Philippine Gods and Goddesses

Compiled by : Raymond G. Pepito
Sources : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deities_of_Philippine_mythology

Blog: http://clarkmonding.blogspot.com/2011/03/philippine-gods-and-goddesses.html

 The deities of Philippine mythology are the gods, goddesses and diwatas worshiped by ancient Filipinos before the Christianization of the natives after the Spanish conquest of the Philippines. While not as widely known as its European and Asian counterparts, they have similar elements and characteristics when compared to other mythologies.

Ancient Philippine mythology varies among the many indigenous tribes of the Philippines. Some tribes during the pre-Spanish era believed in a single supreme being alongside with the lesser divinities who created the world and everything in it while others chose to worship a multitude of trees as an act of anmism. Below are some of the gods and goddesses of the various ancient Philippine tribes:

Ancient Tagalog Deities

• Bathala : The supreme god of the Tagalogs; creator of man and earth and addressed sometimes as Bathalang Maykapal.

• Amanikable : The ill-tempered god of the sea

• Idiyanale : The goddess of labor and good deeds.

• Dimangan : The god of good harvest.

• Lakapati : The goddess of fertility and the most understanding and kind of all the deities.

• Mapulon : The god of season.

• Mayari : The goddess of moon.

• Tala : The goddess of the stars.

• Hanan : The goddess of morning.

• Dumakulem : The strong, agile guardian of mountain.

• Anitun Tabu : The fickle-minded goddess of wind and rain.

• Anagolay : The goddess of lost things

• Apolaki : The god of sun and was chiefly the patron of warriors.

• Diyan Masalanta : The goddess of love, conception and childbirth and the protector of lovers.

• Sitan : The guardian of Kasamaan and the keeper of all the souls.

• Manggagaway : She was the first agent of Sitan and primarily blamed as cause of diseases.

• Manisilat : The second agent of Sitan as she's tasked to destroy and break every happy and united family that she could find.

• Mangkukulam : The only male agent of Sitan as he's task to emit fire at night and when there is bad weather.

• Hukluban : The last agent of Sitan that also changes herself into any form she desired.

• Amansinaya : The God of fishermen.

• Galang Kaluluwa : The winged god present in some creation myths who loves to travel.

• Haik : The God of the sea.

• Lakambakod : The protector of the growing crops.

• Lakambini : He is referred as the god of gluttony, food and eating

• Lingga : a phallic God.

• Ulilang Kaluluwa : It is a serpent God present in some creation myths.

Ancient Bikolano Deities

• 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. Whenever people disobey his orders, wishes and commit numerous sins, he would cause Mount Mayon to burst lava as a sign of warning for people to mend their crooked ways. Ancient Bikolanos had a rite performed for him called Atang.

• Aswang : The evil god who always try to steal the sacred fire of Mount Mayon from his brother, Gugurang. Addressed sometimes as Asuang, he dwells mainly inside Mount Malinao. As an evil god, he would cause the people to suffer misfortunes and commit sins.

• Haliya : The masked goddess of the moon and the arch-enemy of Bakunawa. Her cult is composed primarily of women. There is also a ritual dance named after her as it is performed to be a counter-measure against 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

Olden Visayan Deities

• Kaptan : 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 worshiped by the natives. He had a son named Lihangin.

• Magwayen : The goddess of the sea who is believed to take the souls of the dead in Sulad (Ancient Visayan counterpart of Hell). She had a daughter named Lidagat.

• 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 after Magwayen. She later married Lihangin and had four children.

• Likabutan : The god of the world and the eldest children of Lihangin and Lidagat.

• Ladlaw : The god of the sun and the second children of Lihangin ang Lidagat.

• Libulan : The goddess of the moon and the third children of Lihangin and Lidagat.

• Lisuga : The deity in which Silalak and Sibabay came from. She was the youngest children of Lihangin and Lidagat.

• 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.

• Inaginid and Malanduk : God invoked for success in battle and plunder.

• Kan-Laon : The supreme god worshiped by the Ancient Visayans who lived in the Negros Islands that dwells in Mount kanlaon. As well as Kaptan, he is the Ancient Visayans counterpart of Bathala).

• 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.

• Magdang Diriinin : God of the lakes.

• Maklium sa Tiwan : God of the valleys and plains.

• Maklium sa Tubig : God of the sea.

• Munsad Buralakaw : God of politics and affairs of men.

• Nagined, Arapayan, and Makbarubak : God who could be appealed to when concocting poisonous oil.

• Pahulangkug : God of seasons.

• Pandaki : God who rescues the deserving for a more pleasant fate

• Sidapa : The god of death who is said to reside on top of Mount Madia-as in province of Antique.

• 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.

• Ynaguinid and Macanduc : Gods of war / battle.

 Ilokano Deities

• Buni - God
• Parsua - Creator
• Apo Langit - Lord Heaven (Apo means "Lord")
• Apo Angin - Lord Wind
• Apo Init - Lord Sun
• Apo Tudo - Lord Rain

The Ilokanos also believed in the following anito (spirits).

• Mangmankik - spirits who dwell in woodlands and trees
• Kaibaan - dwarfs who dwell in anthills
• Bagbagutot - spirits who swell in shrubs
• Namagayak - the soul of the rice (pagay)

Other mythological creatures are:

• Katataoan - giants
• Ansisit - dwarfs the size of a finger
• Kaibaan - dwarfs two to three feet tall
• Pugot - spirits of ancestral aborigines (Aetas) who guard treasures
• Kumao - half-bird half-animals
• Aswang - spirits that sell and kidnap children

The Ilokanos believed that man had three souls.

• Karma - ego: responsible for the normal feeling in the individual. It is thought of as vapor and assumes the form of insects after leaving the body.
• Alingaas - shadow
• Kararwa - soul, which existed even after death

 Kapampangan Deities

• Mangechay or Mangacha - The great elder, is said the creator of the Heavens, it is said that she is the 'net weaver' with the sky as her weaved fabric and at night the stars that shine are the fabric holes.

• Aring Sinukûan – The Kapampangan sun god of war and death, taught the early inhabitants the industry of metallurgy, wood cutting, rice culture and even waging war.

• Apûng Malyari – The moon god who lives in Mt. Pinatubo and ruler of the eight rivers.

• Tálâ – The bright star, the one who introduced wet-rice culture.

• Munag Sumalâ – One of the children of Aring Sinukuan who represent dawn. Also known as the golden serpent.

• Lakandanup – Son of Aring Sinukuan, the god of gluttony and represents the sun at noon time.

• Gatpanapun – Son of Aring Sinukuan, the noble who only knew pleasure, his name means 'afternoon' in Kapampangan language.

• Sisilim – The child of Apûng Malyari, she represent dusk and greeted by the songs of the cicada upon her arrival, her name means dusk or early evening in Kapampangan language.

• Galurâ - The winged assistant of Aring Sinukuan, he is represented by a giant eagle and believed to be the bringer of storms.

• Nága - Are serpent deities known for their protective nature. Their presence in structures are talismans against fire.

• Lakandanum - A variant of the Naga, known to rule the waters

Bukidnon Deities

• Magbabaya (The Ruler of All) - The supreme god who has minor gods and goddesses beneath him to do specific jobs and take care of certain things, he is also the god of the west.
• Domalondong – The god of the north.
• Ongli – The god of the south.
• Tagolambong – The god of the east.
• Ibabasok - He watches over the crops and their growth in a simple ceremony at the center of the rice field.
• Dagingon – They worship this deity in an elaborated celebration complete with songs and dances which will last for nine nights during planting and after harvest seasons.
• Bulalakaw - The spirit who watches the rivers and takes care of the fishermen's catch.
• Tumpaa Nanapiyaw or Intumbangol - Watches the base of the earth night and day lest it crumbles.