Читать книгу The Zombie Book - Nick Redfern - Страница 22

Within the mythology of the Philippines there exists a deadly and diabolical creature known as the Aswang. Also referred to as the Sok-Sok and the Tik-Tik—as a result of the strange and menacing vocalizations it makes—the Aswang is said to predominantly dwell in Mindanao, which is the second largest island in the Philippines, and in the Visayas Islands, chiefly on the islands of Bohol and Negros.

For many Filipinos, however, the Aswang is not just a monster of legend: it is also one of cold, grim, reality, and has been so for centuries, too. Since the Aswang is said to suck vast amounts of blood out of its human victims, it has become definitively, and inextricably, linked to vampire lore and legend. There are, however, a number of characteristics attributed to the Aswang that suggest it is far more zombie-like in nature and appearance than it is vampiric.

Usually, although not exclusively, female in appearance, the Aswangs are very often described as resembling normal human beings, but with several key characteristics that reveal their true identities, and which also provoke zombie-style imagery. They are, for example, thin to the point of near-emaciation, they are often described as being dressed in dirty and ragged fashion, they are able to run with astonishing speed, and they have gaunt, pale faces, and malevolent-looking eyes. And it’s not just blood they feed on. The Aswangs are full-on carnivores with a love of meat of the human variety. Could there be a better description of a zombie? Certainly, we would be very hard-pressed to find one, no matter how hard we looked.

Horrifically, the personal, favorite delicacies of the Aswangs are newly born human babies and young children. The reasons are as simple as they are horrific: the young are easy to catch, kill, and savagely devour. Aswangs are known for their particular, voracious love of human organs, particularly the heart and the liver, which are considered to be particularly prized delicacies. And, on occasion, they will even devour the bodies of the recently deceased. Further emphasizing the zombie links, when a person is bitten—but not outright killed—by an Aswang, widespread infection very soon sets in and spreads. Inevitably, the infected soul soon begins to take on not just the appearance of the dreaded monster, but also its near-maniacal lust and need for human flesh, bodily organs, and blood.

The Aswang is also said to have the ability to shape-shift into certain other creatures, such as a monstrous hound, a werewolf-like beast, and a giant, marauding hog. It does so to ensure a swift and decisive kill while stalking its prey, after which it returns to humanoid form to devour the fresh kill.