Toy maker Mattel has Barbie-fied a creature from Philippine folklore that has for centuries inspired terror and loathing among Filipinos for its habit of feeding on the hearts of unborn children: the manananggal.
Corazon Marikit is the latest to come out of Mattel’s Monster High doll line.
In this reimagining of the manananggal, she is a winsome teenager dressed in the traditional Filipino attire of a baro – or a blouse – and a long skirt that tapers into thin, red fringes that are supposed to emulate dripping blood.
She holds a fan with her right hand and a bag with a spider web motif with her left.
She stands high on a pair of bakya, or wooden clogs.
The obvious signs that she is an other-worldly creature are her large wings that resemble those of a bat.
Yet, she has an even more bizarre secret: She can split her body in half from the waist, allowing her upper half to fly away while the rest of her waits patiently on the ground – just like what the manananggal is capable of.
Mattel has, of course, made Corazon Marikit very relatable to young girls, and her special mechanism that allows her to split into two makes her unique and interesting for doll collectors.
The toy maker describes her on one of its Instagram accounts as a “fashion maven” that “brings Filipino fashion and folklore to life”.
“With a body that separates into two, she is ready to take flight,” says Mattel.
Dark side of the ‘manananggal’
But the myth of the manananggal has a darker, more macabre back story.
The creature’s name is derived from the Filipino word that means “something that detaches”.
The manananggal – a derivative of the Malay penanggalan or penanggal – is usually depicted as a bewitching, gorgeous young woman during the day, when she walks among the living to scout for her prey: women in the latter stages of their pregnancy.
As night falls, she sprouts bat-like wings and severes her upper torso from her body so she can fly towards her victim’s house.
While quietly perched on the roof, directly on top of her prey, she uncoils her long, spindly tongue that pierces through the pregnant’s woman’s abdomen and into the heart of the child inside her.
She then proceeds to drain the child of its blood. This way, she is able to remain young and virile.
It is a story passed down through the years as a cautionary tale against vanity and the futile and foolish search for eternal youth.
Corazon Marikit is the latest in Mattel’s Monster High series of dolls introduced in 2010 and targeted at girls seven to 14 years old.
She is not the first to come out of Asia. Before her, there was Jinafire Long, a fire dragon character introduced in 2012 with a Chinese aesthetic; and Japan’s Kiyomi Haunterly, daughter of the noppera-bo or the faceless ghost, in 2014.
Still, Corazon Marikit’s release is generating excitement among Filipinos and Monster High fans in general.
“I really like her. She’s a beautiful mixture of fright and glamour,” says gavinakagriffin1.0 on Mattel’s Instagram account.
Another fan who identifies as a Filipino said: “I’m crying. I’ve never seen representation like this before… A Filipino Monster High doll. I hope many Filipino kids feel represented and loved by this.”
Join ST’s Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
