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philippine folklore

Philippine folk literature refers to the traditional oral literature of the Filipino people. Thus, the scope of the field covers the ancient folk literature of the Philippines' various ethnic groups, as well as various pieces of folklore that have evolved since the Philippines became a single ethno-political unit.
While the difference between Philippine folk literature and Philippine mythology is a fine one, this article distinguishes folk literature as the source from which Philippine mythology derives.
It is a subset of Philippine folklore, a larger field which also includes other aspects of culture including folk beliefs, customary law, material culture, among others

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    Closed Manananggal

    Ang manananggal ay isa sa mga pinakasikat na halimaw sa mga kwentong bayan ng Pilipinas at naipakita na sa mga pelikulang katatakutan at komiks. Halos lahat ng Pilipino ay alam kung ano ang manananggal pero sa mga 'di pa nakakaalam, ang manananggal ay isang uri ng aswang na nahahati ang katawan...
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    Closed Bungisngis

    Ang Bungisngis ay sinasabing higanteng lalaki na isa lamang ang mata, may malalaking ngipin at may dalawang malalaking pangil. Ang kanyang pangalan ay hango sa salitang ‘ngisi’ dahil palagi siyang ngumingisi at tumatawa. Ang makapal at nakausli niyang pang-itaas na labi ay sinasabing sobrang...
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    Closed Usapang aswang komiks strip

    Bakit nga kaya? Totoo nga ba ang aswang? He he he. PS: Ginuhit ko 'to sa Nintendo DS Lite gamit ang Colors! DS na app. Wala kasi akong graphics tablet. Tapos yung finishing touches naman sa netbook ko using GIMP 2.
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    Closed Balbalan, makanlok, mangilit, mening, salimbarut

    Hello sa mga ka-PHC from Mindanao. Nagri-research po ako about Philippine folklore creatures. Baka po meron kayo info (including description) about: Balbalan Makanlok Mangilit Mening Salimbarut Thank you.
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    Closed Aswang: gumon

    She may not be Rapunzel but this female aswang from Philippine folklore has hair to die for...literally. Sa lumang paniniwala ng mga Karay-a sa Probinsya ng Iloilo, may isang uri ng babaeng aswang na lumalabas pagkagat ng dilim bilang gumagapang na kumpol ng buhok. Binabalot nito ang taong...
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    Closed Philippine folklore: mambubuno

    In Sambal folklore, the mambubuno is a mermaid-like creature with her tail split into two scaly limb-like appendages terminating into wide flippers. The upper part of the body is that of a woman but covered with black, slimy scales. She lives in underwater caves and could be glimpsed basking in...
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    Closed Philippine folklore: magkukutud

    The magkukutud (also spelled, magcucutud) is a nocturnal flier in Kapampangan folklore almost similar to the manananggal except that it has a flat nose and large ears. It also lays eggs in secluded places. When these eggs are found and *****ed open they contain human body parts and organs. The...
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    Closed Philippine folklore: aswang sa kalibonan

    The hairy aswang sa kalibonan (literally, “aswang of the forest”), a.k.a. aswang panlibonan, ungong panlibonan, aswang sa talon, of the Visayan forests is an ancient aswang with a tongue that can stretch to great lengths and a foul-smelling long hair which it uses to strangle and suffocate...
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    Closed Amamarang, the aswang with killer hair

    According to folklore in some areas in Visayas and Mindanao, the amamarang are ordinary-looking women by day but are, in fact, aswang whose faces become hideous at night while their hair grow longer and become as hard as wires. When an amamarang ambushes a lone person she strangles him with her...
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    Closed Philippine folklore: makaboteng

    In Tinguian belief the makaboteng or boteng (a.k.a. sanadan) is a nature spirit and guardian of deer and wild pigs. His blessing is needed in order for the dogs that accompany hunters to succeed in the chase. He could make a hunter lose his quarry by making him follow an apparition – a child, a...
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    Closed Philippine folklore: alan

    The alan of Tinguian folklore are as big as humans but with certain deformities. They have wings for arms, which they use to fly, and skin as tough as carabao hide, and their fingers point backward from their wrists while their toes are at the back of their feet. They spend some of their time...
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    Closed Philippine folklore: akop

    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...
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    Closed Philippine vampires: mandarangkal & mandurugo

    Mandarangkal The mandarangkal of Tagalog folklore is a vampire-like aswang in the guise of a very gorgeous woman. She uses her good looks to seduce men to make love with her in order to drink their blood and eat their flesh. When the victim reaches orgasm, the mandarangkal grows claws and...
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    Closed Philippine vampires: danag & dangga agitot

    Danag According to Isneg legend, the danag was once a benevolent spirit that used to live peacefully with humans and taught them how to plant the taro root crop. One day, during harvest a maiden accidentally cut her finger. The maiden sucked on the wound to prevent infection. This got the danag...
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    Closed Philippine folklore: buso

    The buso of Bagobo myth are various malevolent man-eating beings that were once friendly and helpful to humans. They live as a tribe surrounded by fruit-bearing plants like papaya. They barter these fruits in exchange for human children to eat. When no one is willing to barter, they raid human...
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    Closed Philippine folklore: ugaw & kamanan-daplak

    Found in Iluko folklore, especially in Pangasinan, the ugaw are people only as big as the human thumb and are seldom seen because they move so fast. It is believed they are beings from another realm. They are notorious for s†éáling rice from granaries or human habitations with abundant supply of...
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    Closed Philippine folklore: aghoy

    Waray folklore describes the aghoy as attractive-looking men and women in their early twenties although it is said they are actually small in size, no taller than a person’s knee. They have golden to blond hair, deep-set eyes of blue, green, or brown, and high bridged noses and are often...
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    Closed Mantianak, a wraith who hates men

    In some parts of Mindanao, the mantianak or manti-anak is the vengeful spirit of a *******t woman who died before giving birth. Thinking that she could have lived had she not been impregnated by a man, she blames all men for her untimely demise. She returns as a wraith with a hole or slit in her...
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    Closed Sigbin

    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...
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    Closed Sipay the child abductor

    In the olden days in Quezon Province and in Laguna, the sipay is believed to be a mysterious man (allegedly hired by people engaged in the construction of bridges and buildings) who snatches children who are outdoors at 3 p.m. or after sunset and carries them off inside a sack (some say the sack...
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    Closed Sirena folklore in the philippines

    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...
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    Closed Tambaloslos the grinning prankster

    The tambaloslos of Bicolano and Visayan folklore is a dark and hairy humanoid creature with a large mouth, thick protruding lips which cover its eyes when it laughs, and round eyes. Some say this creature is only two feet tall while others claim it’s tall but very skinny with long arms and legs...
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    Closed The aswang

    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...
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    Closed Mandurugo the deadly beauty

    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...
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    Closed The amalanhig or maranhig

    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...
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    Closed The mangkukulam

    The original mangkukulam of Philippine folklore were sorcerers who inflicted harm in a rather disgusting way and did it only once or three times a month, especially during rainy nights. The procedure involved the mangkukulam creeping under the house of the intended victim at night and wallowing...
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    Closed Philippine 'werewolves'

    Werewolves, persons who turn into wolves are the stuff of legend in Europe and in North America. First used before the 12th century the word werewolf is a combination of the two Old English words “wer”, meaning “man” and “wulf” which means “wolf”. Tales of persons turning into wolves, especially...
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    Closed The fetus-eaters of philippine folklore part 2

    Another self-segmenter related to the manananggal could be found in Kapampangan folklore. The Magkukutud had the appearance of your classic manananggal but this one was said to lay eggs. Yes, eggs! It laid eggs in a secluded area and just left them there. Those who found the eggs were shocked to...
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    Closed The fetus-eaters of philippine folklore part 1

    The fetus-eaters are aswangs or creatures in Philippine folklore that specialize not only in extracting and devouring a person’s internal organs but also in drawing out or feeding on a yet to be born child from inside a mother’s womb. They are the principal suspects for strange noises or...
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    Closed Aswang na gala

    As psychic vampires, the aswang na gala feed off the energy of sick, weary, stressed, and dying persons. They appear as normal people - some work in hospitals to prey on the patients. But staring into their eyes reveals their true nature because it is believed everything is reflected upside-down...
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    Closed Aswang: agalon hayopan

    In Bicolano folklore, when some aswang no longer want to hunt for human prey themselves, they move and live by the swamp or the river. There, the hayopan raise crocodiles as servants which will follow their bidding. When their craving for human flesh kicks in, they simply order these crocodiles...
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    Closed Aswang: anananggal

    Anananggals are self-segmenting aswangs in the Visayas region of the Philippines. Unlike their cousins, the manananggals of Luzon, anananggals are wingless like the Indonesian penanggal, and have the ability to render themselves invisible - an ability which gives them freedom to enter any house...
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    Closed Aswang: abat

    Abat is the eastern Visayan variant of the manananggal in Philippine folklore. Like the latter, an abat detaches from its lower half of the body at the waist but instead of growing wings on its back, its arms are the ones that transform into bat-like wings. It has bloodshot eyes which almost...
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    Closed Aswang art: ungga-ungga

    In Philippine folklore the ungga-ungga or unga-unga of Negros (known as wuwug or wowog in Eastern Visayas) is a manananggal relative that appears similar to the penanggal or penanggalan of Indonesia and Malaysia. Like the latter, it separates at the neck and the wingless head hovers off with its...
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