Filipino Mythology

Engkantos\Encantos (Engkantada [feminized])

Like “Diwata,” this term can, when used most specifically, refer to a type of nature spirits, in this case male water spirits. However, also like Diwata, this has become more commonly used as a reference for any of the fickle but powerful supernatural entities very similar to elves or fairies. This has become the most common use of the word and in this usage can apply to both male and female entities including Diwata. It is also sometimes referred to as the masculine form of the word Diwata.

Appearance:

Engkantos are said to be very tall (or occasionally very short), very fair and very attractive. These and other features are similar to Tolkien elves. They often are said to have blue or green eyes and golden hair (highly unusual colors amongst humans in Asia) along with high-bridged noses, but this may be an adaptation from colonial times. Also like Diwata, they lack a philtrum.

Personality:

The behavior of Engkantos varies from story to story and likely from one Engkanto to another. Some things, however, are common. Engkantos must be treated respectfully and with caution. They are not human and can seem quite fickle. They are capable of giving blessings or curses to those whom they feel have treated them well or those who have slighted them. They can be quite vengeful if wronged, even if it’s only perceived. Even if they like a person, they may whisk them away or even kidnap them if their attention is not reciprocated. However, if they are treated well, they can be quite generous and bestow riches or power upon their friends. 

Common Powers:

Their power may seem virtually limitless depending on the story. Certainly they are capable of curses that cause all sorts of maladies and distress possibly even causing disease.The specific powers and power level likely varies from one Engkanto to another. 

Interesting Notes:

Tikbalang

Appearance:

A Tikbalang is somewhat reminiscent of a Minotaur; however, instead of a bull’s head and physical traits, Tikbalang have horses’ heads and features. Often they are described as having unusually long limbs and when they sit, their knees reach above their head. In many of the Filipino comics they are portrayed as being very tribal and often have tribal tattoos and loincloths as well as ancient weapons.

Personality:

Often these creatures are encountered as guardians of bridges and thick groves, especially bamboo. They could be used similar to “bridge trolls,” demanding that someone defeat them or bribe them in order to pass over their bridge or through their grove. Sometimes they can also be found in hot springs, they are said to bathe in these during the full moon.

Common Powers:

Tikbalang

According to some stories, they share similar powers and personality to a Kapre such as the ability to turn invisible (occasionally even given the Kapre’s love for cigars). This may be storytellers confusing the creatures, or perhaps the two races have exchanged magical tricks and other commerce with one another. 

As with the other fey creatures, they are known to cause disorientation that could be just a function of their environment if they are from the realm of Faerie and that this is a side-effect of moving into and out of said realm. Certainly, many fey creatures (and those in Filipino mythology) seem to have this ability, but Tikbalang are considered to be masters of it. The have been known to drive some poor souls insane after becoming so lost in their illusions. This ability has not been shown in the comic book Tikbalang, so it may only be true of those guarding the paths to the Faerie realms or perhaps just the shamans of their people since the depictions appearing in the comics seem to focus on tribal warrior types of characters.
 
Interesting notes:

In some provinces, Tikbalang are considered Aswang and are of a demonic nature. Perhaps these stories are created by separate tribes of Tikbalang, individual Tikbalang who’ve made dark pacts, or perhaps they’re simply a different breed from the more trickster type.

Kapre (Capre)

Appearance:

Kapre are huge humanoids often described as giants with eyes the size of dinner plates. They live in the branches of large trees (especially the Balete) and love to smoke cigars. They have dark skin, lots of hair and, depending on the teller of the tale, might resemble western ogres or may look more like Sasquatch and Yeti.

Personality:

Kapre are primarily brutish beings with human level intelligence. While not necessarily evil, they sometimes have been known to kidnap maidens they are enamored with. If their interest is willingly reciprocated, they can be quite loyal friends and will follow their love-interest wherever she goes as an unseen protector. 

Common Powers:

Kapre sometimes have magical belts which allow them to turn invisible to humans, leaving only the smell of tobacco and the glowing embers from their cigars. In this way, they can be said to resemble Western will-o-wisps. They also have the ability to disorient travelers, making them lost for what seems like hours when, in fact, days have passed. This seems likely a form Dimension Travel putting their victim in the realm of Faerie (or a nearby related dimension) or possibly illusions of some sort. Considering their size, they are also likely to be quite strong if a physical confrontation should occur and in some stories can control their size to grow even larger.

Interesting notes:

Duwende

In some stories Duwende are a separate race and in others Nuno and Laman Lupa are simply another Duwende.

Appearance:

Duwende is Spanish for “dwarf” and these creatures resemble small dwarves or gnomes who dwell underground, in trees, or sometimes take residence with humans who leave them offerings. They stand about 3-6 inches tall and usually have white, grey, or black skin. In some descriptions they only have one eye and one nostril.

Personality:

It’s very important to note that politeness, offerings, and following the form of the old ways is very important to Duwende and their ilk. So if one minds their manners when encountering a Duwende, they will likely receive aid and information. If one is rude, bad luck and curses of all sorts will befall them.
 
Common Powers:

The often invisible Duwende are said to be able to bring good or ill fortune. In some stories this is associated with their color (white for good luck, black for bad). Those cursed by Duwende have been known to hallucinate and fall into near comatose states. In Trese, it’s common for Duwende to take familiars of humans and to make sure they are incredibly successful in their profession in return for the emotions humans bring (and offerings).

Interesting Notes: 

Laman Lupa

In some sources, the Laman Lupa is virtually synonymous with Duwende, except they always live in the earth rather than sometimes taking to homes as house spirits. The version presented here is primarily from Trese which follows other traditional tales, in which they are basically earth elementals that serve the Duwende.

Appearance:

Basically, these are mud elementals. Usually they are roughly human sized (or slightly smaller) but can grow by absorbing more earth into themselves. They also produce a pungent, earthy odor when they manifest.

Personality:

In some traditional versions, they would be like other Duwende. In Trese, they’re basically dumb brutes that act primarily as body guards (and possibly brute labor). If they feel the Duwende are threatened, they will attack.

Common Powers:

As earth elementals, they can draw on the earth to heal themselves and are quite strong. They are virtually unstoppable as long as they are in contact with the ground, as they will absorb more earth to keep coming back.

Interesting Notes:

While the Laman Lupa presented in Trese are very strong, they’re also practically mindless.
Nuno sa Punso (means Ancestor of the Anthill)

While being very similar to (and often confused with) the Duwende, it would seem from most of the portrayals I’ve read that the Nuno sa Punso is a different creature. If you want to make them the same, one possibility would be that these creatures are elders or nobles (or both) of the Duwende, as it is said that the Nuno are the “true owners of the land.”

Appearance:

Nuno is the name of a dwarf/gnome-like creature in The Mythology Class that does not have a beard, but since “Nuno” also means “ancestor (great-grandfather),” it’s possible he was a Duwende, an ancestor spirit, or some other creature being addressed with respect, rather than a true Nuno sa Punso.

Personality:

Like the little differences noted in appearance, the Nuno have personality traits sometimes associated with the Duwende but are almost always true of the Nuno. For one, as the name indicates, they almost always live in (or at least near in Trese) anthills. They usually wear hats resembling the tops of the anthill and are very possessive of the land surrounding them. They are often referred to as the “true owners” of the land, and one is well advised to say “tabi tabi po” which basically means “excuse me, so I can pass” whenever encountering their lands. If treated with proper respect, they can be approached. They may be helpful and have been known to possess great knowledge and wisdom, as is appropriate with their “elder” status.

Common Powers:

While they seem to possess the same powers as Duwende, their curses befall anyone who passes through their lands without paying proper courtesy. These curses seem, appropriately enough, to have great similarities to ant bites and other stinging insects. In fact, it’s quite possible that the insects heed their call. If particularly offended, they can inflict even more virulent curses upon their victims including paralysis and even death (so Pym had better mind his manners!). 

Interesting Notes:

Wind People

I haven’t found much and these wind elementals in direct reference in traditional stories, though it seems likely these entities would most commonly get referred to as general Anito or Engkantos rather than specific entities. This entry is primarily based on the pair of wind girls that appear in Trese.


Appearance:

These appear most often much like other Engkantos being very attractive humanoids. They seem to always have wind-swept hair that works for them in a fashion sense. In their natural form, they appear as slightly translucent and made of air. 

Personality:

While bright, they are quite flighty. They also seemed to be obsessed with anything fast and love anything fun. Fast qualifies as fun! (A single Wally West would be in heaven meeting the girls from the Wind Tribes.)

Common Powers:

As air elementals, they seem to have control over air enough to push/carry a car and fly faster than a Tikbalang. They can change their appearance enough to disguise their true nature and appear human.

Interesting Notes: 

While they can manipulate air, they are also vulnerable to the same manipulation as they are made of air. While not demonstrated, they are probably vulnerable to salt much like other supernatural creatures.

Aswang

Aswang are the evil monsters in the Philippines. Like “Diwata” the term “Aswang” (also spelled Asuwang or Asuang) has changed over time, originally based on the words meaning roughly “The Dog” (Aso Ang). They were a sort of ghoulish were-wolf who had to assume the form of a dog during the day. For more on this form, see below (Aswang as a Lycanthrope). This is the use in The Mythology Class. Modernly the term is more often associated with vampires, particularly Manananggal. However, it is primarily used as a general term for all monsters, witches or other evil things that go “bump” in the night, much like the “boogeyman.” 

In Trese, there are 4 tribes of Aswang. They make up the tribes associated with evil in the Underworld.

Appearance:

One common attribute to all the oldest stories about all sorts of Aswang is the ability to change their shape. However, they all appear to be normal humans (or dogs, in The Mythology Class) during the day. In order to tell if your neighbor is an Aswang, you can look for red eyes (from staying up all night). If you see your reflection in their eyes, it will be upside-down. Finally, if you look at them upside down through your legs, their true form will be revealed. Most of the types are said to have a very long and sharp tongue they can extend and suck through, like a proboscis, to help them in their ghoulish habits. These stories are so common that the “dila” (tongue) is sometimes referenced almost like it is a separate creature.

Personality:

The Aswang are mainly considered evil for their dietary habits. According to the book “Creatures of Lower Philippine Mythology,” the generalized group can be divided into 5 main categories: “viscera-suckers” which usually eat internal organs like the heart, liver and also fetuses (a common delicacy amongst Aswang- making pregnant women prime targets), “blood-suckers” like Manananggal and other vampires, “flesh eaters” like the lycanthropic Aswang that primarily take the form of were-dogs and were-boars, and witches who use curses, called mangkukulam.

Other creatures have now started to be referred to as “Aswang” especially in pop-culture, even sometimes including multo (ghosts who were not originally usually considered evil in Filipino myth) and Syokoy (fish-faced merfolk who ).

Common Powers:

The most common power amongst all Aswang is the ability to change shape. Usually the shape is defined by the type of Aswang, but particularly powerful ones have gained the ability to take on other forms. Birds and bats are common, and some Aswang are even said to be able to take the form of their victims. They also have varying magical powers by type, but one common association is that they sound like they are getting farther away the closer they get. 

Interesting Notes:

Manananggal

These are primarily blood-suckers similar to Western vampires.

Appearance:

A mamananggal appears as a beautiful woman during the day, but is only half the woman she used to be at night. When the sun sets, her upper torso separates from her lower body and she sprouts huge, bat-like wings, allowing her to fly around looking for prey. Similar to vampires, they grow fangs and claws and suck blood. The lower body simply stands, waiting for her return. Like other Aswang, they have an unusually long proboscis-like tongue they can use to drain blood by extending it through thatch roofs to get to their victims.

Personality:

Like other vampires, it somewhat depends on the individual. Some can be reasoned with while others are literally blood-thirsty monsters. They are usually associated with evil and prey on the weak, worship evil gods, and literally drink the blood of the unborn.



However, there are stories in Capiz of a sailor who discovered his hostesses were Manananggal. When his shipmates tried to destroy them, he stopped them citing the fact they had not harmed them. The Manananggal married him and made him a good wife, while her sisters hunted down the other sailors and tormented them until they made amends and married them. This is but one of many stories associating varying Aswang to this province.
 
Common Powers:

Manananggal are usually very powerful and sometimes have other Aswang as pets or servants. They can fly, are inhumanly strong and have sharp claws and fangs. They are said to have other magical powers in some stories in addition to the other powers associated generally with Aswang. In their human forms they can be very seductive as they are inhumanly attractive.

Interesting Notes:

In some stories, a Manananggal can not die (at least without destroying the torso as mentioned above) until her curse is passed on. There is a small, black chick within her that she must cough up and pass on to another. The chick must be burned to permanently destroy a Manananggal.