Aswang

Aswang by Cantada

Is it a ghoul? A vampire? A lycantropy? A hexer? Or even a god? Trying to describe the mythical aswang can be very hard. Different ethnic groups have a different description of it, but one thing is clear, the aswang is one of the most frightening of our lower myths.

So what does an aswang look like? People in the provinces say that aswang have red, ragged looking eye. Some are said to have long proboscises, which they use to hunt down unborn kids to consume. There are even some that are thin enough to hole up behind bamboo posts. They can also do some shapeshifting in the morning so they can stroll around amid the day. Now, you will be surprised that on mornings (while in disguised as humans) they are peaceful, modest, and subtle in the way. 

Origins

The legend of the "aswang" is known all through the Philippine Islands, but the legend itself may differ from region to area or island to island. In the North, they believe that the aswang was really a god who tried to steal the fires of Mayon while most Tagalog believed that the aswang are mythical beings forgotten by Bathala and because of this, they shift their allegiance to Sitan - the god of the death and guardian of Kasanaan, the realm of the evil spirits. Nonetheless, with all the differences – the aswang is depicted as ghouls – dead eaters. It is said that the aswang (disguised as humans in the mornings) will always dig a well in their backyards where they enter head first so they could listen if there are wakes in their neighborhood, then they stole the cadaver and replaced them with the trunk of a banana tree carved in the cadaver's likeness.  

According to the late Dr. Maxino D. Ramos, the belief in aswang came way, way back – beyond 16th century perhaps and even our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal have wrote an essay composed during his Dapitan exile. It is entitled "The Treatment of the Bewitched" (dated 15 November 1895).

Tiniente Gimo and Maria Labo

The two famous aswang tales are Tiniente Gimo and Maria Labo. In the story of Tiniente Gimo, the Gimo Clan is said to be from the town of Dueñas in Iloilo. It was said that Tiniente Gimo and his family doesn’t hide the fact that they’re what he called “lahi ng mga aswang.” In one of the stories, his daughter invited two of her friends to sleep in her house. Now, one of her friends have a hard time sleeping so she wandered into the house only to hear that the whole family was preparing to have a feast – and they’re the main course!

Maria Labo is about a woman named Maria who killed and cooked her two sons. It was said that she came from Capiz (yet other tales says she came from Sorsogon and Cebu).

How to be an aswang

Aswang are solidarity hunters. That means they work alone. Also, it is said that being an aswang runs in the family, but you have to be transformed first. A dying old aswang will always pass his/her powers to the younger generation. This is done when a mysterious black chick will emerge from the mouth of the dying aswang to be swallowed by the one who will replace her.

Detecting an Aswang

There are some telltale signs to know if someone is an aswang. If you see a person without a philtrum (that’s the groove under your nose), now obviously it’s a dead giveaway, but most Philippine mythical creatures also have these characteristics. It is also said that when a suspected aswang look at you, you will notice that your reflection in his pupul is upside down. Also, the toes of a suspected aswang is always pointing upward. An alternate approach to recognize an aswang is to use a container of unique oil made from coconut and blended with certain plant stems. What makes this oil special is because of a certain special prayer that is said over. When an aswang approaches or walks outside the house, the oil will boil and continue boiling until the creature leaves. However, the best way to detect an aswang is by listening to the tik-tik’s cry. A tik-tik is a bird which makes a sound that resembles its name. It is said that when a tik-tik sound is loud, that means the aswang is still far away, but at the minute that the sound grows weaker – then better run or close all your windows and door. Aswang also plays tricks to people by disguising the food it eats. So, in case you are in a place that is rumored to be “Aswang Country,” you better squeeze some kalamansi juice on the food. It is said that the kalamansi juice will break the disguise and will show you what the food really is.

Killing an Aswang

Salt and garlic can be used to repel an aswang. Since salt is considered the purest of elements in the occult department, salt is almost a universal repellent against all types of ethereal creatures. Garlic, because of its smell can also repel an aswang - the same effect with its western counterpart of vampire lores. Other objects that are known to repel an aswang are walis tingting (brooms made from coconut rib), a palaspas (palm leaves) that was blessed in the church, prayers recited backwards, crucifix, holy water, loud noice, ash, semen, the smell of burning chicken feathers, a needle with a broken eye placed on the doorstep, and incense. 

Whipping its body using the tail of a stingray can give an aswang nasty wound,  but there are only few known weapons that can kill an aswang: the snouts of a sawfish, bamboo stakes, a rusty bolo and fire. If you are planning to capture an aswang, be sure to tie him upside down using the cord of a priest’s robe. Now, spin him fast or you can beat his back and stomach till the black chick emerged out of his mouth. Capture the chick and placed it on a fire or a cauldron of boiling water to kill it.