TIYANAK

           Tiyanak is another popular name in the Philippine folklore. Also known as impakto, it is a baby who died before receiving baptism rites. After its death, it goes into the Limbo, a certain place in Hell where unbaptized dead people fall into, and then transforms into an evil spirit. It returns to the mortal world as a goblin or a vampire-like creature, bound to eat living victims. A tiyanak can also be the offspring of a mortal woman and a demon, or an aborted fetus which comes to take vengeance on its mother.

Tiyanaks are mostly found in forests. Upon seeing a human, a tiyanak transforms into what appears to be normal baby. When the unwary person comes near to comfort the child, it then changes back into its true form. It develops sharp claws and fangs, and attacks its victim. The tiyanaks are thought to have the same vulnerability as the aswangs.

There are many versions of tiyanaks. In Mindoro, tiyanaks have the ability to fly, still in the form of a baby. In Pampanga, they are described as small, nut-brown people who float on air, rather than walk on ground.

(October 2013 https://sites.google.com/site/catmonanonsabako/tradition/customs-and-beliefs/folklore)

References, Attributions and Further Reading:

•           Philippine mythical creatures – Wikipedia

•           Philippine Myths & Legends: Manananggal – FFE Magazine

•           File:Manananggal.jpg From Wikimedia Commons 

•https://www.academia.edu/37262886/Supernatural_Creatures_in_Philippine_Folklore