Home › Glossary › Letter T

Tikbalang

Folklore
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Horse-headed trickster in Philippine folklore that leads travelers astray

Detailed Definition
Tikbalang haunts forests and mountains. In poetry, it symbolizes disorientation, the danger of the wild, and the need for respect toward nature spirits, often appearing in indigenous or cautionary contexts.
Example
Example in poetry:
Tikbalang, Filipino horse-man, haunts forest poetry: "Tikbalang leads you in circles—paths you know become unknown"; Poets use it to explore disorientation: "His eyes are deep, his laugh is shrill—Tikbalang mocks the city mind"; In cautionary tales, he respects humility: "Ask permission, speak him kind—Tikbalang lets you pass his glen"; His backward feet inspire uncanny imagery: "Footprints point the wrong way—Tikbalang’s joke is space itself"
Additional Notes
Tikbalang: A Philippine horse-human hybrid spirit with reversed feet, lurking in forests to lead travelers astray. Can be appeased by wearing clothes inside-out. In poetry, it symbolizes disorientation, colonial landscape anxiety, and indigenous tricksterism. Useful in Southeast Asian postcolonial or eco-poetry; contrast with Western centaurs—Tikbalang is a guardian, not a warrior.
Also Known As
Tigbalang
Skip to main content