Thread by @ViejasFilipinas

Imagine yourself living in ancient Philippines.

Philippine mythology is much more important than you think. It gave our ancestors a sense of direction and helped them explain everything–from the origin of mankind to the existence of diseases.

( A THREAD )

Bathala (creation god; [top]), a diwata (goddess/fairy, guardian; [bottom]) & the Sarimanok of Philippine mythology and folklore.

All photos Original illustration designed by Dubai-based Filipino graphic artist “Trix.” View her stunning portfolio at trixdraws.deviantart.com

This post will explore traditional Filipino religion that was practiced before Spaniard colonizers brought Catholicism. There are some places in the Philippines, especially among native tribes, where these religions are still practiced. While the Muslim religion and even

Mormonism are common in the Philippines, Catholicism is the dominant religion, practiced by around 80 million Filipinos. However, It’s interesting to think about what sort of religion would be practiced here if the Spaniards never colonized the Philippines.

Luzon Divinities
The Gods of Kaluwalhatian (the Heavens)

Bathala

The supreme being, the God of Gods, creator of the universe. There are different versions of how Bathala created mankind, but the one I enjoy most is that after creating the earth and all its vegetation,

He became lonely. He wanted to create humans, but didn’t know where to start. He saw a coconut husk, which had 3 holes (like 2 eyes and a mouth!), and decided that was the basis for humans. In the 16th century, the Spaniard colonizers convinced the native Filipinos to associate

Bathala with the Christian God. That is why a common saying in the Philippines today is “Bahala na”, which means “leave it up to God”.

Amanikable

He was originally considered the God of Hunters, but has also been associated with the sea. The sea is a violent, wrathful force of nature, sending destructive typhoons and tidal waves to wreak havoc on human settlements. It is said this is because Amanikable

was spurned by a human lover, and so He promised to make life miserable for humans living near His domain.

Idiyanale/Idianale

She is claimed to be the Goddess of Labor. If the natives wanted to complete a job successfully, they called upon Her blessing. It’s interesting to note that despite being the Goddess of Labor, She was not the Goddess of Agriculture.

Lakapati/Ikapati

The Goddess of Agriculture, Food, and Childbirth. It’s interesting to think about why She would claim both Agriculture and Childbirth. Perhaps because the ancient Filipinos understood the concept of “planting seeds” went both ways? In any case,

She was known for gifting agriculture to mankind, teaching the ancient Filipinos how to harvest their crops, and She was one of the most loved deities for this.

Mapulon

The spouse of Lakapati, He was the God of Seasons. It’s quite difficult to determine exactly which seasons He ruled over. The Philippines has 2 seasons, which are “dry season” and “rainy season”. There was also planting season and harvest season. So it’s unknown if

the ancient Filipinos had Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter. It’s worth noting that there were only three Horae, the ancient Greek Goddesses of the Seasons, because ancient Greece only recognized Spring, Summer, and Winter.

Mayari

The Moon Goddess, and daughter of Bathala. She was born from the union of Bathala and a mortal woman, which made Her the most beautiful Goddess. It’s interesting to think about whether the ancient Filipinos considered Her the most beautiful, because they found

the moon to be beautiful. I know I’ve spent many nights gazing up at a full moon, in awe of its splendor!

Tala

The Goddess of the Stars, sister of Mayari, and also a daughter of Bathala. Like Her sister Mayari, She too was born from a mortal mother. There is an interesting story concerning Tala, Mayari and the Sun God, which we’ll get to soon.

Hanan/Hana

The Goddess of Morning, the third and final daughter of Bathala born to a mortal woman. It’s interesting that She is the Goddess of Morning, but not a Sun God. I wonder why the ancient Filipinos made a distinction?

Apolaki

The Sun God. Ancient Filipinos believed that we have Day and Night because Arao was in a relationship with Mayari, the Moon Goddess. Mayari had many star-babies with Arao, but feared that He was too hot and would destroy them, so She hid them from Him. In His eternal

rage, Apolaki endlessly chases Mayari and their star-babies. Tala, the Goddess of the Stars, warns Mayari when Arao is getting too close, and Hanan hides the stars and moon in the hours of dawn.

Dumangan

Dumangan was the Tagalog sky-god of good harvest, the husband of Idianale, and father to Dumakulem and Anitun Tabu. In Zambales culture, Dumangan (or Dumagan) caused the rice to “yield better grains.” According to F. Landa Jocano, the early people of Zambales

also believed Dumagan had three brothers who were just as powerful as him.

Anitun Tabu

Among ancient Tagalogs, Anitun Tabu was known as the “fickle-minded goddess of the wind and rain.” She’s one of the two children of Dumangan and Idianale.
In Zambales, this goddess was known as Aniton Tauo, one of the lesser deities assisting their chief god,

Malayari. Legend has it that Aniton Tauo was once considered superior to other Zambales deities. She became so full of herself that Malayari reduced her rank as a punishment. The Zambales people used to offer her with the best kind of pinipig or pounded young rice grains

during harvest season. Sacrifices that made use of these ingredients are known as mamiarag in their local dialect.

Dumakulem

Dumakulem was the son of Idianale and Dumangan, and brother of wind goddess Anitun Tabu. The ancient Tagalogs revered him as the guardian of the mountains. He is often depicted as a strong and skillful hunter.

Anagolay

Pre-colonial Tagalogs who were hopelessly looking for their missing stuff prayed to Anagolay, the goddess of lost things. She was the daughter of two major Tagalog deities–Ikapati and Mapulon. When she reached the right age, she married the hunter Dumakulem and gave

birth to two more deities: Apolaki and Dian Masalanta, the ancient gods of sun and lovers, respectively.

Dian Masalanta

If the Greeks had Aphrodite, our Tagalog ancestors had Dian Masalanta. The patron goddess of lovers and childbirth, this deity was the brother of the sun god Apolaki to parents Anagolay and Dumakulem.

Lakanbakod at Lakambini

Lakanbakod was the “lord of fences,” a protector of crops powerful enough to keep animals out of farmlands. Hence, he was invoked and offered eels when fencing a plot of land. Lakambini was just as fascinating. Although the name is almost synonymous with

“muse” nowadays, it was not the case during the early times. Up until the 19th century, lacanbini had been the name given to an anito whom Fray San Buenaventura described as “diyus-diyosang sumasakop siya sa mga sakit sa lalamunan.”

In simple English, this minor deity was invoked by our ancestors to treat throat ailments.

ctto: Maria Angela C. Simbajon

Lakandanum

was known as the water god depicted as a serpent-like mermaid (naga). Before the Spaniards arrived, they would often throw livestock to the river as a peace offering for Lakandanum. Failure to do so resulted in long periods of drought.

ctto: Maria Angela Simbajon

Galang Kaluluwa and Ulilang Kaluluwa

In some Tagalog creation myths, Bathala was not the only deity who lived in the universe before humanity was born. He shared the space with two other powerful gods: the serpent Ulilang Kaluluwa (“orphaned spirit”) who lived in the clouds and

the wandering god aptly named Galang Kaluluwa. Ulilang Kaluluwa wanted the earth and the rest of the universe for himself. Therefore, when he learned of Bathala who was eyeing for the same stuff, he decided to fight. After days of non-stop battle, Bathala became the last man

standing. The lifeless body of Ulilang Kaluluwa was subsequently burned.

Haliya and the Bakunawa

Haliya is the moon goddess of Bicolano mythology who periodically comes down to earth to bathe in its waters.
Legend has it that the world used to be illuminated by seven moons. The gigantic sea serpent called bakunawa, a mythical creature found in the

early Bicolano and Hiligaynon culture, devoured all but one of these moons. In some myths, the remaining moon was saved after the gods came to the rescue and punished the sea monster. Another story suggests that Haliya was the name of the last moon standing, and she spared

herself from being eaten by making noises using drums and gongs–sounds that the bakunawa found repulsive. Pre-colonial Filipinos blamed the bakunawa for causing the eclipse. Its name, which literally means “bent serpent,” first appeared in a 1637 dictionary by Fr.

Alonso de Mentrida. Bakunawa was deeply embedded in our ancient culture that by the time Fr. Ignacio Alcina penned his 1668 book Historias de las Islas e Indios de las Bisayas, the name of the sea serpent was already synonymous with the eclipse.

Sitan

Whoa, really? Sitan? That name sounds a bit familiar. In any case, He was the Ruler of Kasamaan, and keeper of souls in the Village of Grief. What’s difficult to determine is whether He existed before Catholicism was introduced to the Philippines. From what I can research,

Sitan was originally the God of the Afterlife, but became analogous with Satan / Hell after Catholicism found its way here. Perhaps Sitan had another name that didn’t sound so close to “Satan”,

but it’s very difficult to determine, since there are literally thousands of versions of these ancient myths.

Hukluban/Mangagaway

Just like Bathala, the vicious Sitan was also assisted by other lesser deities or mortal agents. First was Mangagaway, the wicked shapeshifter who wore a skull necklace and could kill or heal anyone with the use of her magic wand. She could also prolong

one’s death for weeks or even months by simply binding a snake containing her potion around the person’s waist.

Mansisilat

was literally the home-wrecker of Philippine mythology. As the goddess of broken homes, she accepted it as her personal mission to destroy relationships. She did this by disguising herself as an old beggar or healer who would enter the homes of unsuspecting couples.

Using her charms, Mansisilat could magically turn husbands and wives against each other, ending up in separation.

Mankukulam

The third and final agent of Sitan, he was some sort of fire elemental and evil witch doctor. He would go around creating fires in villages and then tie someone’s “life force” to it. When the fire was extinguished, that person would die. I can’t figure out where

this belief comes from, but it’s worth noting that kulam is a form of folk magic practiced in the Philippines. The Mankukulam, on the other hand, often wandered around villages pretending to be a priest-doctor. In the same book by Scott, a mankukulam was described as a “witch

who appears at night as if burning, setting fires that cannot be extinguished, or wallows in the filth under houses, whereupon some householder will sicken and die.”