I have long been fascinated by the aswang, unsettling legendary creatures from the Philippines that appear to be people by day, but at night transform into one of a range of different forms to eat unwary humans or drink their blood. With its long tongue and disturbing ability to creep along rooftops and ceilings, the aswang is nightmarish and fascinating. When I found out that one of my former students was going to be a Peace Corps volunteer in the Phillipines, I asked him to keep an eye out for any objects depicting aswang. He returned with an Ultimate disc that features one of these creatures battling the half-man, half-horse tikbalang, or horse demon. The tikbalang disorients people traveling through the forest, can cause hallucinations, and assaults women at night, so it seems like a logical rival for the aswang.
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