The Tiyanak
In Philippine folklore, a baby crying alone in the forest at night might not be a baby at all.
What was reported
The tiyanak is a creature of Philippine folklore that takes the form of a crying baby, left in the forest or by a road at night. When a kind traveller picks it up, it turns into a monster and attacks, or leads them astray into the forest.
To protect themselves, travellers who got lost were told to turn their clothes inside out, which would make the tiyanak laugh and give itself away.
Explanations offered
It's a folklore creature, and versions of it appear in films and comics. Some scholars think its stories reflect older beliefs about babies who died before baptism, shaped by Spanish colonial-era teachings.
- When
- Told for generations
- Where
- Luzon, 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.
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