By Katie Manuel
The aswang is a nocturnal creature in Filipino mythology, that strikes fear into the hearts of people across the islands. Notorious for its deceptive shape-shifting abilities (the form of a dog being the most common), the aswang is a hunter known to target the vulnerable -- the sickly, pregnant women, newborn children, and the like. Some stories report that their vampiric abilities manifest through their long, blood-sucking, proboscis tongue, a dangerous combination alongside their bat-like wings. While it is similar to another creature from Filipino mythology, the manananggal, the aswang is incapable of separating its upper body from its lower half. Some sources cite the two as separate creatures, while others state that the manananggal is simply a specific type of aswang.
Many stories of the aswang describe one's existence as an aswang to be passed down through a familial line, with older aswang achieving death by passing on their abilities (commonly via a regurgitated black amulet or stone) to their younger kin.
However, as terrifying as these creatures may be, the myths surrounding them provide careful instructions on how to protect yourself against them. Many myths describe the aswang as vulnerable to flame, and others encourage the placing of nails around one's home to keep them from landing outside.
To this day, the existence of aswang is integral to the culture of the Philippines, with many modern-day movies and television programs -- even making its way to the American show Grimm -- cementing its place as a horrifying cultural icon.
Check out aswang in some of our partners' KoMIX series, like TCNY's The Realest Bayani.
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