Welcome to Mythical Monsters, Critters, and Cryptids
I have always been a fan of the supernatural and for the longest time, I have been considering writing a book about the various creatures that can be found worldwide. I first considered going from continent to continent, but some continents are so rich in these creatures, that I could get lost in the research. Instead, I decided to go alphabetically, and once I hit Z, I will start again at A.
Because this is research-based writing, I will include all the references that I use at the end of the piece, so all of you can see where I get my information. I will also include further references that you can all enjoy in your own time. So, without further ado, let me introduce you to the first of the monsters in this new series, the Aswang.
Creature: Aswang or asuwang, derived from the Sanskrit word “Asura” meaning demon.
The Aswang is an amalgamation of various mythical monsters, including vampires, were-beasts, and witches, plus it’s capable of transforming, making it difficult to find. Stories of the Aswang date back for centuries among the Filipino people, and there has even been a resurgence in sightings during the COVID-19 pandemic on the Visayas islands, Philippines.
What is it?
This cryptid is human by day, and monster by night, as this is when it gets the majority of its strength. While in its human form, the Aswang will find and target its prey, and then hunt it at night. While it has superhuman strength and can overpower most adults, its preferred meal is that of children and unborn babies, especially their hearts and livers. The Aswang has a long proboscis-like tongue that it uses to pierce the bellies of sleeping mothers to get to their unborn babies.
In most cases, the Aswang appears as a beautiful woman with long, dark hair that obscures their eyes, and with good reason, as this is one way that gives away what they are. Their eyes are always bloodshot and if you’re close enough, your reflection will appear upside down. Another way to reveal an Aswang is that albularyos, an enchanted or holy oil, start to boil in their presence. The oil is prepared by a Filipino witch doctor.
Aswang varieties
The term “Aswang” is actually an umbrella term for several types of creatures that act similarly to the European vampire, werewolf, and ghoul cryptids.
1.The Tik-Tik or Wak-Wak is considered the most common and appears as a large bird, named after the sound it makes. In some regions, this creature is believed to be kept by a witch.
2.The Sigbin or Zigbin is a creature that is capable of transforming into a creature that resembles a Tasmanian devil and is often considered a weredog.
3.The Manananggal appears to be a woman until she is ready to feed. When hunting, the top half splits from the legs, the torso then sprouts bat-like wings, and it flies off to feed. If the top half doesn’t return to the lower half by daybreak, it risks death. More on this creature in later episodes.
4.The Busaw is a classic ghoul and steals fresh bodies from their graves.
5.The Bubuu usually looks human but with bloodshot eyes and makes the sound of laying chicken.
Historical significance
The Spanish used the Aswang to push Christianity on the native Filipino populations during the 16th century. They particularly accused the female spiritual leaders or shamans (babaylans) and other women who opposed them and their rule. The punishment for being an Aswang was death, generally by stoning, which still occurs today. Even the CSI used the fear of the Aswang during the Cold War.
Scientific take
Whether the Aswang stalks the deepest, darkest areas of the Philippines or not, science has a few ideas as to why the legend of the Aswang started. The first is an X-linked genetic disease known as X-linked dystonia parkinsonism (XDP). This disease affects mostly the male population, causing uncontrollable tremors, contortions, and muscular spasms. These movements are often associated with the movement of an Aswang.
Another possibility is that the Aswang is a scapegoat for the horrors that people can inflict upon each other. A particularly horrific murder couldn’t possibly be done by a human, it must have been done by a monster.
The Aswang is also used to explain spontaneous miscarriages and stillbirths and no reason can be determined for the death of the newborn.
Modern depictions
If nothing else, humans love to scar themselves with a range of different critters and monsters, and the Aswang has seen a lot of use in terms of movies and television series.
Movies where an Aswang, or a similar creature, was present include
•Aswang, 1994
•Surviving Evil, 2009
•Vamparia, 2016
•An Aswang Halloween, 2023
Some common series where an Aswang or similar creature was present include
•Trese (also a graphic novel)
•Grim
•Lost Girl
•The Strain
•Supernatural
Supernatural was quite accurate with their episode as they used a stingray barb to kill the Aswang. Having a stingray barb is said to be one of the ways you can protect yourself from Aswang.
Becoming an Aswang
According to legends, it’s possible to become an Aswang, however, it’s complicated. A fertilized chicken egg needs to be fastened to an individual’s stomach before they go to sleep. The chick is said to travel from the egg into the person’s belly. Once the person wakes the next day, they have an insatiable hunger that can only be satisfied by eating human flesh.
This curse is said to also be transferable. If the Aswang wants to transfer the curse, they simply open their mouth, while opening their victim’s mouth and allow the chick to move from them to the new person.
Protection from Aswangs
There are many different ways to keep Aswangs away or even kill them. Each method usually has a cultural or symbolic significance to those who developed it. The barb from a stingray tail is one way, but others include ash, salt, urine, various holy objects, spices, and even vinegar.
Resources:
Bedtime Stories. (2019). The shadow of the Aswang [Video]. In YouTube.
Cryptid Wiki. (n.d.). Aswang. https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Aswang
Mythlok. (2023, March 17). Aswang: The shapeshifting vampire. https://mythlok.com/aswang/
Wikipedia Contributors. (2019, May 10). Aswang. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aswang
Winiarski, K. (2022, October 6). Inside the disturbing legend of the aswang, the bloodsucking, fetus-eating monster of Filipino folklore. All That’s Interesting. https://allthatsinteresting.com/aswang
Further viewing:
And that is the Aswang, the scourge of the Philippines. One of the main reasons I chose this creature over something like the Abominable Snowman (Yeti), is that I thought that cryptid was too common, and I wanted to showcase a lesser-known creature.
If I get enough people interested in reading these episodes, I'll likely post once a week. I'll even make a list of creatures to write about. However, we will have to stick to an alphabetical list. I'm thinking of moving over from the Philippines to Australia to discuss the Bunyip.
See you all next week!
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