PHILIPPINE MYTHOLOGY: THE UNEARTHED GODS AND GODDESSES OF THE PHILIPPINES

Welcome to 2019!

For our first blog of the year, I'm talking about the Filipino gods and goddesses.

The Philippines is a country made up of islands which are divided into 17 regions creating a total of 80 provinces.  It's population is approximately 80% Roman Catholic, and this combined with pre-colonial animist beliefs makes the Philippines a rich and interesting source of mythical creatures to research.

However, in most cases majority of the Filipino populace has greater knowledge and are more familiar with Zeus, Athena, Aphrodite, Eros and other legendary gods of Greek mythology, it seems that we are all clueless about their Filipino counterparts. And that's the reason why I have decided to write this article.

Now, before we go straight to the most exciting part, it’s important that we first go back to what Philippine Mythology is to our ancestors.

Philippine Mythology gave a sense of direction to our ancestors and it helped them explain the origin of mankind and the existence of disease. For them, it was not just a belief towards an invisible supreme being. Philippine mythology defined who they were and what they're supposed to do.

Now, let us begin to unearth the Filipino counterparts of the Greek gods and goddesses also known as the 12 great olympians of the Greek mythology.

1. BAKUNAWA - In Philippine Mythology, Bakunawa was once a beautiful sea goddess who longed for the seven moon deities, who rejected her love. Angered, Bakunawa turned into a monstrous sea serpent who would devour the moons. Haliya the masked goddess, Mayari the one-eyed goddess of beauty and war, and Bulan the lover of the death god Sidapa were the three surviving moons, after Bakunawa devoured the rest of their siblings.

2. ALUNSINA -  Alunsina also dubbed as, "She who is from the unknown sky", was a lazy goddess from the eastern skies; She had gone missing, fleeing from her husband, Tungkung Langit, after a fight. He begged endlessly for her to return, offering her jewels that would turn into stars.

3. MAGAYON AND PANGANORON - In Philippine folklore, Magayon and Panganoron were lovers who died in each other's arms during a war. Where they were buried together, a fiery mountain grew- It is said that the volcano was Magayon, who embraced the clouds at it's summit, Panganoron, whenever it was erupting.

Their tragic love story started when Datu Pagtuga kidnapped Magayon's father and demanded that Magayon marry him instead. Panganoron gathered his army where he would face Pagtuga - he was determined to save both Magayon and Makusog. The two men battled fiercely, and Panganoron was the triumphant one- he had slain Pagtuga the hunter chief, but as Magayon ran into his arms, an arrow fired by one of Pagtuga's men fatally struck Panganoron, collapsing into her arms, Panganoron was dead by the time Magayon realized what was happening- crazed with grief, Magayon held him close to her as she plunged his dagger deep into her heart before anyone could stop her.

4. LAKAPATI - Lakapati was the kind-hearted and genderless deity of fertility. Lakapati was thought to be the one responsible of teaching mankind the knowledge of agriculture. Lakapati was married to Mapulon, a doting husband, who is the god of medicine. Prominent among deities who received full-blown sacrifices were fertility gods. Lakapati, fittingly represented by a hermaphrodite image with both male and female parts, was worshiped in the fields at planting time.

5. ORYOL - Oryol was a beautiful naga with a hypnotic voice- it was she who commanded vicious mermaids called the Magindara. She was said to protect the land of Ibalong, where monsters and beasts lived peacefully, from foreign invaders. This goddess is from the Bicolano epic, Ibalong.

6. DAYANG MAKILING - In Philippine Folklore, Dayang Makiling (hispanized as Maria Makiling) was a breathtakingly beautiful spirit, with radiant brown skin and twinkling eyes. Some say she lives on an enchanted mountain named after her, while others say she is the mountain. Her name means "crooked".

note: this is from the tagalog pantheon but in modern folklore she is the most well known Philippine Diwata, which doesn't have an exact translation, although most just translate diwata as fairy or nymph.

 7. LAKAMBINI - Known as the “pure maiden” for his incomparable beauty, ironic that he is a male diwata. He was originally known as the god of “kapurihan”(purity) and is also the god of food, festivity and anti-gluttony. Worshipped mainly by men: they pray to Lakambini to let them find a beautiful maiden to wed. An obscure deity called “abogado dela garganta” (throat advocate) by the Spaniards and was turned into the god of gluttony.

8. AMANIKABLE - Originally, this god was worshipped as the god of Hunters. In more modern stories he has become associated as the ill-tempered god of the sea, replacing Aman Sinaya among of the first generation gods (aside from Bathala), he was never married after his love was spurned by a beautiful mortal maiden, Maganda. In frustration, he swore vengeance against the humans by sending turbulent waves and horrible tempests in order to wreck boats and to drown men.

9. IDIYANALE - The goddess of labor and good deeds. Natives used to call for her guidance in order to make their works successful. She married Dimangan and had two offspring.
Dimangan The god of good harvest. He was married to Idiyanale and had two offspring.

10. DIYAN MASALANTA - The goddess of love, conception and childbirth and the protector of lovers. She was the daughter of Anagolay and Dumakulem and youngest of all the deities.

11. DUMAKULEM - The strong, agile guardian of mountains and the son of Idiyanale and Dimangan. His sister was Anitun Tabu. He later married Anagolay.

12. TALA - The goddess of the stars; sister of Mayari and Hanan and one of the three daughters of Bathala by a mortal woman.

So there you have it, some interesting and strangely familiar Filipino gods and goddesses  to whet your appetite to delve deeper into the Philippine Mythology.

May this blog be helpful in feeding your knowledge with the things and informations that no one explored deeper into before.

Enjoy your Week and may God bless you.

By: Immaculate Rose Ybanez Cobong