinay folklore is a person with a cat’s eyes. At night the upper half of the body screws itself off from the lower half and flies off to look for people to feed on. Its tongue is very long and as thin as a strand of hair, which it uses to pierce into the bodies of its victim to eat their liver.
MANGKUKULAM
The original mangkukulam from Tagalog myths were sorcerers who inflicted harm in a rather disgusting way and did it only once or three times a month, especially during rainy nights. The procedure involved the mangkukulam creeping under the house of the intended victim at night and wallowing in the muck and ordure under the batalan or sink-and-bathroom (in the olden days houses were elevated from the ground by posts, and the occupants took a bath, washed their feet, dishes, urinated, spat, and the untidy ones even defecated in the batalan) while whispering a mantala (incantation). Flames then engulfed the mangkukulam’s body, which caused the victim to become ill and finally die when the mangkukulam put out the flames. The flames can’t be extinguished even by water and only the mangkukulam can quell it. Only the excrement of a person near death can stop the mangkukulam.
When the practice of filth-wallowing died out, later generations of mangkukulam adopted voodoo and European-style sorcery which is still popular today. The most preferred medium in inflicting harm is a doll along with some pins. The doll represents the victim. A victim’s few strands of hair, a piece of personal belongings like clothes, or even a picture is attached to the doll. The mangkukulam pricks the doll in various points where he wants the victim to feel pain.
In Western Visayas, mangkukulam are called manughiwit.
MANGKUKUSIM
In Pampanga, there is a type of sorcerer known as the mangkukusim or mangkukusino, who sends out his spirit to harm his victims. Through his spirit, the mangkukusim can poison his targets or put small metal objects or even small live animals such as a chicken inside the body of the victims without making direct contact.
MANGLALABAS
The manglalabas or lumalabas (literally, “the one who appears”) from Tagalog folklore is the mischievous wraith of a miser. Three days after a miser dies, he returns and terrorizes (e.g.: throwing household items, move beds, pulling the legs of sleeping people, creating terrifying noise, showing up as a horrifying apparition) his family or anyone in the house until they are forced to abandon it out of fear. Those brave enough to stand the manglalabas’ horrifying antics are rewarded with the wraith revealing where it hid its fortune before finally resting in peace.
MANGLILILI
In Kapampangan folklore, the manglilili is an invisible creature or entity said to lead lone travelers astray. Those who fall victim to the manglilili wander in the forest for what seems like a few minutes or an hour only to find out later, after they are found or after escaping the enchantment, that they’ve been missing for hours or several days. Some say there are times the manglilili would take the form of a beautiful woman to lure men into the forest.
MANGMANGKIK
According to Ilocano beliefs, the mangmangkik or mangmangkit are spirits of trees from whom a person must ask permission before entering the forest or before felling a tree. They are said to be the spirits of individuals who were buried in trees. The Kankanaey folk call them tumungaw. These spirits appear in various forms from huge black men to regular objects like a piece of cloth. They cause illness to those who have offended them, especially people who urinate on or cut down trees without giving an offering first. To appease these spirits, an offering of freshly-butchered chicken or chicken blood must be made so they may cure the offender.
MANGNGIBAWANEN
According to old folk from Bolinao, Pangasinan, the mangngibawanen is a woman who, through witchcraft, could put anything (usually small objects) in the body of a person, make her victims sick, or make a woman talk to herself as if she is insane.
MANGGUGUYAM
An offshoot of the mangkukulam, the mangguguyam have the ability to make a person ill through fatal versions of usog or balis. They are skilled in using oraciones or incantations called palipad hangin to harm someone without the aid of potions. The mangguguyam whisper the incantation to the air directed towards the victim who will later fall ill, go crazy, or become catatonic. Some skilled mangguguyam feed on their victims’ energy like psychic vampires.
MANGUANG ANAK
It is believed in Pampanga and some parts of Nueva Ecija that the mauang anak is a foreigner who abducts children for their blood. He puts the children in his sack and takes them to his lair, where he hangs them upside-down and slashes their necks. He collects their blood, which he sells or he himself uses in minting coins.
MANGYAW-AWAN
According to Ilocano folklore, the mangyaw-awan are wayward mischievous spirits who inhabit trees or remote streams. They are fond of playing tricks on people, especially misleading those who pass through deserted roads, pathways and fields at night. They appear as fire and, from a distance, are usually mistaken by the traveler for house lights only for these lights to suddenly disappear after the traveler has traversed a considerable distance following them, and realize that he has lost his way.
MANILAG-NILAG
The manilag-nilag from Ilonggo folklore are female tamawo who attend human social gatherings and festivities in villages and towns.
MANINILONG
A maninilong is an aswang according to folklore from Catanauan, Quezon believed to prowl under nipa houses to victimize the household. It uses its long, thread-like tongue to suck the blood from the fetus of a sleeping pregnant woman or lick and eat the phlegm discharged by a sick person or one who suffers tuberculosis.
MANLA’AW-LA’AW
The manla’aw-la’w from Ilonggo folklore are tamawo often seen observing from behind anthills the activities of people.
MANLALAYOG
According to Visayan folklore, the manlalayog is a woman whose hair grows very long and wire-like at night. She is an aswang with deadly, foul-smelling hair, the nauseous stench of which can makes a person lose consciousness. She wrestles with her victim and using her hair, the manlalayog strangles or suffocates the person – the wiry strands crawling into the nose and mouth – while draining the life force, which results to death. A bottle of oil in her groin gives the manlalayog incredible strength and makes her unbeatable.
MANLILIGAW
In Tagalog folklore, the manliligaw (means, ‘one who leads astray’) is a spirit that leads travelers astray by making thorny bush block their path, forcing them to make a detour, thus, making them lose the right path and end up in the middle of nowhere. The travelers will only find their way if they wear their clothes inside-out, breaking the spirit’s enchantment. If a traveler is with a horse or a dog, he should let the animal lead the way because the manliligaw‘s spell won’t work on them.
MANNAMAY
Ilocano people abhor the mannamay because these witches practice tamay to inflict suffering on others. The harm usually manifests as terrible itchiness on the victim’s body.
MANOBO TAGSELATA K’ALO
Described in Bagobo mythology as black people who live where the sun rises, the manobo tagselata k’alo can’t withstand daylight and the sun’s heat for half a day. Like humans they eat rice but they cook it in a peculiar way. Just before sunrise they leave a big pot outside full of rice and water. Then they creep back into their hole in the ground. The scorching heat of the sun cooks the rice and the black people retrieve this at noon. From noon until sunset, and then all night they play and work.
MANSALAUAN
The mansalauan from Visayan folklore is a man-sized flying creature with bat-like wings and a long, sharp-tipped tongue which it uses to suck the internal organs of its victims. Its head looks like that of a chameleon while its hands and feet are simian, and the end of its tail is full of long bushy hairs.
MANSUSOPSOP
The fetus-eating mansusopsop is an aswang with a very long, proboscis-like tongue that can extend into a thread-like form. Aside from preying on the fetus of pregnant women, it also uses its tongue to lick the sick and the dying, sucking their life force for nourishment.
MANTAHUNGAL
The Tagbanua people of Palawan describe the mantahungal as a four-legged beast the size of a cow. Its body is covered by a shaggy coat of hair like a yak. Its head is hornless but its mouth is armed with two pairs of sharp tusks (two above and two below) with a powerful jaw and teeth capable of tearing through flesh and bone in one powerful bite. It lives in the mountains and attacks people on sight.
MANTALAGA
According to folklore from Cebu, this is a giant octopus living in Kawasan Falls. Its color is orange and violet and has big eyes. It drowns noisy or unruly bathers pulling them down with its five tentacles and it claims lives every two or four years. Some elders claim it is a giant freshwater mollusk with three tentacles. It is believed that there is also a mantalaga in Tanjay River, Negros Oriental.
MANTIANAK
In some parts of Mindanao, the mantianak or manti-anak is believed to be the vengeful spirit of a pregnant woman who died before giving birth. Thinking that she could have lived had she not been impregnated by a man, she blames all men for her untimely demise. She returns as a wraith with very long nails and has a hole in her bloated belly – the unborn child tucked inside. She exacts revenge by attacking any man she meets at night and savagely rips off the victim’s penis or testicles, causing him to bleed to death. In the middle of the night or the wee hours a mantianak could be heard humming a lullaby to her wailing baby. When such sound is heard within a residence, the men in the house must stay still and avoid making noise to be safe from the mantianak. In order to discourage the mantianak from attacking, a man must disguise himself as a woman by wearing women’s clothing because it is believed that the mantianak doesn’t attack women. A man may also leap into a body of water to deter the mantianak because she fears water. She seems to have certain similarities with the pontianak or kuntilanak of Malay and Indonesian folklore. In other areas in Mindanao, the mantianak takes the form of a flying head that bites off the penis and testicles of men.
MANTYU
The mantyu or mantiw from Western Visayan folklore is a very tall supernatural being. This giant roams around the community at night and while it can’t be seen most of the time, it can, however, be heard through its strange whistling which seems to come from high up in the air. This being could be glimpsed leaning on tall trees (it lives under tall trees) and looking sideways. It sleeps in a standing position and is generally friendly and helpful, but may play pranks on night travelers, especially those who mimic its whistling – picking up the person and carrying him on its shoulder.
Those who have allegedly seen a mantyu describe it as lean but muscular, broad-shouldered, long haired and more than ten feet tall – almost as tall as the coconut or buri palm tree. Male mantyu go around mostly naked while the female is scantily dressed. Both male and female mantyu are said to have big sexual organs similar to those of goats and carabaos. The mantyu are so tall they can traverse a vast expanse of field just a few steps. However, as spirit-like beings, they never leave footprints.
MANUBU
According to the beliefs of the Subanon, the bees belong to spirits called manubu, who are propitiated when searching for wild honey. These spirits have reddish or yellowish eyes, black complexion and woolly hair. Emerson Christie, who wrote about the culture of the Subanons of Sindangan Bay, Zamboanga del Norte theorized that the manubu are the Negritos who used to live in the area a long time ago, and were transformed into supernatural beings in the popular imagination of the Subanon people.
MARADAGGUT
According to Isneg beliefs, this is a spirit with a large head, small hands and legs and exceedingly small needle-like fingers and toes.
MARCUPO
In Western Visayas old tales tell of the marcupo or makupo (a.k.a. magkupo), a large venomous snake with a prominent red crest or parong on its head, a tongue with thorn-like hairs, a pair of sharp tusks, and a forked tail. It lives on top of trees in the mountains – its body wrapped around the branches – and grabs unsuspecting victims below. On quiet days it could be heard singing sonorously. In Negros Occidental one marcupo was said to live in a tree called kamandag in the mountains. Travelers who took refuge under the tree died either due to the serpent’s venomous bite or because of its venom which soaked the tree and the soil under it. Some parts of a marcupo’s body are said to have superb medicinal properties.
MARISPIS
The marispis or amirispis from Western Visayan folklore is a small, blackish, cricket-like creature although others say it is a bird. It makes deep, sharp, eerie chirps. If heard from the rooftop, it means a ghost is coming. If the sound is heard near the door, someone in the family will soon die. If the heard near the window, the chirps are a warning for impending danger in the vicinity.
MARUKPUK
According to folklore from Iloilo, the marukpuk are spirits of the dead which haunt bamboo groves from which the poles used to carry their coffins to the cemetery have been cut. The frequent sound of creaking or splitting bamboo, snapping of twigs, and rustling of bamboo leaves despite the absence of a strong wind indicate their presence.
MATANDA SA PUNSO
In the folklore of the Tagalogs, the matanda sa punso (sometimes only called matanda) is a spirit in the form of either an old man or old woman only about four or five inches tall and lives in anthills or termite mounds, thus the name. This spirit is usually friendly, especially to individuals it deemed to be of good character. It will visit its human friends daily and may even give them gifts or help them with the household chores. The matanda sa punso can also be mischievous by pinching people, leaving dark spots on the skin. Some matanda may become jealous with the lovers of their human friends. When a matanda sa punso is offended, he punishes the offender with sickness or even death if the offense is grave.
MATIGLA-AGNON
According to Manobo myths, the matigla-agnon is a blood-thirsty busaw that roams the sky when it is red (mostly during sunset).
MATRUCULAN
The monstrous matruculan from foklore in Luzon is the bane of women and infants. His skin is pitch-black while his eyes are big. This creature mauls pregnant women to death in order to eat the fetus inside the womb. He rapes women, especially virgins in their dreams and actually impregnates them. He returns during the late stages of pregnancy to eat his own spawn. In the olden days, husbands would brandish a knife above the belly of their pregnant wives to protect them from the matruculan.
MAWMAW or OKO
Found in old Tagalog folklore, the mawmaw (also spelled maomao) is a creature about the same shape and size as a man, but has an immensely long upper lip that can cover its entire face. It has no supernatural powers. It is fond of eating human flesh. It is also associated with the tikbalang, being sort of a servant or minion to the latter.
In Visayan folklore, the mawmaw is called oko. In the olden days, some Tagalog and Visayans living in southern Mindoro had this belief that some deceased members of the Mangyan tribe came back to life after three days and turned into creatures similar to the oko. These are revived walking cadavers, not spirits, and haunt areas they have known in life. If one can lead these creatures into the sea, they die permanently upon touching the water.
MAY-GALING
The may-galing were sorcerers during pre-colonial times in the Quezon province of Luzon, who had the ability to create illusions. Their favorite was conjuring a multitude of snakes in an instant.
MINA
According to Tagalog folklore, the mina is a man who abducts children, kills them, and sprinkles their blood over gold mines, hence the name. This strange man is only active during the hot season so at this time parents are watchful of their little children lest they be snatched and carried away by the mina.
MINOKAWA
In Bagobo myths, the minokawa is responsible for the lunar eclipse. It was believed that this island-sized bird always tried to swallow the moon. To discourage it from consuming the moon completely, the people would make loud noise. Its abode is somewhere outside the eastern sky (probably space). This gargantuan bird has a beak and talons of steel, eyes like mirrors, and tough sharp feathers.
MOLTO
According to folklore from Taal, Batangas, the molto is a spirit that comes out from the cemetery, and has the form of a very big man wearing a large sambalilo (a native wide-brimmed hat). He loves to eat, especially cooked pork. A person who manages to steal the spirit’s hat gains the ability to walk on water or underwater without getting wet nor drowning.
MONDUNTUG
According to Ifugao folklore, the monduntug are spirits that haunt the mountains. Hunters fear the monduntug because the latter are notorious for causing people to lose their way.
MOTOG
The motog from Bicolano and Visayan folklore is a male aswang that turns into a vicious monster with the head of a boar and the body of a man.
MULTO
Derived from the Spanish word “muerto” meaning “the dead”, the multo or murto are wandering spirits of the dead. They haunt their families, friends and relatives or the places where they died or places they held so dearly when they were alive, refusing to accept the truth or have no idea that they are already dead. Others linger in the world seeking justice or revenge for their unnatural death.
MULTU
According to negrito beliefs from eastern Zambales, the multu are spirits taller than men. These live in Mount Lingei and they cause rain or harm people who venture into the forest. One way to dispel them is to make a sound by beating a gong. To placate them, one should offer to them unhulled rice on a gong.
MURUKPOK
The diminutive murukpok from Ilonggo folklore is barely three feet tall with dark skin, curly hair, and looks somewhat cross-eyed. It’s usually seen roaming the countryside with a red cowl on its head. It walks with a cane while a bow and a quiver of arrows is strung over its shoulder. The murukpok is malevolent and very powerful. By just pointing its cane at someone, that person will fall ill. Instant death befalls those who get struck by its cane or get shot by its arrows.
MUWA
The muwa of Central Panay mythology are known for hoarding food provisions such as palay (rice) and other harvested crops. They reside in remote areas and may appear as old men or women. When in their true form, they have very long, kinky, greasy hair. Their bodies are also covered in hair like the alleged wild men of China and Indonesia. They reside in big houses hidden in bamboo groves. It is said that any farmer who fails to invite them during the pre-harvest rite called pangkuyang will have his crops harvested ahead by the muwa.
NAAT
According to Bagobo myths, the naat is a buso in the from of a deer. One of its antlers appears in bad condition with branches that point downward.
NAGA
The naga, according to Tiruray belief, is a huge eight-headed fish, possibly an eel, in the depths of the ocean.
In Bicolano myths, the naga are eel-like mermaids powerful than the magindara. They have greyish or silvery scales. Unlike the vicious magindara, the naga are benevolent, more intelligent, and have better command of the weather. However, when they are offended they could conjure up storms, devastating winds, or cause the rivers to overflow and flood the surrounding areas.
The concept of the naga may vary in the local myths of the Philippines, but this is derived from Hindu-Buddhist beliefs brought by settlers from Hindu and Buddhist-influenced kingdoms in Southeast Asia. In Hindu-Buddhist tradition, the naga are benevolent half-human, half-snakes or serpents with many heads.
NANGANGATOK
No one has ever seen what the door-knocking nangangatok looks like. But according to Tagalog folklore, it is a harbinger of death and other misfortunes. Those who open their doors to answer the knock won’t see anyone outside. A few days later the household will suffer a misfortune in the form of sickness or death of some of its members. Cautious people would peek through their windows first to see who was knocking. If no knocker was seen outside, they never open the door.
NATARAN
This spirit from Isneg beliefs lives in a cave and spreads a bad odor whenever it sees people, especially when they stray near its abode.
NGIO-NGIO
According to pre-colonial and early Spanish colonial period folklore from Visayas, this is a person (most likely an aswang) who turns into a bird at night.
NIñONG BUHAY
The niñong buhay is an obscure belief from Tagalog region but is popular among those who seek anting-anting, agimat and supernatural abilities. Named after the Santo Niño, it’s not exactly the child Jesus himself but a being that appears like a living native version of the Santo Niño image – small in stature (no taller than a toddler or even smaller), curly hair, and dark brown skin. There are many varieties of this creature, which vary in size. Their complexion range from agta (black), brown, and red (considered as the most powerful). One variety is called caballero because it rides a winged horse-like creature. They wear nothing but loincloths. They can be found in certain areas in the forest, especially on Mount Madyaas in Panay Island, and can only be seen and captured after doing certain preparations and rituals. If one succeeds in capturing one of these beings, he must snatch the libreta or booklet the size of a matchbox tucked in its loincloth at the waist. This booklet contains knowledge on acquiring supernatural abilities (e.g.: running on water, standing on the thinnest branch, super strength, extraordinary agility). But he who snatched the booklet must be careful, for the creator of the niño, a being described as a “white kapre” will arrive and try to retrieve the booklet. If the person succeeds in fending off the “white kapre,” it will depart with the niño but the two can be summoned for help. If a person already owns a niño, he can use it to capture other niños.
NUMPUTUL
Numputul from Ifugao myths is a headless being in the shape of a man swollen to monstrous proportions and with a voracious appetite. His neck-stump bubbles and froths as he travels in a happy-go-lucky manner, dancing and prancing along. He grabs all kinds of snakes and centipedes and devours them through the gaping hole of his neck-stump. He also eats chicken and other raw meat and kills the enemies of those who give him offerings. The more he thrusts food into his neck-stump, the better he feels.
NUNO
The nuno or nuno sa punso from Tagalog folklore is a small, gray-skinned, pointy-eared, and bearded old man no taller than a one-year-old child but older than the oldest trees around. He was considered by the ancient folks as the true owner of the land. Old folks say he’s been around before man set foot on the archipelago. He is often seen seated on top of an anthill absorbed in deep thought or roaming the fields or hills. Nobody really knows where he lives although most say he resides in the hollows of a tree or inside an anthill no taller than a person’s knees. Unlike the duende, he is more forgiving and only inflicts harm when push comes to shove. Most of his kind are fond of children and women and they sometimes leave gifts to those whom they favor. An offering of unsalted viand is much welcomed by the nuno.
The nuno is also known as apo, lakay and matanda. In some areas in Mindanao, he is called tawang lupa.
OGUIMA
The oguima or talongan were hairy humanoid creatures said to have been seen in the forests and mountains of Ibajay, Aklan in 1599-1600. They had goat-like legs and hooves like fauns or satyrs.
OKO or OKKO
According to local folklore from Caluya, Antique this is a humanoid creature with an abnormally big and long penis. The oko causes mischief by making people lose their way.
OMAYAN
As per the old beliefs of the Mandaya tribe, the omayan or kalaloa nang omay is a rice spirit and is believed to reside in rice fields. Ritual offerings of sprinkling rooster blood on stalks of rice before they are planted is performed as sacrifice to the omayan, and as way to ask permission to start farming. A pole is erected in the center of the field in honor of the spirit, ensuring a bountiful harvest. It was believed the omayan protects the crops from infestation and destruction. Failure to hold the ritual may result to the destruction of the farmers’ crops.
ONGLO
The onglo from Bicolano folklore is an ape-like creature with pointed ears and terrifying looks. Its body is full of straight, black hair while the skin on its elbows and knees is as hard as stone. It lives near the seashore or the river where nipa palms grow. It is said to sleep most of the day, crouched behind or under fallen trees. A person’s skin may get itchy and swollen if he touches the tips of the creature’s hair. Clams and oysters are said to be its favorite food, which it crushes between its elbows and knees to get the tasty morsels inside.
OSIKAN
According to folk beliefs from Eastern Visayas, especially Negros Oriental, the osikan are women who practice black magic, thus, they are considered as witches. There are allegedly no male osikan. The osikan can inflict harm with a mere remark, locally called usog. Some also have sigbin pets, which they order to attack the individuals they want to harm.
PALASEKAN
The Ilongot people believe the palasekan are invisible tree-dwellers. These spirits whistle to humans and hangout near human habitations in the evening until early in the morning. They spend their time listening to a magical music box while drinking native wine. They help good and honest farmers take care of the crops and warn those who are in danger, for they have the ability to foresee the immediate future of people. Those who cut a palasekan’s tree may appease the spirit with an offering of wine made from sugarcane.
PALILI
According to Mandaya tradition, the palili are spirits that reside on the summit of Mount Campalili. The palili guard an enchanted lagoon at the peak of the said mountain. This lagoon is filled with alligators, turtles, sharks, and other kinds of fish. The palili will petrify or turn to stone anyone who desecrates the lagoon.
PA-OS
According to some elders of the Higaonon people living near Langit-Langit Falls in Misamis Oriental, the pa-os is the guardian of the gold believed to be hidden within a cave above the waterfall. The pa-os is said to appear as a monitor lizard with scales that shine like gold.
PANGGUAH
The pangguah from Badjao folklore is the ghost of a deceased person who has sinned greatly such as committing murder, robbery, theft, adultery, rape and incest or someone whose corpse wasn’t properly washed for burial. Due to these great sins the spirit is rejected by the earth, so it comes out of the grave at night and appears as a rotting corpse usually preceded by the nauseating stench of decomposition, chasing the people it meets. Since it is bound on the land, when a pangguah is believed to be haunting, most Badjao in the vicinity fear going on land at night. It is believed that anyone who sees a pangguah is doomed to be unlucky for life.
PANGILAN
According to the folklore of negritos from Tayabas, Quezon, the pangilan is a spirit who lives in a cave. This spirit is very hairy, has long legs and small calves and a very broad body. It is a generally neutral spirit but may play good-natured tricks or pranks on people like stealing unattended items or objects.
PARAKARAW
The parakaraw are said to be witches in Bicol, who inflict stomachaches and other bowel-related maladies by whispering or blowing a dark incantation to the food of their intended victims.
PASATSAT
According to folklore from Pampanga, the pasatsat are ghosts that appear in the form of rolled up banig (sleeping mats made of woven reeds). During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, burial in a coffin was uncommon as it was considered too costly by the locals who have become impoverished because of the war. Corpses were instead wrapped in sleeping mats and buried away from the communal cemetery to be safe from grave-robbing. The pasatsat usually show up in solitary roads, blocking lone travelers. In order to get rid of the ghost, one must stab it. This causes the mat to unroll but there won’t be any corpse inside; instead, a putrid odor of rotting flesh is released into the air.
PILAY
The pilay from Isneg beliefs are young male and female spirits related to rice. One of them lives near the stove while the other guarded the rice granary and punished with lameness anyone who attempted to steal the rice. The one guarding the granary also made sure that the supply lasted until the next harvest. The natives fed these spirits with rice cakes and offered them prayers for healthy crops and a bountiful harvest.
PILI
In Ifugao beliefs, the pili are guardian spirits invoked to watch over a property against thieves and trespassers. Accompanied by a spirit dog, a pili bites anyone who steals or trespasses its charge. Its bite will become swollen and can only be healed through a ritual involving the sacrifice of a chicken.
PINADING
The Ifugao and Kankanaey people believe the pinading or pinad’ing are nature guardians that inhabit boulders, rocks and sacred trees called patpatayan. These spirits also watch over rice fields and granaries. They look like normal people and are mostly benevolent.
PIRITAY
As a mischievous shape-shifting entity, the piritay from Batangueno folklore waylays persons at noon or at sunset by appearing as someone familiar or attractive to the victims. It lures individuals to follow it and those who do, find themselves in an unfamiliar place and realize that they’ve been gone for hours. The unlucky ones often end up falling off a cliff, swallowed by quicksand or never seen again. The piritay‘s true form is said to be that of a woman with red skin.
PONGO
According to Bicolano myths, the pongo is a creature resembling an orangutan. However, it is twice bigger than a male gorilla and a lot faster than an ordinary orangutan.
PONGKOE
The pongkoe from Aklanon folklore is an imp-like creature fond of tickling sleeping individuals.
POO
Waray folklore tells of an aswang that appears as an ordinary person. It is only active when the moon is full, making a sound from which its name is derived while searching for prospective victims. When it makes the sound a fourth time it means it’s already inside the victim’s house. It steals infants whose parents have fallen asleep and kills individuals who sleep alone.
Interestingly, poo in old Visayan means “to injure, to kill, or to betray the sleeping”.
PUGOT
According to Ilocano folklore, the pugot takes on two forms. Sometimes a fiery-eyed cat that turns into a vicious-looking dog and other times a huge black man taller than any man. It is sometimes seen smoking a cigar and lives in the woods or even abandoned houses. It allegedly abducts children and throws stones at houses near its abode. Also, being fond of women, the pugot is notorious for stealing their underwear hung outdoors to dry overnight.
In modern times, the name pugot (Ilocano term for Aeta or negrito) is taken literally to mean ‘headless’ or ‘decapitated’ and so folklore about it has been extended to headless ghosts or spirits, especially headless priests.
PUGOT MAMU
In Kapampangan folklore, the pugot mamu is a headless tree-dwelling giant that devours children. It swallows the victim whole through the gaping hole at the stump of its neck.
PUPU
According to old beliefs of negritos from Camarines, the pupu is a giant spirit in the forest whose form is a shadow taller than a man. This spirit makes people very ill by merely touching them or clawing them, leaving strange marks on the body. In Bicolano myths this spirit is known as popo. It is described as tall, slender, has a tail and snorts like a pig. Its eyes and touch can drain a person of his energy, making him very sick.
PUTING BABA
The puting baba from folklore in Luzon are subterranean, white skinned goblin-like creatures with very long chins. They make their chins protrude on the surface of the ground, making them appear as stones or mushrooms. Whosoever is foolish enough to trip on them or pick them up is pulled underground.
PUTOT
According to Ilonggo folklore, the putot are small, goblin-like underground dwellers with truncated body parts. Some only have one leg, one arm, or no limbs at all and move by means of crawling or rolling.
RAGIT-RAGIT
The ragit-ragit according to folklore from Romblon are tiny slender beings who look like cute children. They have slanted, non-winking eyes. Their skin is fair and smooth. They never grow old and only infants less than a year old or chosen individuals can see them. They steal or inflict illness on babies left unattended outdoors after sunset. If the baby is made to wear a black cap, the illness is cured.
RIWA-RIWA
The riwa-riwa or rioa-rioa from Bagobo beliefs is a tall buso with eight eyes and resides in the sky. While suspended upside-down, the riwa-riwa listens to people who are talking. If it gets offended by a random remark, the riwa-riwa’s eyes turn big with anger and it drops to the ground, bringing sickness to inflict on those who have offended it.
RUU
According to old Bagobo beliefs, the ruu is a pig-like buso with a big belly and pointed teeth, who lives underground. It takes the strength of those who disturb its abode, making them extremely weak until they fall to the ground and then attacks them with bites.
SAIRO
The sairo from Ilocano folklore are said to be the most malevolent environmental spirits. These spirits can assume any form they want, especially that of a pasaki (a small dog with thick, white hair) or a big, black man with a relatively long body and short legs. They live in large trees, thickets near springs, and in isolated dark places seldom visited by people. They may be unseen most of the time but their footsteps could be heard when they are walking around at night.
SAITAN
According to Badjao beliefs, saitan (derived from the Islamic Shaytan) is an evil spirit believed to inhabit enchanted places like big trees, huge rocks, and caves. It can transform into any form it likes such as an animal, a beautiful woman, or an ugly man or a handsome gentleman. An encounter with the saitan may cause body pains followed by an illness which can be cured through a ritual performed by a magtatambal (healer).
SALUT
In the olden days, during an outbreak of cholera, some people in the Tagalog region feared that the salut or salot (literally, “pestilence”) would come knocking on their doors. As the name suggests, the salut was a personification of pestilence and disease, especially cholera, in the form of a mysterious old woman dressed in black. This spirit would roam in the middle of the night and knock on houses. Anyone who answered her was stricken with illness and died eventually. The salut is also attracted to sick persons, going near them and if they fail to recover, the salut is sure to get them, which means they die.
SAMA-SELLANG
According to Badjao folklore, the sama-sellang (meaning, ‘ocean-gypsy’) is a humanoid being living in a kingdom beneath the sea. Sometimes he emerges from the sea and is seen walking naked along the beach during moonlit nights. He is large, about ten to twelve feet tall, black and muscular and his body is shiny. He is said to be the king of all the fishes in the sea. If offended, especially when people fish in his territory without asking for permission or when fishermen fail to pay tribute after a bountiful catch, he causes their boats to tip over and drown the offenders.
SANGKABAGI
The katataoan’s counterpart in Ilocos Norte are the sangkabagi which means “unity of bodies” or “one body.” They are beings from another realm and appear as fair-looking people. At midnight the sangkabagi sail the skies on a small wooden boat, searching for the souls of the dead to take to the afterlife. They would, from time to time, chose individuals to serve as their medium in healing the sick. These individuals become local healers called maibangbangon. Later, the sangkabagi were demonized by the Spaniards. From ferrying the souls of the dead, they became spirits that feed on the dead. The sangkabagi allegedly ate the liver of people who have offended them and filled the gaping wounds on the victims’ bodies with herbs. They became notorious for dragging sleeping people or making individuals lose their way. These spirits could also see the entrails of living people. The sangkabagi gave magical books to the people they liked. These books had the ability to transport the owner to any desired place in an instant.
SANTELMO
The santelmo or santermo (also spelled santilmo) is a floating or bouncing ball of fire often seen after a rain or during a drizzle at any time of the day, though, mostly at night. Depending on stories, it chases people or floats to an unknown destination. It is widely believed that the santelmo are either enchanted beings or the spirits of murdered people seeking justice or out for revenge. There are stories of santelmo taking on the shape of a flaming person. A santelmo is allegedly created when a murder victim’s blood spills on the ground and becomes exposed to the scorching heat of the sun and then the rain on the same day. A ball of fire will then emerge after the rain. According to others some santelmo serve as guardians of buried treasures, chasing or scaring away would-be trespassers. These guardians may be elementals or spirits of slaves buried with the treasure of a dead datu or chieftain. The name santelmo is derived from Saint Elmo’s fire which is said to be seen by sailors in the middle of the sea and believed to be the spirits of people lost at sea.
The santelmo is known as mangalayo among the Sulod people in the mountains of Panay Island. It appears late in the afternoon or at night, especially during a rain and chases people. In Zamboanga it’s referred to as bulay fuego.
Known as allawaig in Ilocos, it leads travelers astray into dangerous paths like cliffs, quicksand, swamp, or deep pits on the ground.
In Pangasinan the flying or leaping ball of fire that never burns its surroundings is called silew or silew-silew. Its flames glow bright blue, green, orange, red, or yellow.
SARANGAY
According to Ibanag folklore, the sarangay is a tall, hairy and dark-skinned man with long, coarse black hair. He wears big wooden earrings and owns a magical jewel that glows like an ember in the dark. He is aggressive and charges at people on sight, bellowing like an enraged bull. The person who is able to steal the sarangay’s magical jewel will gain the strength of ten men.
SARUL
The sarul from Hiligaynon folklore are spirits which take the form of animals and insects. These lurk around secluded byways to observe or scare passing travelers. Sometimes, they play pranks by spooking travelers with eerie sounds.
SARUT
In the morning, the sarut according to Ilonggo folklore appears as an average person but at night he/she turns into a dog-like creature and attacks those who wander in the night. When people are hard to come by, it preys on livestock and poultry, causing heavy losses to those who have farm animals. Its name literally means a pest.
Sarut in other parts of Iloilo, is believed to be a queer-looking animal or insect which haunts places where people pass frequently. The sarut is generally harmless but when offended or harmed, it inflicts illness to the offender.
SASAILO
The sasailo are the Tinguian version of the anito. The benevolent sasailo dwell among us with some disguised as normal persons. They are both feared and respected for their boundless knowledge, longevity, and the ability to influence daily activities.
SELOK
According to Badjao folklore, this is a person by day but at night the head along with its entrails detaches from the body and flies off to feed on people. Those it attacks suffer a shortness of breath, chest pains, frequent vomiting, which could lead to death.
SEKUR
According to Bagobo folklore, sekur or sakar is a buso who crawls on four limbs, has really large ears and climbs mountains.
SIBRONG
This spirit from Isneg beliefs is black and tall and wanders at night in search of individuals who sleep outdoors, especially those who sleep on the riverbank.
SIGBIN
According to Visayan folklore, the sigbin or amamayong are creatures resembling a cross between a dog, a goat, and a kangaroo a bit larger than a goat and have whip-like tails. Although four legged they mostly hop on their longer hind legs. They have wide ears that clap when they’re on the move. At sunset or during the night they are often seen eating squash blossoms in a garden or a farm. At noon they roam in search of small creatures in mounds. They can move so fast for human eyes to see, giving way to the belief that they can become invisible. Their presence is often betrayed by their nauseating odor. Some say the sigbin walk backward.
The sigbin are attracted to the smell of a dying person, often hastening his death by licking him. They can make a person sick or kill him by biting his shadow. Good luck is bestowed upon persons whom they choose to befriend provided they are fed with charcoal and, in some cases raw meat. A sigbin could be used as transport. All a person has to do is to ask his friend sigbin and tell it where he wants to go. Then upon sitting on the sigbin‘s back (facing the creature’s tail) he should tap the tail’s base gently and off they go as fast as lightning. Some of the aswang use them as familiars.
SIGBINAN
In Visayan folklore, a person who has a pet sigbin is called sigbinan. When the sigbin are not active, the sigbinan keep them in clay jars with a supply of charcoal for nourishment. The sigbinan can command their pet sigbin to harm or steal from anyone. This is the reason why the sigbinan are wealthy.
In the olden days, the sigbinan were originally sorcerers who could change into alligators, snakes, or dogs and preyed on people. They killed children and made amulets out of the hapless kids’ hearts.
SIGRUTAN
According to Isneg beliefs this is a female spirit, who puts snares along the road and ensnares people by the neck, killing them on the spot.
SILAGAN
The silagan are flightless aswang according to folklore from Catanduanes. People with fair skin and those dressed in white during mourning are their preferred victims. It is said they can see the internal organs of a person. They always go by twos, one wearing white and the other clad in black. The duo would lie down on either side of a sleeping person, and the one clad in white takes the victim’s liver after the one in black tore the victim open through the anus.
SINAN-BABOY
The sinan-baboy (means ‘semblance of a pig’) from Ilocano folklore is a spirit that takes the form of a hog with fiery eyes with blue-green flames gushing out of its mouth. It hangs out under mango trees at night. It varies in size from small to huge for it is a shapeshifter. When in its small size, it sometimes passes through the legs of a person several times unnoticed. When angered it grows to an immense size and tramples the offender to death.
SINAN-BAKET
According to Iloko folklore, the sinan-baket (means ‘semblance of an old woman’) is a night spirit that takes the form of small, ugly old woman dressed in black and frequents vacant lots where there are large trees. It walks in and out among the shadows and the rustle of its trailing skirt can faintly be heard while it walks.
SINAN-CASTILA
This spirit (means “like a Castillan/Spaniard”) from Ilocano folklore appears – as its name suggests – as a Spanish mestizo. It is a white spirit that changes size, hovers around and vanishes in an instant.
SINAN-LAKAY
The sinan-lakay (means ‘semblance of an old man’) from Iloko folklore, is a night spirit that inhabits large trees. It appears as an old man garbed in black clothes and scares those who wander near its abode. It may also follow people and takes on various forms to scare people. When it appears as a cat or a dog, it grows larger and larger or smaller and smaller to scare the people it meets. It may also transform into a white chicken. Late at night, when not a single chick is to be heard in the village, it goes down from its tree and travels down the street, finally ending its walk by going up another haunted tree.
SINANPADI
According to Ilocano folklore, the sinanpadi (means ‘semblance of a priest’) is a mischievous black-garbed spirit who stays in trees near old cemeteries, and when you see it, it performs the antics of a priest at the altar during Mass. It possesses a book which contains instructions regarding cures for any disease or ailment, infallible prophecies and many other things human beings think are impossible to do.
SINASA’BAN
A sinasa’ban is an aswang from Bicolano folklore said to be particularly attracted to the smell of the phlegm and other excreta of sick people. It finds the smell of such things intoxicating and becomes elated upon capturing even the faintest scent of fresh excrement. Guided by its nose, it locates the sick person’s house and from then on visits the house every night to satiate its grotesque olfactory needs. In doing so, it slowly absorbs the victim’s life essence, causing his condition to worsen.
SIPAY
In the olden days in Quezon Province and in Laguna, the sipay is said to be a mysterious man (allegedly hired by people engaged in the construction of bridges and buildings) who snatches children who are outdoors at 3 p.m. or after sunset and carries them off inside a sack (some say the sack is black). The sipay decapitates a captured child and collects the victim’s blood. Others say the innards and flesh are set aside for the sipay to eat later. The sipay brings the blood to his contractors and either mixes it with the cement or smears it on the structure as some sort of ritual to ensure the bridge or building lasts and can withstand the test of time.
It can be told if a sipay is approaching because the area suddenly becomes so quiet and a somewhat foul stench could be discerned in the air. Some sipay may snatch more than one child which it loads on a wooden cart.
Later, the sipay was used to scare children who refuse to take a nap in the afternoon or those who remain outdoors at 3 p.m. until sundown.
In other areas the sipay is known as manunupot. In Bicol and Camarines Norte, he is known as mambabansok. In other areas the sipay is called mandudugo or mamumugot.
SIRENA
Folklore about the sirena, local mermaids, is popular throughout the Philippine archipelago. All sirena appear as women with fish tails instead of legs. However, there are varying accounts about the appearance of the sirena. Some say they have seaweed-like hair, a pair of small holes in place of a nose, dark and fish-like eyes, a fish-like mouth filled with small pointed teeth, webbed hands and a tail closer to those of aquatic mammals. This version of the sirena can’t talk and only makes sounds similar to those of whales or dolphins. The more popular version are those with the upper body of a beautiful woman and a long tail like that of a fish complete with scales. These are said to be hermaphrodites, capable of having an offspring with humans. They are notorious for luring people to the sea with their sweet voices and singing. Their hair is said to be an effective bait in catching fish.
In Ilocano folklore, the sirena sometimes leaves the water to attend Catholic processions or mingle with humans. It is said one can tell that she is a sirena because of her fishy smell. According to old Ilocano beliefs, the sirena was once a normal girl who was swept into the water by the litao to claim her as his wife and, thus, turning her into a sirena.
SIRING
The siring or sir’ing from Bagobo folklore are curly-haired, shadowy creatures with long, sharp and tough fingernails. They live in caves, cliffs or dangerous places. They abduct children and women by disguising as the victims’ relatives or family members, luring them to remote places. The victims are not killed but kept in their lair and fed with a meal of snakes or worms. If they try to escape, the siring will scratch them with their long nails. If they die, the siring eat their corpse. These creatures also cause people to suffer accidents such as leading them off a cliff and fall to their deaths so that the fiends will have a corpse to eat. One way to keep these creatures at bay is by carrying red pepper, which they hate. Among the Tiruray, it is believed that the siring take care of the spirits of deceased babies whose corpses were interred in the hollows of balete trees.
SIYAM-SIYAM
According to Ilonggo folklore, in mid to late 19th century, travelers on horseback or carriage encountered a restless spirit at night. The spirit at first appeared as a normal person and asked to hitch a ride. On the way it talked casually and confessed the nine sins that he committed nine times. Then the hitchhiker turned into a skeleton in tatters and asked for the nearest church and disappeared while the travelers screamed their heads off. In one story, the siyam-siyam finally found peace when he entered a church one night and confessed to a friar.
SUUTAN
According to Isneg beliefs, this is a strong spirit who looks for dead people and carries their corpses on its tail.
T’EBANG
As the belief goes among the Bagobo, a person has two souls – the ta-kawanan or right-hand soul (good soul) and the t’ebang or gimokud t’ebang, the left-hand soul (bad soul). The t’ebang is the shadow on the left side of one’s path or the reflection of one’s self in the water. At night when the person is asleep, the tebang leaves the body and wanders faraway. Anything it experiences is remembered as a dream when the person wakes up. If the t’ebang gets hurt, the person gets sick. If the t’ebang is eaten by a buso, the person will die. When a person dies, before the burial his/her t’ebang lingers and haunts graves, tall trees and lonely places because it cannot go to the afterlife unlike the ta-kawanan. The t’ebang is lonely and wants another person to die, especially those close to the deceased so it will have a companion. The t’ebang wanders through the forest and when it finds an old rotten tree, it asks if the tree can kill it, to which the tree answers no. In response the t’ebang rams its head against the tree, causing said tree to come crashing to the ground. People who hear this take it as a sign that someone is going to die, for the t’ebang craves for a companion. After it’s deceased body is buried, the t’ebang turns into a buso-like spirit called burkan or kamatoyan.
TA-AWI
Despite having a body bigger than an ordinary man, the ogre-like ta-awi is very agile. Its thunderous voice terrifies Maranao hunters. It raids villages and devours people alive but doesn’t eat their eyeballs because it can’t digest them for some reason.
TAGALABONG
The tagalabong or talonanon according to old lower myths from Panay Island are terrifying humanoid creatures guarding the forests and mountains. In order to enter these areas safely, one must first ask for permission from these guardians.
TAGAMALING
In the folklore and myths of the Bagobo people, the tagamaling are considered as the least evil among the buso, for there are times when they’re good to the people. The Mandaya people, on the other hand, regard them as the ones who taught the tribe how to weave the dagmay cloth, while ancient Manobo folk considered them as spirits that watched over the crops. Said to dwell in invisible houses of gold on top of large trees, they sometimes appear as normal looking people. Their true appearance, however, is hideous with only one eye and fearsome fangs. They are also slightly taller than a man. This fearsome form only appears every other month at the start of the full moon until the beginning of the new moon. During this period, they become true buso, killing and eating any human they meet. After that they revert to their good nature for a whole month between the new moon and before the beginning of the full moon. Having magical powers, they could turn to rocks those who offend them.
TAGBANUA
The Manobo people believe that the tagbanua or mangudlaway are harmful busaw that dwell in balete trees.
TAGULILONG
According to folklore from Cebu and Misamis, the tagulilong is a creature, said to be in the form of a small bird, with the ability to turn invisible, especially when it steps behind even just a small stick or a leaf. It is mischievous and steals things. It is believed that anyone who cooks and eats the tagulilong’s liver acquires its ability to turn invisible.
TAHAMALING
The red-skinned and yellow-eyed tahamaling from Bagobo folklore are considered as guardians of animals. These elusive female spirits of the forest are mostly active at night. They take care of wounded animals, including the domesticated ones in nearby villages. Those who were lucky to glimpse them say they wear nothing but bracelets and anklets made of bones. It is believed they inhabit trees.
TAHOY
According to old Waray folklore, the tahoy, which is a guban-on (forest spirits) variant, is a tall, thin spirit with a face like that of a bird.
TALAHIANG
The Yakan people in Zamboanga say the talahiang is a muscular, twelve foot tall version of a male negrito. This giant with thick lips, large nose, big teeth, and coarse kinky hair inhabits big trees. It leads people astray but is easily scared away by noise. When spooked it transforms into a big lizard and flees. Like the batibat, it induces nightmares to those who reside near its tree.
TAMA
In Manobo myths, the tama or tame is a malevolent giant spirit that inhabits big trees, like the balete, in the forest. The tama leads hunters and travelers astray with strange calls and other sounds. Its footprint is said to be 6 feet in length. Sometimes it picks up people and eats them.
TAMAWO
The elf-like tamawo or tumawo from Western Visayan folklore live in vast mansions hidden underground, in the woods or on elevated areas in the field. They use big trees as portals to the human realm. They appear as handsome young men and beautiful women without a shadow, their alleged true form being tiny people with very long hair that reach the ground. They mingle with humans and even attend mass but leave before the benediction. A person who eats tamawo food (black, violet, or red, big grained rice that seem to move like worms) can never go home and becomes a tamawo.
There are male tamawo who hypnotize women to have sexual intercourse with them. After that the woman immediately bears a child which will be taken away by the father. The mother will remember the whole incident as merely a dream.
Like the engkanto, tamawo disguised as ordinary persons have no philtrum or the dent between the nose and the upper lip.
TAMBAL
In Tagalog folklore, the tambal (meaning, “a pair”) is a forest spirit, a local version of the doppelganger, notorious for copying the appearance and voice of a person. Once a person enters the forest inhabited by a tambal, the spirit will cause the said person to get lost in the forest for hours or even days. Meanwhile, the tambal copies the victim’s appearance and mingles with the latter’s relatives, family, or acquaintances. The victim could only be set free from the tambal’s enchantment if someone finds him in the forest or if the tambal’s deception is discovered by someone familiar with the victim. Other tambal kill their victims in order to replace them for a period of time. The disguised tambal then disappears or fakes its death supposedly caused by a mysterious illness but its corpse is nothing but a cut banana trunk or a small tree trunk made to look like the victim.
TAMBALOSLOS
The tambaloslos from Bicolano and Visayan folklore is a dark and hairy humanoid creature with a large mouth and thick protruding lips which cover its round eyes when it laughs. Some say this creature is only two feet tall while others claim it’s tall but very skinny with long arms and legs. It lurks in the woods and is mostly active at noon. It disorients and terrorizes individuals it chances upon, causing them to get lost and go in circles for hours. The tambaloslos would make creepy sounds such as a maniacal laugh as it stalks the victims or blocks the path while grinning from ear to ear. To escape the creature’s clutches, the victims must take off their clothes and wear them inside-out. The tambaloslos finds this amusing and, thus, becomes distracted, breaking its enchantment on the victims.
According to others, the tambaloslos has very large, long and wrinkled penis and loose, saggy testicles, which dangle close to the ground. It victimizes women, harassing them sexually. The women could escape after the creature gets to look at their breasts while they’re wearing their clothes inside-out. The tambaloslos gets aroused until its erect penis blocks its view, therefore, allowing the victims to escape.
TAMBALOSLOS
The tambaloslos from Cebuano folklore is a mischievous tree-dwelling spirit who delights in scaring people. It disguises itself as a person and lurks on the the side of beaten paths or trails where, upon encountering a person passing by, it laughs so hard that its whole skin peels off starting from the sides of the mouth and falls on its feet, revealing the naked bloody flesh underneath, scaring the wits off the unfortunate victim.
TAMBANAKAWA
The Mandaya and the Bukidnon people once believed that the lunar eclipse was caused by the tambanakawa or tambanokano, a gigantic crab in the sea, as it tried to devour the moon. Aside from lunar eclipse, it was also believed to create the sea’s tides and big waves by scuttling around. The Bukidnon people believe this huge crab from the mountains caused the great deluge by plugging the world’s navel in the sea. The Manobo people, on the other hand, believe the tambanakawa is a huge spider or scorpion that attacked the moon once in a while in an attempt to eat it.
TANDAYAG NA OPON
The tandayag was a giant wild boar in the Bicolano epic Ibalon.
TANGGAE
The tanggae according to folklore from Aklan looks similar to a manananggal but it has the ability to disguise its discarded lower half into an anthill. Thus, the lower half is safe from being discovered and destroyed while the tanggae is away searching for prey.
TANGAL
According to folklore from Capiz Province, the tangal is an aswang more dangerous than the tik-tik or the wak-wak because it is a more relentless predator and won’t return home until it has tasted flesh and blood. It goes out at night in search of people to eat but it only does this once a year. By day, the tangal appears as a normal person but when it is time to hunt at night he/she goes to a solitary place where the head along with the stomach then separates from the rest of the body and takes the form of a dog. In this form the tangal runs as fast as the wind, searching for individuals who still roam at night.
TANGGAL
The tanggal from Tagalog folklore or tanggar from Palawan folklore refers to the self-segmenting night fliers that can detach the upper part of their body from the lower half at the waist or the head from the rest of the body like the manananggal and the ungga-ungga.
TAONG LANSA
According to folklore from Palawan, this appears as a very dirty person often naked and stinks like rotten fish (thus the name which means “stinky person”). It lurks in the forests or even the mangroves where it attacks and eats the flesh of people it chances upon. One can tell if the taong lansa is around because of its rotten smell in the air.
TAONG LUMOT
According to mountaineer tales, the taong lumot is a spirit that haunts the forests of Mt. Halcon in Oriental Mindoro. It is sometimes blamed when mountaineers lose their way. The spirit is said to ride on the backs of hikers and mountaineers making them dizzy and nauseous. Those who claim to have glimpsed the taong lumot describe it as a dirty humanoid creature with its body partially covered with algae or moss.
TAONG TUOD
Some trees in the forest are not what they appear to be. Such is the case of the taong tuod from Tagalog folklore. They are beings in the shape of trees. But unlike trees, they can move but aren’t mobile, have fewer leaves, most have weird or humanoid in shape, and they are smaller in size with a hollow in the middle of the trunk. They ensnare and kill those who get near them.
TAUN DAMU
According to negrito folklore from Tayabas, Quezon, the taun damu or taong damo (people of the weeds) are spirits that cause harm such as causing miscarriage to pregnant women.
TAWAK
A tawak or magtatawak is a healer who specializes in treating snakebites, especially those from venomous snakes. Born the same day a snake hatched from its egg, it is said a tawak has supernatural bond with the latter and other serpents including some reptiles, which makes him immune to snake venom. He can expel the venom from snakebites and cure the patient by applying his saliva or using magical stones on the wound. Moreover, a tawak has the ability to command snakes and other reptiles.
TAWO SA SALUP
According to Bukidnon beliefs the tawo sa salup are spirits in the forest. They are called upon for their aid in times of war. People who enter or pass by their territory without invoking their permission are punished with sickness.
TAWO SA TALONAN
The Tagbanua of Bulalacao Island in Coron, Palawan believe that the tawo sa talonan or tawo satolonan (means “people in the forest”) are forest-dwelling, dark and hairy beings who eat children and play pranks on hunters, wood gatherers, and travelers.
TAWONG LIPOD
In Bicolano myths, the tawong lipod are benevolent, elf-like beings. Most are short and lean in stature and the rest are tall. Most of the time they move so fast that humans rarely see them. They can talk to animals and they know a lot of nature’s secrets. They can also fly and can send strong gusts of wind to punish people who have offended them.
TAYABAN
According to Ifugao myths, the tayaban are are tiny, humanoid flying creatures with scales so shiny and radiant that they appear like fireflies at night. Despite their small size, the tayaban can kill a person by preying on or consuming his soul.
TAYHO
The tayho (also spelled tayhu) from Western Visayan folklore are similar to the centaur of Greek mythology except they have beast-like faces and have the ability to disappear at will. During full moonlit nights a tayho could be glimpsed roaming the forest or the swampy areas abundant with mangroves. Most persons who see them end up staring blankly in the air for a few moments or lose their way should they attempt to follow the creatures. The tayho are hard to track down because they don’t leave any tracks or hoof prints on the ground. It is believed they live in a different realm.
It is said the tayho are the offspring of a female water buffalo and a giant male agta.
TEKMA
According to old Subanon beliefs, the tekma are tall and hideous forest creatures with feet turned backwards. They are so frightening that to see one could turn a person permanently cross-eyed.
TIBAGLINAW
In Manobo myths, a tibaglinaw is a half-diwata, half-busaw spirit that inhabits the budbud tree.
TIBSUKAN
The tibsukan from Central Panay folklore appears as a piglet with a longer snout which it uses to burrow underground where it prefers to live. Anyone who disturbs it gets sick. Some of the engkanto and witches make the tibsukan their pet and whenever they want to harm people who have offended them, they command their tibsukan pet to burrow and live under the victim’s house and make the latter seriously ill.
TIBURON
According to the Bicolano epic Ibalon, the tiburon or tiburones were giant flying sharks with tough hide and saw-like teeth that could crush rocks.
TIGABULAK
In Tagalog folklore, the tigabulak is an aswang (usually an old man) who lures children with candy and other sweets. Upon reaching a secluded area, the tigabulak incapacitates the child and puts him/her in a sack which he carries to his dwelling in the woods. The child is then butchered. The tigabulak collects the victim’s blood along with some of the child’s meat, selling them in the market, which, thru magic, desguises them as pork or beef.
TIGADLUM
In Sulod-Bukidnon or Tumandok beliefs in Iloilo, the tigadlum are people who can make themselves invisible. Such ability is possessed mainly by sorcerers, witches, and aswang.
TIGALPU
According to the Sulod-Bukidnon or Tumandok people in Panay Island, individuals who can pass through solid objects (like Shadowcat in X-Men) are called tigalpu.
TIGBANUA
The tigbanua are vicious varieties of buso found in Bagobo myths. They dwell in caves, jungles, and rocky areas, and attack people. Often described as one-eyed, they are very tall with lean, long bodies and long necks which they can twist to see behind them. They have dirty, curly hair, a yellow or red eye, flat noses, pointed teeth and fangs, bony over-sized feet, and their pale leathery skin is caked with grime. They hunt in groups at night and gang up on a human victim, dismembering him with their long claws and eating him. Despite their fearsome reputation, they are afraid of dogs.
TIGMAMANUKAN
According to old Tagalog folklore, the tigmamanukan is a small omen bird with blue and black feathers. If a traveler encountered a tigmamanukan flying to the right it meant his journey will be without incident, but if the bird flew to the opposite direction it meant he might encounter dangers along the way and even lose his way and may never be seen again. According to Fray Pedro de San Buenaventura, a Franciscan friar from the early 1600s, a native hunter who accidentally caught a tigmamanukan usually cut off the bird’s beak before setting it free while uttering, “Kita ay iwawala, kun ako’y mey kakawnan, lalabay ka,” which translates to: “I will set you free, if I travel, sing to the right.” This was believed to guarantee a safe travel for the hunter. To encounter a tigmamanukan was called salubong.
TIKBALANG
The tikbalang (a.k.a. tigbalang, kuyog) according to popular Tagalog folklore is a creature with a horse’s head and a man’s body. He is taller and bigger than an ordinary person, has coal black skin, very long hoofed legs, and bristles on his mane – three of which are thicker and have magical properties and can be used as amulets. The 17th century Spanish missionary Alonso de Mentrida, on the other hand, described the tikbalang based on native accounts as having “a face like a cat’s, with a head that is flattened above, not round, with thick beard, and covered with long hair; his legs are so long that, when he squats on his buttocks, his knees stand a vara above his head; and he is so swift in running that there is no quadruped that can be compared with him.”
The tikbalang also possesses incredible strength, agility and the power of invisibility.
Arrogant and playful in nature, the tikbalang often plays pranks on those who have entered his territory or because of a mere whim, usually making individuals lose their way or walk in circles. Some pranks are so severe victims end up insane or ill to the point of death. Even the mere appearance of a tikbalang is said to make a person lose his mind. Many believe that whoever succeeds in plucking a tikbalang’s magical bristles, the creature will become his servant and grant his wishes.
Having the ability to disguise as a human, the tikbalang appears as a tall, lean man wearing salakot (traditional circular, wide hat) with a native woven bag on his back while munching on a bamboo twig in his mouth. It is believed that rain during a sunny day means a maiden is being wed to a tikbalang. Among the Dumagat negritos from Baler, the tigbalang is considered as a neutral spirit who gives life and directs activity.
TIK-TIK
Folklore concerning the tik-tik is widespread in the Philippines, therefore, the creature’s characteristics vary from one tale to another. In some anecdotes, the tik-tik is a variant of the aswang that lives as a normal person by day but turns into a huge, black bird after dark and preys on the child inside a pregnant woman’s womb or on a bedridden sick person. It inserts through a hole on the roof or through the window its long, hollow, and pointed tongue which could become as thin as thread. The tongue pierces the sleeping victim’s womb through the navel and sucks the fetus’s blood or digests the child itself and sucks it out like drinking through a straw. It uses the same tongue to suck the life force of a sick person. In other tales, the tik-tik reverts to its human form upon landing on a prospective victim’s roof. Its name is said to be derived from the sound it makes. There is a belief that when the tik-tik’s shriek is loud, it’s still far away; but when its sound grows faint, it means it’s nearby. Also, gusts of wind despite a calm weather indicates that it’s on the prowl. In other areas the tik-tik is a black bird that serves the aswang, helping the latter locate potential victims, hence, the name which in Tagalog means “spy.” This bird alights on the roof of potential victims and calls for its master. According to Tagalog folklore the tik-tik is an enemy of the aswang. Its cries warn the people that an aswang is nearby. It does this as revenge to the aswang after the latter ate its eggs.
According to Capiznon folklore, the tik-tik doesn’t have the ability to change into a bird; instead, it takes the form a hideous creature or a big dog whose body is very slippery and ambushes individuals who roam at night.
TIMBUSAW
The Manobo people believe the timbusaw is an ogre-like spirit – tall, hairy, and has large claws – that devours the souls of sleeping persons, especially hunters who sleep in the jungle. A person whose soul has been eaten by the timbusaw lives a normal life for a few days but will be found dead in his sleep later.
TIMU-TIMU
According to local folklore in Iloilo, the timu-timu is an ape-like giant deep in the forests. Its mouth can gape so wide that it can swallow a man whole.
TIPAGAS
As per folklore from Aklan and Capiz provinces, the tipagas are hairy people as tall as a one story house. They could stand by a house and look down through the window. These beings usually live in trees and it is said they have been in existence long before man came and started clearing their forests to build settlements. Because of this some tipagas have lived underground or took over abandoned houses. They appear only at certain times of the month especially during the first, second and third quarter of the moon and only roam around between eight in the evening to four o’clock in the morning. Despite their appearance they are generally harmless. They are often mistaken as cafre or agta by those who encounter them.
TIRTIRIS
The tirtiris from Ilocano folklore are little folk smaller than a human hand. Their teeth have gold fillings and they wear silk clothes embroidered with gold thread. Friendly to humans, they are often seen in groups, dancing and merry-making in the evening at a friend’s backyard. They are generous and give rice to people they like. When wronged, they cause the offender to have sore eyes or skin rashes.
TIYANAK
Bicolano, Ilocano and Tagalog folklore describes the tiyanak (also spelled, tianak) as a small, bald old man with wrinkly skin, bloodshot eyes, sharp pointed teeth, pointed ears and has small horns. Its right leg is absurdly longer than its left leg, making it difficult for the creature to walk, thus, it hops when on the move. It disguises itself as a baby abandoned in the field or in the woods. It attracts people with its infant-like wails and when a person picks it up, the creature reverts to its hideous form and mauls the victim to death. In other tales, the tiyanak prefers to prey on women, especially those who breastfeed or those who suffered miscarriage or lost a baby. Disguised as a plump baby wailing of hunger, the woman who finds the tiyanak is moved to breastfeed it, only to have her blood sucked dry by the creature. With the woman dead, the tiyanak turns into a black bird and flies away.
The tiyanak is known as patianak and tumanod among the Mandaya and Tagalog folk respectively, muntianak among the Bagobo people, and mantianak among the Tagakalao people in Davao.
TIYU-AN
The tiyu-an (means, “one who has a puppy” or “one with a puppy” derived from the Waray word tiyu for puppy) is a flightless fetus-eater originating from Visayan folklore. She compensates her lack of flight with the ability to leap on great heights. This enables her to jump onto rooftops with ease. All tiyu-an are female. The tiyu-an keeps a puppy that never grows old. This pup, which is passed down from mother to daughter, is in fact her master and she its servant, as the canine is the source of her powers. At night when the puppy starts licking her feet or leg, it means it is time for her to hunt. She also has a familiar in the form of a small black bird. Guided by the black bird, she sets out on foot to a prospective victim’s house. Using her long, proboscis-like tongue, she will penetrate a sleeping pregnant woman’s womb and suck the fetus’s blood. She may dissolve the fetus if the victim is in the early stage of her pregnancy. The tiyu-an also feeds off the life force of sick or dying people. Some tiyu-an have the ability to transform into black pigs.
TODTOD
According to old Visayan folklore, the todtod or tod-tod is a tall, hairy man in the woods, whose teeth have two pairs of fangs (two above, two below). One of his arms is of stone (like that of Hellboy) and he carries a small golden hammer. The todtod has the ability to make people get lost in the woods. Clever individuals, however, could steal his golden hammer but he will stalk them without end until they are forced to return the said implement.
TONONG
As per Maranao beliefs, a tonong is a nature spirit that accompanies and guides a deserving person upon his birth and for the rest of his life. This spirit keeps the person company at all times, warns him of impending danger, and helps him during conflicts. A tonong is also the source of a person’s amazing abilities. It usually stands behind the person, by his left shoulder near the left ear so it can whisper easily.
There are three kinds of tonong: those in the clouds, those on top of trees, and those in the water. The tonong that inhabit water are called diwata.
TONTON
According to Isneg beliefs this is a big spirit in the forest who causes the trees to move whenever he claps his hands.
TUGOPNON
The tugopnon from old Waray beliefs is a kahoynon (tree spirits) that resides in the tugop tree. It is a very territorial spirit. It is very ugly with a twisted nose and its fair skin covered with red or black spots. It wears a G-string.
TULAYHANG
According to folklore from Central Panay, a tulayhang is a creature that resembles an umang-umang (a species of hermit crab). It lives underground on riverbanks where it burrows holes. Some tulayhang are pets of the engkanto and whoever disturbs them will suffer a terrible illness.
TULUNG
Negritos of the Zambales Range believe the tulung or tuwung is a being with a horse-like head similar to the tikbalang. What sets the tulung apart from the tikbalang is that instead of hooves, it has clawed feet and a very large penis and testicles. It is said to reside in the forest surrounding Mount Pinatubo.
TUNO
According to Manobo beliefs, the tuno are forest-dwelling giants. The lower parts of their bodies from the waist down are either that of a deer or a boar. Those with deer lower parts are benevolent while those with boar lower parts are evil.
TUPONG-TUPONG
The tupong-tupong is a humanoid creature from Bicolano folklore, who can stretch its body to the shape of whatever is next to it. It can be as tall as a tree, as short as a child or as thin as a sign post if it wants to.
TUYA
The tuya are giant people from old Karay-a folklore in Iloilo.
UBAG
According to old Bagobo beliefs, the ubag is a horse-like buso with a hump on its back. It inflicts illness to individuals so that when they died, it will feed on their corpse.
UGAW
Found in Iluko folklore, especially in Pangasinan, the ugaw are people only as big as the human thumb and are seldom seen because they move so fast. It is believed they are beings from another realm. They are notorious for stealing rice from granaries or human habitations with abundant supply of rice. When containers for storing rice aren’t secured properly in the night, the ugaw would definitely raid these and take away the rice down to the last grain, leaving empty containers before sunrise. Despite such notoriety, the ugaw are kind to those who have earned their favor. They roam around carrying kadus (a bag or sack made from cloth and sewn by hand) filled with riches which they give to deserving individuals. If an ugaw is caught by a person, the former will offer riches to its captor in exchange for its freedom.
UIGBALANG
According to the old beliefs of the negritos from Tayabas, Quezon, the uigbalang is a very tall and very black spirit of the forest. This is a malign spirit who harms those unfortunate enough to encounter it in the forest. This is probably the same as the tikbalang only with a slightly different name.
UKBAR
Ukbar is a being allegedly revered by some of the aswang in Samar.
UKO
The uko or oko according to folklore from Luzon are ape-like creatures the size of men. They live as a pack in caves and are notorious for abducting and eating individuals who stray near their territory.
UKOY
According to general folklore, the ukoy or syokoy are hideous fish-like humanoids that live in various bodies of water. The popular one is the creature with the head of a fish, scaly body, can appear as a handsome youth or a familiar guy and impregnates women. The other one is somewhat like an octopus. Some are small but possess superhuman strength. This variant loses strength outside its habitat. The ukoy are said to be responsible for the death of those who swim in bodies of water for supposedly venturing near their territory. Known as ugkoy among the Waray, they drag people by their feet into the water. They are sometimes glimpsed in the river during floods.
UMANGOB
The umangob from Ifugao folklore is a large, dog-like creature that eats only the thumbs and big toes of fresh corpses. Upon smelling the scent of death, the umangob tracks down the newly-deceased and when the corpse is unattended during a wake, the creature gets near it ans bites off the thumbs and big toes. To discourage the umangob from getting near the corpse, relatives watch over the dead. Lights are also placed around the corpse, since these are believed to fend off the creature.
UNGGA-UNGGA
The ungga-ungga or onga-onga from Visayan and Mindanao folklore (known as wuwug or wowog in Bohol) is a self-segmenting viscera-sucker similar in appearance to the penanggal or penanggalan of Malaysia and the krasue of Thailand. By day she is a normal woman but after dark, her head along with her glistening entrails detaches from her body and hovers off to look for pregnant women to feed on. She is propelled in the air by her rotating or undulating intestines, which make a whirring sound. She uses her elongated, proboscis-like tongue to suck the fetus or the blood of a baby or even the innards of a grown-up. When not hunting for pregnant women, an ungga-ungga attacks individuals who are still out in the dark. She has strong, wire-like hair which could strangle or suffocate her victim. She may even lift her victim and drop him to his death. An ungga-ungga won’t go near a house surrounded by bamboo groves, fearing that her hair and entrails might get entangled with the thorns and brambles.
UNGLOC
In Western Visayan folktales, the ungloc is portrayed as a black-complexioned ogre with long, pointed teeth and lives in a cave in the mountains. The ungloc can talk and understands human language but is stupid enough to be fooled by a child. When it succeeds in catching a child, it uses magic to trap the hapless youngster in a coconut fruit.
UNGO
An ungo in Visayan folklore, is a person possessed by a supernatural force which attacks him from time to time, causing him to change his form. When he becomes a monster he eats viscera and drinks human blood.
WAK-WAK
Widespread in Visayan folklore, the wak-wak transforms after dark as a large bird. When it flies, the flapping of its wings generate gusts of wind strong enough to shake tree branches. It confuses people of its presence by making a faint sound as if it is far away when in fact it is nearby. Aside from hunting for pregnant women to feed on their yet to be born children, it ambushes persons who are alone outdoors at night. It lashes and secures itself on the back of a person by wrapping its legs tightly around the victim’s waist while attempting to strangle him or carry the victim in the air. A person with coins in his pocket cannot be carried away by the wak-wak because it is believed that the coins break the creature’s evil charm.
WIRWER
The wirwer or wirwir are nomadic corpse-eaters from Isneg beliefs. They hunt far and wide, in groups, from one place to another in search of cadavers to eat. They fend off other ghouls from the cemetery or burial grounds they find.
XA-MUL
Xa-mul (pronounced as ha-mul) is a spirit from Isneg beliefs, who swallows people alive without crushing them between his teeth.
XARARPET
Xararpet (pronounced as hararpet) from Isneg myths is a spirit who carries banana stems that have no fruits on them.
XUMAMNID
This is a spirit (name pronounced as humamnid) from Isneg beliefs, who attacks people walking through the bush, pulling them into the thick brushes.
YAMUD
In Manobo beliefs, the yamud are freshwater diwata that appear similar to mermaids. They inhabit underwater caves, deep pools in rivers, lakes and streams, and serve as guardians of fishes and the bodies of water they inhabit. They are very illusive. When offended they cause people to drown.
YASAW
According to Bicolano myths, Yasaw is dark-skinned creature who is in league with the evil god Asuang. This creature is the size of a child and has pointed teeth and claws and appeared on moonlit night in the shade of trees. It is a prankster and delights in scaring people who still wander at night. It imitates the cry of babies to attract or terrify wayfarers. Despite this, Yasaw is considered a harmless creature. At times, Yasaw turns into a Laqui, a creature with the hoofs and skin of a goat and the face of a very ugly man. In this form, it wonders through the forest, not bothering anyone unless it is disturbed.
YAWA
Today, in Visayas, yawa is synonymous with the Catholic devil or demon but in the olden days it had a different meaning. Among the Sulod, Panay-Bukidnon or Tumandok people of Panay Island, for example, the term used to refer to an otherworldly being (not to be confused with Nagmalitong Yawa Sinagmaling Diwata from the Hinilawod epics). The pre-colonial natives of Eastern Samar, on the other hand, believed that the yawa was a malevolent forest spirit or diwata who abducted women and strangled people in their sleep.
References:
Amazona, Damian. Some Customs of the Aetas of the Baler Area, Philippines. Primitive Man, Vol. 24, Issue No. 2, Institute of Ethnographic Research, Washington D.C., 1951.
Anima, Nid. Witchcraft Filipino-Style. Omar Publications, 1978.
Arens, Richard. Witches and Witchcraft in Leyte and Samar Island, Philippines. Manila: Bureau of Printing, 1957.
Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. McFarland, 2016.
Benedict, Laura Watson. A Study of Bagobo Ceremonial, Myth and Magic. New York, 1916.
Blair, Emma Helen and Robertson, James Alexander (eds.). The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898. Cleveland, Ohio, 1903-09.
Blumentritt, Fernando. Diccionario Mitologico de Filipinas, 1895.
Castaño, Jose. Breve Noticia Acerca del Origen, Religion, Creencias y Supersticiones de los Antiguos Indios del Bicol. Madrid, 1895.
Coben, Herminia Meñez. Explorations in Philippine Folklore. Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1996.
Cole, Fay-Cooper. The Wild Tribes of Davao District, Mindanao. Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, USA, 1913.
Cole, Fay-Cooper. Traditions of the Tinguian: A Study in Philippine Folklore. Field Museum of Natural History, 1915.
Cordero-Fernando, Gilda; Demetrio, Francisco, S.J.; Zialcita, Fernando N. The Soul Book: Introduction to Philippine Pagan Religion. GCF Books, Quezon City, 1991.
Coronel, Delia. The Maranao and Nature, 1994.
Coughlin, Richard J., Hart, Donn V., Rajadhon, Phya Anuman. Southeast Asian Birth Customs: Three Studies in Human Reproduction. Human Relations Area Files, Inc., New Haven Connecticut, 1965.
de los Reyes, Isabelo. El Folk-Lore Filipino. University of the Philippines Press, 1995.
de los Reyes, Isabelo. Las Islas Visayas en la Epoca de la Conquista. Manila, 1888.
de los Reyes, Isabelo. La Religion Antigua de los Filipinos. El Renacimiento, Manila, 1909.
Demetrio, Francisco, S.J. Dictionary of Philippine Folk Beliefs and Customs. Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro City, 1970.
Demetrio, Francisco, S.J. Encyclopedia of Philippine Folk Beliefs and Customs. Cagayan de Oro City: Xavier University, 1991.
Demetrio, Francisco, S.J. Myths and Symbols Philippines. Manila: National Bookstore Inc., 1978, 1990.
Demetrio, Francisco, S.J. The Flood Motif and the Symbolism of Rebirth in Filipino Mythology.
Dundes, Alan (ed.) The Flood Myth, University of California Press, Berkeley and London, 1988.
Fansler, Dean S. Filipino Popular Tales. American Folk-Lore Society, New York, 1921.
Gardner, Fletcher. Philippine (Tagalog) Superstitions. The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 19, 1906.
Gardner, Fletcher (Trans.). Philippine Folklore. Palm Tree Press, San Antonio, Texas, 1941.
Gibson, T. Sacrifice and Sharing in the Philippine Highlands (London School of Economics Monographs on Social Anthropology,n.57); The Athlone Press: London, UK, 1986.
H. Otley Beyer Ethnographic Collection. National Library of the Philippines.
Jocano. F. Landa. Growing Up in a Philippine Barrio. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, 1969.
Jocano. F. Landa. The Hiligaynons, An Ethnography of Family and Community Life in Western Bisayas Region. University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1983.
Jocano. F. Landa. The Ilocanos, An Ethnography of Family and Community Life in the Ilocos Region. University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1982.
Lambrecht, Godfrey. Philippine Studies Vol. 7, no. 2: 194–218. Ateneo de Manila University, 1959.
Lieban, Richard Warren. Cebuano Sorcery, Malign Magic in the Philippines. University of California Press, Berkeley, 1967.
Lynch, Frank. Philippine Society and the Individual: Selected Essays. University of Michigan, 1984.
Madale, Abdullah T. The Maranaos: Dwellers of the Lake. Rex Bookstore, 1997.
Magos, Alicia P. Seven Layers of the Panayanon Universe. Iloilo: A Rich and Noble Land, 2007.
Magos, Alicia P. The Enduring Ma-Aram Tradition: An Ethnography of a Kinaray-a Village in Antique. 1992.
Maxfield, Berton L. Philippine (Visayan) Superstitions. The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 19, 1906.
Melton, J. Gordon. The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead. 1999.
Mentrida, Alonso de. Diccionario de la Lengua Bisaya, Hiligueina y Haraya, 1841.
Miller, John Maurice. Philippine Folklore Stories. 1904.
Morley, Peter & Wallis, Roy (eds). Culture and Curing, Anthropological Perspectives on Traditional Medical Beliefs and Practices. University of Pittsburgh Press, 1980.
Olupona, Jacob K. (ed). Beyond Primitivism: Indigenous Religious Traditions and Modernity. Routledge, New York, 2004.
Paraiso, Jose Juan & Paraiso, Salvador. The Balete Book. Giraffe Books, Quezon City, Philippines, 2003.
Plasencia, Juan de, O.S.F. Custombres de los Tagalos, 1589.
Ramos, Maximo D. The Aswang Syncrasy in Philipine Folklore. Philippine Folklore Society, 1971.
Ramos, Maximo D. The Creatures of Midnight. Phoenix Publishing, 1990.
Ramos, Maximo D. Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. University of the Philippines Press, 1971.
Scott, William Henry. Barangay: Sixteenth Century Philippine Culture and Society. Ateneo de Manila University Press, Quezon City, Metro Manila, 1994.
Scott, William Henry. Looking for the Pre-Hispanic Filipino and Other Essays in Philippine History. New Day Publishers, Quezon City, 1992.
Serag, Sebastian. The Remnants of the Great Ilonggo Nation. Rex Book Store, 19971.
Shimizo, Hiromu. Pinatubo Aytas: Continuity and Change. Ateneo de Manila University Press, Quezon City, Metro Manila, 1989.
Torres-Campos, Felicisima. Mga Ginto sa Iloilo. Apostol Printers Co., 1990.
Wallace, Ben J. Weeds, Roads, and God: A Half-Century of Culture Change among the Philippine Ga’dang. Waveland Press, 2012.
http://dungugkinaray-a.com
http://kababalaghan.forumotion.com
http://www.facebook.com/mganilalangngkadiliman
http://www.oocities.org/horrorflip/
Inquisitor Sir Bouleville from the PSICOM Publishing Forums
BY ERWIN S. CABARLES
Art & Fiction + Philippine Folklore & Mythology 
My ancestors tell me about 5 creatures not mentions in that blogs.
And what would be those 5 creatures?
erwin, may nakita po aq 4 to 5 years ago.. parang venum maitim ung ulo parang tao walang buhok. puti ung mata itim sa gitna.. nasa 4 feet. sumilip ako sa bentana madaling araw nakita ko siya nagulat nga siya nagulat din ako.. nasa dingding. parang botiki ung style. hindi sa ground.
Very comprehensive list! Thanks for putting this together! Did you also do the artwork on this page? Great pen and ink style. And very freaky!
Thank you, sir. Regarding the artwork, yes, I did all of them.
They are legendary winged creature resemblance to witches & vampires in popular culture in TV films comics animation & media throughout the world.
Hello, may I ask where you were able to get your references? Is there a bookstore that carried them?
do we have dopplegangers and body snatchers (wherein they inhabit the body of a person) in our mythology?
So far we mostly only have creatures or entities that could possess a persons body or cling onto the individual rather than inhabit the body, except of course if we talk about the black chick which settles in a person’s belly as a parasite and causes the host to become an aswang. For doppelgangers we have in Tagalog folklore the Tambal, who copies the exact likeness of a person and interact with that person’s acquaintances only to cause confusion later. Later it may cause the individual it is impersonating to get lost in the woods and take over the victim’s life for a few hours or a few days. For body snatchers there are variants of aswang and other supernatural beings that could spirit away a person without the victim’s knowledge.
Very helpful indeed! Added additional ideas for my writing prompts. Thanks a lot!