Mandurugo are fabled vampire-like beings. They assume the appearance of beautiful women by day, blending in with the community by concealing their true nature.
When night falls, a mandurugo undergoes an unsettling transformation into a monstrous winged creature with a long tongue with a sharp blade-like tip. She uses her tongue to puncture the neck of her victim and suck his blood while he sleeps. Alternatively, the mandurogo can perform this act while kissing her prey, extracting blood from an unsuspecting man, all under the guise of a passionate kiss.
Typically, she slowly drains her victim over the months. A mandurugo is said to leave a trail of deceased spouses in her history, as she obtains sustenance from her spouse, who eventually weakens and dies from blood loss. Often, she meets her demise when her neighbors or even her own spouse becomes suspicious of her. Despite being a paranormal creature, she is vulnerable to ordinary weapons such as knives.
In some versions, she spares her husband’s life, using him as a cover to conceal her identity while she hunts for blood in nearby villages.
According to some variations of the folklore, mandurugo were once linked to a mythical entity called "Kinnari." Kinnari are extraordinary beings with a hybrid appearance of human and bird-like characteristics, featuring prominently in the mythologies of several Asian countries, including Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Tibet.
These legendary creatures are renowned for their unswerving loyalty and devotion to their lovers, symbolizing enduring love in the folklore of various nations. It is believed that a kinnari, who experienced heartbreak and betrayal at the hands of a human lover, underwent a transformation into a mandurugo due to her resentment toward male humans.