Handout No.

2 21ST Century from the Philippines and the World

Philippine Mythology

Philippine mythology gave our ancestors a sense of direction and helped them explain everything.
For them, it was not just a belief in invisible higher beings. Philippine mythology defined who they were and
what theyre supposed to do.
Filipinos didnt stick to a single version of creation story nor did they give uniform names to their deities.
Is a collection of stories and superstitions about magical beings a.k.a. deities whom our ancestors believed
controlled everything.
Myths are believed to have taken place in the remote past, meaning a period when the world as we know it
today wasnt fully formed yet.

Good Tagalog Deities in Ancient Philippine Mythology

the residents of Kaluwalhatian (the Ancient Tagalog Skyworld)

Bathala - The supreme god of being; creator of man and earth and addressed sometimes as Bathalang
Maykapal. dwells in Kaluwalhatian
Amanikable - God of hunters
Idiyanale - The goddess of labor and good deeds.
Lakapati - The goddess of fertility and the most understanding and kind of all the deities. Also known
as Ikapati
Mapulon - The god of seasons
Mayari - The goddess of the moon, war, and revolution
Tala - The goddess of the stars
Hanan - The goddess of morning
Dumakulem - The strong, agile guardian of mountains
Anitun Tabu - The fickle-minded goddess of wind and rain
Anagolay - The goddess of lost things and the only offspring of Lakapati and Mapulon.
Apolaki - The god of sun and the chief patron of warriors.
Diyan Masalanta - The goddess of love, conception and childbirth and the protector of lovers.
Dumakulem - The strong, agile guardian of mountains

Harmful Tagalog Deities in Ancient Philippine Mythology

residents of Kasamaan (Ancient Tagalog Underworld)

Sitan - The guardian of Kasamaan and the keeper of all souls therein, the counterpart of Satan. He had
four agents whose task was to lead man to sin and destruction.
Manggagaway - She was the first agent of Sitan and was primarily blamed as the cause of diseases.
 Manisilat - The second agent of Sitan, she was tasked to destroy and break every happy and united
family that she could find.
Mangkukulam - The only male agent of Sitan, he was to emit fire at night and when there was bad
weather.
Hukluban - The last agent of Sitan. Could change herself into any form she desired. She could kill
someone by simply raising her hand and could heal without any difficulty as she wished.

Other Tagalog Deities in Ancient Philippine Mythology

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 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.

Ancient Visayan Deities in Philippine Mythology

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.
Bulalakaw Bird god, causer of illness.
Burigadang Pada Sinaklang Bulawan Goddess of greediness.
Dalikamata The many-eyed goddess, cures eye illnesses.
Nagmalitong Yawa Sinagmaling Diwata the goddess of lust,
Ribung Linti God of lightning and thunder, seduction and demons

Ancient Bikolano Deities in Philippine Mythology

Gugurang The supreme god who dwells inside of Mount Mayon where he guards and protects the
sacred fire in which Aswang, his brother was trying to steal.
Asuang The harmful god who always try to steal the sacred fire of Mount Mayon from his brother,
Gugurang.
Haliya The masked goddess of the moon and the arch-enemy of Bakunawa.
Bakunawa A gigantic sea serpent deity who is often considered as the cause of eclipses. As the
devourer of the sun and the moon, this serpent became an adversary of Haliya.