Manananggal
Also known as: Self-Segmenter, Tik-Tik
A vampire that tears its own torso free and flies through the night on bat-like wings, trailing its entrails below.
Pre-colonial Filipino oral tradition
Visayas, Philippines
Human-sized (upper body in flight)
Predatory, nocturnal
Deeply embedded in living cultural belief
The Lore
The manananggal is one of the most visceral creatures in Filipino folklore. By day, it appears as an ordinary woman. At night, its upper body separates from its lower half, sprouts enormous bat-like wings, and takes flight. It uses an elongated tongue to feed on sleeping victims, with a particular focus on pregnant women. The creature's weakness is its abandoned lower half. If someone finds it and sprinkles salt, crushed garlic, or ash on the exposed waist, the upper body cannot reattach, and the manananggal dies at dawn.
Body Type
Folklore Origin
Media Appearances
- Trese (Netflix animated series)
- Shake, Rattle & Roll (film series)
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