10 Philippine Horror Myths for your Frights

October has finally reached its end for 2017, but that does not stop horror stories from scaring people. There are tons of legends here in the Philippines that will make children stay inside their houses as soon as the moon has risen. These legends have been going around for quite some time, from one generation passed down to another. Some of them might only be for putting kids to bed early or trying to trick them into making them stay at home for the rest of the night. True or not, these stories have made nights, especially around rural areas, a lot scarier accompanied with trees taller than regular houses and fog so thick that it makes traveling at night more dangerous.

What better way to end Halloween and welcome the souls of the dead than to recall some of the most popular urban legends in the Philippines?

Number 1: Bloody Mary

Bloody Mary is a legendary ghost that can be summoned by doing a ritual where one has to stand in front of a mirror while holding a candle. Her name must be chanted multiple times; some accounts say it has to be 13 times to be exact at 12 midnight or 3 in the morning. Bloody Mary can be benevolent or malevolent, although it is most often the latter in stories and in movies. By doing this on Halloween, a woman can see her future husband's face on the mirror.

Photo from Fanpop

Number 2: Opening an umbrella inside a room

Umbrellas protect us from the rain or from the sun's rays. The weather's pretty unpredictable so it's better to carry one around everywhere you go. However, there has been a myth saying that if you open an umbrella while inside a room, blood will drip from the ceiling and fall onto the umbrella. Now that's something you'd want to avoid after getting a new umbrella!

Photo from The Mancunion

Number 3: Tiktik

The night is quiet but you suddenly hear something.

"Tiktik".

A Philippine mythical creature known as Tiktik roams around at night, looking for pregnant women to feast on their unborn children with their long, slender tongue. They say that it gets louder and clearer when the Tiktik is very near.

Photo from Chappyron DeviantArt

Number 4: Antique Mirrors

We use mirrors to see if our faces are dirty, clean, or in need of a retouch of that expensive foundation you bought the other day. There are lots of antique stores that sell mirrors that have been preserved for decades. Be careful with buying antique mirrors though—you might see someone else's reflection other than your own.

Photo from Pinterest

Number 5: Closing your eyes while taking a bath

Imagine taking a bath after a long, tiresome day at work. Now that's an idea that would make you relax just by thinking of it. However, some people say that when you close your eyes while taking a bath, someone is staring at you. That someone could be dead or alive. Who knows? The question is, which one's worse?

Photo from Meme Generator

Number 6: Wandering souls

After visiting a dearly beloved's grave, one is encouraged not to go home directly. Some people say that there might be a ghost who would come along until you get home. You wouldn't want to bring a wandering soul to haunt you in your house, right?

Photo from Flickr

Number 7: Pointing your flashlight at trees

Ever went out into the woods by yourself late at night? Looking for stuff on the ground with your flashlight in your hand, you hope to see something more exciting than dirty rags and fallen leaves. Although you may want to avoid pointing your flashlight to large trees. Something just might stare back at you with its gleaming eyes.

Photo from Boredom Therapy

Number 8: Balete Drive

This is probably one of the most well-known legends in the Philippines. The Balete Drive is known for its stories about a while lady floating along the streets. Most of the stories involved cab drivers who have seen the white lady staring at them at the back seat of their cabs. The Balete tree is said to be the home of fairies. Punishments were given to those who cut, laugh, or point at the tree.

Photo by Amino Apps

Number 9: Food from the grave

This is similar to Number 6 except you'll be bringing home food from the grave, a ghost, and bad luck.

Photo from Gallery TANTO TEMPO

Number 10: Staring at a corpse's eye

What could be more horrifying than seeing a dead person stare back at you? People say that it's best to avoid looking at a dead person's eye because the dead person's ghost might haunt the last person that it made eye contact with. Even worse, that person may die soon shortly after.