Cryptids of the Philippines: Diwata, Kapre, and Batibat

There are many cryptids and spirits in Philippine mythology. Most are evil and dangerous by nature, but there are some that are peaceful… unless you cross them.

Diwata

Diwata are probably the friendliest of Philippine cryptids. They are nature spirits that guard natural landmarks like mountains or forests, similar to Greek nymphs. Modern media depicts them as beautiful, ageless women, but diwata can be either male or female.

Credit: Nat Lamina, Instagram

Many people pray to diwatas for good harvests and protection from sickness. However, if humans disrespect the diwata’s domain, they will be met with curses and illnesses instead.

One of the most well-known diwata is Maria Makiling. She is the protector of Mount Makiling and an ethereally beautiful young woman wearing a white dress made of moon beams and mountain mist. Some think she is the mountain itself, which is said to resemble a sleeping woman, the peaks making up her face and breasts.

Maria Makiling is a very kind and loving spirit. Whenever the forest is ravaged by a typhoon, she will repair the destruction it made to the trees and animals. She also often gives gold and other precious materials to the poor, either in secret or because they asked for her help.

However, for as generous as she is, Maria Makiling is very territorial and protective over her land. She will curse anyone who harms and disrespects the mountain, keeping travellers lost in the forest until they right their wrongdoings.

Kapre

Credit: Abe Joncel Guevarra, Philippine Spirits

Kapre are 10 ft. tall, muscular tree-dwelling spirits. They have dark skin and mossy hair, which allows them to blend in with the trees at night and hide from humans. It’s said to have a very deep voice that resonates through the night and sometimes draws travellers to it.

Kapre love tobacco. The number one, telltale sign that a kapre is near is the scent of cigar smoke in the air. They usually spend their time sitting in the branches of their tree or at the base of it and smoking cigars.

Though their large size may make them intimidating, kapre are generally gentle creatures, happy to spend their days lazily smoking tobacco. They are guardian spirits of the forest and animals, and may even provide protection and guidance through the forest to people who respect nature.

However, if someone messes with their tree or disrespects the environment, then the kapre will retaliate. They’ll use their shape-shifting or illusion-making abilities to mislead travellers and get them lost in the forest or play pranks on them. 

Batibat

credit: Enrico Delos Reyes, Facebook

Batibat are described as very obese, ugly, old women. They’re another nature spirit that lives in trees, which they are extremely territorial over.

If someone cuts down the batibat’s tree to use as a post for their house, the spirit will be very enraged and refuse to leave what remains of their tree. She will take up residence in the human’s house, and if anyone sleeps near her post, she will give them nightmares and sleep paralysis, and sit on them until they suffocate and die.

Batibat are often credited as the cause of bangungot (meaning “nightmare”), or a disease known as Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome (SUNDS). The disorder mainly occurs in Southeast Asia, and mostly affects young, healthy men.

There are few ways to prevent being attacked by the batibat. Some say that you should drink a lot of water before going to sleep; others believe that you shouldn’t got to bed after eating a large meal or drinking a lot of alcohol (both potential causes of SUNDS). Some even say that you should dress up as a woman before going to bed, since batibat target mostly men.

Once you’ve been trapped by the batibat, however, the only way to escape is too either bite one of your fingers or wiggle your toes. So, in other words, good luck.

Beings like the diwata, kapre, and batibat remind us to respect nature and be careful what we take from it, lest we invoke the wrath of these territorial nature spirits.

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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.

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.

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.

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

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?

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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.