The Tikbalang of the Philippines: Monsters of the World

This is a monster I personally grew up fearing. The tikbalang of the Philippine folklore is a clever trickster, who leads travelers astray. It has shapeshifting and invisibility power, but you can probably detect its presence by the strong smell of tobacco, which it likes to smoke. You can protect yourself using an amulet called “anting-anting”, and if you do get lost and suspect it’s the work of a tikbalang, simply turn your shirt inside out, and you’ll find your way again.

Map of the world courtesy of BYU Geography Department.

Palette: