 Horror/Scary: August 14, 2024 Issue [#12684] |
This week: The aswang Edited by: Arakun the twisted raccoon  
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Quote for the week:
"A cold wind blows, and I follow.
No time to rest my weary bones.
I hear her voice, and my heart grows hollow.
Best not walk these woods alone.
Best keep to the roads and out of the shadows.
Best get on home.
Best to leave them ghosts alone."
~From "The Land Unknown" by Landon Blood.
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Aswang is an umbrella term for several different evil entities in the folklore of the Phillipines. The aswang is described differently in different stories, but it has many features in common with vampires, werewolves, and other monsters that stalk their prey by night.
The aswang are shapeshifters that may appear normal and blend in with the members of their communities by day. Some are said to take the form of women with long hair concealing bloodshot eyes due to being awake all night stalking their victims. Some are also said to have inverted feet and avoid bright lights and loud noises.
Some aswang take the form of a large dog, bird, bat, pig, or other animal. Bird or bat forms are called a tik tik or wak wak due to the noise of their wings when hunting prey. The noise may get fainter as the creature gets closer, leading the victim to believe it is going away and they are safe.
Vampire forms of aswang may suck blood and tissue from their victims through a long tongue like the proboscis of a mosquito. These creatures are said to target pregnant women and cause miscarriages, and may enter their homes through very small holes to attack them. This legend may have resulted from attempts to explain sudden miscarriages.
A plausible explanation for some of the aswang legends may have come from the Capiz region where an extremely rare form of Parkinson's disease affects some men. This condition, called XDP Parkinson's causes uncontrollable muscle movements and spasms that resemble some aswang descriptions.
Some other legends of aswang attacks might have resulted from gruesome murders committed by serial killers. It is often easier to blame a mythological monster than to believe that humans might be capable of horrible acts toward each other.
Something to try: Write a horror story that includes an aswang or other creature of regional folklore. |
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