AI illustration
Sarangay
Visayan tales describe the sarangay as half bull and half man, with gems on its ears. Its origin is unclear, and no source names a group or island. Spanish writers in the 1600s thought of the Greek minotaur. It guards its jewels.
Folklore is retold; versions differ.
Sources: Wikipedia: Sarangay (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikidata (CC0)
The story
The sarangay is a creature in Visayan tales. Writers compare it to the Greek minotaur, with the body of a bull or water buffalo and the shape of a man. Stories say it wears a gem on each ear. It guards its jewels, and anyone who tries to steal them will die. When angry, it breathes smoke from the nose.
Many of these details have weak sources. The English article marks several claims as needing a citation, and it names no old record. One report says Spanish settlers in the 1600s heard the tale and linked it to the minotaur. This may be only a modern guess. The sources name no group or island. The tale is likely told in more than one place.
Today the sarangay appears in games, such as EverWing, and in role-playing books. Since the sources are thin, treat any detail about its home as unconfirmed.