A Free Resource for Philippine Mythology & Folklore • The Aswang Project

A pen and ink sketch of Santilmo flames attacking a boat in the middle of a stormy sea. The few crew members of the small boat struggle to keep the flames at bay.

SANTILMO: The Souls of People Lost at Sea

October 7, 2023 Jordan Clark Creatures & Spirits, Philippine Mythology, Tagalog Mythology & Folk Beliefs

According to the Tagalogs of Oriental Mindoro, the Santilmo is a ball of fire, believed to be the souls of people who perished in the

Five different images showing the various types of folkloric beast called the aswang in the Philippines - werebeast, witch, blood-sucker, viscera-sucker, ghoul.

The Maximo Ramos Taxonomical Classifications of the Aswang

October 1, 2023 Jordan Clark Creatures & Spirits

What is an aswang? This is a question that has continually resurfaced during my twenty years of studying the folklore and religious beliefs of the

An old lady sits by candle light, telling young children folk tales.

Urban Legends as Modern Folklore

June 6, 2023 Carl Lorenz Cervantes Urban Legends

When we talk about Philippine folk beliefs, we usually refer to the ghost stories of our elders. We might share stories about how an engkanto

A woman seemingly possessed is held back by two men.

Spirit Possession (Sapi) in the Philippines

June 6, 2023 Carl Lorenz Cervantes Opinion

Every Halloween when I was a child, I would see people getting possessed on the news. This is called sapi. This is a very common

A large blue deity (Bathala) holds a human in his hand.

How Learning Philippine Mythology and Folklore Can Shape Our Future

May 9, 2023 Robert John Pastera Opinion

By Rob Pastera Renowned folklorists and anthropologists, Profs. Maximo Ramos and Felipe Landa Jocano emphasized the significance of Philippine Mythology in understanding the culture, values,

An older woman with black teeth in a smile.

What Did Precolonial Ilokanos Wear?

March 23, 2023 Jordan Clark Ilokano Mythology & Beliefs

The present lloko population is basically Christian. The majority belongs to the Roman Catholic Church. The rest are affiliated with other Christian denominations such as

A painting of a goddess in the stars, hands out stretched and a figure of a woman on the earth giving praise.

Ilocano Deities of Stars and Planets?

March 23, 2023 Jordan Clark Ilokano Mythology & Beliefs, Philippine Mythology

The present lloko population is basically Christian. The majority belongs to the Roman Catholic Church. The rest are affiliated with other Christian denominations such as

Summary of the Sugidanon (Epics) of Central Panay

November 27, 2022 Jordan Clark Panay Bukidnon Beliefs, Philippine Mythology, Visayan Mythologies & Beliefs, Western Visayas Mythologies & Beliefs

When I create an article for The Aswang Project website, I consider many things. First, I like to have a personal interest in the topic

The deity of the wind, flows through the air. Sketch.

Matabagka Searches for the Deity of the Wind : Summary of the Talaandig Epic of Nalandangan

November 14, 2022 Jordan Clark Bukidnon Beliefs, Mindanao Mythologies & Beliefs, Philippine Mythology

A heroic song that has only recently been made available to students of Philippine literature is “Matabagka Searches for the Deity of the Wind,” collected

Sketch of two women by the river while a man is in front of them on a giant magic crane.

Kudaman: Summary of the Oral Epic from the Palawan Highlands

November 14, 2022 Jordan Clark Palawan Beliefs, Philippine Mythology

Kudaman is one of the 63 epics of Palawan. An epic is called tultul in Palawan culture. It was first recorded and translated into French