Philippine Horrors: Myths and Folklore

by Alex Dempster

In the Philippines, the folklore is unique and distinct, with a lot of creatures and beasts that differ between over 100 ethnic groups. In folklore, there is the evident inclusion of mythical creatures that are normally in mythology. Two creatures will be explored: The Manananggal and the Tikbalang. 

The Manananggal

The Manananggal, from the Visayan region, is one of the most infamous and feared creatures in Philippine folklore. It is a creature that takes on the appearance of a normal woman during the day, but becomes a flesh-eating beast under the cover of night. It resides in the thick forests and mountainous regions of the Philippines, taking cover as an attractive and appealing woman in order to target her prey until the moon sets and night falls, where it will transform. There are different accounts for how one turns into a Manananggal. One tradition says that a black chick resides within the host, which usually passes onto relatives from the deathbed of the original host. It is believed the chick eats the insides of the host while still keeping them alive. This is why it craves human flesh. Another tradition says that a special ointment and an egg containing the black chick is required, as well as chanting a special incantation to anoint yourself. If the ritual is completed, the transformation will be successful. 

There are creatures similar to the Manananggal but one feature that makes it stand out against the rest is its ability to separate its lower body from its upper body - the name comes from the Tagalog word tanggal, meaning to separate. The upper body also sports bat-like wings which it uses to fly itself with the insides of a victim, most often a pregnant woman. They settle on top of roofs, using their tongues which are long and flexible, and feast on prey. In order to kill Manananggals, they can be caught in the sunlight when they are separated and transformed. It is also possible by rubbing salt and ash or garlic over the exposed flesh of the lower half. This prevents the creature from rejoining and causes them to be killed once the sun rises. 

The Tikbalang

The Tikbalang is infamously known for leading travellers astray and scaring them, it’s believed to be its favourite pastime. Its appearance is assumed to be a tall humanoid creature with the reverse form of a centaur, dwelling in forests and mountains of the Philippines. As the centaur has the body of a horse and the torso and head of a man, the Tikbalang possesses the head of a horse and the body of a human. Though descriptions of it vary, the general description is a tall and bony creature with disproportionate limbs. It is usually said to have animal-like feet, usually similar to horse hooves. In some traditions, it is said to have evolved from an aborted human foetus that was held in limbo and sent back to Earth. In some traditions, Tikbalangs can also change their shape into a human’s body and can also become invisible. 

One of its tricks to fool travellers is to change its physical appearance into that of a relative, friend or somebody closely associated with the traveller that it may come across in the wild. It then deceives this person, by pretending to know the way out. It leads the traveller through dark woods or along remote mountain paths, far away from civilization or anywhere help can be called for. Once the time is right, the Tikbalang reveals itself and its body blurs as it transforms back to its original form. During this, the victim may experience the smell of tobacco. Those who have been unlucky enough to encounter a Tikbalang are known to wander into villages or towns and talk incoherently. People who tried to help them will often tell stories of how they were pushed, knocked to the ground and hit repeatedly. All they could do was laugh as they were being tormented by the Tikbalang and eventually, when they stopped resisting they were left alone and disorientated. One of the sole tricks of the Tikbalang is to lead alone travellers astray and get them lost. No matter which way they turn, they will keep on returning to a specific area in the forest. Sometimes, this can last for days until the Tikbalang grows tired of this game. Sometimes, the victim becomes completely lost and is never seen by their family and friends again.