Philippine Mythology’s

Legendary Deities
BATHALA
Also known as Abba, this highest-
ranking deity was described as “may
kapal sa lahat,” or the creator of
everything. His origin is unknown but
his name suggests Hindu influences.
According to William Henry
Scott, Bathala was derived from the
Sanskrit bhattara which means “noble
IDIANALE
• If Bathala was the boss, the other lesser deities
who lived with him in the sky were his assistants.
Each of these lower-ranking gods and goddesses
had specific responsibilities. One of them was
Idianale (Idiyanale or Idianali in other sources),
the goddess of labor and good deeds.
• There are varying accounts as to what specific
field Idianale was worshiped for. Historian
Gregorio Zaide said that Idianale was the god of
agriculture, while other sources suggest that she
was the patron of animal husbandry, a branch of
agriculture.
•Idianale married Dumangan, the god of
good harvest, and later gave birth to two
more Tagalog deities: Dumakulem and
Anitun Tabu.
DUMANGAN
•Dumangan was the Tagalog
sky-god of good harvest, the
husband of Idianale, and father
to Dumakulem and Anitun Tabu.
•In Zambales culture, Dumangan (or
Dumagan) caused the rice to “yield better
grains.” According to F. Landa Jocano, the
early people of Zambales also believed
Dumagan had three brothers who were just
as powerful as him.
ANITUN TABU
•Among ancient Tagalogs, Anitun
Tabu was known as the “fickle-
minded goddess of the wind and
rain.” She’s one of the two children
of Dumangan and Idianale.
DUMAKULEM
•Dumakulem was the son of Idianale
and Dumangan, and brother of
wind goddess Anitun Tabu. The
ancient Tagalogs revered him as
the guardian of the mountains. He
is often depicted as a strong and
skillful hunter.
•This Tagalog sky-god later tied the
knot with another major deity,
Anagolay, known as the goddess of
lost things. The marriage produced
two children: Apolaki, the sun god,
and Dian Masalanta, the goddess of
lovers.
In Zambales, this goddess was known
as Aniton Tauo, one of the lesser deities
assisting their chief god, Malayari. Legend
has it that Aniton Tauo was once considered
superior to other Zambales deities. She
became so full of herself that Malayari
reduced her rank as a punishment.
IKAPATI / LIKAPATI
•Probably one of the most intriguing
deities of Philippine mythology,
Ikapati (or Lakapati) was the
Tagalog goddess of fertility. F. Landa
Jocano described her as the
“goddess of the cultivated land”
and the “benevolent giver of food
and prosperity.”
•Some sources describe Lakapati as
androgynous, hermaphrodite, and even
a “transgender” god. In William Henry
Scott’s “Baranggay,” Lakapati is
described as a major fertility
deity represented by a “hermaphrodite
image with both male and female
parts.”
MAPULON
•In Tagalog mythology, Mapulon
was the god of seasons. F.
Landa Jocano, in the book
“Outline of Philippine
Mythology,” described Mapulon
as one of the lesser divinities
assisting Bathala.
•Not much is known about this
deity, aside from the fact that he
married Ikapati/Lakapati, the
fertility goddess, and sired
Anagolay, the goddess of lost
things.
ANAGOLAY
•Pre-colonial Tagalogs who were
hopelessly looking for their missing
stuff prayed to Anagolay, the
goddess of lost things. She was the
daughter of two major Tagalog
deities–Ikapati and Mapulon.
•When she reached the right
age, she married the hunter
Dumakulem and gave birth to
two more deities: Apolaki and
Dian Masalanta, the ancient
gods of sun and lovers,
respectively.
APOLAKI
•Arguably the Filipino
counterpart of the Roman god
Mars, Apolaki appeared in
several ancient myths. The
Tagalogs revered Apolaki as the
sun god as well as patron of the
warriors
DIAN MASALANTA
•If the Greeks had Aphrodite, our
Tagalog ancestors had Dian
Masalanta. The patron goddess of
lovers and childbirth, this deity was
the brother of the sun god Apolaki
to parents Anagolay and
Dumakulem.
AMANIKABLI
•The chief protector of the sea, on the other
hand, was Aman Sinaya (or Amanisaya in
other references), who “gave his devotees
a good catch.” In the same book by William
Henry Scott, Aman Sinaya was described as
the deity called upon by believers “when
first wetting a net or fishhook.” He was also
identified as the father of Sinaya who
invented the fishing gear.
MAYARI
•F. Landa Jocano’s Outline of
Philippine Mythology gave a
flattering description of the moon
goddess: She was the “most
beautiful divinity in the court of
Bathala.” In other Luzon myths,
however, the moon deity was
anything but a beautiful goddess.
HANA / HANAN
•The goddess of the morning.
TALA
•She is the goddess of
the star.
LAKAMBAKOD
•Lakanbakod was the “lord of
fences,” a protector of crops
powerful enough to keep animals
out of farmlands. Hence, he was
invoked and offered eels when
fencing a plot of land.
LAKANDANUM
•Among the ancient Kapampangans,
Lakandanum was known as the water
god depicted as a serpent-like mermaid
(naga). Before the Spaniards arrived,
they would often throw livestock to the
river as a peace offering for
Lakandanum. Failure to do so resulted in
long periods of drought.
HALIYA AND THE
BAKUNAWA
•Haliya is the moon goddess of Bicolano
mythology who periodically comes
down to earth to bathe in its waters.
•Legend has it that the world used to be
illuminated by seven moons. The
gigantic sea serpent called bakunawa, a
mythical creature found in the early
Bicolano and Hiligaynon culture,
devoured all but one of these moons.
SITAN
•The modern-day heaven and hell
also had ancient counterparts.
Jocano said that the early Tagalogs
believed good guys would go
to Maca, a place of “eternal peace
and happiness.” The evil sinners, on
the other hand, were thrown into
the “village of grief and affliction”
called Kasanaan/Kasamaan ruled by
MANKUKULAM
•The Mankukulam, on the other hand,
often wandered around villages
pretending to be a priest-doctor. In the
same book by Scott, a mankukulam was
described as a “witch who appears at
night as if burning, setting fires that
cannot be extinguished, or wallows in
the filth under houses, whereupon
some householder will sicken and die.”