The Tikbalang
In Philippine folklore, a tall, horse-headed figure lurks in the forest and leads travellers in circles until they're lost.
What was reported
The tikbalang is a creature of Filipino folklore: a tall, bony figure with the head and hooves of a horse and very long limbs, so that its knees reach above its head when it squats. It is said to live in forests and bamboo groves and to lead travellers astray, making them walk in circles.
To break its spell, people say, a traveller should wear their shirt inside out. Rain falling while the sun shines is said to mean a tikbalang is getting married.
Explanations offered
The tikbalang is a figure of folklore, perhaps shaped partly by the arrival of horses with Spanish colonisers. Stories of being led astray reflect the real ease of getting lost in dense forest.
- When
- Told for generations
- Where
- Rural Luzon, Philippines
- Witnesses
- Filipino 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.