According to Philippine lore, mounds of soil or anthills are not just nests for insects like termites and ants. The majority of us who grew
Read more
Category: Creatures & Spirits
This section contains legends, myths, and studies on the folkloric beings of the Philippine archipelago. These beings have been popularly classified as the “creatures of Philippine lower mythology.” In many cases, some of these beings are still living beliefs. Please use the site search function to look up specific folkloric beings and attributes.
Check out our “Compendium Of Creatures & Mythical Beings From Philippine Folklore & Mythology”
TAMBALOSLOS: Does Size Really Matter?
The TAMBALOSOS/ TAMBALUSLOS/ TAMBALUSLUS is one of those rare Philippine beings that everyone seems to know about, yet is conspicuously missing from most documentation on
Read more
LAMPONG, the Guardian Anito of Wild Animals | Philippine Folklore
In the book Philippine Demonological Beings and their Cultural Bearings, Maximo Ramos describes the LAMPONG as follows: “Among the head-taking Ilongot of Northeastern Luzon, the
Read more
BIANGONAN | Welcome To Your New Nightmare, Batak Folklore
THE BIANGONAN is definitely one of the most horrifying beings I’ve documented in Philippine Mythology & Folklore. I was lucky enough to visit the Batak
Read more
MUMU: Judgment, Fear and the Philippine Bogeyman
Every country has a long, rich tradition of invoking supernatural threats in order to keep children in line and on curfew. Parents have an arsenal
Read more
The Elves of Philippine Folklore
IN THE LANGUANGE of folklore, elves differ from fairies in that they are loners, while fairies have social organizations. Elves may have families but have
Read more
The Merfolk of Philippine Folklore
THE WORD merfolk means ‘people of the sea’. There are numerous Philippine legends about merfolk, but their local names are few. It may be that
Read more
Litao, The Husband of the Sirena | Philippine Myth & Folklore
Described in Isabelo delos Reyes’ book, El Folk-lore Filipino, the litao is a male anito of the waters. In Vigan, it is a small man that lives in the
Read more
Kabalan, Philippine Centaurs?
Stories of the Kabalan hail from the province Catanduanes in the Bicol region. They are described as horse-like (with 4 legs like a centaur). Hairy
Read more
The Vengeful Mantiyanak from Mindanaoan Folklore
The Mantiyanak is a spirit with a slit in her belly with her unborn child inside. She considers men as enemies. The spirit thinks she
Read more
