The Mandurugo is a mythical being from Philippine folklore, similar to a harpy-

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...

variant of '' Aswang'' (Filipino shapeshifter). The Mandurugo drinks blood similar to a vampire. They are usually young and beautiful women by day, but develop wings and long, sharp tongues by night, which they use to either make cuts in a man's neck, or prick the inside of his mouth while kissing him to obtain blood. The stories, popular to Tagalog and Bicol speakers, have many variations. Sometimes the Mandurugo marries unsuspecting men to prey upon them, or may just select one husband, using him as a cover for her blood drinking activities, flying to other villages to feed.

Legend

"The Girl With Many Loves" is one popular tale. A young, beautiful woman marries at age sixteen. Her husband, described as an over-weight youth, withers away to bones in less than a year. After he dies, the woman marries again and again with the same result, until she reaches her fourth husband. The fourth husband, fearing the same fate as his predecessors, is afraid to sleep at night and holds a knife in his hand. A little after midnight, the man feels something over him and then a prick on his neck. He stabs at the creature on top of him and hears a loud screech and the flapping of wings. The next day, his wife is found dead not far from the house with a knife wound in her chest.

Films

In post

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Philippines, vampirism was a hot topic. The

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

had a major influence on the film industry all over the globe. Films such as The Vampire People (1966) were the product of vampire folklore and mainstream culture.

Anime

In ''

Blade A blade is the Sharpness (cutting), sharp, cutting portion of a tool, weapon, or machine, specifically designed to puncture, chop, slice, or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they a ...

'' (ブレイド, ''Bureido'') is a 2010 Japanese

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

television series by Madhouse and is based on the

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

universe. Features the Mandurugo as beautiful maidens that transform into harpy-like aswangs that take flight, more accurate of how they are portrayed in Philippine mythology

References

{{reflist Vampires Female legendary creatures Philippine legendary creatures

Legend

Films

Anime

See also

References