The Manananggal ("self-segmenter") is a Filipino Aswang (evil spirit) that detaches her torso from her lower half and then takes flight during the night to eat infants.
This creature's name was derived from the Filipino word, "tanggal," which means "to separate" because of the manananggal's ability to separate itself from its lower body.
Myths & Legends[]
To feed, the self-segmenter chooses an isolated place where she will leave her lower torso while she hunts at night. When she separates from her lower torso, she then gains her ability to fly. She then goes off in search of houses where pregnant women reside. Upon choosing a suitable victim, the Manananggal alights on the house and inserts her tongue through the roof. The tongue is long, hollow and extremely flexible. She uses it to puncture the womb of the sleeping woman and to suck out the fetus. At other times, she seduces men with her beauty and lures them to a private place before eating them alive. She usually eats the insides, like the heart, stomach or the liver.
A manananggal can also be a sorceress that visits villages and barrios.
In some stories, the Wakwak and/or the Sigbin are kept by them as either pets or servants.
