The Sigbin
In the central Philippines, people say a creature like a hornless goat walks backwards at night, with its head down between its hind legs.
What was reported
The sigbin is a creature of Visayan folklore, described as like a goat or a kangaroo without horns, with very long ears it can clap like hands, and a long, whip-like tail. It walks backwards, its head lowered between its hind legs.
It comes out at night during Holy Week, and gives off a terrible smell. It's said to feed on people's shadows, or on the blood of the sick.
Explanations offered
The sigbin is a folk creature, perhaps inspired by real animals glimpsed at night. Some have compared it to the Philippine tarsier or to colugos, gliding animals of the islands' forests.
- When
- Told for generations
- Where
- Bohol, Central Visayas, Philippines
- Witnesses
- Visayan folklore
- 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.
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