TIKTIK

TIKTIK

Tiktik are sometimes compared to Aswangs because they devour human organs. They can jump and hop very high, and they can crawl along walls like cats and hang like bats. They prey on pregnant women's fetuses and month-old embryos. They attack at nighttime when they hop on top of the roof of the house of their victim. They then stretch their very long tongues and used it to rip open the womb of their victims, devour the fetus and leave the woman dead. They can be killed by cutting their tongues and letting them die of starvation.

The tiktik is commonly mistaken for the other types of aswang. The manananggal or the aswang are usually portrayed in local movies as individuals who lead double lives. In the morning, these individuals would interact with the society as openly and normally as any other, but on some nights, the manananggal would seek out human organs to devour on them.  The tiktik, on the other hand, is not human; it does not turn into a human being in the morning.

Seeing as the tiktik is already deceased and has no human form, the tiktik takes the form of a flying creature such as birds or bats. It cannot and does not take on a human form. The tiktik serves as a spirit guide to the aswang. The tiktik is a deceased aswang, that which died from old age. It continues to become a tormentor. The tiktik is underscored to have a particular liking for human hearts, while the aswang has a particular liking for human guts.

The tiktik is named for its cry: a distinct shrill sound which could be heard even miles away. It sounds like tik-tik-tik-tik or a ticking. However, the distinctness of the cry lies in the fact that when it is far away the sound is louder, while it gets quieter the closer the tiktik is to its victims. This, I think, gives an eerie angle to the idea.

I have yet to see a tiktik in real life, I wonder these days whether the tiktik had really existed centuries before. I guess there will be very little chance for me to find out about this now, for now, here is to hoping that there are really no tiktiks in Cebu.

TIYANAK

TIYANAK

Tiyanak or impakto, another mythical creature in the Philippine Mythology, are babies who died before receiving baptism rites. After death, they go to a place known as Limbo, a chamber of Hell where unbaptized dead people fall into, and transformed into evil spirits. These phantasms return into the mortal realm in the form of goblins to eat living victims. The tiyanak can also be the offspring between a demon and a human.

The tiyanak can also be the offspring of a woman and a demon. It can also be the aborted fetus, which comes to life to take revenge on its mother. Tiyanak are very vengeful creatures. Most Tiyanaks are said to live in forests. If they see a human, they transform into what looks like a normal baby. When the person notices the Tiyanak and comes near to take a look at it, that's when the Tiyanak changes back to its true form and eats its prey.

Tiyanak Origin
While there are many versions about how a Tiyanak looks like, it's ability to cry like a baby is its most powerful camouflage to attract victims. Some popular versions also say that a Tiyanak is a spirit of an unborn child whose mother died before giving birth. This mythical creature are also sometimes related to a Malaysian folkloric creature called Pontianak which is, according to Malay folklore, a woman who died during delivery or childbirth.

Tiyanak Countermeasures
Though this legendary creature is deceitful in attacking its prey, one can bewilder the creature and break loose from the enchantment of its cries by turning his clothes inside out. The legend has it that Tiyanaks find this method laughable and would just leave the victim.

Tiyanaks are monster that look like babies. They disguise themselves as innocent and adorable looking babies and once someone comes in contact with them, they turn into monsters and attack their victim. These monsters are believed to be aborted babies or babies who were dead upon birth and were not blessed.

NUNO SA PUNSO

NUNO SA PUNSO

A Nuno or Nuno sa Punso (Duwende) is a dwarf-like creature in Philippine mythology. It is believed to live in an anthill or termite mound, hence its name, literally 'Ancestor/Grandparent of the anthill'.

They are invisible and quiet creatures. If they get bothered by too much noise or careless movements causing them harm, they get mad and punish the people who trespass on their home. Most of their victims are children whose innocent play usually destroys their homes. Their victims get very ill and the only way to cure it is asking the help of an Albularyo. So every time you pass by a punso, you need to say "Excuse Me".

There is a common belief that if modern medicine is unable to cure a particular illness, the ailment may be due to a Nuno's curse. The victim is brought to an albularyo, a Philippine practitioner of traditional medicine. The albularyo will perform a ceremony known as tawas. During this process, a piece of a candle is melted and the molten wax poured onto a disc or spoon. The molten wax is in turn poured into water. The image formed on the water will then be interpreted by the albularyo. The image aids in determining the cause of the patient's illness and where the curse actually happened.
In order to be cured, the victim's family may be asked to provide an offering to the Nuno such as fruits or other food, drinks, or a material object. If the victim is still not healed after the offering, it may be necessary to personally ask the Nuno's forgiveness, which is believed to be a wise measure, in order to prevent the permanent possession of the victim by an evil spirit, which could later cause the victim to become insane.
It is also possible to kill the Nuno by catching it and crushing its head between a person's fingers. This will remove any spell cast by the Nuno. But this method is not often recommended because it could evoke the wrath of a Nuno's friends and relatives.
Legends also state that placing an obese or festively plump female on the side of a road after midnight will attract the Nuno out of hiding, thus allowing those afflicted to seek their revenge on the goblin. The Nuno has an odd affinity for large bodied mammals of the opposite sex.

To avoid the wrath of a Nuno sa Punso, children are reminded not to play outside between noon and three o'clock in the afternoon. They are also asked by their parents to come home before six o'clock in the evening. Children are also instructed avoid being noisy at places where Nuno are believed to dwell. Children are also warned to ask permission or give fair notice before passing by such places inhabited by the Nuno, which is done by saying "tabi tabi po"(literally "please be on the side" or "please move aside", that is, you tell the nuno to stand aside), or "please let me pass by" or "I mean no harm as I pass through your territory, Old Man of the Mound".