Rajah's warriors disguised as Manananggals
A Manananggal (lit. "remover") is a mythical creature in Filipino folklore said to be able to separate its upper torso from the lower part of its body. Most stories about Manananggals describe them as vampire-like creatures, possessing sharp fangs, wings, and an insatiable thirst for blood.[1]
History[]
In 1725, the Visayan chief Rajah, during his occupation of Monkey Island, had several of his men disguise themselves as Manananggals using leaves, tree branches, and wooden masks in order to intimidate their enemies. These warriors were further empowered by the crescent amulet, a Piece of Eden in Rajah's possession, enhancing their strength, agility, and stamina to maintain the illusion that they were supernatural beings and discourage opposition against his resistance.[2]
After the members of the Zhang Wei Union were temporarily stranded on Monkey Island upon being attacked by Rajah's resistance on their way to Cebu, the chief sent his Manananggal warriors to board their ship, the Fenghuang, and slaughter the entire crew.[3] During a storm, the Manananggals were initially able to gain the upper hand over their enemies, who could not use their firearms due to the gunpowder having gotten wet from the rain. Shimazu Saito dueled one of the creatures and managed to slice it in half with her katana, but its two halves continued to attack her, making the crew believe that they were fighting real Manananggals.[4]
Eventually, thanks to the multi-barreled cannons built by Yun Pyeong-Gyu, the Fenghuang's crew won the battle and killed most of their attackers, taking the survivors captive. Upon inspecting one of the captured Manananggals, Saito and Yun realized that they were regular humans empowered by the crescent amulet, which made them wary of the Piece of Eden's capabilities.[5]
Behind the scenes[]
The word manananggál comes from the Tagalog word tanggál, which means "to remove" or "to separate". As such, manananggál literally translates to "remover", "separator", or "one who separates itself".[1]
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