tikbalang

 In the mountainous communities of the King Filipinas archipelago, there's a widespread uneasiness among people. Suspicious glances are exchanged when family members request company due to fear of the Tikbalang. This forest spirit, resembling victims' relatives, lures lone individuals into the wooded depths of the mountains, adopting a peculiar scent and swaying motion. The false family member's face eventually transforms into something horse-like. Delirious townsfolk share stories of being pushed, slapped, and knocked over by this apparition, accompanied by nervous giggling. People claim that giving in to the Tikbalang's antics leads to finding oneself alone in the woods after sunset, with a disorienting path home.

Stories suggest the Tikbalang kidnaps women for breeding, and it is described as a tall, bony humanoid with long limbs, resembling a horse-man hybrid. It travels at night, supposedly raping female mortals to produce more Tikbalang. Legends also link it to aborted fetuses sent to Earth from limbo.

Tikbalangs are mischievous, often playing tricks on people and making them imagine unreal things. Rainfall during sunshine is believed to signify Tikbalang weddings. Some theories suggest that Spanish conquistadors introduced the half-horse, half-man image to instill fear of the night in the natives. To counteract the Tikbalang, wearing a shirt inside out or asking permission to pass by is advised. Folklore mentions taming a Tikbalang by plucking three golden hairs from its mane or solving its riddles for a pot of gold.