Glossary

Philippine Mythical Creatures.


• Bungisngis - is a one-eyed giant. This Philippine folklore giant lives in forest and woods. It is a happy and a playful cyclops.
• Lambana - are fairy-like creatures dwelling in woods. They act as nature's guardian spirits. They also give grace to people who take care of the nature and bring bad luck to people who threatens it.
• Kapre - is a dark and hairy giant creature known for being mischievous. This giant is usually seen on top of large trees smoking a giant tobacco. However, Kapre are actually misunderstood. They are nice, kind and they only attack people if they are harmed.
• Manananggal - comes in different names in some parts of the Philippines namely; Iki for the Batangueños and Lupa-lupa for the Waray. The manananggal is commonly described as a half-bodied woman with monstrous appearance, entangled hair and has bat's wings on her back. She seduces men during the day by disguising into a very beautiful lady. She turns into a monster at night, flies to her victim and usually eats the heart of her victims. The best way to kill a manananggal is to put salt or ashes on the lower half of her body that she leaves somewhere when she is in a monster form. When this happens, she will no longer be able to return to her human form and the till the sun shines on her.
• Aswang - are famous in Capiz, Iloilo, and Antique. People say that the Aswangs can transform themselves into a wild boar, dog or other animals. Aswangs prey on sick human beings by devouring their favorite organ, the liver. A person may become an Aswang when he or she is infected by an Aswang. This usually happens by drinking or eating from an Aswang's glass or plate. To know if an animal is an Aswang in disguise, you simply bend over and look at them with your head upside down.
• Mambabarang - are ordinary human beings with black magic who torture and later kill their victims by infesting their bodies with insects. They are different from Mangkukulams - the latter only inflict pain or illness. Mambabarangs use a strand of hair from their chosen victim and tie it to the bugs or worms which they will use as a medium. When they prick the bug, the victim immediately experiences the intended effect.
• Sigben - are invisible creatures. Some people say that Sigben looks like a dog with the features of a cat and a goat. They are small and they walk backwards. They victimize little children who are sleeping without someone guarding them. They bite the victim's ankle or foot making them very ill and then die after few hours. After they kill a child, they go back to their caretaker. Anyone who takes care of these creatures are said to believe to gain much luck and richness. In this series, the Sigben owner is played by John Estrada.
• Dalaketnons - are the bad engkantos. Dalaketnons appear tall and handsome. They dress in fashionable manner, live in mansions and try to fit in with mortal people. Some believe that the only way to Dalaket, their dwelling place, is by entering the Dalaket trees. These creatures abduct people and take them to their world. They hold a feast for their victims and force them to eat the Black Rice that put them under their spell making them their members.
• Anting-Anting - The medallion that made Pedro defeat the Dalaketnons is called an anting-anting. This medallion gives its owner powers like Pedro had. According to myths, this gains power by prayers or incantations.
• Nuno sa Punso - are small but terrible creatures who live on punso (anthill). They are invisible and quiet creatures. If they get bothered by too much noise or careless movements causing them harm, they get mad and punish the people who trespasses them. Most of their victims are children playing who usually destroys their homes. Their victims get very ill and the only way to cure it is asking the help from an Albularyo. So every time you pass by a punso, you need to say "Excuse Me".
• Tiyanak - are monster-looking babies. They disguise themselves into innocent and adorable looking babies and once someone came in contact with them, they turn into monsters and attack their victim. These monsters are believed that they are aborted babies or babies who were dead on birth and were not blessed.
• Tiktik - are sometimes compared to Aswang because they devour human organs. They could jump and hop very high and they can crawl on walls like cats and they can hang like bats. They prey on pregnant women's fetus and month old embryos. They attack at during night time where they hop on top of the roof of the house of their victim. They then stretch their very long tongues and used it to rip the womb of their victims and devour the fetus leaving the woman dead. They can be killed by cutting their tongues and letting them die in starvation.
• Pugot - are headless ghosts. They wander in places where they used to live or where they were decapitated. They haunt because they are searching for their heads and they need it to be joined with their body and have it blessed so they could go with peace. However, some of them have the intention to avenge themselves or harm people. They are believed to behead their victims.
• Tikbalang - is a creature with the features of a man and a horse. Unlike the Centaur in Greek Mythology, Tikbalang is playful and mischievous. It has a powerful kick and can leap very high. It creates illusions that makes its victim seems lost where he or she keeps on passing the same way over and over. Tikbalang creates an illusion too that leads its victim to accident and perhaps death. It can also cause victims to get sick and mentally ill. To work around their tomfoolery, the victim should invert his or her clothing and wear it. This will make the Tikbalang laugh and distracted. To put an end to the Tikbalang from harming, one must grab its golden hair and wrap it in his or her finger. The Tikbalang will then be a slave of that person.
• Santelmo - (also known as "St. Elmo's Fire") is a fireball that flies around the forest. It chases its victims and kills them by setting them ablaze with flames.
• Bangungot - according to popular belief, a person who sleeps while his or her stomach is full is most likely to experience nightmares or Bangungot. Bangungot is an overweight creature that lives in trees and bamboos. It is said to believe that they inhibit the houses which materials are made from their dwelling places. They attack people who are asleep by sitting on their chests till they die of suffocation.
• Amalanhig - Hiligaynon believe in a certain being called Amalanhig. They are Aswangs who failed to transfer their monstrosity causing them to rise from their graves to kill humans by biting their necks. In order to escape from the Amanlanhigs, you need to run in zigzag direction since they can only walk in straight direction due to the stiffness of their body. You should also climb trees or high platforms enough for you be out of their reach. You can also run into lakes and rivers since Amanlanhigs are scared of deep bodies of water.
• Agta - is a creature very similar to the Kapre. If the Kapre is naughty, the Agta is romantic. They are hairy giants often found smoking tobacco in the forests. The only distinguishing trait of an Agta from a Kapre is that it kidnaps beautiful village girls. What it does is that it showers flower petals to its victim and abduct them taking them to the forest and make them entertain him. What one can do to stop the Agta is to poke and scald his sensitive part with a flaming object.
• Alan - according to Tinguians and people from Cordillera Mountain Range, is a flesh eating creature whose feet are reversed where its toes are at the back so he cannot be followed with his footprints. It lures hungry people towards him by placing dry branches on trees and making them look like fruits. Once his potential prey bites the bait, it abducts them and feed on their flesh. After killing its victims, the Alan keeps their belongings in a jar.
• Wak Wak- This monster is called "Wak-Wak" after the sound it makes when it flaps its wings while flying. When you hear the sound of the "wak-wak", it is looking for possible victims. If the sound of the Wak-Wak is loud, it means that it is far from you. Otherwise, it is near and worse yet, it is about to attack. It slashes and mutilates its victims and feed on their hearts.
• Ekek - are creatures who are bird-like humans. They are winged-humans who at night search for victims. They hunger for flesh and blood.
• Kekik - This monster is called "Kekik" after the chirping sound it makes. It is known to be the wicked witch pet. If the chirping sound is far the mad witch is near and viceversa.
• Berberoka - The people from Apayao believe and fear a swamp creature called Berberoka. It lures victims by sucking water in the pond enough for a number fish to come into surface. When the potential victims get attracted to the school of fish, the Berberoka drowns them by hosing water and swallowing them afterwards.
• Bal-Bal - is a monster that steals corpse whether it is in a funeral or grave and feeds on them. It has a strong sense for dead human bodies and for them; it is a very fragrant object. It also has very sharp claws and teeth enough to rip clothing of the dead. Since it eats nothing but corpse, it has a foul breath. Once this monster spotted and snatched the corpse, it will leave a trunk of a banana tree in the coffin creating an illusion of the stolen body to trick people.
• Kataw - is an underwater creature which is referred to as male mermaids. Unlike mermaids, they have feet instead of tails but they have gills on their bodies. These marine creatures disguises into fishermen asking for help. When approached by mortals, the Kataws kill them by drowning.
• Siyokoy - A marine creature that has the body of a human and a head of a fish. All of the Siyokoy's are male.
• Minokawa - a giant bird which belongs to the Dragon family. Our ancestors believe that this creature is so big that it can swallow (or cover) the sun that is why eclipse occur.
• Busaw - is a creature that looks like and lives like humans. They raise farm animals and plant root crops. However, its favorite food is human. This is the reason you will see scattered human skeletons on the grounds of its dwelling place.
• Sirena - marine creatures whose upper body is of human and the lower half is a tail of a fish. A Sirena has a beautiful face and voice. These qualities lure fishermen to her so she could drown them.
• Ikugan - this creature is the Philippine counterpart of King Kong. It is a gigantic primate that has a very long tail which it uses to catch humans.
• Inlablabbuot - a huge ugly monster that has a skin tougher than the carabao's, long and rough hair, sharp teeth and long claws. This creature disguises by imitating a person whom the potential victim is very close to. It leads its victims to the woods where it will change back to its monster form and mutilate them.
• Sarangay - a creature resembling a bull with a huge muscular body with jewels attached to its ears.
• Anggitay - a creature with the upper body of a female human and of horse from waist down.