PHILIPPINE

Ancient Tagalog Deities

• The stories of ancient Philippine
mythology include deities, creation
stories, mythical creatures, and beliefs.
Ancient Philippine mythology varies
among the many indigenous tribes of the
Philippines.
• Some groups during the pre-Spanish
conquest era believed in a single
Supreme Being who created the world
and everything in it, while others chose
to worship a multitude of tree and forest
deities (diwatas).
Ancient Tagalog Deities
• Diwatas came from the Sanskrit word
devata which means “deity“, one of the
several significant Hindu influences in the
Pre-Hispanic religion of the ancient
Filipinos. Below are some of the gods and
goddesses among the Tagalogs of the
ancient Philippines:

• The Tagalog people are a major ethnic

group in the Philippines. They form a
majority in Manila, Marinduque and
southern Luzon, and a plurality in Central
Luzon and the islands of Mindoro, Palawan,
and Romblon.
Kaluwalhatian
• The Ancient Tagalog Skyworld
• Ancient Tagalog deities are divided
into generations based on common
beliefs about the offspring of the gods.
Bathala
• The supreme god of being;
creator of man and earth
and addressed sometimes
as Bathalang Maykapal. He
dwells in Kaluwalhatian
together with the lesser
gods and goddesses.
• Aside from the lesser gods
and goddesses, he sent his
anitos in order to assist the
daily lives of every human
• When most of the natives
were converted to
Christianity during the
Spanish Era, he was
referred to the Christian
God.
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.
Idiyanale & Dimangan
• Indiyanale is 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 is the god of good

harvest. He was married to
Idiyanale and had two offspring.
Ikapati
• The goddess of cultivated land.
• She was the most understanding
and kind among the deities of
Bathala.
• Her gift to man was agriculture.
As the benevolent giver of food
and prosperity, she was
respected and loved by the
people. From her came fertility of
fields and health of flocks and
herds.
• Ikapati was said to have married
Mapulon, god of seasons. They
had a daughter named Anagolay,
who became the goddess of lost
things.
Lakapati
• Often confused with Ikapati from
variant Tagalog pantheons,
Lakapati was a major fertility
deity.
• During sacrifices made in a new
field, the farmer would hold up a
child and say, “Lakapati, pakanin
mo yaring alipin mo; huwag mong
gutumin.”
• 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.
Mapulon
• The god of seasons and husband
of Ikapati.
Mayari
• The goddess of the moon and
one of the three daughters of
Bathala by a mortal woman.
• She was the most charming of all
the goddesses. She had two
sisters, Tala and Hanan.
Tala
• The goddess of the stars; sister of
Mayari and Hanan and one of the
three daughters of Bathala by a
mortal woman.
Hanan
• The goddess of morning; sister of
Mayari and Tala and one of the
three daughters of Bathala by a
mortal woman.
Dumakulem
• The strong, agile guardian of
mountains and the son of
Idiyanale and Dimangan.
• His sister was Anitun Tabu. He
later married Anagolay.
Anitun Tabu
• The fickle-minded goddess of
wind and rain.
• She was the daughter of
Idiyanale and Dimangan and the
sister of Dumakulem.
Anagolay
• The goddess of lost things and
the only offspring of Ikapati and
Mapulon. She was married to
Dumakulem.
Apolaki
• The god of sun and the chief
patron of warriors. He was the
son of Anagolay and Dumakulem.
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.
• In the modern mythology, she is
known as Maria Makiling.
Other variations in Philippine Mythology
(Tagalog dieties):
In some sources…
• … Bathala is the father of Apolaki, aside from Mayari and Tala
hence excluding Hanan.
• … Amanikable is referred as a sea deity of the Manobo tribe.
• … Idiyanale is identified as the goddess of agriculture.
• In some sources, aside from being a goddess of agriculture,
Idiyanale is also identified as the goddess of animal husbandry.
• … Lakapati is identified as a hermaphrodite and confused with the
female deity Ikapati.
• … Mayari is identified as an one-eyed goddess.

In some creation myth…

• …Mayari is the sister of Apolaki.
• … Tala is the sister of Mayari and Apolaki and the daughter of
Bathala.
• … Apolaki is the brother of Mayari and the son of Bathala.
Aman Sinaya
• She is the primordial goddess of
the ocean and protector of
fishermen.
Galang Kaluluwa
• The winged god present in some
creation myths who loves to
travel.
• He is identified as a close friend
of Bathala.
Haik
• god of the sea.
Lakambakod
• The protector of the growing
crops.
Lakambini
• is know 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. worshiped 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.
Ulilang Kaluluwa
• It is a serpent god present in
some creation myths that was
killed by Bathala after an ensuing
rival.
Harmful Tagalog Dieties
• In Outline of Philippine Mythology, F. Landa
Jocano wrote, “The ancient Tagalogs also
believed in the final judgment of men—that is, the
punishing of the evil and the rewarding of the
good. The souls of good men were said to be
taken to a village of rest called Maca, which
resembled the Christian Paradise, where they
enjoyed eternal peace and happiness. However,
those who deserved punishment were brought to
Kasanaan, the village of grief and affliction where
they were tortured forever. These souls were kept
there by the chief deity named Sitan.”
Sitan
• Deity Of Kasanaan (The Lower
World)
• Modern presentations on Tagalog
beliefs present that Sitan was
assisted by many mortal agents.
Mangagauay
• The most wicked among the agents.
• She was the one responsible for the occurrence of disease.
She was said to possess a necklace of skulls, and her girdle
was made up of several severed human hands and feet.
Sometimes, she would change herself into a human being and
roam about the countryside as a healer. She could induce
maladies with her charms.
• If she wished to kill someone, she did so by her magic wand.
She could also prolong death, even for a number of months,
by simply binding to the waist of her patient a live serpent
which was believed to be her real self or at least her
substance.
Mansisilat
• She was sometimes known as the goddess of broken homes.
She was said to be restless and mad whenever there was a
happy home within sight. And when she was determined to
destroy every such happy home, she would disguise as a
woman healer or an old beggar, enter the dwelling of her
unsuspecting victims, and then proceed with her diabolical
aims. With the aid of her charms and magic powers, she would
turn the husband and wife against each other.
• She was most happy when the couple quarreled and she
would dance in glee when one of them would leave the
conjugal home.
Mangkukulam
• His duty was to emit fire at night, especially when the night
was dark and the weather was not good. Like his fellow
agents, he often assumed human form and went around the
villages pretending to be a priest-doctor. Then he would wallow
in the filth beneath the house of his victim and emit fire. If the
fire was extinguished immediately, the victim would die.
Hukloban
• She had the power to change herself into any form she
desired. In fact, some people said that she had greater power
than Mangagauay. She could kill anyone by simply raising her
hand. However, if she wanted to heal those whom she had
made ill by her charms, she could do so without any difficulty. It
was also said of her that she could destroy a house by merely
saying that she would do so.
Agents of Sitan
Ancient Visayan Deities
• The Visayans are a Philippine ethnic
group native to the Visayan islands, to
the southernmost islands of Luzon and
to the northern and eastern parts of
Mindanao. They are speakers of one or
more Visayan languages, the most
widely spoken being Cebuano, distantly
followed by Hiligaynon and Waray-
Waray.
Kaptan/Makaptan
• The supreme god who
dwells in the sky.
• He is the Ancient Visayan
counterpart of Bathala.
• Of all the supreme deities
in the Visayas, he is the
most worshipped by the
natives. He had a son
named Lihangin.
• The god of hunger and
poverty. He is the supreme
god who dwells in the sky
and the one who killed the
first man (Sikalak) with a
thunderbolt and visited
disease and death on his
descendants.
Magwayen
• The goddess of the sea and
death.
• She had a daughter named
Lidagat who died and after
that, she ferried the souls of
the dead to the underworld,
Sulad.
Lihangin
• The god of the wind and the
son of Kaptan.
• He later married Lidagat
and had four children.
Lidagat
• The goddess of the sea,
daughter of Maguayan.
• She later married
Lihangin and had four
children.
Likabutan
• The god of the world and
the eldest child of
Lihangin and Lidagat.
Liadlaw
• The god of the sun and
the second child of
Lihangin ang Lidagat.
Libulan
• The moon deity in
Visayan mythology.
• Third child of Lihangin
and Lidagat.
Lisuga
• The goddess of the
stars. She was the
youngest child of
Lihangin and Lidagat.
• The deity in which
Silalak and Sibabay
came from.
Adlaw
• God of the Sun
Alunsina
• She was the virgin
goddess of the eastern
skies.
Bangun Bangun
• God of time and cosmic
movements.
Barangaw
• He is the god of the
rainbow.
• The symbol of hope.
Bulalakaw
• Bird god, causer of
illness.
Burigadang Pada Sinaklang Bulawan
• Goddess of greediness.
Dalikmata
• The many-eyed
goddess, cures eye
illnesses.
Ynaguiguinid
• Goddess of war and
poison
Malandok (Makanduk)
• God invoked for success
in battle and plunder.
Kan-Laon
• The supreme god
worshipped by the
Ancient Visayans who
lived in the Negros
Island that dwells in
Mount Kanlaon.
• As well as Kaptan, he is
the Ancient Visayans
counterpart of Bathala.
He is the god of time.
Kasaraysarayan sa Silgan
• God of rivers.
Lalahon
• She is the goddess of
fire, volcanoes and
harvest.
• In ancient times, Ancient
Visayans blamed her for
sending armies of
locusts to destroy their
harvests. In response,
natives will offer her gifts
in order to please her
and prevent her from
doing that.
Lubay-Lubyok Hanginun si Mahuyokhuyokan
• Goddess of the night
breeze.
Luyong Baybay
• Goddess of the tides.
Magayon
• Known as the goddess
of all flying creatures.
Magdang Diriinin
• God of the lakes.
Maklium sa Tiwan
• God of the valleys and
plains.
Maklium sa Tubig
• God of the sea.
Munsad Buralakaw
• Deity or diwata said to
have power over men.
Nagined, Arapayan, and
Makbarubak
• God who could be
appealed to when
concocting poisonous
oil.
Nagmalitong Yawa Sinagmaling
• Diwata the goddess of
lust, seduction and
demons, the sister of
Burigadang Pada
Sinaklang Bulawan, the
twin sister of Sarawali
and the wife of
Saragnayan.
Pahulangkug
• God of seasons.
Paiburong
• God of the middle world.
Pandaki
• God who rescues the
deserving for a more
pleasant fate.
Panlinugun
• Ruler of the underworld,
god of earthquakes.
Ribung Linti
• God of lightning and
thunder.
Santonilyo
• God of graces.
Saraganka Bagyo
• God of storms.
Saragnayan
• God of darkness.
Sidapa
• The god of death who is
said to reside on top Mt.
Madja-as.
Siginarugan
• He is identified as the
god of the underworld.
Suimuran and Suiguinarugan
• Gods of hell, the final
destination for all
deceased souls.
Suklang Malayon
• Goddess of homeliness,
sister of Alunsina.
Sumalongson
• God of the rivers and the
sea.
Sumpoy
• God of the afterlife.
Tungkung Langit
• Upper world and
supreme god,
counterpart of Bathala.
Ancient Bicolano Deities
• In ancient Bicol, belief in mythical spirits ,
creatures, and deities were intricately
combined into creation myths, epics, and
folktales. Here are some of the more
prominent characters.
Gugurang
• The Bicolano Supreme
deity who defeated
Cagurangan and declared
Asuang to be his inferior.
He commanded light and
fire.
• Depicted as tall, muscular
with silver hair, He once
resided in Kamurayan or
heavens but left to reside
in Mt. Mayon, in his place
he put Bulan in the
heavens with the wind
people.
Gugurang
• He is the symbol of the good (an mga marhay) ready to
punish the bad (an mga maraot). When the people saw
fire (calayo) flowing out of the crater of Mayon, they
would grow afraid.
• They would then offer a sacrifice (atang) to him to
appease his wrath. The Baliana, priestess, officiated in
the ceremony. Always when they committed wrong,
there would be loud moaning of the earth followed by
an eruption of fire and lava.
Asuang
• He was Gugurang’s equal
until Gugurang proved he
is superior to all.
• He tried to steal
Gugurangs scared fire but
failed. He was also from
the heavens but
descended to Mt. Malinao.
Batala
• He is a lesser god, kind
and helpful.
• Batala commands the
“anito” or all ancestral
spirits of men. He is
invoked in times of need
and trouble. He comes in a
form of a bird and is
believed to be a middle
aged man with a robust
physic.
Languiton
• The primal Bicolano god
representing the sky.
• Sovereign of all the flying
creatures in the skies.
Tubigan
• The god of water and the
celestial ocean, ruled over
all the swimming beast.
Dagat
• The divine embodiment of the seas and ocean and
daughter of Tubigan who took Paros the winds to be
her husband and equal, they ruled over the skies and
the seas.
• Love is one thing stronger than the gods for it killed her
and Paros, other belief that they have found
contentment and had simply slept, the sky and the sea.
When she died/slept from the waters the god
Magindang was born.
Paros
• The divine embodiment of the winds , ever changing,
arrogant and polygamous until he was bested by
Dagat, he fell in love with her and changed his old
ways, they ruled over all the skies and seas.
• He and Dagat had four powerful children (Daga, Adlao,
Bulan and Bituoon).
• When he died his energy gave birth to the Taong Lipod
or the wind people and the trinity of the most powerful
gods of Bicol (Cagurangan, Gugurang, Asuang), and
to lesser gods such as Onos and Batala.
Daga
• Enormous as he is
strong, his body is made
of rocks. Arrogant that
he had inherited most of
his father’s powers of
the wind in addition to
his strength.
• Daga persuaded his
bothers to attack
Languiton to steal his
power but failed. He
was struck down and
his body became the
earth
Adlao
• Noticeably happy and
optimistic, The golden
man, He was reluctant
of his brothers plans but
loved Daga too much to
go against him. He
became the sun
Bulan
• Fairest son of Dagat
and Paros, He is comely
and docile. Bulan
obeyed his brothers will
without question.
• He became the beautiful
moon, he was restored
back to life by the
powerful Gugurang and
placed him in the
“Kamurayan” or
Heaven.
Bituoon
• Lovely and bright and
the only daughter of
Paros and Dagat.
• She was of silver, She
was accidentally killed
by Languiton thus
became the stars.
Cagurangan
• Former supreme to
Gugurang and Asuang,
until Gugurang proved
to be far more powerful
and superior.
• Cagurangan had control
over the winds and all
the flying beast.
Magindang
• The powerful god of the
sea and ruler of all its
creatures. Venerated by
fishermen and sea
voyagers.
• He gives bountiful catch
and safe passage to all
who call to him.
Bakunawa
• Believed to be the
cause of eclipse,
Bakunawa is the deity of
the deep and the
underworld.
Onos
• God of storms, deluge and
flood waters. He is muscular
and tall with white tattoos all
over his body. He sends
storms to villages and
farmlands when people
forget their “atang” (offerings
or prayers).
• He is the guardian of the
Takay a lesser god. Takay
fell in love with Kanaway, he
was separating the two. He
shot Kanaway with his
lightning but Kanaway only
turned to stone, he god
angry and attacked Mt. Asog
with numerous lighting bolts
thus making it sink and turn
into now Lake Buhi.
Oryol
• A demi-goddess in Bicolano
myths, she is mentioned in
the Ibalong Epic. Believed to
be the daughter of the deity
Asuang.
• Oryol possesses inhuman
beauty and prowess when it
comes to seduction. Aside
from being beautiful in
stories, it is told that she has
a beautiful voice that could
lure anyone (both men and
women, even animals) Half
of her body is a serpent.
• It is believed that the Naga
and the Magindara obey her
every command for she is a
demigoddess.
Haliya
• Modern literature says that
Haliya is the Bicolano
goddess of the moon and is
considered the arch-enemy
of the moon eating serpent,
Bakunawa.
• She is in constant battle with
the giant beast as it pursues
its insatiable hunger for the
moon. Amazed by its beauty,
Bakunawa rises from the
ocean and tries to swallow it.
• During a lunar eclipse,
some ancient Filipinos
believed Bakunawa had
temporarily succeeded in
swallowing the moon. The
Haliya ritual was performed
to dissuade him.
Aduduno
• In Bicolano folklore, an
Aswang that could smell if a
person is terminally ill. It
prowls outside or under the
house of the victim and uses
its very long, snake-like
tongue to lick the sick person
until the victim dies.
• Sometimes it waits outside
the house of a dying person.
Once that person dies and
has been buried, it digs up
and eats the corpse.
Angongolood
• Through more in-depth
translations of the Ibalong
Epic of Bicol, this is the being
that is thought to be
described in stanza 31 when
translated to Bicolano.
• Bicolano folklore says the
angongolood looks like a
gorilla and inhabits swamps
and riverbanks. It can turn
people into trees by
pouncing on them as they
pass. It is reported that some
people passing in boats will
strikes the sides to create
enough noise to frighten off
the angongolood.
Aswang
• Shape-shifting demon,
human-like by day but
transform into different
monstrous form at night. By
day, they look like a beautiful,
silent maidens dwelling in a
simple nipa hut, but by night
they become a terrible fiend
that feeds to human flesh
and blood.
Buring Catanda
• It is similar to Agta and
Kapre, who were dark-
complexioned, hairy-skinned
giant, and looks like either an
old man or woman with a
very long hair.
• The behavior of this creature
depends on how people treat
them. If you do unpleasing
things to them, they can be
vengeful while if you do good
to them, they can give you a
reward. They are also
depicted like engkantos with
a distinct black skin.
Daruanak
• In Bicolano folklore, a
gigantic turtle-like but hairy
sea monster. Once it lived on
land but because of its
gradual growth it took to the
sea in order to move freely.
Ibingan
• A huge and venomous,
many-horned red serpent
with a prominent crest on its
head and dorsal fin on its
back.
• In Bicolano folklore, it is said
to guard a cave occupied by
water spirits and sea maids.
It stations itself at the mouth
of the said cave and crushes
intruders with its powerful
tail.
Katambay
• A guardian spirit who
protects humans, he is tall
and muscular with long dark
hair and wears a red
“pudong” with gold
ornaments. he acts like a
guardian angel in times of
need.
Laki
• A bipedal creature in
Bicolano folklore that has a
knack for scaring night
travelers with its shrill,
piercing voice but generally
harmless.
• It has hooves for feet, goat-
like legs, and a hairy body.
Its face is that of a man but
ugly.
Magindara
• Bikolano myths paint the
Magindara in extremes; they are
either said to be guardian deities
of Bikolano fishermen, or
“aswang ng dagat” who will eat
adult humans but do not harm
children (a sharp difference from
Tagalog sirena myths that show
children as their preferred
sacrifices).
• They are briefly mentioned in the
Ibalon. Beautiful but vicious
creatures of the sea, they have
colorful and sharp scales, and
enchanting voices that can lure
fishermen to their deaths, or draw
them to their rescue. Some
believe that the Magindara can
summon aswang at will.
Mambabarang
• You will know if you are
Nabarang (cursed by
Mambabarang) if you will see a
white centipede in your house.
Albularyos are called to reverse
their curse.
• Mambabarang (summoner) is a
witch who uses insects and
spirits, and any material to enter
the body of anyone they hate and
come out disgustingly.
• A Mambabarang is a kind of a
mangkukulam. Mambabarangs
are ordinary human beings with
black magic who torture and later
kill their victims by infesting their
bodies with insects.
Manangilaw/Manang Hilaw
• Hairy humanoid giants in the
mountains and caves of Bicol.
Generally described as having
big feet, bodies covered in black
hair, deep voices, and vicious-
looking faces, these shy and
harmless beasts use vines,
which some wrap around their
waist like belts, to catch fish and
shrimp in the river or hunt small
animals.
• In the 1980’s two Manangilaw, a
mother and a child, were
allegedly captured by soldiers
patrolling in Mount Isarog. The
two beasts were chained to train
wagons for 15 days and were fed
with live chicken and cow’s
blood. Nobody knows what
became of the said creatures.
Nagined, Arapayan, and Makbarubak
• The powerful trinity of
demons in the old Ibalong
beliefs, said to be three
powerfully built handsome
men with tattoos covering
their faces and whole body.
• It is said that when they talk
they all speak in the same
time, and that their true form
is a three headed demon.
• They are demons invoked
when one wants to do harm.
Even Asuang asks for their
help when he wants to cause
chaos.
Pongo
• Another ape-like
creature from Bicolano
folklore. This one
resembles an Orangutan
but twice bigger than a
male gorilla and a lot
faster than a regular
Orangutan.
Popo
• Tall and slender with a
tail, a scary creature that
snorts like a pig and is
said his eyes could
cause pain and even kill.
He drains human and
animals of their energy.
He is one of Aswangs
creatures.
Sarimao
• The Sarimao were
avenging monsters in
the Ibalong Epic that
were brutally fierce, ugly,
and ruinous. They went
after evildoers, usually to
those with hidden guilt,
who could not be
brought to justice.
• Handyong exiled the
Sarimao to Mount
Kulasi. Their human
equivalents are believed
to be those who take the
law into their own hands,
who have suffered
injustice.
Tambaluslos
• A tall humanoid creature from
Bicol. Generally black in
complexion, it has long and thin
legs with big joints, hooves, long
thin arms and fingers, and a
mane that runs from the back of
the head down to its buttocks. It
also has wide protruding lips like
an ape.
• The Tambaluslos chases people
who wander in the woods. The
only way to escape it is to take
off your clothes and wear them
upside-down. The creature finds
this act very hilarious and it will
laugh so much that its wide lips
would cover its face, therefore
preventing it from seeing the
victim who in turn will have ample
time to escape.
Tawong Lipod
• A race of mythological
creatures in Philippine
mythology, most
prevalent in Bicol area.
• They are also called “the
wind people” for they
were born from the
energy of Paros when he
died.
Tiburones/Triburon
• A shark, with razor sharp
teeth, that can fly and
circle its prey from the
air. ‘Tiburon’ is Spanish
for ‘shark’, most English
translations of the Ibalon
use this name for the
creature (Triburon).
• In Bikol, these creatures
are known as Pating na
Pakpakan. In the Ibalon
epic, they were tamed by
the warrior-hero
Handyong.
Ungmanan
• The unseen dweller of
nature is found near
strange rock formations,
water, and misshapen
trees.
• If you disrespect nature,
you disrespect the
Ungmanan which will
cause you sickness. The
sickness will not be fatal,
but you will need to visit
an albularyo (healer)
who will perform the
ritual of “santigwar” to
heal you.
Yasaw
• Another creature of the
night and minion of
aswang, Yasaw are like
children but are dark
skinned and has claws.
• They are playful and like
to frighten humans but
they only scare, they do
not harm to humans.
Remember:
• Philippine Mythology has a broad
spectrum that is varies stories based on
their region of origin. It is also diverse
that even they seem to be talking about
the same persona, they may or may not
have the same personality and type of
entity or just have a change of name.
References
• https://www.aswangproject.com/ancient-tagalog-deities-in-p
hilippine-mythology/
• https://www.aswangproject.com/sitan/
• https://www.aswangproject.com/ancient-visayan-deities-in-p
hilippine-mythology/
• https://www.aswangproject.com/ancient-bikolano-deities-in-
philippine-mythology/
• http://vizayanmyths.blogspot.com/
• https://pinoy-culture.tumblr.com/post/50697785397/squeego
ol-makaptan-the-god-of-hunger-and
• https://www.aswangproject.com/corpse-thieves-of-the-philip
pines/
• https://www.aswangproject.com/aswang-phenomenon-docu
mentary/