Growing Up With Aswang

A Promdi Blogger’s take on life in the Philippine countryside.

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20 January 2008

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I grew up hearing Aswang stories and how they love to eat children who still roam the neighborhood after 6 pm. That had me scurrying to go home every time it gets dark, even if I’m in a middle of a hide and seek game. The threat of getting whacked with a guava twig on the butt didn’t succeed in getting me home before six, the thought of Aswang surely did.

Here’s an interesting description of an Aswang from Wikipedia:

An Aswang (or Asuwang) is a ghoul in Filipino folklore. The myth of the Aswang is popular in the Western Visayan regions such as Capiz, Iloilo and Antique. The trademark or major feature of Aswangs which distinguish them from other Filipino mythological creatures is their propensity to replace stolen cadavers with the trunk of a banana tree carved in the cadaver’s likeness. They are also said to like to eat small children. Their favorite body parts are the liver and heart. Other local names, especially in Capiz are tik-tik and wak-wak.

So, the Aswang is a homegrown creature of Western Visayas. No wonder it’s the favorite story among old folks. Growing up, my folks would always remind me not to go at the far end of our Barangay where a certain family is believed to be aswang. Apparently, a member of that family married an aswang from another town. They had two beautiful daughters that nobody in the community courted.

The Flores de Mayo during May is a big fiesta for us. It is celebrated with having a family as the Hermana Mayor where the Reyna Elena would be chosen and they will provide food for everybody. That family being well off was the Hermana Mayor for that year and respectively, the daughters where the center of the procession.

It was customary that after the procession, those who attended it will accompany the Virgin Mary icon to the house of the Hermana Mayor where they will be served with food. The couple, knowing their reputation, asked other people to cook the food for the occasion. However, not everybody was aware of it especially the children for nobody expected what happened after the procession. When the food was served, the children and those unaware of it, left the place in such a hurry that they destroyed the bamboo fence in their haste. The couple was really disappointed but they couldn’t do anything about their reputation. Up until now, they’re still rumored to be aswang. And the daughters? One became a doctor and the other a nurse. They’re already in the United States now where hopefully nobody believes in aswang.

But really, has anyone truly seen an Aswang? Even now folks back home still believed in them. Mind you, we don’t live in the woods. Our place is just 11km away from Iloilo City but people believed in stories of Aswang and other mythical creatures who lurk in the dark ready for their next victim. Their stories are deeply ingrained in our culture that it’s so hard to shake them off. I don’t really believe in them but I still sometimes look behind my back at night lest there’s an Aswang ready to pounce on me.

[image credit: http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com]

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19 Comments »

Belle said:

i used to believe in aswang when i was living in the province. and you are right, the people thought to be lahi ng aswang are usually pretty. pero now that i have been living in the USA for some time, i stop believing in it.

i felt so sorry for the family.

# 21 January 2008 at 12:35 am

Junelle said:

Well, I guess it is always good if we are careful. I somehow believe they exist, but I also believe some stories have been exaggerated.
All in all … yeah I believe in those aswangs … for when I was young … a witch doctor would always tell my mom that I have been aswang when I am sick

I was soo cute then

BUYAG BUYAG

# 21 January 2008 at 8:33 am

gladita (author) said:

@Belle. Yup, we believe in a lot of those things in the province. It was fun hearing those scary stories when we were kids. But when I’m old enough I realized how unfair it was. The family I was referring to are kind but maybe sometime in the past they made really bad enemies who made people think they’re aswang.

# 21 January 2008 at 10:35 am

gladita (author) said:

@Junelle. People at our barangay still go to the ‘herbularyo’ first before going to the doctor. Some do get well I don’t know maybe it’s psychological. Some remedies do makes sense since herbal medicines can be effective.

# 21 January 2008 at 10:42 am

kaith said:

hi. got here through palagpat’s page. enjoyed reading ur entries. i can relate to this post because i am also from a small town in negros occidental and we were not spared of aswang stories and experiences. i hope u don’t mind if i visit u often.

kaith’s last blog post..Rant, Rant, Sob!

# 22 January 2008 at 11:52 am

verns said:

ahay…that is really sad especially if it’s untrue. I also have a classmate in HS who was rumored to have a grandmother who is a witch. One time she was bullied by the boys that she blurted out “I’m gonna tell my witch grandmother to give you skin allergies”.

I did not grew up being told by my parents to go home before 6 because aswangs might eat me or something. I was pretty scared of my father and that was enough to make me go home as instructed but I did hear a lot of aswang stories from the neighboring kids…pretty scary indeed
verns’s last blog post..the Notebook

# 22 January 2008 at 3:23 pm

gladita (author) said:

@Kaith. Thanks for visiting! I thought it’s only in Panay that we get a lot of aswang stories. Even here in Negros Occidental gali. I’ll link you up ha.

# 22 January 2008 at 9:06 pm

gladita (author) said:

@Verns. That will surely make those boys think twice before bullying that girl. Some parents in our place has been into trouble because of their kids. Some kids keep teasing those children of rumored aswangs who in turn told their parents. All they could do is apologize but still the rumors did not stop.

# 22 January 2008 at 9:16 pm

Leon said:

I’m into mythical creatures and stuff, so it’s nice to hear about a new one.

Leon’s last blog post..My thoughts on…High School Musical

# 23 January 2008 at 4:21 am

kaith said:

cge sure. i’ll add u to my blogroll too ha.

thanks.

kaith’s last blog post..A Phone Call Ruined My Tuesday

# 23 January 2008 at 2:36 pm

roxiegirl said:

i’ve heard a lot of creepy aswang stories in Negros but i haven’t had any first-hand experience/ encounter with one. pero sang gamay ko, suki gd ako sang manog-luy-a. ay abaw! ang laway ni lola!

roxiegirl’s last blog post..Heath Ledger Dead

# 23 January 2008 at 7:33 pm

gladita (author) said:

@Roxie. Hahaha! Yes dear, baw my Nanay would always call on Manding Patring the manugluy-a everytime I don’t feel well.

# 23 January 2008 at 9:40 pm

gladita (author) said:

@Leon. Thanks for visiting! Yeah, it’s always interesting to talk about these things. We have a lot of that kind of stories here in the Philippines.

# 23 January 2008 at 9:44 pm

FINCH said:

I used to believe that kindofstuff.whew!

FINCH’s last blog post..Speechless

# 24 January 2008 at 6:07 pm

I Love Philippines Too! said:

Wow! What a great aswang discussion.. Also your image, the aswang is very sexy! Haaay, nahidalw na ako sa iloilo…

I saw your site through clicking the link as friend of Marcus..

I Love Philippines Too!’s last blog post..A Saucy Pasta Day

# 27 January 2008 at 6:14 am

gladita (author) said:

@I Love Phil. Thanks for visiting! Folklore stories like aswang are always interesting topics. Some don’t believe in them, afraid in them but always love to talk about them.

# 28 January 2008 at 5:51 pm

crasher said:

@ roxie..the laway of manog luy-a is nothing compared to the taste of sinugba nga tawas and talong leaves applied on your belly overnight by the manogtawas to counter the tuyaw sang aswang. believe me, dula sakit sang tiyan mo sa kaaplod sang tawas kag kakatol sang talong!

# 18 February 2008 at 5:29 am

gladita (author) said:

@Crasher - hahaha…what an experience! Like Roxie, I have only experience ‘magpa-luy-a’. For those who are not familiar with it, the quack doctor would crush ginger then place it on your head while blowing on it. So your hair would now smell with ginger and saliva of the ‘manug-luy-a’.

# 20 February 2008 at 5:54 pm

Do you believe in mystical beings? | PromdiLiving | Philippine Provinces, Filipino Life & Culture said:

[…] Folklore stories is always part of Filipino life and culture. We grew up hearing stories about aswang, tikbalang, dwende and other mythical creatures believed to live among us. Others have swore to […]

# 22 September 2008 at 5:06 pm