The century old balete tree.
Click image to enlarge.
Due to its strange outline and its roots that are aboveground the
bayan (locally known as the balete tree) is said to be home to a
variety of spirits and demon-like creatures. Mystical creatures
associated with this tree are the white lady, the aswang, the diwata,
the duwende, the ekek, the kapre, the manananggal and the
tikbalang.
There is a small pond in front of this century old balete tree.
It is said that its water cures all kind of sicknesses.
Aswang: is a Filipino version of the vampire. They are human like
by day but transform into different monstrous forms to harass
and eat awake humans at night, especially pregnant women who
are about to give birth.
Diwata: engkantada are fairies, nymphs, goddesses or enchanted
persons who are believed to guard natural creations such as forests,
seas, mountains, land and air. Diwatas are said to reside in large
trees, such as acacia and balete.
Duwende: goblins, hobgoblins, elves or dwarfs. They are little creatures
who can provide good fortune or bad fate to humans. In the Philippines,
duwendes frequently live in houses or in trees in rural areas. They are
known to be either good or mischievous, depending on how homeowners
treat them. Filipinos usually leave food on the floor, so that the
duwende residing (or guarding) the house would not be angry with them.
Ekek: creatures who are bird-like humans. They are winged-humans
who at night search for victims. They hunger for flesh and blood.
Kapre: a filthy, dark giant who likes to smoke huge rolls of cigars,
and hide within and atop large trees, particularly the balete and old acacia
or mango trees. A Filipino bigfoot, it scares away little children who play
at night. If you're stuck in a place and you keep going around in circles,
you're said to be played around by a Kapre. To escape its control, you
must remove your t-shirt, and wear it inside-out.
Manananggal: an aswang that can fly after separating itself from the
lower half of its body. It eats babies and fetuses from a mothers womb.
It eats babies by means of passing their long tongue through a small hole
from the roof of a house. The sharp end of the tongue touches the mother's
navel to suck the blood of the fetus or unborn child.
Tikbalang: (demon horse) is a half-man and half-horse creature. It has a
horse's head, the body of a human but with the feet of the horse. It travels
at night to rape female mortals. The raped women will then give birth to
more tikbalang. They are also believed to cause travelers to lose their
way particularly in mountainous or forest areas.
(Click here for the complete list of mystical figures in the Philippines).
