ASWANG: IS IT REAL OR A MERE FABRICATION?
by Gregorio V. Bituin Jr.
The Featinean publication
Many Filipinos believed in the existence of a mythical vampire called the aswang. Come to think of it, most Filipinos believe in almost anything supernatural. Those who believe in its existence are usually the old folks from far away provinces such as Capiz. My mother, who happens to be from Antique, a province near Capiz, told me when I was a kid that the aswang is just a product of the imagination of the old folks to warn their children not to stay out at night, else the aswang will get them.
From what I gathered, the aswang is said to be a carnivorous being who lobes to eat babies. Talk about pedophilia. It sometimes assumes different forms and prefers to roam at night to choose its victim. He can turn himself to various shapes of animals like dogs, pigs, cats, birds, or carabaos. But it usually takes an extraordinary form of these animals, either white or usually large. Just the same it cleverly disguises itself from human recognition and suspicion. The aswangs have peculiar supernatural powers over their victims. They can charm, make sick or kill a person.
One of my good friends from Aklan told me that the aswang is real because he saw with his very own eyes how a man from his barrio transforms into an aswang one moonlight night. He further told me that the man’s father was dying and transferred hid magical stone to his son through mouth to mouth contact. The aswang is an isolated being who refuses to have a normal interaction with the other human beings, animals and other things. Some say that the aswang cannot go up the house when the broom is at the door, and if garlic is scattered in the house or if the person has it in his pocket. It is a popular belief that the aswang has a constant fear in garlic.
Aswangs are also believed to be active when the individual or community is in transition from a lesser to a more heightened stage in the cosmic order. When the grain is ripening, he is around to blight it with rain. In marriage he is there not to celebrate but to cast an evil eye, especially on the bride. He jeopardizes the coming of the fetus during the woman’s conception.
But many Filipinos believe that the evil work of the aswang can be prevented. They say that the pregnant mother should not sleep with her back flat on the floor or bed. She should sleep sideways so that the aswang’s elongated tongue which can penetrate the roof cannot reach her belly and suck out the fetus. If pregnant woman go out at night, they must use their long hair to cover their stomach. For an aswang, a pregnant woman is very sweet smelling. The aswang also preys on males, and sometimes devours human corpses.
Does the aswang really exist or is it a mere fabrication?
How did I come up with these questions? The belief of other people in aswang prompted me to do some researches to find out whether it really exists. I have read a portion of the book about the dirty works of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) regarding this gruesome creature. Graham Greene, a novelist, revealed in his book some of the disinformation which the CIA produced in the Far East. According to the book, Green who wrote “The Quiet American”, have modeled his figure Alden Pyle, on USAF Colonel Edward Landsdale, one of the CIA’s covert operations agent in Vietnam and the Philippines. Green effectively depicted a certain type of idealistic American who can be more dangerous than a straightforward mischievous person. It was a portrait of a man whose faith in human nature only led to men being killed.
Landsdale was involved in all manner of sabotage and guerilla operations against North Vietnam, and was also political manipulator in South Vietnam. Earlier in his career, he had indulged in psychological warfare in the Philippines, playing on the superstitions of those who believe in the existence of aswang.
During the Huk rebellion in the 50s, Col. Landsdale conducted an operation which was intended to alarm people who were easily scared by stories of a mythical vampire, popularly known as the aswang. Here I quote from the book: “A psywar squad entered the area, and planted rumors than an aswang lived on where the communists were based... after giving the rumors time to circulate among Huk sympathizers, the psywar squad laid an ambush for the rebels. When a Huk patrol passed, the ambushers snatched the last man, punctured his neck vampire-fashion with two holes, hung his body until the blood drained out, and put the corpse back on the trail. As superstitious as any other Filipinos, the insurgents fled from the region.”
Later on, Landsdale was transferred to South Vietnam to organize psychological warfare to aid the regime of Ngo Dinh Diem. His propaganda included engaging North Vietnamese astrologers to predict terrible catastrophes for the Vietminh leadership in their war against the south.
This is just one of the stories how the dreaded CIA dogs intervened in our country’s affairs. This story can help us understand how they manipulate things especially our countrymen’s superstitious beliefs. Then again, we’’ ask: Does aswang really exist or is it a mere fabrication? Can we prove their existence scientifically?
There are many questions that until now are wringing in our minds about the reality of these creatures. Most of us believe that the aswang does exist although we have not seen one. According to psychology, we perceive that a thing is real when our stimuli respond out of the feeling of what we believe in. In the case of the aswang, we presumed that it exists because we feel the fear especially if the folks in our environment also believe and are superstitious. Yes, sometimes we illusion something out of fear of the unknown.
During the primitive communal society, things which could not be explained were believed to be supernatural or are a creation of an invisible god. People ask why there is a sun, a plant, a black stone, etc., why such things exist, how it exists and where it came from. They had various explanations to answer their questions without scientific basis to satisfy their understanding. These paved the way for the existence of mythologies, legends, fairy tales, folk beliefs, etc. this kind of thinking also made way for the existence of aswang.
Again, we ask: Does aswang really exist or is it a mere fabrication? Both.
The aswang we discussed above is the aswang of long ago, found in the barrios, hills and hinterlands in far-away provinces. But the aswangs of modern times are found in the cities, luxurious hotels, mansions and other places of power on our country. Maybe we can say that the aswang of long ago never really existed because there are no strong evidences to show the public of their existence, except perhaps for those who claim to have seen it.
The aswang of today does exist. There are aswangs among politicians who put their own interests over the welfare of the people and the nation as a whole. There are aswangs among capitalists who kill their fellowmen to accumulate more wealth and profit. There are aswangs among businessmen who are engaged in drugs and prostitution, forcing young boys and girls into crimes and white slavery. There are aswangs in private and government institutions trying to victimize workers and wage earners by means of high prices of commodities, low wages, etc.
The aswang of yesteryears have vanished together with their old storytellers while the aswang of modern times still roam public and private offices ready to prey on other fellow human being for the sake of money and their own selfish interests. This kind of aswang we should get rid of.
by Gregorio V. Bituin Jr.
The Featinean publication
Many Filipinos believed in the existence of a mythical vampire called the aswang. Come to think of it, most Filipinos believe in almost anything supernatural. Those who believe in its existence are usually the old folks from far away provinces such as Capiz. My mother, who happens to be from Antique, a province near Capiz, told me when I was a kid that the aswang is just a product of the imagination of the old folks to warn their children not to stay out at night, else the aswang will get them.
From what I gathered, the aswang is said to be a carnivorous being who lobes to eat babies. Talk about pedophilia. It sometimes assumes different forms and prefers to roam at night to choose its victim. He can turn himself to various shapes of animals like dogs, pigs, cats, birds, or carabaos. But it usually takes an extraordinary form of these animals, either white or usually large. Just the same it cleverly disguises itself from human recognition and suspicion. The aswangs have peculiar supernatural powers over their victims. They can charm, make sick or kill a person.
One of my good friends from Aklan told me that the aswang is real because he saw with his very own eyes how a man from his barrio transforms into an aswang one moonlight night. He further told me that the man’s father was dying and transferred hid magical stone to his son through mouth to mouth contact. The aswang is an isolated being who refuses to have a normal interaction with the other human beings, animals and other things. Some say that the aswang cannot go up the house when the broom is at the door, and if garlic is scattered in the house or if the person has it in his pocket. It is a popular belief that the aswang has a constant fear in garlic.
Aswangs are also believed to be active when the individual or community is in transition from a lesser to a more heightened stage in the cosmic order. When the grain is ripening, he is around to blight it with rain. In marriage he is there not to celebrate but to cast an evil eye, especially on the bride. He jeopardizes the coming of the fetus during the woman’s conception.
But many Filipinos believe that the evil work of the aswang can be prevented. They say that the pregnant mother should not sleep with her back flat on the floor or bed. She should sleep sideways so that the aswang’s elongated tongue which can penetrate the roof cannot reach her belly and suck out the fetus. If pregnant woman go out at night, they must use their long hair to cover their stomach. For an aswang, a pregnant woman is very sweet smelling. The aswang also preys on males, and sometimes devours human corpses.
Does the aswang really exist or is it a mere fabrication?
How did I come up with these questions? The belief of other people in aswang prompted me to do some researches to find out whether it really exists. I have read a portion of the book about the dirty works of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) regarding this gruesome creature. Graham Greene, a novelist, revealed in his book some of the disinformation which the CIA produced in the Far East. According to the book, Green who wrote “The Quiet American”, have modeled his figure Alden Pyle, on USAF Colonel Edward Landsdale, one of the CIA’s covert operations agent in Vietnam and the Philippines. Green effectively depicted a certain type of idealistic American who can be more dangerous than a straightforward mischievous person. It was a portrait of a man whose faith in human nature only led to men being killed.
Landsdale was involved in all manner of sabotage and guerilla operations against North Vietnam, and was also political manipulator in South Vietnam. Earlier in his career, he had indulged in psychological warfare in the Philippines, playing on the superstitions of those who believe in the existence of aswang.
During the Huk rebellion in the 50s, Col. Landsdale conducted an operation which was intended to alarm people who were easily scared by stories of a mythical vampire, popularly known as the aswang. Here I quote from the book: “A psywar squad entered the area, and planted rumors than an aswang lived on where the communists were based... after giving the rumors time to circulate among Huk sympathizers, the psywar squad laid an ambush for the rebels. When a Huk patrol passed, the ambushers snatched the last man, punctured his neck vampire-fashion with two holes, hung his body until the blood drained out, and put the corpse back on the trail. As superstitious as any other Filipinos, the insurgents fled from the region.”
Later on, Landsdale was transferred to South Vietnam to organize psychological warfare to aid the regime of Ngo Dinh Diem. His propaganda included engaging North Vietnamese astrologers to predict terrible catastrophes for the Vietminh leadership in their war against the south.
This is just one of the stories how the dreaded CIA dogs intervened in our country’s affairs. This story can help us understand how they manipulate things especially our countrymen’s superstitious beliefs. Then again, we’’ ask: Does aswang really exist or is it a mere fabrication? Can we prove their existence scientifically?
There are many questions that until now are wringing in our minds about the reality of these creatures. Most of us believe that the aswang does exist although we have not seen one. According to psychology, we perceive that a thing is real when our stimuli respond out of the feeling of what we believe in. In the case of the aswang, we presumed that it exists because we feel the fear especially if the folks in our environment also believe and are superstitious. Yes, sometimes we illusion something out of fear of the unknown.
During the primitive communal society, things which could not be explained were believed to be supernatural or are a creation of an invisible god. People ask why there is a sun, a plant, a black stone, etc., why such things exist, how it exists and where it came from. They had various explanations to answer their questions without scientific basis to satisfy their understanding. These paved the way for the existence of mythologies, legends, fairy tales, folk beliefs, etc. this kind of thinking also made way for the existence of aswang.
Again, we ask: Does aswang really exist or is it a mere fabrication? Both.
The aswang we discussed above is the aswang of long ago, found in the barrios, hills and hinterlands in far-away provinces. But the aswangs of modern times are found in the cities, luxurious hotels, mansions and other places of power on our country. Maybe we can say that the aswang of long ago never really existed because there are no strong evidences to show the public of their existence, except perhaps for those who claim to have seen it.
The aswang of today does exist. There are aswangs among politicians who put their own interests over the welfare of the people and the nation as a whole. There are aswangs among capitalists who kill their fellowmen to accumulate more wealth and profit. There are aswangs among businessmen who are engaged in drugs and prostitution, forcing young boys and girls into crimes and white slavery. There are aswangs in private and government institutions trying to victimize workers and wage earners by means of high prices of commodities, low wages, etc.
The aswang of yesteryears have vanished together with their old storytellers while the aswang of modern times still roam public and private offices ready to prey on other fellow human being for the sake of money and their own selfish interests. This kind of aswang we should get rid of.
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