Ekek (or Ek
Ek) were creatures who are bird-like
humans. They are winged-humans who at
night search for victims. They hunger
for flesh and blood. They were usually
describe by old folks as flying
creatures that look like the
Manananggal
but they can't divide their body. They
were describe to have wings and looks
like a bird. Except for
Manananggal,
they were also associated to Wak Wak
because to some the same
characteristics. The only difference
between a Wak Wak and Ekek is that Ekek
have a bill of a bird and Wak Wak does
not
have.
The Ekek can transform into a huge
bird/bat at night and prowl the
countryside. The Ekek
looks for a sleeping pregnant woman.
Then it extends a very long proboscis
into the womb and kills the fetus by
draining its blood. It is said that
while this is taking place, a "ek-ek-ek"
sound is often heard. In some stories,
the Ekek is an Aswang's familiar, said
to confuse people by its "ek-ek-ek"
sound. If the Ekek is near, the sound
would be faint so that people hearing it
would think that the
Aswang is still
far away.
Wak Wak
or Wuk Wuk are another creature in
Philippine Mythology that it said to use human as their preys.
Frequently they are confused with the
Manananggal
and Ekek in some areas by the
Philippines, since they both
fly at night and attack their victims in
similar ways. The main difference between
Mananggal
and Wak Wak, is that Wak Wak can not
divide their body in two, while the
Manananggal
can.
Wak-wak is a bird-like creature
that comes out at night looking for
victims. The sound of a "wak-wak" is
usually associated with the presence of
an Unglu (vampire), or, some believe it
is a form a vampire takes.
It was also believed that this monster
was called "Wak-Wak" after the sound it
makes when it flaps its wings while
flying. When you hear the sound of the "wak-wak",
it is close by and looking for victims. If
the sound of the Wak-Wak is loud, it
means that it is far from you.
Otherwise, it is near and worse yet, it
is about to attack (similar to the Ekek).
During its attack, it slashes and
mutilates its victims and feeds on their
hearts.
They were often described by village
elders to
have long sharp nails and a pair of
wings similar to that of bat.
They use their long sharp nails or claws
to slash their victim and to get the
heart. Some said that their
wings are also sharp, just like a knife.
A Tikbalang
is combination horse-human - sort of a centaur in reverse, similar
to a minotaur, but with a horses head.
Tikbalang
(Source: wevelio) |
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They are
considered sometimes harmless, and
sometimes malevolent creatures,
depending upon the myth, but they are
never stupid. They are tricksters, and
are very playful and intelligent. They
often riddle whomever they meet, and if
successfully beaten at their riddling,
they will allow their victims to pass,
or reward with gold.
The
Kapre are a race of giants that live
in old trees. You can tell they are
near because the area will become
rich with the smell of tobacco (the
kapre love to smoke) It is said the
Kapre are big tricksters and like to
confuse people by making them walk
in circles. It’s usually in good
nature, and not malevolent. Kapre often love to follow
young women through the forest as well.
The
term kapre was derived from the
Spanish "kapfre", in turn from the
Moors, from the Arabic Kaffir, an
African non-believer. It is
suggested that when the
conquistadors first came to the
Philippines, they heard about the
mystical creatures approximating
their kafre, and soon the
conqueror's lexicon prevailed in any
areas.
Be very
careful when trees move without
wind. This means that a kapre is
present at the very top of the tree.
The kapre sits quietly smoking a
leg-sized cigar that never burns
out. It terrifies with its size,
glowing red eyes and cigar, but it is
otherwise harmless. It is said to
live in trees, abandoned houses and
ruined buildings. They are believed
to appear only at night.
Sigbin
is another nocturnal creature; coming out at
night to suck the blood of victims
from their shadows. According to
accounts, the creature
walks backward with its head lowered
between its hind legs. It resembles
a hornless goat, emits a very
nauseating smell and possess a pair
of very large ears which are capable
of clapping like a pair of hands. It
is also claimed to issue forth from
its lair during Holy Week, looking
for children that it will kill for
their heart, which it makes into an
amulet.
It is also believed that there are
human families, known as Sigbinan ("those
who own Sigbin"), who possess the
power to command them. The Aswang is
said to keep it as a pet as well, along with
another mythical creature, a bird-like
creature
known as the Wakwak. The sigbin is
said to bring wealth and luck to its
owners. There are many Sigbin
roaming in Visayas and Mindanao,
which are mostly owned by witch doctors,
according to many who have
encountered it. They provide
the witch
doctor with healing powers and
mystical oils that can cure illness.
In 2000, there was a hunt for Sigbin
in Central Visayas and Mindanao,
since the locals said it's oil can cure AIDS and
other harmful diseases. But sigbin
are hard to find (usually the case
with mythical creatures), and when you ask a
local witch doctor, he (of course) answers you
with "I don't know what it looks
like!"
In the Eastern Visayas they are also
known as the Amamayong.
There is speculation that the legend
may be based on sightings of an
actual animal species that is rarely
seen; based on the description of
the Sigbin in popular literature,
the animal species might be related
to the kangaroo. With the recent
discovery on the island of Borneo of
the cat-fox, a new species
of carnivore, described as having
hind legs that are lower than its
front legs (as do Hyenas). The animal species that
is the possible basis of the legend
as well as the reported sightings of
Sigbin may belong to, or is related
to the cat-fox species.
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