Tiyanak

VampirePhilippines · Southeast AsiaLegendFear 8/10

Description

A vampire from the folklore of Philippines. The tiyanak (also tianak or tianac Tagalog: [ˈtjanak]) is a vampiric creature in Philippine…

Origin & Background

There are various stories about the origin of Tiyanak. The Mandaya people of Mindanao claim that Tiyanak is the soul of a child whose mother died before childbirth. As a result, Tiyanak became a being 'born from the earth' and acquired its current state. The similar supernatural being in Malay legend, Pontianak, refers to a woman who died during childbirth. During the 16th century Spanish colonial period, the Tiyanak myth was integrated with Catholicism, and the Catholic version of Tiyanak was considered the soul of an infant who died before baptism. In modern Philippines, this definition has expanded to include a being that returns as revenge for a fetus that lost its life. It is also said that Tiyanak cannot go to the afterlife because it has no name, which leads to the belief that it is a being bound to the earth, wandering in search of a name.

The Legend

Tiyanak is a vampire-like being in Philippine mythology that takes the form of an infant or baby. There are various types, but it generally takes the form of a newborn and cries in the jungle to lure unsuspecting travelers. If an unfortunate passerby picks up Tiyanak, it returns to its original form and attacks the victim. Tiyanak is described as taking malicious pleasure in causing travelers to get lost or in abducting children.

Variants

The Tiyanak legend has slight variations, but all stories agree on its ability to mimic the cries of an infant to lure victims. In one version, it retains the general form of a baby but develops sharp claws and fangs to attack. Another story describes it as having dwarf-like features, with its 'true' form depicted as a small old man with wrinkled skin. This old man has one short leg, making it difficult to move, but compensates for this disadvantage with the ability to mimic the cries of an infant. In Pampanga in Central Luzon, Tiyanak is described as a small brown person who floats in the air rather than walking on the ground.

In Popular Culture

Tiyanak has been the subject of many Philippine films. Major works include 'Tiyanak' from 1953, 'Tiyanak' from 1988, 'Juan Tanga, Super Naman, at Ang Kambal na Tiyanak' from 1990, and several episodes from the 'Shake, Rattle & Roll' series. In the 2006 TV series 'Super Inggo', it appeared under the name 'Junanak', and it also appeared in an episode of 'Juan Dela Cruz' in 2013. Additionally, it appears as a monster in the Port Malaya patch of 'Rocket Online' alongside other beings inspired by Philippine folklore, and it also appears in an episode of the Netflix animated series 'Trese'.

This article is based on the Wikipedia article "Tiyanak" (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikipedia