Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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80% believed that it exists
Make it more horrifying After Spanish colonizers Christianized their indigenous
beliefs
MOVIE: Aswang directed by wyre martin and barry polterman by bourn prod.
Filipinos 83% catholic but have strong belief in superstition basically the aswang
Aswang lock of constant info
EVIL- constant information that aswang acquire from every corner of the phil
LUZON
Tao po- the tagalong always use it coz they referring that the one who knocks
are human
(the feeling in the back of your mind that it is real because someone old said that it
is real based on their experienced from old guy)
(Huge majority will believed when somebody said that there is an aswang, there is
an acceptance for the aswang)
There is no concise depiction of the aswang
Dr. max ramos, 5 kinds of aswang (Philippine lower mythology)
Aswang word came from the word asin and bawang and the first used of the word
came from the two bikolano gods
Bikol gods
Asuwang-evil god, inside mt. malinao
guguran- good god lives at the side of the mt mayon
PANAY(story of aswang)
Came from the two spirits
Agorang- forces of good, stronger during the daytime
Asuwang- forces of evil, strongest at the evening
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WEREWOLVES-WEREDOGS
SHAPESHIFTERS - LARGE PIGS OR DOGS
It is being passed down by the elders to the rural areas to the children that the
aswang shapeshifted to pigs or dogs. But the properties in the province have its
own dogs or pigs. And the children have this collective mentality when one believe
all we believe.
BECAUSE OF MOVIEMAKERS AND ARTISTIC IMAGINATION
VAMPIRES
*dracula
more logical and scientific
bites from different animals can cause rabies that can breakdown their
nervous system
VISCERA SUCKERS
*wakwak- giant flying fox who is abundant in the island are said to ba
mistaken to be the wakwak that also produce the same sound wakwak
MANANANGGAL
The friars show the concept of demons
A friar name Juan de Plasencia's Classification of "devils" in the Philippines ~ 1588
The seventh was called MAGTATANGAL, and his purpose was to show himself at night to many persons,
without his head or entrails. In such wise the devil walked about and carried, or pretended to carry, his head
to different places; and, in the morning, returned it to his body - remaining, as before, alive. This seems to
me to be a fable, although the natives affirm that they have seen it, because the devil probably caused them
so to believe. This occurred in Catanduanes.
Aswang maybe the all the evils would denied by the town, the dark side of the town,
all the secrets they hiding in their cabinets that has to be personified, it is needed to
come out. The need of the people to blame for them to have the sense of cleansing.
ALSO IF SOMEBODY ARE AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT THE THING IS YOU GO TO THE
MOUNTAINS AND POOF
SOCIAL CONTROL
Anything that you cannot identify that makes you powerless become the monster so
they need to create a monster to strike at it
It become more hoorifying because society denies it so it has to find a way to come
out and become more terrible
FOR BETTER OR WORSE ASWANG IS PART OF THE HISTORY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Philippines to answer this lingering question: what is the aswang?" Clark said in
his documentary "The Aswang Phenomenon."
As Clark discovered, asking this question led to several other questions. Finding the answers took
Clark on a journey to several parts of the country, including Capiz, the aswang's rumored home.
"After learning about the various manifestations of the aswang described by Dr. Maximo Ramos
(vampire, viscera sucker, witch, ghoul, and were-dog) I wanted to know why there were so many,
why they were predominantly women, where the manananggal came from, where the word came
from, and why Capiz was suspected as their home," Clark said.
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The aswang is often depicted in horror movies and stories as a fearsome creature, but it's not often
that people get to go beyond the spooky tales and exchange views on how it figures in the lives of
Filipinos. Clark shared that the most striking thing he came across was how intertwined the aswang
is with Philippine history.
"There is this enormous evolution that the aswang has been taken through it's use in pre-colonial
indigenous and animist beliefs, social control by the church, de-sexualizing women, attempting to
end matriarchal societies, unchecked papers through the turn of the 20th century, and finally through
amazing artistic interpretations. It is truly astounding," said Clark, who covered the evolution in his
film.
One of the most important parts in the film sheds some light on why Capiz is believed to be where
aswangs come from. "What I discovered as the reason I believe Capiz is suspected as their home
was both eye-opening and heartbreaking," said Clark.
After completing the documentary, he decided to put it online. This decision was partly due to his
experience conducting research for the documentary, where he met some resistance from members
of the academe.
"There are volumes of incredible research in the Philippines that will die on old dusty bookshelves
because of this elitist mentality. It is my opinion that research is to educate everyone which is why
I made the documentary free to the public," he said.
Clark shared that in contrast, the arts community was very helpful. The documentary includes clips
and information from Regal Films, horror director Peque Gallaga, author Gilda Cordero Fernando,
and comics writer Budjette Tan.
"There were so many Filipinos who embraced my research, took me into their communities, shared
their connections and trusted me with their stories. The Philippines has an incredibly rich and
fascinating culture. To experience and start to understand it, one needs only to look as far as the
artists who represent it," Clark said. KDM, GMA News