What do you call a Terrifying monster or beast in your country??
By neelianoscet
@neelianoscet (9615)
Philippines
September 2, 2009 6:22am CST
What do you call a terrifying beast or monster in your own country languages? In my country we known monster or beast similarly to a ghouls who devours on human flesh and even animals with exquisite appetite..Their are called as- Aswang and mananangal in our local dialects.
"Aswangs" are often described as a combination of vampire and witch almost always female. They are sometimes used as a generic term applied to all types of witches, manananggals, shapeshifters, lycanthropes, and monsters.
While a manananggal has a half monstrous, banshee type upper torso and head and it separates itself from its lower half (the torso) It is said if one finds its torso, to either sprinkle salt or sand on its lower half body or burn it, making it impossible for the creature to revert/ transform. And would die upon the first rays of sunlight. They devours in human flesh especially targetting pregnant woman and is being blames for miscarriages..
They say that you can determine if another human being is an aswang if you see your own reflection in their eyes as upside down or by seeing them in their true form when you bend over viewing them in a head-between-legs position.
Sources of references;http://theunexplainedmysteries.com/aswang.html
How about you? What is the names you called to a terrifying monster or beast creatures in your own languages? Do you believe in these terrifying creatures exist or just a plain imagination arose from horror writer or a folklore beliefs??
2 people like this
10 responses
@workoutfreak (377)
• Indonesia
2 Sep 09
there are a lot of versions of beast or monster in my country. from the many of them, there is a thing that we call Gundoruwo, people believe that it came from a human then become a beast, it has big body, ugly face, it teeth like a tiger, long and sharp nails, hairs grow all over its body with green skin. our people believe that it eats human, especially kids. i don't know whether it is a kind of joke or what. however, it comes to a tradition that our people believe it from time to time. for me, i think it just like a myth, whether it is true or not. like in greece, we know the story of Hercules and monsters. at least something like that.
1 person likes this
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
2 Sep 09
that is really a terrifying description of a monster. each cultures have their own folklore beliefs and its up for you to believe or disregards it as mainly made up of mind imagination..
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
2 Sep 09
Sometimes old folks tell it to make the kids to stay at home and never go far to their home to avoid being missing like children who are being kidnapped to be raise as street beggars but the truth they are being used by children syndicates. But, it is really terrifying imagining they are true..But, the real horror really is the human stalkers and mad man capable of killing and murder..
@GardenGerty (157865)
• United States
2 Sep 09
Your discussions often teach me something.I now know more about monsters in your culture. Since I speak English, I would call them monsters, ghouls, vampires, werewolves. I do not believe in them. It is interesting to me that miscarriages are blamed on witches I imagine that is how it was here in the United States about two hundred fifty years ago, when the witches were put on trial.
1 person likes this
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
2 Sep 09
I do not see it yet and they are all pass by earliest old wives tales from past generation to present. They are already parts of each country folklore beliefs based on their cultures mythology.If ever they are true..I never ever wish to confront them at all...
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
3 Sep 09
somehow all the beliefs here are all interrelated and myth becomes famous when people pass it through the word of mouth and narration of fictional stories..
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
2 Sep 09
Even with different beliefs from country to country they have the same mission which is to convey messages to be aware of the surrounding and some made up this myth to forewarn children and become more obedient to their parents..
@Jemina (5770)
•
3 Sep 09
Hi Neelia, I didn't realize you were from the Philippines until I read the whole discussion. I'm from the Philippines too and I thought we called them Politicians, policemen, and the immigration people. They may not look terrifying but they devour our people with their greed for money and power. I hate them. They are all corrupt! They should all be indicted like what they did to Joseph Estrada.
@Jemina (5770)
•
3 Sep 09
Uy, if you're in the Philippines it must be midnight or past midnight. Yes, Neelia, that's how I look at and call them. There is not one single politician nowadays who is not corrupt or at least serving only his interest.
Anyway, about the aswang thingy, I remember listening to gruesome and spooky stories told by friends about them especially at night when there is electricity blackout.
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
3 Sep 09
ha..ha..yap, that is now 2 am and I am in the mood for mylotting and probably go to bed by 3am. Well, politician are always comparing and fighting for publicity and kinda sick of it..I think of this topic kinda boring alwyas thinking serious topics and I thinking time to make a chilling stories to makes us feel more alive..lol..
yap, that is now 2 am and I am in the mood for mylotting and probably go to bed by 3am. Well, politician are always comparing and fighting for publicity and kinda sick of it..I think of this topic kinda boring alwyas thinking serious topics and I thinking time to make a chilling stories to makes us feel more alive..lol..1 person likes this
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
3 Sep 09
Hi jemina, good to know were on the same country. That is how you think of a beast..yap, you are right in some ways you compare them like a metaphor similarly like a beast responsible for corruption and widespread poverty are really the mark of a greedy politician they tend to find a holes in every competitor but themselves are really like a sheep in a wolf clothing..
1 person likes this
@kun2349 (23381)
• Singapore
2 Sep 09
I do know about the monster in your country, the one u explain it here, as i have seen it in some documentary shows.. haha =D It's exactly like what u have described, and their primary targets are mostly pregnant woman.. hehe ^_^ And they only appear at night, flying around with just half the body..
If one wanna avoid 'her', they must find her lower hlaf of body, either burn it, or use its blood on themselves, to prevent them from being found by 'her'.. hehe ^_^ It's kinda scary though..
But in singapore, we dun seem to have much monsters here as i have not came acorss nor hear about any before.. hehe
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
2 Sep 09
yap, me too even in my dreams ha..ha..ha..
1 person likes this
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
2 Sep 09
That really a myth which many old people beliefs from old wives tales.thus it creates fear from children to adults keeping them closer to their homes during the night..it may be terrifying stories and even if you see it in real life? you'll likely hide
1 person likes this
@tintukm (1102)
• India
2 Sep 09
In our area,we have got so many language that creature a true legacy out here in India.the beats or the ghosts or even monsters are called as 'Praettham' ,the people of Kerala say so.The killing beasts as believed so are called as 'pishachhu' ,also in Malayalam in Kerala.The othewr that come out are like,'Bhoot',and 'jangli manav.'
,the people of Kerala say so.The killing beasts as believed so are called as 'pishachhu' ,also in Malayalam in Kerala.The othewr that come out are like,'Bhoot',and 'jangli manav.' @neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
2 Sep 09
Yeah, that is very terrifying story and i know every country have their own names in a monster or ghouls. Every local folklore have their own beliefs and it up to them if they believe. Some even have their own method to eliminate them or at least set precautionary measures to avoid them..
1 person likes this
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
2 Sep 09
it get to rise out of the imagination and if you are half believer if would not hurt to do so..have a nice day!
• India
4 Sep 09
we call terrifying beast or monster in our country languages is "politician" or " rajakeeya nayakudu" or "nayak" ...
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
4 Sep 09
well, not all monster look like a real monster, some manage to disguise as kind human but deep inside they have more hidden agenda and in your country they are called politicians for being corrupt and dishonesty..
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
6 Sep 09
Yeah, that is metaphor expression and it is really true the one to be fear is the living who are capable of misleading people and done damage to the properties and lives. The fear of the unknown is only created by the mind,the illusion of the character, the old wives tales and all the myth serves as a form of entertainment. The fear of the unknown should not be fear as they are only form from the human mind imagination..
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
3 Sep 09
oh, my..whatever you name it..that is the way you feel at this moment..anyway a beast or monster is something which makes us afraid or with a fearsome behavior..
@dominiqueen (69)
• United States
3 Sep 09
Well i was born in the us but my parents are from the dominican republic. There are many beasts or monsters that people believe in. I know the bruja is one of them. The witch, in english, usually an older lady who usually goes after children and babies. They fly usually at night and they say you can use ketchup to catch them because they confuse it with blood. And then you have to place a cross on their foreheads which leaves a burn mark on their foreheads. There are also these shapeshifter things that turn into anything or anyone. They say that some greedy farmers use these things to protect their crops. That's why they say you shouldn't take fruits or anything from someone else's farm because they might have one of those things watching it for them and they'll get you.
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
3 Sep 09
The "bruja" is a Spanish word and in my country it is spell this way as "bruha" which also means a witch with a brooms..Many witches in United Kingdom had been burned in the past and even the suspecting lady are burned without any trial which is not good as some innocents becomes victim from gossip spread by people who believe in this tales..But, I think their are also good witch which help the people who are good and kind, serves as their protector..Some of this legends as you mentions are sometimes like a propaganda which uses as a method to protect someone properties that is way they invented said legends..
