Legend of Amalanhig, also popularly known as Amaranhig and Maranhig, are one of the prolific entities associated with Filipino folklore. These creatures are often depicted as zombie-like beings that are very ruthless in terms of killing their victims. These creatures are more active in the late nights, roaming the islands of the Philippines, preying on unsuspecting humans for flesh and blood. It is said that Amalanhig can also be created by black magic, where a corpse is reanimated to kill the enemies of the person who has created the undead.
As they are undead creatures, the Amalanhigs have a thirst for human flesh. These creatures usually roam around remote areas like forests and abundant buildings, waiting for the lost travellers to become their victims. They usually don’t come to urban areas, but there are many sightings of them during late nights. According to legend, the Amalanhigs are extremely strong and exhibit animalistic agility, making them formidable opponents for anybody under their control. It is said that they begin tormenting their victim as soon as they catch them, leaving almost nothing in their wake.
There are many folktales spread in different Filipino communities regarding the origins of the Amalanhig. According to some, the Amalanhigs were once ordinary people who got cursed by bad entities such as the famous Aswangs, making them transform into these zombie-like creatures. To others, these are reanimated corpses that are revived by tantric rituals for vengeful desires.
According to the myths, people who are half eaten by Aswangs are meant to transform into these undead creatures, calming the tag of an Amalanhig. On the other hand, some Aswangs that are unable to fully transform are often converted into these creatures. These multiple interpretations of Amalanhig’s origin bring the concept of metamorphosis into the world beyond.
Because of their extreme agility, Amalanhigs are extremely difficult to escape from. These terrifying creatures hunt swiftly, leaving no time for the victim. If a person encounters an Amalanhig, his first mission is to find any nearby water body and jump over it, since the Amalanhig’s body becomes infested with worms and maggots when it comes into contact with the water, killing them slowly.
Legend of Amalanhigs are quite famous in Filipino culture, making them one of the main faces of Filipino folklore and myths. ”Amalanhig: The Vampire Chronicle,” a 2017 movie directed by Francis Posadas, which stars Jerico Estregan, Sanya Lopez, and Nick Alladin as the main leads, gives a prolific description of the elusive creatures and their dominance in Filipino pop culture. The narrative involves a group of friends who travel to an unknown area to investigate cult rituals and vampires. They find themselves stuck in a strange place where men perform diabolic rituals evoking the undead.
Amalanhig’s stories are the same old cautionary tales that are repeated all across the world in various ways, warning people not to venture outside at night because it might cause destruction in the lives of that individual and others around him. But what distinguishes it from the folktales is its affiliation with the Aswangs, which transforms it into a dreadful creature that prays on human flesh to satisfy its need.