Tiyanak

Tiyanak Lore & Origins

The Tiyanak is a deceptively helpless, highly predatory vampiric spirit from Philippine folklore that flawlessly mimics the distress of the innocent to lure victims to their doom. Emitting a faint, sickly-sweet aroma of wild orchids and curdled milk, its presence is often heralded by a thin, mournful wail that sounds identical to a lost infant. Once it is picked up, its porcelain skin splits with a sickening crack to reveal a hunched, fanged monster that strikes with a high, screeching cry. It siphons the life-force of the compassionate, leaving behind a cold, hollowed shell in the damp jungle floor. If you hear a child crying in a place where no child should be, do not investigate alone—it is a trap set for the kind-hearted.