PHILIPPINE MYTHICAL CREATURES: Aswang
ASWANG
Description: Aswangs are shape shifters often transforming into cats, dogs, pigs or birds at night. In the morning, they appear as ordinary townspeople.
Alias: tiktik, wak-wak, soc-soc
Scheme: In the morning, when they look like an ordinary human, they are shy and elusive. At night, they would look for victims, often preying on pregnant women as they like eating fetuses (unborn baby). They have long proboscises that they use to suck fetuses out of a mother’s womb. They are also known to change their victim’s cadaver with banana trunks and thus, their crime will not be discovered until the morning.
Origin: They are specially popular in Western Visayan regions such as Capiz, Iloilo, Negros, Bohol, Masbate, Aklan, Antique
Habitat: Rural areas, towns
Weakness: They tend to succumb to garlic and salt. They don’t like the smell of garlic and the saltiness of salt. Some said they are weak against Holy Water. They also get hurt when hitting them with a tail of Stingray (buntot-page).
Secret identity: Ordinary townsfolk
Nemesis: Anyone with garlic, salt or holy water.
ABOUT THE ARTWORK: The image is designed to be a downloadable card that can be collected and played with against friends. The Artwork is a digital copy of the original piece created for the Philippine Mythical Creatures art exhibition at the Philippine Pavilion during the Pistang Pilipino 2016 sa Wellington. Credits to Alex, Samantha and Xandrix for creating the art pieces.
