5 top Pinoy frightening creatures

MANILA, Philippines – Walking alone in the city at night, one has to deal with the possibility of being mugged or robbed. However, walking alone at night in the province could lead to an overactive imagination where various monsters and mythical creatures roam and free to do us harm.  These monsters and creatures are present in Filipino folklore and it is no surprise then that many Filipinos believe in these supernatural beings. 

For this Halloween, philSTAR.com  lists the  most popular and notorious Filipino monsters that have, at least one, featured in our worst nightmares:

Tikbalang

(Photo by Almighty Cepeda)

Raining outside but the sun still shines through?

In the Philippines,  you can blame it on this mythical creature called Tikbalang, a half-horse half-man monster.

Filipinos often say that a wedding between  two Tikbalangs usually happens when the sun is shining while it is raining.  â€œMay kinakasal na Tikbalang,” the elders would say.

A Tikbalang is also believed to be a dangerous monster for travelers going on an adventure. It usually deceives the traveler, who would then be unable to reach his destination as he begins to see images that are not real.

To counter this spell, the victim is advised to wear his shirt inside out. 

Kapre

(Photo by Jeffrey M. De Guzman)

Getting lost in the forest will never be fun,  but what’s more terrifying is encountering a Kapre along the way.

A kapre is tall and burly monster that typically smokes a tobacco, is hairy, topless and lives on top of a huge tree.

Compared to other monsters, a kapre  could be considered harmless because he ony scares and shoo people away from his tree.

These days, however,  a dark  Filipino male who is significantly taller than the average height of Filipinos of between five feet and two inches and five feet and four inches is also called a kapre. 

Tiyanak

(Photo by Mark Adalia)

There is no doubt that  all babies are cute. But you know what they say about exception in every rule. And in this case the tiyanak could not be considered in any way as cute.

The tiyanak is usually a dead baby who failed to receive a baptismal rite, while some are unborn children who were unwanted and aborted by their parents.

Then there is also the tiyanak that is the spawn of a monster or a bad spirit. 

The small yet treacherous creature often looks like a normal baby at day, but it kills its victims at night when most people are asleep.

Manananggal

(Photo from Booalert.com)

Spotted a new chick in the neighborhood? Be suspicious about her identity first. For good measure,  go out with her and be on busy streets after 12 midnight.

If by that time she remains a single being and does not divide herself in half, then you can be sure  that she is not a manananggal.

This female mythical creature splits her body in two - the  upper torso and lower torso. Her upper body then flies in search for a victim to devour, while her lower body  will  stay in the same spot, waiting for the time when the upper body comes back. The manananggal's favored victims are the pregnant women. The monster uses her long tongue to eat the unborn child.

Filipinos believe that a manananggal is afraid of holy water, crucifix, and sunlight.

The most powerful weapon  against a manananggal is said to be  a garland of  garlic (wear it like a necklace!) and to kill the monster is to find the lower part of the body and pour salt into it.

If the lower torso is destroyed, the manananggal would be unable to return to her body and the sun light would eventually kill her.

Duwende

(Photo from thisisartlab.com/tag/duende)

“Tabi, Tabi, Po!”

Most Filipino men know this line because they usually utter this to avoid offending supernatural creatures when urinating in vacant lots, forest, trees, and plants.

Pinoys  also utter this line  line to avoid hitting duwende who does not want to be disturbed. Just like everything else, there are two kinds of duwende -  the good and the bad.

A good duwende is  usually  considered a “lucky charm” that brings prosperity to a family, while on the other hand, the bad duwende is said to bring misfortunes to a  family.

A notorious duwende is also said to be territorial and will force the occupants of the house to leave the place.

A duwende is believed to be the is a Pinoy version of  a  dwarf or an elf.