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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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.
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.
I was soo cute then 
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
BUYAG BUYAG
@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.
@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.
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!
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
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@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.
@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.
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
cge sure. i’ll add u to my blogroll too ha.
thanks.
kaith’s last blog post..A Phone Call Ruined My Tuesday
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!
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@Roxie. Hahaha! Yes dear, baw my Nanay would always call on Manding Patring the manugluy-a everytime I don’t feel well.
@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.
I used to believe that kindofstuff.whew!
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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
@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.
@ 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!
@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’.
I believe in these stories because we used to have a maid who was an aswang herself! My mom, uncles and aunts, and our grandparents has encountered battles w/ our maid and her so-called minions. Even our neighbors were witnesses to it. “Ate” is bulky even though she doesn’t eat the meals servedd for us. She just thrives on rice and rock salt w/ hot water mixed on it yet she doesn’t lose weight. She used to tell us stories that she can hurl her enemies back to their respective houses and tell us that certain street peddlers are also aswang. Although she doesn’t know how to read nor write (she reads newspapers by looking only at the pictures – she wouldn’t even realize the paper is upside down, unless you tell her), she would always complain of headaches and dizziness whenever she sees the Bible verses on our walls. For more info, you can contact me…
I enjoyed reading this story of yours. The thought of aswang used to scare me during my toddler years but as I grow up, I slowly stop believing in it. I was born and raised in Manila but I can certainly relate to those people who live in the areas where some narrow-minded Filipino society accuse them of being aswang. I watched ” The Reporter’s Notebook” (or something, the show of Maki Pulido in GMA 7) about the people suffering from humiliation and discrimination from the people who accused them of be aswang. They were so affected that they dont even leave their house in the middle of poverty. I feel so bad for them. As I said, I was born and raised in Manila but my mother is from one of those provinces known to have aswangs. Our relatives visit every year from Manila, U.S. and Canada. I remember living with my Grandmother in there for a year while my mother was working abroad. I was 7 years old at the time. I moved back to Manila after one year but during the year I was with my Grandma, I hear little kids telling me that my granny is aswang and even some aduts in my Granny’s town said so too. Some kids told me that my granny flies at night and it used to hurt me I know its not true and it NEVER affected me because I lived with her for a year and I slept beside her every night. I have never sensed or experienced anything strange or suspicious about her at all. All I remember was she took very good care of me when I was with her and she brought me to church with her every Sunday. Like other houses, she has “santos ninos” and rossaries etc. in her house. She was a very religious individual despite the fact that people thinks she is aswang and not like other people accused of being aswang, my granny never hide herself from everyone. As we say, “why would you hide if you have nothing to hide ?” and if she was an aswang then where does it lead me ??….a descendant of aswang ???….well, I’ve never done nor transformed into anything monsterous so far LOL. Im now 30 years old and if its too early, well…my mother has not turned into one either. My grandmother lived a normal life and blended with other people very well. She passed away 5 years ago not because of a sickness or weakening age. She was expecting to see my mother just 2 months after she died of an accident. If we only knew that she will die before she meet her, my Mom would have decided to fly from New York to the Philippines way before her accident and I would have come with her because instead of a happy vacation, they arrived there for a funeral. It was so close….just two months before my mom see her….she was perfectly well 2 moths before…..It was one of the unexpected days of our life. We love her so much. I wish I spent more time with her coz since we left the Philippines, I never had the chance to see her except hearing her sweet voice over the phone. I was so busy finishing school then when I finished, I got busy with the job but I realised its not an excuse to see an old granny who’s time could pass any moment. May this be a lesson to others out there. Try to see your loveones before its too late. Sorry granny. I wish I knew sooner….God bless your soul. You are forever dear to us…Its unbelievable how some Filipinos could be so backwards….we are in the new era now where science states facts and certain issues needs PROOF before believing. Some people who claimed to be possesed, later on discovers that they have certain malfunctions or complicated health problems which are totally common with other people around the world. Technology also contibute to fake videos and photos to help the media promote such thing as aswangs in the news. ANYONE can make up aswang encounters but were NEVER PROVEN. For all of those who insist that aswang is true, sure, you heard about it but how true was it? Were you there ? If yes, then find a way to make a legitimate proof or better yet, SHOW THEM TO US and make us see it right before our very own eyes !!….If you fail to do it, then your stories would remain just stories….stories that were just passed on to you or from people who make up stories. BTW, I’ve heard about the Aswang festival. I think its a cool idea to ease away the idea of the aswang myth…. a myth that if you do some research, it was derived from the Spanish era where Spanish priests try so hard to promote Catholisism that anyone who resist their religion would be called “Aswang” wish means the opposite of good (which refers to bad/evil). They wanted to scare the hell out of everyone else so that the rebels that oppose them (such as the so-called “babaylans” and some other faith healers) would be hated by other people. This process eventually made Catholisism easier to take effect. With this aswang festival, people can just laugh about the idea of aswang just like modernized Filipinos do here in the U.S. and Canada….being here made our minds more open between what’s real and what’s garbage. Thanks for letting me share my OPINION. Anyone who opposes my opinion does not matter to me. All of us has the right to have one and no one can change my belief unless proven !