Cryptids of the Philippines: Tikbalang, Nuno sa Punso, and Aswang

/

The Philippines is a collection of thousands of wonderfully unique islands, home to diverse flora and fauna, rich culture and cuisine, quaint rural villages and bustling urban cities… and a myriad of malevolent, yet fascinating supernatural beings. Today, I will explore three of the Philippines’ most popular cryptids.

Tikbalang

The tikbalang is a fearsome spirit, with the torso and arms of a human, and the head and feet of a horse. The creature is tall and thin, and its limbs are abnormally long, with legs resembling those of a locust.

A drawing of an emaciated, humanoid monster, with the head of a horse, human arms with long claws, long, hoofed legs, and a shaggy mane covering its face and back.

Credit: Jacob Blackman (ProdigyDuck), Deviantart

Tikbalang usually appears at night, seeking to mislead travelers in the forest by playing tricks on them. It can make itself invisible or transform into people that you know and trust to lead you astray. Many believe the only way to break free from the spirit’s illusions and escape the forest is to turn your clothes inside-out.

There is a way to beat and tame the tikbalang; however, it’s no easy task. You must jump onto the creature’s back and restrain it with a special rope. Then, you hold on for dear life. You must stay on the tikbalang’s back and keep it tied until it tires out. Once it’s exhausted, you take one of three golden hairs from its mane. It’s said that whoever has this golden hair can control the tikbalang.

There is contention about the origins of tikbalang in the Philippines, since horses are not native to the islands. Most theorize that it came after Spanish colonials arrived in 1521, since they introduced horses when they colonized the islands. Others think it may have either been influenced by the Hindu deity Hayagriva, who is a horse-headed avatar of the god Vishnu, or from Chinese merchants, who rode horses on land when they traveled to the Philippines.

Nuno sa Punso

The term nuno sa punso translates to “ancestor from the anthill”. It’s a small earth spirit, depicted as a little old man, that lives under anthills. The nuno is said to be as tall as a three-year-old, have a long, white beard, and wear a conical, wide-brimmed hat made from reeds called a salakot.

An illustration of a small, old person with a long, white beard and conical hat crouched on top of an anthill.

credit: Gabe Fua (gabefuadraws), Instagram

Nuno is a grumpy little creature though, as old men often are, and he will curse those who trespass on his territory or disturb him. Parents advise their children not to play outside too late, and to avoid playing around anthills that might have a nuno in them. It’s best not to be too noisy in the nuno’s neighborhood.

You may also upset the nuno by stepping on his anthill, cutting down trees in his territory, or peeing on his home.

The nuno will curse offenders with various ailments, such as a high fever, dizziness, sores on the feet that make it hard to walk, or swollen genitals (for peeing on the anthill).

Those cursed must seek aid from an albularyo, a traditional folk healer, who usually advises the victim to give an offering to the nuno. Some common offerings include boiled chicken, rice, an animal sacrifice (typically a white chicken), fruit, and coconut wine.

The best way to avoid nuno sa punso’s wrath is to say the phrase “tabi tabi po” (please step aside) whenever you walk by an anthill or the nuno’s territory, which is a way of warning him that you’re passing through and to ask for his pardon.

Aswang

A painting of a grey, humanoid creature with long, dark hair, sunken eyes, and a long, red, proboscis-like tongue.

Credit: Tobet Lacuarta, Artstation

There are many different Philippine mythological creatures that fall under the term aswang. The most popular depiction in modern media is a blood-sucking, predatory monster similar to vampires in Western mythology. They can shape-shift into any form, most commonly of a beautiful young woman with long dark hair. Other aswang transform into animals, often dogs or pigs.

The aswang feeds on human flesh, with a preference for blood and the liver. It’s said to have a long, flexible, proboscis-like tongue that they use to drain their victims’ blood. It usually preys on pregnant women and their unborn fetuses, but also eats children and sick people.

The aswang often uses its shape-shifting ability to infiltrate human villages and pretend to be just another human (or, for the other shape-shifting varieties, a normal animal). Then, at night, it takes the opportunity to strike. The aswang lures its victims out, often with a strange sound like a tick tick tick, pretending to get quieter as it nears closer to lull the victim into a false sense of security.


And with that, we reach the end. Which of these cryptids has peaked your curiosity the most?

Koda Hann is currently a student in Algonquin College’s Professional Writing Program. He loves learning about different cultures and his latest hyper-fixation is anything and everything Philippines-related (shoutout to all the Titas and Titos out there, mano po).

His dream is to be a scriptwriter for animation, and he has several ideas for compelling fantasy stories that he plans to put to screen. Two of his biggest inspirations are Avatar: The Last Airbender and How To Train Your Dragon.

He’s just a lil’ guy.