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Aswang. Aswang is an umbrella term for various shape-shifting evil creatures in Filipino folklore, such as vampires, ghouls, witches, viscera suckers, and transforming human-beast hybrids (usually dogs, cats, pigs).
- What Is An Aswang?
- Characteristics
- Related Creatures
- Cultural Representation
- Explanations of The Myth
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The Aswang (æ·swang) is a flesh-eating, shapeshifting monster. During the day, Aswangs appear as regular townspeople, though they may be observed by others to have reclusive habits or magical abilities. At night, Aswangs shift into eerie predatory forms and go hunting for human prey, preferring to feast on children and pregnant women above all else...
Physical Description
Varying horrible descriptions have been given of the Aswang’s appearance, but some recurrent traits stand out among all the different descriptions. Usually, the Aswang is a woman during the day. At night, however, it may appear as a bird, a pig, or a dog. No matter which animal form it takes, an Aswang will differ from a regular animal in various disturbing ways. Most Aswangs have long, proboscis-like tongues, and are frequently described as walking with their feet backward. They have also be...
Special Abilities
The Aswang’s most fearsome ability is its knack for blending in with its victims. During the day, Aswangs look and act just like regular people. Although they are generally shy and somewhat reclusive, they can have jobs, friends, and even families. During the night, Aswangs shift into a form that is better suited to hunting. Different regional versions of the creature are said to take different forms. The tik-tik and wak-wak become large birds, while the zegben (sometimes described simply as...
Weaknesses
The first step towards ridding a town of this deadly assailant is identifying the monster. There are several ways in which you can do this. Aswangs generally have bloodshot eyes, since they have been awake hunting all night. In addition, it is said that if you look directly into an Aswang’s eyes, your reflection will appear upside-down. The most common method of detecting Aswangs, however, involves using albularyos oil, a special oil made of coconuts and holy plants. This oil is said to boil...
The Aswang has a lot in common with western vampires, but there is no evidence to show that either creature inspired the creation of the other. Stories of the Filipino monster and of vampires probably evolved separately. Other monsters in Philippine folklore are more likely to be related to the Aswang. Both the wak-wak version of the Aswang and the...
Origin
The Aswang was born out of Philippine folklore, with stories of this terrifying creature dating back to at least the 16th century, when Spanish explorers created the first written record of monster. The explorers noted that of all the monsters in their folklore, the Aswang was the most feared by native people. The creature’s name comes from the Sanskrit word “asura,” which means demon. This terrifying monster is also sometimes called the tik-tik or the wak-wak. These names come from the sinis...
Famous Myths
Despite the fact that belief in this terrifying creature has spread throughout the Philippines, there aren’t many well-known individual stories. Instead, the Aswang’s fame is built on a collection of firsthand encounters, and almost everyone who claims to have seen this fabled creature has a slightly different report. Aswang mythology was formalized in the 1960s, when Maximo Ramos included a description of the monster in a book titled Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology.
Visual Arts
Drawings of the Aswang have populated Philippine folk art for centuries. Since its introduction to western culture, the creature has also begun to make appearances in western art. The Aswang Inquiry, an illustrated book by Gilda Cordero-Fernando, contains many paintings of the Aswang. Stage plays have also brought the mythology surrounding this creature into the spotlight, with Luna: an Aswang Romance and Tiktik: the Aswang Chronicles both showcasing the monster. Most recently, a documentary...
As fantastic as stories of the Aswang might seem, they may actually have been inspired by real life events. One theory is that native wildlife was the inspiration for the legends. The “tik tik” and “wak wak” hunting calls the monster is said to make are probably the calls of nocturnal birds. Bats, Tasmanian devils, and kagwang, an endangered specie...
Learn about the Aswang, a terrifying monster that hunts humans at night and can disguise itself as a plant or an animal. Find out its origin, characteristics, abilities, weaknesses, and cultural representation in this comprehensive article.
Oct 4, 2011 · Philippine Mythology. Produced by High Banks Entertainment Ltd. Over the last 400 years, the ‘aswang’ has come to represent everything that is ‘vile, disgusting and evil in Philippine ...
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Sep 14, 2014 · "The Aswang Phenomenon" Part 1 of 5 - an exploration of the aswang folklore and its effects on Philippine society. Part 1: Introduction to the aswang 0:05His...
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Oct 6, 2022 · Learn about the aswang, a mythical monster that can change its appearance, suck blood and fetuses, and fly at night. Discover the history, legends, and possible explanations of this terrifying creature in Filipino culture.
Learn about Aswang, a shape-shifting monster from Philippine folklore that feeds on human flesh and blood. Discover its origins, characteristics, powers, cultural impact, and personal accounts.
Dec 2, 2015 · An Aswang is a shape-shifting creature in Philippine folklore that feeds on human liver and blood. Learn about its different forms, origins, and how to ward it off in this article and documentary series.
