The Manananggal
In Philippine folklore, a woman's upper body leaves her legs behind at night and flies off on bat-like wings.
What was reported
The manananggal is a creature of Philippine folklore, related to the aswang. By day she's a beautiful woman; at night she separates her upper body from her legs, grows huge bat-like wings and flies off in search of prey, especially pregnant women.
The way to defeat her is to find the half she leaves behind and sprinkle it with salt, crushed garlic or ash, so she can't rejoin it before sunrise.
Explanations offered
Like the aswang and the Thai krasue, the manananggal may express old fears around pregnancy and childbirth. Garlic, salt and vinegar are common protections in Philippine folk belief, and she's a familiar figure in Filipino films and comics.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- Iloilo, Panay, Philippines
- Witnesses
- Philippine tradition
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.