The Philippines is a country that is rich with different myths, beliefs, customs, and folktales. All of these vary from one indigenous tribe to the next. Each tribe has its Gods, Goddesses, and other mythological beings. They have their version of how the universe was created and how living and non-living things are the way they are. These beliefs eventually became the central foundation of the ancient Filipino communities. Their laws depended on what God or Goddess they worship. For every important event in their lives, there was a specific ritual or ceremony to perform. They also believed in omen spirits in the shape of animals to guide their everyday decisions because these animals were considered as divine messengers of Gods.
As I immerse myself in reading myths from different regions in the country, I realized that most of the stories are extraordinarily similar. The names and sometimes gender of Gods and Goddesses are different as well as the setting and other small details, but the actual gist of each story is almost the same. I find this observation interesting and it made me want to delve deeper.
The one thing that I find constant in all of the versions is this: when the world was young, Filipinos believed in one supreme God. They believed that this powerful being created the sky, water, earth, and every living and non-living thing in this world. He is Lumawig in the Cordilleras, Kabunian in the Mountain Province, Gugurang in Bikol, Mangetchay in Pampanga, Bathala in Tagalog, and other names from different parts of the ancient Philippines.
To enumerate all of the Gods and Goddesses in Philippine Mythology in one write-up is going to be excruciating. Not only for me but for the one who will read it. I don’t want to make this look like a textbook so I decided to talk about them one by one in the future, in more detail with interesting stories I’ve read about them. For now, I want to share the summarized version I made of the Tagalog Deities and their relationships with one another.
At the beginning of time, the world was divided into three; the sky, the earth, and the sea. In one part of the sky, in a dimension that cannot be seen by mortals no matter how hard they try, Kaluwalhatian is located. It is the dwelling place of Bathala, the most powerful God that created all that there is in the island country that was then called Hinirang; from the sun, moon, and the stars; to the living things walking on earth and swimming under the deepest sea.
Bathala was not alone in taking care of his creations. Gods and Goddesses are assisting this supreme God. Most of these deities also live in Kaluwalhatian, such as Idianale, the Goddess of Labor and Good Deeds, as well as Dumangan, the God of Good Harvest.
Idianale married Dumangan and they had two children, Dumakulem, a strong and agile hunter that is said to be the protector of the mountains; and Anitun Tabu, the goddess of wind and rain.
Meanwhile, the sea was the kingdom of Dumagat, a first-generation God and brother of Bathala. He is an ill-tempered God.
The most charming and beautiful Goddess in Kaluwalhatian Is Mayari, Goddess of the Moon. She has two siblings; Hanan, Goddess of Morning, and Tala, Goddess of Stars. They are daughters of Bathala from a mortal woman.
It was said that Ikapati, the Goddess of Fertility was the kindest and the most understanding deity. She is the giver of food and prosperity. She is married to Mapulon, God of Seasons. They had a daughter, Anagolay the Goddess of Lost things.
Anagolay married Dumakulem, son of Idianale and Dumangan. They had two children. The oldest is Apolaki, God of the Sun and the patron of warriors. The youngest is Dian Masalanta, the Goddess of Love, Conception, and Childbirth. She was also the protector of lovers. Dian Masalanta is the youngest of all Tagalog deities.
There are more fascinating stories about the Goddess of Love. The most interesting was the story about how she descended from Kaluwalhatian to live in the mortal realm and how ancient people had mistaken her for a Diwata. In fact, according to an article I’ve read, during the Spanish era, natives stopped calling her Dian Masalanta. She is now referred to as Maria Makiling.