A is for Aswang

Hi and welcome to the April A to Z Challenge. This month, I’m dedicating a letter to a mythical creature. Some you may have heard of, but many might be new to you.

Aswang comes from Filipino myths and was reported to be one of their most feared mythical creatures. The aswang is female nearly most of the time. It is a vampire-like creature, but can also shapeshift. Some say it is a combination of a vampire and witch, others a vampire and werewolf.

It ate the dead, but also was believed to eat children and unborn fetuses. Yet, they do not go after their neighbors. In order to avoid suspicion, they hunt far away from where they live.

They can appear as a human. However, even though they are daywalkers, they are weak during the day.

So how would you spot one if they can appear and act human? Look into it’s eyes if you dare get that close … your image will appear upside down. They can also split their bodies in half, leaving their pelvis and legs behind while their torso and head shift and hunt prey.

Garlic helps repeal them. But what if you don’t have any and the Aswang is after you?

“It would help if you have the basic weapons.
This includes a stake (for stabbing an aswang in the heart), a bolo or machete (to slice off their tongue, head or simply hack at them in the heat of the fight) or a buntot ng page, sometimes also called buntot-page (the dried tail of a sting ray).” 1

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

😉

Bibliography

1 http://jeminastories.blogspot.com/2008/09/to-fight-aswang-plus-trick-for-annoying.html

http://listverse.com/2009/10/26/10-mythological-creatures-and-shapeshifters/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aswang