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]
{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
← Previous Comments
Having experienced the wonderful years of growing up in Bacolod, and having moved away to live in Europe, it is so refreshing to read about the topic – growing up with Aswang. This is one aspect of our rich heritage which we should really cultivate in the younger generation. Story telling was so magical and it still it! Have you heard of Tenyente Gimo? Before we lose this thread, we must get our older populace to recall and record such stories.
Let’s form a team to relive this part of our culture!
Oka tokat……
Ang aswang ay kwentong ginawa ng mga matatanda na panakot lamang sa mga batang matitigas ang Ulo.. Hindi dapat katakutan ang aswang dahil walang katotohanan.
Dalawang klase lang ang “aswang” na nananatili ngayon.
1. Yung mga nang-aaswang ng asawa ng may asawa.
2. Yung Aswang na nasa malakanyang.. kilala niyo siya?
i believed it, i’d seen it with my own eyes with other people when i was a little girl. my question is, is it still exist. and one more thing they hate the smell of garlic. And if you suspect somebody is aswang invite them in the house and put the broom right at the door and by the time they are leaving they can’t get out of the house.they can stay inside all day without getting out. try it.
Really? That’s interesting and well, scary. I heard so many aswang stories and how to spot them when I was a kid. Will post something about it one of these days. Thanks for sharing your experience Josie.
i believe in aswang , i remember when i was at my age at 17 me and my friends went on a vacation in mindoro we arrive there holy thursday that night we decided to drink together with his relatives so while where drinking one of his uncle told a story about there neighbor a family of eating humans flesh . its true why? because his uncle seen the family eating human flesh. after three weeks my friend told me that his uncle died the body of his uncle was found in river side and dont have internal organ.
That is really scary! Whatever/whoever did that to your friend’s uncle was a horrible persons/creature.
It’s true. When I was 8 years old, the child from Sipalay City where I grow old was abducted by aswang. Asking her why she was tied in a mango tree, she told the people who rescued her that a certain flying creature brought her there. An aswang will not die if someone in his relatives will not receive his demonic power.
Lucky for her she was not killed.
ASWANG. . .
Totoo ang mga aswang.. sa hindi naniniwala nasa sa inyo na yan. To see is to believe naman daw.. Kung curious kayo subukan nyo pumunta sa bayan ng leon lalawigan ng iloilo. Pumunta kayo sa barangay cabunga-an at barangay bayag at doon nyo malalaman.
ang aswang wala sa province sa manila marami yan…..kya huwag nkyo
maniwala sa capiz,iloilo at antique wala doon yan….
hindi ako naniniwala sa mga kuwentong kababalaghan…..
sa paaralan marami niyan…
ako di ko alam kung hanggang ngayon ay maniniwala ako o hindi,lumaki kasi ako na diyos ang kinikilala,pero dumating yung time na my kakaiba akong experienced..when i was 17yrs old my nakita akong kakaibang hayop..buntis kapitbahay namin..actually kababata ko sila magkapatid sila na parehong nagbubuntis, ugali ko na kasi ang magbabad sa panonood ng tv nun bata pa ako..inaabot ako madalas ng alas3 ng umaga..mga bandang alas-onse ng gabi tahimik kaming nanonood ng movie ng kapatid ko at ng pinsan ko ng bglang may bumagsak na malakas sa bubungan namin..dahil sa ma-puno ang paligid ng house namin hindi namin yon pinansin..sabi namin baka napalakas lang ang hampas ng sanga sa yero,pero ang sumunod na nagyari may naglalakad na sa bubongan namin..di pa dn namin pinansin kasi akala namin pusa lang ng kapatid ko yun nasa bubong..pero patuloy pa din ang ingay na tipong pabigat ng pabigat yung paa na naglalakad, nang bglang dumaan yun pusa namin sa sala..nagkatinginan kaming tatlo..halos nagtataka bakit may naglalakad sa bubongan namin ng ganung oras samantalang yung pusa namin ay nasa loob. naasar na kami ng kuya ko (na pinsan ko) panira kasi ng moment sa pinapanood namin..kinuha ko yun flashlight at kawit na matulis ni papa..at lumabas ako,kasunod ko ang cousin ko. i was shocked ng tinapatan ko ng ilaw ang bubong namin,hindi tao nakikita ko..di ko mawari kung aso ba o pusa ang nakikita ko,malaking hayop na naglalaway at nanlilisik na mata na medyo namumula. sa takot ko natulala ako at speechless,nawala ata tapang ko,feeling ko lumulutang ako sa takot..sakala lang ako nakabawi ng maarinig ko si kuya tinatawag nia ako. “Cel ano na? natulala ka na jan?” mabilis ko agad tinawag kuya ko..sabi ko kuya bilis halika!..tignan mo ang laking hayop oh! sumunod naman agad si kuya..nagulat din siya sa nakita niya,napamura pa nga sa pagkagulat..kinuha agad niya yung kawit na hawak ko, nakabig nia yung flashlight na hawak ko at nawala sa hayop ang liwanag,nang ibinalik ko ang ilaw sa hayop nagulat ulit kami ng bglang naging pusang maliit ang kanina lang ay halos kasinglaki lang namin na hayop. hahampasin na ng pinsan ko ang pusa ng bigla naman itong lumipad at tingin namin naging kalapati yon. hanggang ngayon kapag naaalala ko yung ganung tagpo natatawa ako at kinikilabutan pa din,di ko kasi alam kung maniniwala ako sa nakita ko o ayaw ko lang tanggapin na totoo ang nakita ko kasi alam ko sa sarili ko na matatakot lang ako. di naman talaga kasi ako naniniwala sa mga kwentong aswang..pero sabi ng kapitbahay namin tik-tik daw yun, tinitik-tikan yun kapitbahay namin na buntis. pero alam niyo ba.. i’m three (3) months pregnant with our first baby ng hubby ko at yung ingay at pagaspas na naririnig ko sa bubong namin ngayon at bubong namin nuon ay kapareho lang ng nae-experience ko ngayon gabi-gabi pag-sapit ng alas-10 dito sa cavite. (Subdivision ang tinitirhan ko at hindi naman lib-lib ang place) ayaw ko ng lumabas ulit kasi natatakot na akong makita yung nakita ko before. pang-gabi sa work ang hubby ko at dalawa lang kami ng sister ko sa gabi. maingay ang bubong at talagang di ka patutulugin sa ingay. pero di ako nagpapadala sa takot kasi alam ko andyan lang sa tabi ko ang diyos,at naniniwala ako bawat baby natin inside our womb ay may anghel na nakabantay. nasa sa inyo na yon kung paniniwalaan niyo kwento ko. kanya-kanya lang naman tayo ng beliefs. pero ito ang share ko sa inyo based sa experienced ko nun bata pa ako.
← Previous Comments
{ 4 trackbacks }