The Tiyanaks
Article by Raphae
The tiyanak is a spirit of the underworld. It was formerly the current belief that they are the spirits of childs who die unchristened and of those sinful persons. Those spirits do no harm the people but they play with them in a way they please. According to stories, they appear frequently in dark, solitary places where there are few people. And during nights when the moon is rising with a little shower they are believed to appear even around the homes and others say that this is the most favorable time for their recreation.
If a person invades the haunts of these black spirits, he surely is at their mercy of being played with. The fishermen and farmers of the remote barrios are often victims of the tiyanacs. Sometimes the farmer catches many fishes and when he reaches home, he finds out that they are only blocks of wood or pebbles. Sometimes they would stop the banca of the fishermen and do lead him astray. Some people believe that one can prevent such whims and jokes of the tiyanaks by making the sign of the cross and reciting the Ave Maria.