Aswang and Manananggals

An Aswang is a mythical creature in Philippine folklore. “Aswangs” are often described as a combination of vampire and witch and are almost always female. They are sometimes used as a generic term applied to may types of monsters. In general, they are shape shifting who are human at day and at night turn into a dog, a pig, a bat, cat, snake etc. However, the famous type is manananggal, which is a particular creature portrayed as a monster with wings which flap loudly when she’s far away and quietly when she’s nearer. The most popular original definition however, is that it is a bal-bal. After consumption, the bal-bal replaces the cadaver with banana trunks. Many Aswangs have a taste for human fetuses, and were believed to explain miscarriages and other maladies before science and medicine