Have you ever wondered how does an ASWANG look like? You'll better read this and I'll describe how does it really look like. This article was dedicated to my deceased grandfather and his name was "Roberto". Honestly, I was bit hesitant to write this as a content of my article but I guess this is worth sharing. My mother told me about this creepy stuff and I was so extremely surprise of my grandfather's bravery, knowing that he slaughtered a mythical/demonic creature which is very common in the Philippines. Primarily, before I start to narrate the said story I will just give a sort of information about this horrifying entity (ASWANG) exclusively for those who are not familiar with it.

Aswang is an umbrella term for various shape-shifting evil creatures in Filipino folklore, such as vampires, ghouls, witches, viscera suckers, and were beasts. The Aswang is the subject of a wide variety of myths, stories, arts, and films, as it is well known throughout the Philippines.

Source:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aswang

Slaughtering An Aswang (Shared by my mom)

Long long ago, Roberto (grandpa) and Carmina (Grandma) together with their two children we're busy preparing for their eldest son's (My Uncle Rodel) birthday which will be celebrated the day after. They live in a dense area in the middle of the forest next to the river and had few neighbors, and their house before was made of bamboo way back then. Carmina currently was pregnant with her third baby (My Aunt Rina), and Esther (My Mom) is there to assist and help her with the household chores. One night while doing the dishes, Esther heard a very silent tickling sound on the left side of the window,she just ignore it but it somehow made him scared. In the second time she heard again that unusual and creepy sound but this time she bravely to went to the window to look and check and she was shocked because she saw a black dog staring at her with red glaring eyes she immediately close the window, and told her parents on what she heard and saw at the kitchen's window. Her mom was certain that it was an "ASWANG", and her dad confirmed it too. Luckily nothing happened with Esther.

On the other day, they began celebrating Rodel's birthday and they we're enjoying it the whole day. The Celebration was finally done and both Esther and Rodel we're washing the dishes at the river around 6 pm in the evening and there dad was running an errands to give some foods to their neighbors, and yes their pregnant mom was left alone in the house. While doing the dishes, Esther saw the dog he saw the other night and she began to tremble because she remembered what her parents told her. Rodel notice that her sister was trembling with fear so he quickly snap her in the face and ask what was wrong. Esther told his brother that he saw the black huge dog he saw the other night and it was running towards their house. They quickly run to their house as fast as they could and good timing they saw their dad walking home too, so Rodel told their father about what Esther said and the three of them was running faster to get home.

At last, they went home covered in sweat and both of them felt relieved when they saw Carmina was safe and nothing happened to her. Carmina was shocked by their frustrated faces and ask them what was wrong. Roberto couldn't help but hug his wife while saying "Thanked God Nothing Happened to you". Esther and Rodel was still scared on what might happen to them and they ask their mom to sleep with them to keep an eye to her and to check for her safety. Roberto was still not at ease and he burned an unused tire/wheel around their house because they believe that the aswang can't bear to sniff on its smell. He also put a thorny branches every edge of the house because the aswang's are afraid of thorns. It was passed midnight when Carmina felt a sudden pain in her belly and Rodel rush to tell his father that their mom was about to give birth. Roberto hurriedly approach the KOMADRONA (Midwife) whom was their closest neighbor too. The Midwife finally came to their house and it said that there are more than one aswang was observing nearby them, and that made them even more frightened. Roberto was preparing his sharp weapons and put a bunch of garlic in his pocket as well as salt. He roams around the house to secure his family's safety and suddenly, a huge black pig approaches right after him with red glaring eyes and he didn't even thought to run from it instead he use his ITAK (A Large Knife) as a weapon to an attacking black pig and fortunately, Roberto succeed to slash the pig and made it deeply wounded. The Wounded Pig run in the darker side of the forest and Roberto saw it changing into a human-like form even though it was so dark he was still able to check it's state and thats the time he saw the real form of an aswang, it is a male one, it has a hairy body with large fangs, long tongue, round and huge red eyes,and it's hair was too long and messy aside from that its face was filled with KULUBOT (WRINKLED FACE). The Aswang was slowly dying and the other aswang we're shape-shifted into a dog and a huge bird and run away. Roberto came back to the house and told his experiences while battling in the dark with the aswang. Carmina was at rage and the three of them was crying because they thought that Roberto was in danger.

After the said incident, they heard a news that their neighbor named Tonying was found dead last night with a slash in his body. Roberto was deeply shocked from it knowing that the aswang who tried to hurt his family was one of their neighbors and he was sure that Tonying was that huge black pig he slayed that night because his name was already famous in their sitio and many had witness that he usually left their house in the middle of the night.

MY MOTHER (ESTHER) TOLD ME ABOUT THIS AND I ASK HER HELP TOO WHILE WRITING THIS. I DON'T FORCE YOU TO BELIEVE ON EVERYTHING I'VE SAID. BUT THIS WAS A TRUE TO LIFE STORY OF MY BRAVE GRANDPA AND I AM SO PROUD OF HIM. THANKS FOR READING GUYS I HOPE IT SOMEHOW FILL YOUR CURIOSITY OF HOW DOES AN ASWANG LOOK LIKE.

Lead image from google.com