The are many monsters in the dark of the night which haunt us. It seems that the human psyche can be endlessly creative in conceiving such terrors, but with the Manananggal we have conjured something truly unpleasant.
The Manananggal, also known as the Filipino Aswang, is an evil spirit who is known for detaching her torso from the lower half of the body. The torso would then fly away on leathery wings, attacking the bedrooms of unwary houses and eating infants or unborn babies. The name of this creature originated from the Filipino word Tanggal, named for the torso “separation.”
There are many variations and different stories, but there are common areas in which many agree. For instance Manananggal can either be a male or female, as the stories said, but the myths mostly depict it as a lady’s evil spirit.
Myths and Legends
As per the mythology of the Philippines, the Manananggal, or self-segmenter, tends to choose some isolated place to leave the lower half of her body while she heads out to hunt children. Right at the moment when she separates from the lower half of her body, she gains the ability to fly.
Following that, she goes on a search for all the houses where a pregnant woman resides. Once she finds a victim suitable to her desires, the Manananggal will then attack from the roof of that house.
Squatting on the roof of the house, she inserts her long tongue from the top of the roof into the womb of the pregnant lady, who will probably be asleep during the night hours. She uses her tongue to puncture the womb of the sleeping lady and sucks out the fetus.
She can also be a danger to full grown adults. When not eating infants or unborn babies from the mother’s womb, she also likes to seduce men using her beauty. Luring them to some private place, she then turns on them and eats them alive.
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Some stories say that the Manananggal prefers eating only the organs of a human being killed in this fashion, such as the stomach, liver, or heart. But the stories all agree that she is dangerous, and predatory, and powerful.
In different stories, the Manananggal is also referred to as a sorceress who visits barrios and villages, looking for victims. She uses her will to exert dominion over lesser beings, and some mythological creatures, such as Sigbin or Wakwak, are also said to be her servants or pets.
Devil Woman
The Manananggal is described in tales as an older yet beautiful woman with the capability of separating her body from the lower half to show her devil’s side at night. When separated, she looks like a huge bat with vast dark wings and attacks only pregnant women who are asleep and aren’t suspecting any mishap.
Manananggals are represented as terrifying and supernatural entities, and they consume human blood, especially of infants. This mythological creature has a specific haunting presence and you may be alerted to her presence by the peculiar sound she makes, a creaking rasping click, a strange “tiktik”.
Thus, if you hear a “tiktik” sound, it is an indication that Manananggal is in your proximity. When the sound turns out to be louder, it means Manananggal is far away from you, but when the sound turns softer, the creature is closer.
Every evil spirit has some form of weakness, and for the Manananggal, it is sunlight. When Manananggal turns herself into her monstrous form, sunlight is the deadliest weakness for her.
If her body stays separated till dawn, she cannot survive and will die. As per the myths and legends, it is said that people must look for her lower torso, which she tends to leave behind for hunting at night, and keep her from reforming until dawn.
This is done with garlic, ash, and salt, which should be placed over the exposed flesh and will prevent the monster from re-combining with the lower body half, which will leave her vulnerable to sunlight. Some small containers of ash, raw rice, salt, or the scent of burning rubber are also meant to deter Manananggal from attacking one’s house.
Apart from trying all the remedies to kill this creature, you should also be ready to defend yourselves at all times. You must keep sharp objects with you at all times as defense.
To be more clear, it is better to have sharp defense weapons, either made of some blessed metals or silver, as they might repel the supernatural being from attacking you. Also don’t follow strange older women to secluded places.
If you find yourself too frightened to face the Manananggal, there are places she cannot go. It is better for all but the bravest to seek refuge at some holy place until the night passes by.
A Psychological Terror
In the spectrum of Philippine mythology, Manananggal is one of an extensive family of various creatures that share some obsessions with entrails and blood. Manananggals represent the deep cultural fears and the various societal constructures, especially around society’s norms and femininity.
The Manananggals, alongside other creatures from the Philippine myths, are known to embody the moral lessons and fears that are being passed down from generation to generation. In Southeast Asia, there are some variations in the presence of Manananggals, depending on the individual cultures.
The attack of Manananggal on a pregnant mother is indicated by the anxieties that one faces about risky childbirths, especially in rural and remote areas. As this creature potentially attacks newborns, pregnant ladies, newborns, and even newlyweds, you can conclude that Manananggals look for vulnerabilities in people before attacking them.
Are you afraid of the terrifying Manananggal? Pregnancy, predation and childbirth far from modern medicine might will be the underlying cause. And in this form she is truly dangerous.
Top Image: The Manananggal is, in part, a reflection of the fears of childbirth in rural Philippine communities, in the most visceral and disturbing way possible. Source: Gian Bernal / Public Domain.
By Bipin Dimri
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