philippine beliefs

ano say nyo

In Tinguian 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...

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...

Folklore about the mermaid-like sirena 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...

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 s†éál and eat corpses...

The blood-sucking mandurugo of Philippine folklore use their beauty to attract and prey on men. In the olden days a mandurugo would get married to a healthy, plump youth to ensure a constant supply of blood every night. The tip of her hollow tongue tapers to a needle point and pierces the...

According to Waray and Western Visayan folklore, the amalanhig or maranhig (a.k.a. amamanhig, amaranhit) are flightless aswang that came back to life after death. They rise from their grave after failing to pass their power to a relative. Upon rising from the grave, these amalanhig lurk in the...