Tiniente Gimo

This is probably the most famous aswang story of all time. It has even been referenced to in a few Filipino horror movies. I will try to recount the version of the story as I heard it told so long ago.

This is the horrifying but sad tale of Tiniente Gimo and his family.


Tiniente (Filipinized Spanish for Lieutenant) Gimo was a person of some note in his town of Dueñas in Iloilo, a region in the Visayas. He and his family were considered 'lahi ng aswang' (a clan of aswangs) and he wasn't one to hide the fact. Although he didn't flaunt it, he wasn't shy about it either. He knew the power he held over people and their fear was enough to make him claim the power that his bloodline gave to him.

One of the teniente's daughters studied in a university in the city. During a break, this daughter invited two of her classmates to come to her hometown for a visit. The young ladies agreed, excited at the prospect of going to a town they had never visited before.

They were greeted with enthusiasm by the teniente's family and as was customary in the Philippines, a small party was prepared. The lady visitors were fed and entertained. As the night grew deeper, one of the young ladies asked (let's call her Juana) what the sleeping arrangements would be. Gimo's daughter said that the visitors would be sharing a room with her.

And so off to bed they went. Because they were in a small town, no big beds were available so they all agreed to sleep on mats on the floor. Juana slept in the middle, tucked in between Gimo's daughter and their friend.

The two girls soon drifted off to sleep but Juana found that tired as she was, she just couldn't bring herself to sleep. Filipinos refer to this feeling as 'namamahay', which is when your body and mind are still in the process of adjusting to a new environment and thus cannot perform a certain routine. This was what prevented Juana from sleeping. It was also what kept her alive.

The party went on outside even as the night deepened but to Juana, instead of fading away, the noise just seemed to get a little bit louder. She heard more people coming, being greeted, there were sounds of suppressed laughter, soft giggles and whispers. "Must be the party for tomorrow," she thought. "They're really throwing a big one."

Since she couldn't sleep anyway, Juana decided to get up and take a peek at the activities through the window. When she lifted the cover, what she saw stirred fear in her heart. On the clearing not far from the house, people were gathered together in a circle – a few women were busy cutting spices and vegetables, some men were talking and drinking while others were sharpening knives. There were children as well. And there, through the shrubs, more people were coming.

In the middle of the circle was a fire and over the fire was a larger-than-usual iron cauldron. If these people were going to cook, they were going to cook something big – bigger than a full-grown chicken or a goat.

Just then, Juana heard Teniente Gimo's voice just on the other side of the wall, talking to another man.

"So which one is it?" the man asked.
"The one in the middle and the other one's on the right," Teniente Gimo said.
"Okay. I'll bring three or four along in case there's a struggle."
"Let's just hit her on the head. Keep her quiet that way."
"True."
"And bring the sack to carry her with. We'll take care of the other one."

Juana didn't need to hear any more just to understand what the two men were discussing. The 'one in the middle' they were referring to was her! The fire and the iron cauldron, all those vegetables and spices the women were preparing, the sack… they intended to butcher her and her friend!

Juana's survival instinct kicked in. She debated for a while on whether to wake up her friend or not but the men were coming up the stairs and if her friend woke up suddenly, there's no telling what she would say or do. They could both be in bad trouble if she delayed for another second.

Juana hurried back to the sleeping girls on the floor, pushed Gimo's daughter towards the middle, lay on the girl's right and covered everyone's head with the wide blanket. That way, the heads were hidden underneath. She tried to calm herself to prevent from shaking. Soon the door opened slowly and noiselessly.

Juana didn't know how many men came for Teniente Gimo's daughter that night. All she felt and heard were soft footsteps, a few whispers and a loud thud as they hit the young girl on the head. They were very quiet, as if they were used to doing what they did. They didn't even wake up her friend, who was sleeping so soundly just an arm's length away from Juana. Teniente Gimo's daughter lay moaning next to her.

The men quickly wrapped the bleeding girl in the sack and carried her away.

After the men had left the room, Juana got up, tried to wake her friend for the last time, failed and decided to go at it alone. She opened the window across the one facing the clearing where they were presently beating the body inside the sack and carefully but fearfully climbed down.

As soon as her bare feet touched solid ground, Juana began to run. She didn't care where she was passing through – all she knew was that the main road was in that direction. She hadn't gotten far when she heard shouts and screams from the group. They had opened the sack and found out the terrible mistake they made.

Enraged, Teniente Gimo cried for everyone to check the house, find the girl, THE girl they wanted, she who was supposed to be in the middle, she who was supposed to be in the sack, she who was supposed to be the one they should be prepping tonight, she whose throat they should have slit.

Behind her, Juana heard the commotion and simply assumed that people were now climbing the stairs, opening the door to the daughter's room and finding that only one was left behind and the other had run away. It would only be a matter of time before they found out where she was headed. So Juana kept on running over the grass, the rocks, the pebbles that cut her feet, the sharp thorns of the shrubs and the slimy dead things underneath her.

But those who were in pursuit of her were men – grown men, men taller than she, with longer legs, with strength stolen from the other men and women they had slaughtered before her poor friend. As the men with the torches began to gain on her, Juana felt panic rise from her legs to her heart, threatening to turn her legs to stone. She could never outrun these men and if she could hide, where? They probably knew this area very well and could find her easily.

But right in front of her, a tree stood. It was tall enough but not so tall that she couldn't climb it and it looked strong, with a thick truck and even thicker leaves. Juana had no memory of how she managed to climb the tree that night but there she cowered, shaking, mouthing prayers for the Virgin to protect her, to please not let them see her, hear her, smell her.

The voices grew nearer and so did the footfalls. Not only the men came in pursuit. There were a few women as well, some of them holding torches, some gripping a thick tree branch and others, still holding on to the knives they used to cut the onions and the tomatoes. Light from the torches illuminated the branches and the leaves of the tree as the mob passed underneath her. If one of them ever looked up…

But no one did. The crowd of angry men and women who tried to come after her came and went. They couldn't find her. A few hours later, which seemed an eternity to Juana, they came back again, walking this time, tired and hungry, their torches fading but they came a few feet away, no longer passing under Juana's tree.

Although the crowd had gone, Juana stayed hidden in the tree. She waited for the dark sky to turn gray and very carefully, painfully climbed down. No one was in sight and she was too far away to actually hear anything from where Teniente Gimo's hut stood. Besides, it was morning and if they did party on last night, they would be too full and tired to care today. Juana brushed the thought of her other friend, the one she left behind, away and began to run again, towards the main road.

At this point, I no longer remember how Juana got help. Maybe she stopped a passing bus or jeepney or maybe a person with a good soul came across the fearful girl with the wild eyes. But she did get help and she did find her way home, safe and alive. She never went back to the town of Dueñas, not even to see if the tree that saved her life still stood.

As for Teniente Gimo and his clan of aswangs, it is said that the incident devastated him. It was his own beloved daughter after all. They packed up and abandoned their home and moved someplace else. Where he and his family are now is only whispered about and whether they are still hunting and luring human prey, it can only be guessed at. Who knows? They could be in your town.

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To Fight the Aswang (Plus a Trick for Annoying Them)

Unless you're the very brave, heroic type or are in a truly desperate situation, it's best to stay away from the aswang. These are strong, slippery creatures and they exhibit a strong, offensive smell. Being in the arms of one is supposed to be like being trapped in a room with a ton of gutted fish. There's the smell of blood, entrails, broken bones and something else. But in case you do find yourself the subject of an aswang's undivided attention, here are some things you ought to know:

It would help if you have the basic weapons.
This includes a stake (for stabbing an aswang in the heart), a bolo or machete (to slice off their tongue, head or simply hack at them in the heat of the fight) or a buntot ng page, sometimes also called buntot-page (the dried tail of a sting ray).

The tail is a deadly weapon (remember the late Steve Irwin?). It has serrated edges that are turned inwards so they look like small hooks. If you get gored by one, trying to pull it out of your body will result to more tissue damage. When dried, it's stiff but not brittle. Each lash with the tail will produce elongated wounds on the skin, opening it just enough to reveal the flesh underneath the skin and draw blood – perfect if you're trying to fight off a hungry aswang.

Bring salt.
Salt works best for killing a manananggal. When the upper torso flies off in search of prey, approach the lower (harmless) half carefully and pour enough salt on the surface to cover the exposed flesh. Don't worry – the upper part has the brain, eyes, mouth and ears so the lower part probably won't fight back.

When the upper part comes back, the aswang won't be able to join completely with the lower part of the body because there's a layer of salt. The aswang won't be able to wipe it off, either. They are loathe to touch salt. They would fly around their torso in desperation until the break of dawn, when the sun's rays will turn them into ashes.

Spice things up.
Garlic, one of the world's best flavorings, works well against the aswang. They hate the stuff and are turned off by its pungent smell.

Say the name.
Personally, I'm not sure if this works but my aunt swears by it. In case you come in close proximity with an aswang, avoid looking them in the eyes. Instead, very quickly move away – run, if you can – all the while repeating in a low voice, 'Aswang, aswang, aswang, aswang, aswang!'

Keep the change.
To prevent a manananggal from scooping you up and flying you off to some abandoned hut in the jungle or some hidden cave to feast on your flesh, keep a few coins in your pocket. According to my lola (grandma), aswangs will have a difficulty in bearing the weight of someone who has loose coins in their person. I'm not sure if it's the metal but it will make it difficult (not impossible, mind you) for an aswang to carry you off.

To annoy the aswang
If you don't have the cojones to fight the aswang, you might want to dare tease it in case you do encounter one. By 'encounter' I mean you inside the house and the aswang outside. It's just not safe to be on level ground with this creature.

Take a knife, a machete, a bolo or a sword and a stone for sharpening steel. Grind the steel of the knife against the sharpener, making sure it makes a high, squeaky sound (it's supposed to – it's steel being sharpened). That sound you're making? The aswang hates that. It would probably complain, bang its wings against your roof or claw at your windows but if you keep sharpening your knife, it'd go away. The sound is supposed to hurt their ears.

Beware, though: if you annoy the aswang, it will come back for you. Use this trick at your own risk.

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The Aswang as a Witch

There's one other aspect of the aswang that is commonly held as true by many believers. This is that they are capable of casting spells or in the absence of chants, even the silent but deadly evil eye. In one of my previous posts, I have detailed the different characteristics of an aswang. This is one that I have forgotten to include: the aswang as a witch.

In the Philippines, when someone complains of a stomachache, a fever or malaise for no apparent cause or reason, they are said to be 'inaswang'. These conditions are said to be medically untreatable – a visit to a doctor may either prove inconclusive or ineffective, so much so that a victim using medication will find that his condition would worsen – and it's not because the doctor doesn't know what he/she's doing.

How the spell is cast
In most cases, an aswang has to have direct contact with you in order for an evil eye spell to work. There are three ways this can be done:

Greeting
Filipinos call a greeting 'bati'. If an aswang comes up to you and compliments you about anything – your health, your appearance, even your clothes – and then you start to feel ill, we call this 'nabati'. An aswang can cast a spell either through words of appreciation ("You look really well today" or "You have a very cute baby") which can sometimes be accompanied by a tap or a touch.

Touch
An aswang need only touch you in order for a spell to work. You could receive a tap on your shoulder, arm or face or they could simply touch you with a finger. It may or may not be accompanied by a word or greeting. It'll work just the same.

Food
An aswang offering you food may not always be a good thing. It's either: a) they want to turn you into one of them or b) they want to poison you slowly but surely.

So how to fight back?
For the superstitious lot, fighting back is chicken feed. For the uninitiated, here's how:

If you get greeted by an aswang…
Say, 'Really? Puera usog' or if you're Visayan, say, 'Puera buyag.' Or you could just simply redirect the evil eye back by wearing any amulet specifically designed for that sort of protection. Or, you could hide a clove of garlic in one of your pockets.

If an aswang touches you…
Touch them back. This is assuming they haven't changed shape or form yet. That's the best way to cancel the spell. It's like the two of you firing a short burst of laser beam at each other – it hits the target dead on and cancels it. A tap will do.

If an aswang offers you food…
Refuse. Say you're full or suffering from incontinence or bad diarrhea or something. If the food has somehow found its way down your throat, it's probably time to go seek out your friendly healer or babaylan.

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Basic Understanding of the Aswang

Every Filipino child knows the Aswang. Ask anyone who has lived in the Philippines and they'll tell you they know of at least one person who knows someone who has had close encounters with this creature.

The aswang has crossed over from myth to urban legend to an icon of pop culture. So what is an aswang exactly and what makes this creature of the night (and sometimes, day) so remarkable and dangerous? Here are things I have researched about and things I know:

The Aswang
There have been many variations of the aswang that has appeared over the years, effectively diluting the original concept of this creature. In its purest form, the aswang is a ghoul, a flesh eater, a vampire, a shapeshifter and a witch all rolled into one.

A ghoul – because it's supposed to steal the organs of the unembalmed dead to eat them.

A flesh eater – because the aswang attacks live human prey, disemboweling them and stealing the organs. Its favorite is the liver, which is supposed to give it extra strength and a longer life. The liver is also supposedly the tastiest.

The aswang also prefers to attack pregnant women to steal and eat their unborn babies. To an aswang, nothing else smells as sweet and as good as a woman with child.

A vampire – because it sucks blood from live human and animal prey.

A shapeshifter – the aswang can turn into an animal (sometimes considered its familiar) such as a dog, a pig, a cat, a bat, a snake or a carabao. In the case of the manananggal, it can also cut itself in half at will, separating its upper torso from the rest of its body, sprout big, black, bat-like wings and fly into the air.

The aswang can also grow fangs or sharp teeth and long, claw-like fingernails. If it's a beautiful creature by day, it can turn into a horrifying being by night.

The aswang's tongue can also grow long, often becoming thread-like in its form and size. The proboscis is designed to slip between cracks in the roof, window or walls, target a sleeping pregnant woman, bore a hole in her belly and suck out her fetus.

In some stories, the aswang, particularly if it's a woman, has very long hair. In her aswang mode, the woman's hair can grow even longer, become very slippery like long, thin eels, making it difficult for the average human to hold on to her or fight her off.

Geographic location
Although the aswang is a known entity in most areas in the Philippines, it is most popular in the western part of the Visayas, a region on the Philippine map that is found between Luzon and Mindanao. People from areas such as Antique, Capiz and Iloilo have numerous stories to tell about this creature. There is even a celebrated annual fiesta dedicated to the aswang in Capiz, when people dress up in scary costumes and parade in the streets.

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Becoming an Aswang

Since an aswang is akin to a vampire, can one turn you into a creature of the night as well? According to some accounts, the answer is yes.

There are 3 known ways to become an aswang. These include:

Infection
An aswang's saliva can be a very potent fluid for you to use in case you decide to become one of them. Unfortunately, there's no need for you to consent to the offer. The transfer can be performed deliberately (you get chosen and someone licks you in the mouth or ear or feeds you food that has touched an aswang's mouth) or by accident (you eat infected food or for some reason, comes into contact with aswang saliva).

Food
Aswang food can also turn you into an aswang. In the Philippines, house guests are often entertained and fed. If your host is an aswang and wants you to become one of them, the food on your plate will be served raw – just the way an aswang likes it. However, it will appear palatable. Once you take a bite… well, welcome to the other side.

A good antidote would be to use lemon or calamansi. Cut the fruit in half and squeeze the juice on the food. This will reveal what it really is – sliced fingers, eyeballs, slivers of raw liver, someone's heart, etc.

Through inheritance
If your parents or at least one of them is an aswang, then you or one of your siblings has to become one. It's the family legacy, you know. One of you has to carry on.

According to legend, an aswang cannot die unless he/she passes on the curse to a chosen heir – a son, daughter, grandchild, niece or nephew. The changing of the guard, so to speak occurs physically. The dying aswang will lie bedridden for a long time until someone steps up to accept the curse.

The curse is usually in the form of a shiny black ball, just bigger than a marble and slightly smaller than a golf ball. This ball rises from the aswang's bowels, comes out of the gullet and hovers in the mouth. The heir then brings his/her mouth closer so he/she may receive the curse.

In some cases, the curse is in the form of a tiny black bird or some strange creature that enters the heir's body.

Can you go back?
I was told that you can probably refuse to receive the curse but in case you want to go back living a 'normal' life, you'll probably have a hard time. Once you're an aswang, you're probably an aswang for life. It's not like a tattoo that you can later remove. After all, 'AA' doesn't stand for Aswang Anonymous, so you can't probably resign from being an aswang. If there really is a way to become normal once more, very few people know it and the real aswangs aren't telling.

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Recognizing the Aswang or How You Can Save Your Liver from a Possible Attack

Recognizing the aswangYou can't beat them if you don't know them, right? An aswang can be a very tricky creature indeed but they have 'tells', things that give them away without their knowing it. These are:

Your reflection appears upside down in their eyes.
If you see an aswang up close, look in their eyes. You should be able to see a clear reflection of you in their iris or the pigmented part of the eyes. In 'normal' (read: safe) people, this reflection is upright – meaning, your head is where it's supposed to be – up there.

In an aswang's eyes, your image will be inverted. If one is in aswang mode, he/she has to bend forward, put his/her head between the legs and walk backwards just to get to you.

The problem with this method is that by the time you realize that the person right in front of you is an aswang, it would be too late. You know... if you can see that you're upside down, you're too close... damn close.

They're afraid of salt and garlic.
Salt, the universal preserver, is bad for the aswang's health. They prefer their food tasteless. Garlic is also effective against the aswang, who will stay away from your home if you put garlic cloves on the window sills or at the doorway.

They CAN go to Mass but can't stay for the final blessing.
Aswangs don't mind hearing Mass but they can never stand the final blessing. Seems that the blessing invoked from the Holy Trinity makes them ill.

They use plenty of coconut oil on their bodies, particularly at dusk.
Coconut oil is derived from grated coconut flesh. Milk is squeezed and then heated. Curdles will form on top and further heating will turn this into latik, a rich, brown tasty topping often used with rice cakes.

The oil left on the bottom of the pan is called the langis. It's clear, smells like, well, coconut (go to the Body Shop and look for their Coconut essential oil – langis will smell like that) and is highly sought after for its beneficial properties.

By the way, this is the same oil known as 'virgin coconut oil', produced using the hot press method. The oil is then mixed with other stuff which only a real aswang will be able to tell you. The finished concoction is now called lana.

The aswang needs to use lana for two reasons. One is that they have to rub it all over their bodies so they can take off and glide smoothly in the air when they go looking for prey at night. Second (this is according to my late grandmother), they need the oil because their body itches severely and it helps tame their body hairs.

Okay… before you panic, this is just a retelling of the legends that surround the aswang. Don't go crossing yourself or going into hysteria if you see your neighbor rubbing coconut oil on his body. Could be that the poor soul is just using virgin coconut oil to relieve his arthritis.

There's another way to identify an aswang and this you can use secretly. There's a special oil you can buy or obtain for free from a mystic, a babaylan or a healer in your community. This oil is stored in a small glass bottle and is mixed with herbs, tree bark and roots. It's an aswang detector: if an aswang is nearby, the oil in the bottle will boil without any addition of heat or radiation. So there...

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