Incantation of a Monster: Seré, seré, no God at night

The fact that Halloween is just more than a month away may not be exempted from the talk about monsters. Chupacabra, sasquatch, vampire, layog, wakwak, or mananganggal, whatever you call them, they are classified as aswangs (monsters).

It started from the dusk that I was with my two neighbors in one of the barangays (small villages) in Albay. A guy came up with his stories about a creature which can transform itself through incantation. I listened excitedly and willingly while the other two who appeared scared did not have any enthusiasm as mine.

“Seré, seré, warang Diyos na banggui” (Seré, seré, no God at night), these are the words which have magical effects on a creature like layog. This incantation can transform itself from a human form to distinctive features of aswang. Along with that ritual, chicken poo is applied all over its body in order to change its present form successfully. “Maamputun ang parong ninda” (They are pretty smelly), a guy said to us.

After altering layogs’ appearance, they can fly with their wings like the bats’ and would be able to catch their prey. Be sure not to walk alone but one should put his hands at the back of the head if layog latches the legs around its target. He can free himself from those powerful locking extremities by resisting with and sliding your arms. If you got caught, you may be a dead meat.

In case the layog sprawl its presence around your house at night and you notice their peculiar odor, make a way to frighten them. A good threat may do – “Huna mo, dai ta ka midbid. Dakul na nakaaram na aswang ka. Pag dai ka pa naghali dyan, dumanun mi ika sa harong mo. Halatun mo sana na suluun mi ika.” (You think that I don’t know you. Villagers already knew you are a monster. If you are not going away from here, we’ll come to your house and burn you to death). With this, one can drive it away. The guy clearly pointed out that before dawn, it already transferred to other place. Layogs are also afraid of people as much as people are of them.

Even it has gotten so dark, the guy still continued describing what his father told him that it can also move pretty fast. Do not be surprised if it can easily pass the river and go to the other side in just the blink of an eye.

However, on daytime, you can also spot them if they try to avoid any eye contact by always looking at the ground so as not to reveal their piercing bloody red eyes. They also don’t possess any shadow or reflection from the mirror as their spirits were already devoured by the devil.

After the guy’s story was already over, it lingered on my mind. What if those are real and the attack happened to me? I hope I never ended up hanged upside down in someone’s kitchen.

Obviously, they are just folklores. They never existed and they never will. These may be real but they are just specks of stories created by playful imagination of people.

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