#fyeahmythologies

“My soul is full of longing for the secret of the sea, and the heart of the great ocean sends a thrilling pulse through me.” ― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

In Ilocano folklore, the Batibat is a vengeful demon that causes the Bangungot disease, or the sudden death in sleep. They are reputed to be old, large hags. Batibats are accustomed to living in trees but when they are felled, they migrate to whatever structure their tree turned into. Batibats forbid any humans from coming near their trees but in the circumstance that they do, the Batibats attack the human. Batibats suffocate their victims by sitting on their chests; the only way to ward off Batibats is to wiggle toes or bite thumbs.