BLOGPOST 5: Vampires in the Philippines

Today, tales of vampires are largely confined to novels, television series, and films, especially in the Western world. In the Philippines, conversely, the fear of what are widely considered there to be real, and very dangerous, supernatural bloodsuckers, lives on – as do, at least allegedly, these entities themselves. Nor is there just one type of Filipino vampire either.

There are around the world many strange legends of female vampire-like beings that prowl the night to prey upon the living. The bizarre, curious, differences in these types of creatures very much go against the European vampire myths to a large degree. These undead abominations are said to have the ability to at will detach parts of their upper body and go on the hunt for blood and human souls to devour. This type of vampire are very well the Philippines

I read the article of Edward Nikhil Paul, entitled "True Vampires of the Philippines" in the site of hauntedamericatours. The Aswang is one the most famous and notorious of these Philippine mythological creatures. The aswang is described most commonly as a living ghoul or vampire, sometimes referred to as an actual eater of the dead. They are said to feast upon fresh corpses and most often eat the brain and the heart first. These foul dark night creatures are also said to be shapeshifers. Not only shifting from a human to a aswang but also able to change into bugs, snakes, dogs and anything of their choosing. Amalanhig are creatures in Visayan mythology. They are the Aswangs who failed to transfer their monstrosity causing them to rise from their graves to kill humans by biting their necks.  Filipinos also believed in the Dila (The Tongue), a spirit that passes through the bamboo flooring of provincial houses, then licks certain humans to death. Filipino mythology also have fairies (Diwata and Engkanto), dwarfs (Duwende), Kapre (a tree-residing giant), witches (Mangkukulam), goblins (Nuno sa Punso), ghosts (Multo), mermaids (Sirena), mermen (Siyokoy), demon-horses (Tikbalang), demon-infants (Tiyanak), and the (Wakwak) a night bird belong to a witch or vampire or the witch or vampire itself in the form of a night bird.  

The aswang is an inherently evil vampire-like creature and is the subject of a wide variety of myths and stories, the details of which vary greatly. "Aswangs" are often described as a combination of vampire and witch and are almost always female. They are sometimes used as a generic term applied to all types of witches, vampires, manananggals, shapeshifters, therianthropes, and monsters in general. Typically, an aswang is revealed by using a bottle of a special oil extracted from boiled and decanted coconut meat and mixed with certain plant stems upon which special prayers being said. When an aswang comes near or roams around the house at night, the oil is said to boil and continue boiling until the aswang departs. Buntot pagi or stingray's tails, shiny, sterling silver swords, and images of old crones or grandmothers have been said to dispel their presence.

According to  Edward Nikhil Paul, "A real ghost can haunt you and you wouldn't know it until someone else points it out to you." Many elaborate rituals were used to identify a vampire. In modern society, vampires are relegated to an icon at Halloween, or at most, a symbol of an alternate lifestyle, which is seen as anything from a fad to a cult religion. The predominant category of Filipino vampires comprises the aswangs. Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence generally in the form of blood of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person/being.

I read another article written by  SilentReed entitled "The Aswang Vampire Legend in Philippine Folklore" from the site silentreed.hubpages. Among the dreaded mythical creatures in the Philippines, the Aswang is the most feared. Filipino folklore of the Aswang abound in the Visayan region of the Philippines. Dating as far back as the 16th century when Spain colonized the islands. The western provinces of Capiz, Iloilo and Antique have long been known as an area of the Aswang's supernatural activities. The superstitious in remote areas and far flung villages adorn their homes with objects they believe will repel the Aswang. Wreaths of Garlic bulbs can be seen hanging on windows and the sign of the cross is painted on front doors. Holy water blessed in church are keep near bedsides for protection. Albularyos who sometimes perform exorcism would extract the oil from nuts of a particular coconut tree. Mixed with certain herbs, it is bottled and Latin prayers are said over it.  

Anting-anting (amulet) like images, icons and statues of saints decorate the walls of houses. A buntot pagi (tail of a stingray) is considered an effective repellant. The purifying powers attributed to salt crystals is said to cause the skin of an Aswang to burn. Even sterling silver swords, probably adopted from western mythology of the power of silver weapons, is use to safeguard against the evil intention of the Aswang. The term "Aswang" originated from the tagalog word "asuasuan" which translate as having the "likeness of a dog".  Aswang as a Mananangal, they are bold creatures that invade the community and homes of people. The Aswang, usually a female will leave her lower body well hidden in dense growth of bushes or behind tree trunks and transform into a bat like creature popularly known as a Mananangal. 

The "wuk-wuk-wuk" cry of a night bird signals her approach. Village dogs become very agitated and it would set in motion their simultaneous howling. The Aswang will wait patiently until the family is sound asleep. Preferring the liver and heart of small children, it would sneak inside and snatch the babies or the youngest child. There have been many studies conducted to try to understand the reason for the persistent perpetuation of the aswang folklore in that part of the Philippines. Specifically in the province of Capiz on the island of Panay. Much have been written about the socio-psychological and anthropological phenomenon.

According to SilentReed, "The Aswang of Philippine folklore is very much etch on the Filipino's psyche." In modern times, however, the vampire is generally held to be a fictitious entity, although belief in similar vampiric creatures such as the chupacabra still persists in some cultures. Early folkloric belief in vampires has been ascribed to the ignorance of the body's process of decomposition after death and how people in pre-industrial societies tried to rationalise this, creating the figure of the vampire to explain the mysteries of death.