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

Mexico and Philippines Shared Myths | The Aswang Project

SHARED MYTHS: The Philippines and Mexico

October 17, 2016 Karl Gaverza Opinion

Mexico and the Philippines have ties that date back 400 years. It was said that this started when Spanish Governor General Miguel Lopez de Legazpi

A person lay topless, face down while a hilot practitioner lay banana leaves carefully on their back.

HILOT: The Science and Philosophy of Ancient Filipino Healing Arts

September 28, 2016 Daniel De Guzman Shamans & Healers

The ancient Filipino healing art known as Hilot can be classified as a type of traditional/folk medical practice that details both the resourcefulness of Filipinos

A panel showing eight cryptid beings from the Philippines. They range from ape-like to bird-like mostly sporting a grimacing look, long claws, and fur covering their body.

10 Philippine CRYPTIDS You’ve (probably) Never Heard Of

September 24, 2016 Jordan Clark Creatures & Spirits

Cryptozoology is the study of creatures whose existence has yet to be—or else cannot entirely be—proved or disproved by science. These creatures are known collectively

Gothic looking dark stone towers rise out of the jungle and into the distance.

BIRINGAN CITY, Philippines

September 17, 2016 Jordan Clark Paranormal, Urban Legends

While in Samar, if you are travelling between the towns of Gandara, Tarangnan, and Pagsanhan, you may just find yourself transported to another world. It is

SANTONILYO and the Syncretization of Santo Niño

September 10, 2016 Jordan Clark Central Visayas Mythologies & Beliefs

The child deity Santonilyo is considered the “god of graces” within the ancient Visayan pantheon. It has always fascinated me, not just because of it’s

A side view of an Igorot man. He is slightly hunched over and only wearing a bahag (loin cloth). The way it is tied makes it appear that he has an eight inch tail coming from above his buttock.

IKUGAN: Tales of Tailed Men in the Philippines

September 4, 2016 Daniel De Guzman Creatures & Spirits, Manobo Beleifs, Opinion

The fateful meeting of “civilized” and primitive factions in the world during the Age of Discovery forced an escalation of the Western ideals of progression. Among the lands that

Tanghalang Pilipino's stage production of the Ibalong. Handyong stand at the front with bolo raised high above his head. All sorts of costumed beasts lurk behind him.

Ibálong: Bicol’s Incredible 60 Stanza Folk Epic

September 3, 2016 Jordan Clark Bikolano Mythology

Last week we featured articles for seven creatures in Philippine Mythology. Two of them were beings from the Ibálong Epic, so I thought it would

Illustration of a giant serpent dwarfing the mountain range it is emerging from. The moon is held in its mouth.

LAHO, the other moon-eating serpent of Tagalog Mythology

September 1, 2016 Karl Gaverza Creatures & Spirits, Tagalog Mythology & Folk Beliefs

‘Laho’ means eclipse, ‘naglaho’ means to swallow without a trace. It is the Tagalog name for the serpent that swallows the moon, corresponding to other moon-eater

A nymph like woman, sitting with knees to chest, arms resting on top. She wears no clothing, her eyes are black like a shark, whiler her hair sticks up in a pixie cut.

Banwaanon, Denizens of the Philippine Fairyland

August 31, 2016 Karl Gaverza Creatures & Spirits, Eastern Visayas Mythologies & Beliefs

Banwaanon, meaning ‘of the forest’, are sometimes called Katsila from ‘Castilian’ (shortened to kastila) meaning Spaniard. They are said to have Caucasian features and coloring. The legend is

Illustration of a muscular man sized amphibious looking beast. It has no head and from shoulder to shoulder is a giant mouth with long sharp teeth.

PUGOT MAMU: The Other Philippine Boogeyman

August 30, 2016 Karl Gaverza Creatures & Spirits, Kapampangan Mythology & Beliefs

PUGOT MAMU Next to the aswang, the Pugot Mamu may be the most well-known Philippine boogeyman from the Pampanga region. It is a headless being, like