The power to have the traits and abilities of Philippine deities. Variation of Transcendent Physiology and Deity.
Also Called[]
- Anito and Diwata (Tagalog for Deity or Spirits)
- Diyos and Diyosa
- Filipino Pantheon
Capabilities[]
The user can have the traits and abilities of the deities of Philippine mythology.
The users of this power have supreme authority and command among the Earth's remnants as a whole. They live in a different world like it's just their ordinary alternate home like humans. By some other stories in the Pantheon, other Deities married and had a relationship with mortals. Some are given powers and some of their siblings too became gods and goddesses.
Ancient Philippine mythology varies among the many indigenous tribes of the Philippines. During the pre-Spanish era, some tribes believed in a single Supreme Being who created the world and everything in it, along with lesser deities. Others chose to worship a multitude of trees as an act of animism. Today the Philippines have three religions, Animism and Totemism in northern Luzon, Christianity in southern Luzon and in Visayas, and Islam in Mindanao.
Consistent of[]
- Agta Mythology
- Batak Mythology
- Bikolano Mythology
- Bilaan Mythology
- Bukidnon Mythology
- Gaddang Mythology
- Ifugao Mythology
- Igorot Mythology
- Ilokano Mythology
- Ilongot Mythology
- Isneg Mythology
- Kapampangan Mythology
- Mangyan Mythology
- Palawan Mythology
- Tagalog Mythology
- Talaandig Mythology
- Tboli Mythology
- Tinguian Mythology
- Tiruray Mythology
Deities[]
- Bathala
- Absolute Command (Command over the universe)
- Supreme Voice (In classical Tagalog, Bathala, being a title, not a name, has the markers of common nouns – ang/ng/sa – e.g. ngunit ang Bathala’y dapat nating sundin (but God we must obey))
- Absolute Manipulation, Absolute Wish, Meta Fate Manipulation, Meta Event Manipulation, Meta Event Manipulation, Phenomenon Manipulation, Ideal Manifestation and Omni-Manipulation (Diwatà (Dioata, Diuata) - Derived from Sanskrit deva and devata, which mean “deity”. Like Mulayari, Spanish lexicographers did not enter this name in early Tagalog dictionaries. In Richard E. Elkin's Manobo-English Dictionary (1968), diwatà specifically refers to the highest supreme being. In Bla'an mythology, Diwatà is one of the four primordial beings. According to some Bla'ans, Diwatà and Melu (the Creator) were brothers, and because Diwatà was older than Melu, Christian Bible translators chose Diwatà to refer to the Christian God. Among the Tagbanwa people, Diwatà is another name for the supreme deity Mangindusa. In the Kaharingan religion of Borneo, the supreme god Hatala (represented as a hornbill Tingang) gave his reflection on the primeval waters the name Jata (represented as a watersnake Tambon). In unity, they were known as Jatatala which was considered a male deity as a whole. However, Jata represented the Underworld, the Earth, and the feminine aspect of God, while Hatala represented the Upperworld, the Sun, and the masculine aspect of God. The name "Jata" is derived from the Sanskrit deva and devata [Wilken (1912, vol. III)]. "Jata" as a collective designation refers to a category of spirits inhabiting the Underworld. With the ancient Visayans, diwata was the equivalent of the Tagalog anito (ancestral spirit). According to Rev. Pablo Pastells, S.J., the interpretation of the word Bathala as 'Son of God' is confirmed by the Visayan word Diuata: "we always find here the same idea signified in the words Diwa and uata differing only in their transposition.... In closing, we may note that Dewa in Malay, Déwa in Javanese, Sunda, Makasar, and Day[ak?], Deva in Maguindanao, and Djebata in Bornean, signify 'the supreme God,’ or 'Divinity." In the Tagalog language, diwa means "spirit, thought, idea, central point, sense)
- Absolute Soul Manipulation and Absolute Spirituality (God and caretaker of the underworld realm for evil souls known as Kasamaan in Tagalog mythology. Maca, the realm of the good dead, is jointly ruled by Sitan and Bathala.)
- Absolute Power Derivation, Indeterminacy, Meta Ability Creation and Meta Power Manipulation (Mulayari (Boxer Codex: Mulayri [42r], Molaiari [59r], Molayare [62r]) – In the transcription and translation of the Boxer Codex (1590) by George Bryan Souza and Jeffrey Scott Turley (2015), the word May-ari ("Owner" or "Owner of Property") is used instead of the original spelling Mulayri. The footnote explains: "Q&G, 419, gloss this Tagalog term as "an indirect appellation of God"". According to the author Jean-Paul G. Potet (Ancient Beliefs and Customs of the Tagalogs, 2018) "Its compounds are mula "origin" and yari "power", therefore it means "Source of Power". )
- Absolute Transcendence (Bathala was all powerful and commanded obedience and reverence wherever he went. From his sky-like abode, Kawalhatian, Bathala can oversee humanity; The rainbow was regarded as a divine sign, and it was considered blasphemy to point one's finger at it. The Tagalogs today still use the expression harinawa, which means "God willing" or "may God wills it")
- Duality Transcendence (The supreme deity who can control everything including duality)
- Absolute Will and Almighty Law Creation (He is pleased to see his people follow his rules and intentions. He is pleased when people do good to him, and he lavishes his love on those who paid him homage by following his moral laws)
- Archetype: Divine Lord, Power Bestowal, Deification, Disease Manipulation, War Manipulation, Archetype: Ocean Deity and Angel Creation (Excerpt from Relacion de las Yslas Filipinas by Miguel de Loarca (1582): According to the religion formerly observed by these Moros, they worshiped a deity called among them Batala, which properly means "God." They said that they adored this Batala because he was the Lord of all, and had created human beings and villages. They said that this Batala had many agents under him, whom he sent to this world to produce, in behalf of men, what is yielded here. These beings were called anitos, and each anito had a special office. Some of them were for the fields, and some for those who journey by sea; some for those who went to war, and some for diseases)
- Animal Manipulation, Prophecy Manipulation, Water Manipulation (The early Tagalogs believed that Bathala revealed his will through omens by sending the bird tigmamanukin (tigmamanuquin) to which they also attributed the name Bathala. Plasencia (1589), Chirino (1604), and Colin (1663) described this bird as blue in color and as large as a thrush or turtledove. Emma Helen Blair and James Alexander Robertson identified this bird as the Philippine fairy-bluebird (Irena cyanogastra). Although the Boxer Codex described it as "reddish blue and black", Antonio de Morga spoke of the bird as "yellow colored", which was the color of beauty for the early Tagalogs and had religious significance to them. According to Morga, the bird tigmamanukin—as described by Chirino and Colin—could be either inexistent or extinct, since there is no known blue bird of the same size as a thrush; however, there is a similar yellow (though not completely so) bird called kuliawan (golden oriole). The name Bathala was also attributed to comets and other heavenly bodies which the Tagalog people believed predicted events. Other animals that were observed for omens include the balatiti or balantikis, uwak (crow/raven), kuwago (owl), bahaw (mountain owl), butiki (lizard), malimakan snail, and the tigmamanok (white-collared kingfisher, also known as salaksak among the Ilocanos). These birds, crocodiles and lizards were so sacred to the ancient Tagalogs that killing one was considered taboo. When a crocodile died, they anointed it with sesame oil, enshrouded it in a mat and buried it. This is also reported about the tuko (gecko), a venomous lizard. San Buenaventura questioned the Tagalogs for tolerating monitor lizards (bayawak), saurians fond of eggs and chicken and therefore dangerous to poultry: "Ano’t di ninyo siluin itong bayawak?" (How is it that you haven't noosed this monitor lizard?))
- Autopotence (Blatantly called omnipotent)
- Arcanepotence and Arcanescience ("In Anting-anting—the post-colonial esoteric belief system and traditional occult practices of the Tagalogs—Bathala, also known as the Infinito Dios or Nuno, is identified with the magical power (bertud or galing) that resides in amulets and talismans. It can be said that the Infinito Dios or Nuno (native Bathala of the Tagalogs) is the genius or galing of Filipinos who entered the stone or anting-anting, that even though they were not able to blossom and won because of poverty and lack of power — Nenita Pambid, "Anting-Anting: O Kung Bakit Nagtatago sa Loob ng Bato si Bathala")
- Birth Manipulation, Human Manipulation, Creation-Destruction Manipulation and Growth Manipulation (According to William Marsden (1784), the ancient Tagalogs believed that the first man and woman were produced from a bamboo pole which burst in the island of Sumatra, an they quarreled about their marriage. A paper by Catalina Villaruz, written in about 1920 and now in the H. Otley Beyer manuscript collection, reports that the Southern Luzon Tagalogs believed that the first man started his life inside a bamboo pole. He grew, the bamboo cracked, and out he came. The same story is told of the first woman, and once out of the cane they looked at each other, fell in love, and married. A Tagalog euphemism for a child born out of wedlock is "putok sa buho" ("one who burst out of a bamboo") – an evident carryover from the times when the myth was held as gospel of truth. According to Nick Joaquin [Alamanac for Manileño (1979)] "The man wooed the woman but the woman was shy, illusive, and stubbornly coy. Becoming impatient, God [i.e. Bathala] started violent earthquake, which flung the woman into the man’s arm. Only thus were they married and the earth populated".)
- Causality Manipulation (Bathala also mean "bahala na" in Filipino. This show God has complete and unrestricted control of all forms of causality)
- Complete Arsenal
- Creator Deity (His interpretation in the Boxer Codex states him to be the creator of all things)
- Omnificence, Preservation, Alpha Reality and Life Preservation (Bachtala napal nanca calgna salahat (Bathalà na kumapál at nangangalagà sa lahát – God the creator and preserver of all things))
- Primordial Force Manipulation (Creator of everything)
- Omnificence, Preservation, Alpha Reality and Life Preservation (Bachtala napal nanca calgna salahat (Bathalà na kumapál at nangangalagà sa lahát – God the creator and preserver of all things))
- Curse Inducement and True Jinx (Bighari The flower-loving daughter of Bathala who was the goddess of the rainbow and known for her tardiness (although her tardiness is not intentional). A story tells that she was cursed by her father to stay on earth forever because of her failure to attend a family council in Kaluwalhatian on time again. It is her arch of multicolored flowers that we see in the sky and call bahaghari (“Rainbow” in Tagalog). Due to her association with flowers, she is also known as a deity of flowers. Her emblems are the rainbow and a multi-colored flower.)
- Day Manipulation (Dia is also the name of the supreme god of the early Visayans according to Blumentritt, which some scholars believed was derived from Sanskrit Dyu "bright shining sky", one of the first names ever given to god, which developed into the Dewas and Diwatas of all the Malayan nations. Masalanta (devastating) comes from the root word salanta, which is listeded in the "Noceda and Sanlucar Vocabulario de la lengua Tagala (1754)" and the "San Buenaventura dictionary (1613)" as meaning "poor, needy, crippled, and blind". Generally, the words magsalanta and nasalanta, which mean "is destroyed/devastated", are used to refer to a calamity, such as a typhoon, flood, or earthquake)
- Deity Creation ("The ancient Indian [Indio i.e. the Tagalogs] name for God was Bathala, to whom they attributed the creation of the world. Remnants of the old idolatry remain among the people, and the names of some of the idols are preserved. A few phrases are still retained, especially in the remoter parts, as for example, "Magpabathala ca" (Let the will of Bathala be done), and the priest have been generally willing to recognize the name as not objectionable in substitution for Dios. The Tagal word adopted for Idolatry is Pagaanito, but to the worship of images they give the term Anito." — Sir John Bowring, A Visit to the Philippine Islands in 1858, 1859)
- Dream Manipulation, Oneiricpotence, Archetype: Guardian, Sign Creation, Archetype: Guardian Angel, Soul Manipulation, Heavenly Connection, Killing Resurrection, Birth Manipulation and Rainbow Aura (Although Bathala can only be reached through the agency of the anitos, he is not a distant deity too mighty to be bothered with the concerns of mortal men. The early Tagalogs believed that, on the birth of every child, the god Bathala appointed a lesser spirit, whom they also called Bathala, as guardian or Bathala Catotobo (Katutubo), identified by Father Noceda as a guardian angel. The god Bathala also guided people through omens and prophetic dreams. The souls of those who perished by the sword, were devoured by crocodiles, or killed by lightning immediately would ascend to Kaluwálhatian (glory) by means of the rainbow (balangaw))
- Earthquake Generation (San Buenaventura (1663:76) threatened his congregation with the manunungab na buwaya sa impierno (the devouring crocodile of hell). Some documented curses in old Tagalog include Kainin ka nang buaya! (May a crocodile eat you!) and Lamunin ka nang lindol! (May the earthquake swallow you up!). The low-frequency vibrations produced by male crocodiles just before bellowing, which could vibrate the ground and result in water appearing to "dance", is more likely where the ancient Tagalogs got the idea of the origin of earthquakes.)
- Eternal Existence and Absolute Immortality (It is clearly stated He has no beginning nor ending)
- Non-Created Physiology (Is utterly uncreated)
- Existential Manifestations via His local interpretations.
- Kanlaon/Makaptan: Visayan
- Pamulak Manobo; Mindanao
- Grand Design Construction and Absolute Change (The Tagalog and Malay word mula is derived from Sanskrit mula, meaning "root", while the Malay word jadi and its Tagalog equivalent yari are descended from the Sanskrit word jati (birth), and both words can mean "finished" or completed regarding something made or created (becoming/being). Another possible origin of the name Mulayari is the Malayalam word mulayari which means "bamboo seed". The name Mulayari was not entered by Spanish lexicographers in the old Tagalog dictionaries.)
- Meta Miracle Manipulation and Metapotence (As God the Son according to 16th and 18th century Christian sources)
- Origin Manipulation (Is the origin of everything)
- Harvest Inducement and Absolute Music Manipulation, Illness Absorption, Omni-Healing, Customization, Holy Fire Attacks, Sacred Energy Generation, Almighty Ascension, Almighty Mind, Almighty Absorbing Replication, Formlessness, Reality Dreaming, Mathematics Manipulation and permanent Logic Manipulation (Bathala is the subject of sacred songs such as Diona and Tulingdao, wherein performers invoke him to prevent flood, drought, and pests and to grant them plentiful harvest and a beautiful field. The people of Indang and Alfonso, Cavite conducted[when?] Sanghiyang rituals as an offering to Bathala for a bountiful harvest, healing, a recovery from illness, or deliverance from death. The ritual is believed to have started from Naic long before the arrival of the Spaniards and the friars led to the suppression of its observance. This ritual is always done in preparation for other rituals such as "Sayaw sa Apoy" (Fire Dancing), "Basang-Gilagid" (House Blessing), Ancestral Offering, or Mediumistic Healing. It is also performed before searching for a lost item, such as jewelry and other valuables. After it, the Magsasanghiyang dialogues with the Superpower through her Timbangan (pendulum). Some believed that the term Sanghiyang is coined from two Tagalog words: isa (one), and hiyang (compatible), together meaning "compatible whole" ("nagkakaisang kabuuan"). It is more likely, however, that said ritual is related to the sacred Balinese dance ceremony Sanghyang, which is also the title for a deified spirit and means "The Revered One" or "Holiness". Hyang, or personified as Sang Hyang, (Kawi, Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese) is an unseen spiritual entity that has supernatural power in ancient Nusantara mythology. This spirit can be either divine or ancestral. In modern Nusantara, this term tends to be associated with gods, which are each known as a dewata or God. Currently, the term is widely associated with Indonesian Dharmism which developed in ancient Java and Bali more than a millennium ago.)
- Human Physiology, Archetype: World-Bearer, Omni-Reality Creation, Vocifery, complete and permanent Mentifery, Omni-Element Manipulation, Primordial Element Manipulation, Avian Companionship and Destiny Manipulation (From The History of Sumatra (1784) by William Marsden: "Their notions of the creation of the world, and formation of mankind, had something ridiculously extravagant. They believed that the world at first consisted only of sky and water, and between these two, a glede; which, weary with flying about, and finding no place to rest, set the water at variance with the sky, which, in order to keep it in bounds, and that it should not get uppermost, loaded the water with a number of islands, in which the glede might settle and leave them at peace. Mankind they said, sprang out of a large cane with two joints, that, floating about in the water, was at length thrown by the waves against the feet of the glede, as it stood on shore, which opened it with its bill, and the man came out of one joint, and the woman out of the other. These were soon after married by consent of their god, Bathala Meycapal, which caused the first trembling of the earth; and from thence are descended the different nations of the world.")
- Infinite Supply, Infinity Manipulation, Unreachability, Zenith Form (Anitería (literally meaning worship of anitos) was the term coined by some Spanish chroniclers to denote the Tagalogs' religion, as they observed that, despite the people's belief and respect to the omnipotent Bathala, they also offered sacrifices to ancestral spirits called anitos. Miguel de Loarca (Relacion de las Yslas Filipinas, 1582) asked Tagalogs why holocausts were offered to anitos and not to Bathala. The Tagalogs answered that Bathala was a great lord, and no one could speak to him directly because he lived in heaven (Kaluwálhatian), so he sent down the anitos to provide for them)
- Message Manipulation and Prophetic Protection (The anitos—just like the loa of Haitian Vodou—are not considered gods and goddesses but merely messengers, intermediaries, and advocates (abogado) of the people to the Supreme Being. This is similar in concept to Neoplatonism wherein spiritual beings called daimones carry divine things to mortals and mortal things to the Divine: requests and sacrifices from below and commandments and answers from above - "They are the assistants, the ministers of Batala, who sends them on earth to help men. These helpers are called: Anitos. The nature of the Anito is such that he comes on earth, deals with men and speaks in his behalf to Batala." — Miguel de Loarca (1582))
- Misfortune Embodiment, Spiritual Force Manipulation, Good Embodiment, Trait: Evil Aversion and Afterlife Connection (Among the ancient Tagalogs, there existed a doctrine—which, according to Chirino (1601-1604), was sown by the Devil—that a woman who did not have a lover, whether married or single, could not be saved. They said that this man, in the other world, would hasten to offer the woman his hand at the passage of a very perilous stream which had no other bridge than a very narrow beam, which was traversed to reach the repose that they call Kaluwálhatian i.e. Bathala's abode. Hence, virginity was not recognized or esteemed among them; rather, they considered it a misfortune and a humiliation. This doctrine explains why most religious ministers (catalonas) among the ancient Tagalogs were women. Some minority tribes in the Philippines who still have some priestesses serving them, such as the Mandayas, offer an explanation. They assert that, as opposed to men, women are more appealing and persuasive toward gods and evil spirits, who are mostly males. Other places in the afterlife besides Kaluwálhatian include Maca or "kasanáan ng tuwa" ("a thousand joys"), where good souls temporarily stay pending reincarnation, and "kasanáan ng hírap" ("a thousand pains"))
- Monotheistic Deity and Omnibenevolence (An all-good singular supreme deity)
- Omniarch (In the indigenous religion of the ancient Tagalogs, Bathalà/Maykapál was the transcendent Supreme God, the originator and ruler of the universe.)
- Omnipotence (A statement used by the Filipino peoples to describe Bathala's power is "Bathala na may kapangyarihan sa lahat, translating to "Bathala who has power over everything")
- Omnipresence (As God)
- Omniscience (As God)
- Omnilock (Existed above the atmosphere which in the 16th century would have been seen as the sky or heaven to the Filipinos)
- Primordial Light Generation, Universal Manipulation, Infinity Bypassing, Shape Manipulation, Soul Mutilation, Meta Space Manipulation, Thought Projection, Reality Warping, Alpha Reality, Primordial Fire Generation, Omnificence Genesis, Meta Nature Manipulation, Meta Time Manipulation, Spirit Physiology, Godly Incarnation, True Name Manipulation, Direction Maintenance, Identity Dominance and Absolute Erasure (In the beginning, there was a bright light that covered the entire universe. This light was called the Infinito Dios. There is considered to be no God other than the Infinito Dios. He was the Animasola (Lonely Soul), a winged eye wrapped in a shawl, forever changing his form while floating in space. Soon, the Infinito Dios decided to create the world. He pulled away the light in order to give way to the darkness. His light receded until it became a small ball of light. The ball of light suddenly had a gash on its lower portion that became a mouth. On top of the mouth, a line appeared that became a nose. On top of the nose emerged two holes that became eyes. From these eyes came forth bursts of flame. Parallel to the eyes, on the sides of the ball of light, two holes appeared that became ears. In short, the Infinito Dios, once a ball of light, became a figure resembling a man's head. Before the Infinito Dios created the universe, he decided to have someone help him in his task of creation. While thinking, five shining letters sprang forth from his mind that became the five petals of a beautiful flower (mayuming bulaklak). This flower was called the Gumamela Celis (Flower of Heaven) or Rosa Mundi (Flower of the Earth). The five letters were none other than the beautiful name M-A-R-I-A, which in the Syrian language is Miriam, which means the highest. The original name of Maria before God created the universe was Bulaklak (Flower). The Infinito Dios decided to create other beings to assist him in his task of creation. While thinking, the Infinito Dios suddenly began perspirating on his right side. When he wiped off the perspiration, the droplets became sixteen spirits. Two of these spirits became Uph Madac and Abo Natac, the two elders who would reside in the two corners of the Earth and would become the guardians of the Sun and the Moon. The next six spirits became the beings who would reside outside the Earth. They did not want to receive any blessings from the Infinito Dios. They were named Elim, Borim, Morim, Bicairim, Persalutim, and Mitim. The next seven spirits became the unbaptized Archangels named Amaley, Alpacor, Amacor, Apalco, Alco, Araco, and Azarague. The last spirit was called Luxbel, a spirit whose name means light of heaven. He was named Becca, the being who would later rebel against the Infinito Dios. His other name was Lucifer. Meanwhile, the Infinito Dios decided to create even more beings. While thinking, he suddenly began perspiring on his left side. Wiping the perspiration off, the droplets became eight spirit beings. Five of them became beings who would go to Jesus Christ while he was nailed to the cross to ask for his blessing; however, Jesus would expire before he could give his blessing to these five spirits. The five spirits never received their blessings and therefore retained their original names of Istac, Inatac, Islalao, Tartaraw, and Sarapao. The last three spirit beings became known as the Tres Personas, or the Santisima Trinidad. The Infinito Dios gave them the task to create the world and its inhabitants. On each of the eyes of the Tres Personas could be seen the letter M, the initial of each of their names: Magub, Mariagub, and Magugab)
- Statue Transmutation, Omni-Physiology, Atmosphere Manipulation, Eternal Evolution, Supreme Voice, Supreme Observation, Sacrificial Protection, Unknown Existence, Indeterminacy, Meta Power Manipulation, Archetype: Monotheistic Deity, True Beauty (Excerpts from the Boxer Codex (1590): The Moors [i.e. the Tagalogs from Manila] of the Philippines have that the world, earth, and sky, and all other things that are in them, were created and made by only one god, whom they calls in their language Bachtala, napal nanca, calgna salahat, which means "God, creator and preserver of all things", and by another name they call him Mulayri. They said that this god of theirs was in the atmosphere before there was heaven or earth or anything else, that he was ab eterno (from eternity) and not made or created by anybody from anything, and that he alone made and created all that we have mentioned simply by his own volition because he wanted to make something so beautiful as the heaven and earth, and that he made and created one man and one woman out of the earth, from whom have come and descended all the men and their generations that are in the world. these people feared and revered a god, maker of all things, who some call him Bathala, others Molaiari, others Dioata and, although they confess this god as the maker of all things, they do not even know nor do they know when or how he did or what for, and that his dwelling place is in heaven. Every time the chiefs eat, they put a little of everything they eat or drink in small plates on the table as an offering to the anitos and the Molayare or Batala, creator of all things.)
- Superpower Manipulation (The chief deity of the Tagalas is called Bathala mei Capal, and also Diuata; and their principal idolatry consists in adoring those of their ancestors who signalised themselves for courage or abilities; calling them Humalagar, i.e. manes. — William Marsden, The History of Sumatra (1784))
- Supreme Deity (Is the Supreme Deity, according to the Tagalog people)
- Supreme Divinity (Highest divinity in Filipino mythology)
- Absolute Command (Command over the universe)
- Telepathy, Island Creation, Island Manipulation, Absolute Speed Flight, Birth Manipulation, Earthquake Generation, Life Creation, Fire Manipulation, Ocean Manipulation, Freedom, True Name Manipulation and Color Manipulation (From Philippine Folktales (1916) by Mabel Cook Cole: When the world first began there was no land, but only the sea and the sky, and between them was a kite (a bird something like a hawk). One day the bird which had nowhere to light grew tired of flying about, so she stirred up the sea until it threw its waters against the sky. The sky, in order to restrain the sea, showered upon it many islands until it could no longer rise, but ran back and forth. Then the sky ordered the kite to light on one of the islands to build her nest, and to leave the sea and the sky in peace. Now at this time the land breeze and the sea breeze were married, and they had a child which was a bamboo. One day when this bamboo was floating about on the water, it struck the feet of the kite which was on the beach. The bird, angry that anything should strike it, pecked at the bamboo, and out of one section came a man and from the other a woman. Then the earthquake called on all the birds and fish to see what should be done with these two, and it was decided that they should marry. Many children were born to the couple, and from them came all the different races of people. After a while the parents grew very tired of having so many idle and useless children around, and they wished to be rid of them, but they knew of no place to send them to. Time went on and the children became so numerous that the parents enjoyed no peace. One day, in desperation, the father seized a stick and began beating them on all sides. This so frightened the children that they fled in different directions, seeking hidden rooms in the house—some concealed themselves in the walls, some ran outside, while others hid in the fireplace, and several fled to the sea. Now it happened that those who went into the hidden rooms of the house later became the chiefs of the islands; and those who concealed themselves in the walls became slaves. Those who ran outside were free men; and those who hid in the fireplace became negroes; while those who fled to the sea were gone many years, and when their children came back they were the white people")
- Virtue Inducement (Omnipotent scale: Professor of Anthropology Fay-Cooper Cole identified the Mandayan supreme gods—the father and son Mansilatan (The Creator) and Batla/Badla (The Preserver/Protector)—with the Tagalog deities Dian Masalanta and Bathala/Badhala, respectively. He also noted that Todlai, the god of marriage of the Bagobo people, is sometimes addressed as Maniládan. Mansilatan, the father of Batla, is the source of the omnipotent virtue called Busao, which takes possession of the Baylans (Priestesses) and the Baganis (Warriors) while they are in a trance, making them strong and valiant above other men)
- World Ejection, Absolute Separation, Absolute Storage, Omni-Empowerment, Omni-Empathy, Letter Empowerment, Planeswalking, Omnificence, Spiritual Adjustment, Omniscience Bestowal, Meta Matter Transmutation, Archetype: Trinitarian Deity, Absolute Power Absorption/Meta Power Manipulation, Mystery Embodiment, Voice Manipulation, Trinity Force and Almighty Ascension (Before the name Maria was used, God only called the first fruit of his thought Bulaklak (Flower). The first thing God prepared for the beginning of his creation was Impierno (Hell) or Averni, which was below and in the abyss. He said to Bulaklak: "I will leave you for a while—guard my Ark of the Covenant and do not dare to open it. If you do not obey my command, you will go down to the land that I will create and will suffer to gather the scattered and lost virtudes.' Once God had said that, he went down to the abyss to prepare a sad home for his chosen Archangels, who would be created and rebel against him. When God left, Bulaklak opened the said Ark of the Covenant in the desire to know the truth and fulfillment of God's words. When the Ark was opened, three letters "B" with wings suddenly appeared and flew away. The three letters mentioned were BAM, BAU, and BIM also known as the Tres Virtudes, which were very miraculous and wonderful. Bulaklak immediately closed the box, but the three "B"'s had been released already, and she could not find them. When God returned from the abyss, he said to Bulaklak: "Now, what I said to you will be fulfilled—that you will descend to the earth and will suffer. "God had already made a plan for and the forms of his works and creations: water, fire, earth, heaven, trees and plants, Sun, Moon, stars, and, above all, the holy spirits that would help him in his works and creations. God showed them to his consultant Bulaklak. She said that the spiritual creations were perfect, but the material things should be changed. This was because, in God's plan, the huge and tall trees were to bear large fruits, and the small and low trees were to bear tiny fruits. Bulaklak said that if those trees were to be placed on the ground, people and animals would seek shelter under the huge and tall trees when exposed to the heat of the sun, and if the large fruits of the trees were ripe and could no longer cling to the stalk and withstand the fall, they may cause injury or death to said people and animals. God changed his plan in accordance with Bulaklak’s advice. The huge and tall trees would be the ones to bear tiny fruits, while the small and low trees would be the ones to bear large fruits. When everything was ready, God thought to create his helpers, but he was suddenly sweaty, and when he shed the sweat away on his right and left sides, the sixteen droplets of sweat on his right side became sixteen spirits, while the eight droplets of sweat on his left side became eight other spirits. From these twenty-four, he drew three to carry out his plan of creation. These were the so-called three powerful Avelator, Avetemet, and Avetillo. These were the Tres Personas, or the Santisima Trinidad, who would speak from the beginning of creation. The Nuno or Infinito Dios, the first and most powerful deity of all, created twenty-four holy spirits, and among them he chose three who would come to be known under the names Tres Persona Solo Dios, the Sagrada Familia, and the Santisima Trinidad. The Three were the helpers and executioners of the creative plans made by the Nuno and by Maria, or Gumamela Celis. When the Tres Persona – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit – talked about the things they created, suddenly the Nuno joined in and hid from the Three. The Three thought that they were the first and had the right to plan creations. They were not aware that everything was planned before they were created. The Tres Persona were deeply confused by the mysterious voice they heard and what they saw: a winged eye, a light, and an old man. As the Three chased the mysterious voice, they exchanged oraciones or words of power until they reached Heaven's gate. In this phase, the Tres Persona would be called the Sagrada Familia. The Tres Persona did not know that they came from one God, the Nuno, that God the Father was the son of the Nuno, and that God the Son was the Nuno's grandchild. Because they did not know this, they desired to seize and baptize whom they thought was the god of the heathens in order to be saved. The chase ended when the Nuno entered the mount Bood. After a battle and an exchange of oraciones, with persuasion the Nuno agreed to be baptized, but would do so by his own power. The Nuno took out his finger from the rock of the mount Bood to be baptized, as depicted in the anting-anting of the Infinito Dios. However, it is said that, for some mysterious reason, the Nuno was not really baptized.)
- World Manipulation (In this belief system, the Nuno or Infinito Dios is the highest God and the oldest being, from whom everything else has emanated. One such emanation is the Santisima Trinidad (Holy Trinity), to whom the Infinito Dios gave the authority to create the world and its inhabitants. Maria (who should not be confused with the Virgin Mary) or the Infinita Dios (i.e. the female aspect of the Divine) is said to be the first emanation of the Infinito Dios, who sprang forth from his mind (Holy Wisdom/Divine Logos?). The sum of all these powers are the Cinco Vocales, i.e. the five vowels of the Filipino alphabet: AEIOU. 'A' for the Infinito Dios/Nuno, 'E' for the Infinita Dios/Maria, 'I' for God the Father, 'O' for God the Son, and 'U' for God the Holy Spirit. The Cinco Vocales, also known as the fragmentation (basag) of the supreme deity, are said to be the secret names of God who gives power. The antiñgeros (initiates of anting-anting) have simplified the complexity of one god in five personas. For them, the Cinco Vocales rank as the highest deity because they are the complete composition of the five highest gods (Kadeusan). The Infinito Dios/Nuno, the Infinita Dios/Maria, and the Santisima Trinidad all share in the equality of their divinity. No one of them is more or less than any of the others. The Infinito Dios is also referred to as Animasola (Lonely Soul), Waksim (his name as a water deity), and Atardar (reflecting his warrior or protective aspect). On the other hand, the Infinita Dios is also referred to as Gumamela Celis (Flower of Heaven), Rosa Mundi (Flower of the World), and Dios Ina (God the Mother); she is also identified with the concept of Inang Pilipinas (Mother Philippines) or Inang Bayan (Motherland) celebrated in the writings of the revolutionary Andres Bonifacio (Tapunan ng Lingap; Katapusang Hibik ng Pilipinas). Although it is widely believed that this esoteric belief system preceded Spanish colonization and Catholicism, the Tagalog term antíng-antíng (talisman) was not recorded by lexicographers until the second half of the 19th century. The same can be said of its synonyms: agímat, búti, dúpil, and galíng (Laktaw 1914:236: dúpil))
The Ancianos: Uph Madac – The first spirit of the twenty-four Ancianos, responsible for guarding the first hour after midnight. She designed the Sun in accordance with a task given to her by the Infinito Dios. She made many designs and presented them to her companions and to the Lord, and they all agreed on the shape and appearance of the sun that would give light to the world from then until now and into the future.
- Time Manipulation
- Shape Manipulation and Reality Warping (Agreed on the shape and appearance of the sun that would give light to the world from then until now and into the future)
Abo Natac – The second spirit, who designed the Moon, which gives us light during the night. He did so many times, and these designs were presented to his companions and to the Infinito Dios, and they agreed on the shape of the moon that is present today.
- Moon Creation (Designed the Moon)
Amaley – The president and first minister of the archangel warriors. He is San Miguel Arkanghel; on his shoulders rests the fight against the wicked to have security on Earth and in heaven. San Miguel is assigned as the watchman from 9:00 AM to 9:59 AM each day; he is also the watchman on the first day of each week, which is Sunday, so he is called upon on this day to prevent any disastrous events that may occur. He is also the spirit messenger and messenger of the Infinito Dios throughout the heavens.
- Trait:Evil Aversion (San Miguel Arkanghel; on his shoulders rests the fight against the wicked to have security on Earth and in heaven)
- Disaster Negation (Called upon to negate disasters of any kind)
- Archetype: Divine Messenger (Of God)
Alpacor – Made secretary of the whole universe by the Siete Arkanghelis, he is San Gabriel, who is the recorder of all the hidden wonders in the galaxy and the whole universe. San Gabriel is the watchman from 10:00 AM to 10:59 AM each day. He is also the watchman every Monday; therefore, people call upon him on this day to be saved from disasters.
- Universal Manipulation, Message Manipulation and Galaxy Attacks (San Gabriel, who is the recorder of all the hidden wonders in the galaxy and the whole universe)
- Disaster Negation (Called upon to negate disasters of any kind)
Amacor – The prince of angelic justice and the giver of heavenly grace, for which he is also the Butler of the Infinite God. This angel is well known by the name San Rafael. He is the watchman from 11:00 AM to 11:59 AM each day and each Tuesday. He is the one to be called upon on Tuesdays for salvation from calamities.
- Justice Embodiment, Power Bestowal and Miracle Performing (The prince of angelic justice and the giver of heavenly grace)
Apalco – The angel who was made Justicia mayor in heaven. Chief Ruler of heavenly things and recommender to God of punishments to be inflicted, he is also the giver of wisdom to be used by the soul and earthly body of man. This angel is identified as San Uriel, who is assigned to watch at 12:00 noon, and he is also the watchman on Wednesdays, so he must be called on this day to be saved from a disaster.
- Heaven Gate, Absolute Wisdom, Soul Manipulation, Human Manipulation and Power Bestowal (Chief Ruler of heavenly things and recommender to God of punishments to be inflicted, he is also the giver of wisdom to be used by the soul and earthly body of man)
Alco – The spirit that offers or prays to God for every good work of man, he is also the receiver and informer of human needs regarding God. This angel is San Seatiel, who is the watchman on Thursdays and at the time of the first hour of the afternoon of each day, so he is to be called upon at these times.
- Message Manipulation and Omni-Communication (The spirit that offers or prays to God for every good work of man, he is also the receiver and informer of human needs regarding God.)
Araco – The spirit who was made the keeper of treasures and graces. He holds the key to giving the riches and glory of God. This angel is San Judiel, the benefactor and giver of God's mercy. He is also the assigned watchman on Fridays and from 2:00 PM to 2:59 PM each day, so he is to be called upon at these times
- Key Manipulation, Treasure Manipulation and Empathy (The spirit who was made the keeper of treasures and graces. He holds the key to giving the riches and glory of God. This angel is San Judiel, the benefactor and giver of God's mercy.)
Azarague – The guardian spirit of heaven and Earth and the helper and protector of all spirits under the Infinito Dios. He is San Baraquiel, the watchman at 3:00 PM of each day, and is also assigned as the watchman every Saturday, so he is the one to be called on this day. San Baraquiel is the last of the Seven Archangels, who are known as the seven warriors of God the Father.
- Healing and Omni-Protection (The guardian spirit of heaven and Earth and the helper and protector of all spirits)
Luxbel – The youngest (bunso) of the 16 spirits first created by the Infinito Dios. His name means "Light of Heaven" because he is considered the closest to God. When God began his creation, he was baptized with the name Becca, but he disobeyed the Infinito Dios, so God renamed him Luxquer or Lucifer. The history of Luxbel can be found in a book entitled Diez Mundos (Ten Planets). In this book exist various types of illicit wisdom, such as hexes (kulam), glamour (malik mata), philters (gayuma) and much more. All are discouraged from having a copy of this book because it is considered the cause of the unforgivable sin against the Lord.
- Primordial Light Generation, Meta Magic, Arcanepotence (Light of Heaven and controls magic such as hexes, glamour or wisdom)
Magugab – Presents himself as Dios Ama (God the Father), who some say is the first person of the Santisima Trinidad. But as Dios Ama, he is not the Infinito Dios, but only given the right and duty to identify himself as God the Father. He was given the design of the world and all its contents, such as the various types of flying creatures in the air and those crawling on the ground, including man. He is the watchman from 9:00 PM to 9:59 PM.
- World Creation and Life Creation (He was given the design of the world and all its contents, such as the various types of flying creatures in the air and those crawling on the ground, including man)
Mariagub – The second person of the Santisima Trinidad, he has the fullness of Dios Anak (God the Son) and the power to fulfill all the mysteries wrought by the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the spirit who incarnates in order to save those who receive him and believe in him. This spirit, in every age, enters the bodies of the people commanded by God, who, in this context, is called the "Lamb of God". He is the watchman from 10:00 PM to 10:59 PM.
- Supreme Divinity, Godly Incarnation, Meta Power Manipulation and True Possession, Animal Morphing and Mystery Solving (The second person of the Santisima Trinidad, he has the fullness of Dios Anak (God the Son) and the power to fulfill all the mysteries wrought by the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the spirit who incarnates in order to save those who receive him and believe in him. This spirit, in every age, enters the bodies of the people commanded by God,)
Magub – The third person of the Santisima Trinidad, as the Espiritu Santo (Holy Spirit), he acts to accomplish whatever must happen in the present. Through his power, the promises of the Infinito Dios to the people are formed and fulfilled. He is the watchman from 11:00 PM to 12:00 midnight
- Meta Power Manipulation, Divine Force Manipulation (The third person of the Santisima Trinidad, as the Espiritu Santo (Holy Spirit), he acts to accomplish whatever must happen in the present. Through his power, the promises of the Infinito Dios to the people are formed and fulfilled)
- Sitan
- Absolute Soul Manipulation (God and caretaker of the underworld realm for evil souls known as Kasamaan in Tagalog mythology. Maca, the realm of the good dead, is jointly ruled by Sitan and Bathala.)
- Dark Divinity (Is said to oppose Bathala)
- Evil Deity (Evil incarnate)
- Apocalyptic Force Manipulation (Can likely begin an apocalypse)
- Omnimalevolence (Is the devil, according to Filipino beliefs)
- Nigh-Omnipotence and Archetype: Satanic Incarnation (So strong that Bathala alone can do anything against him)
Bikolano Deities[]
- Aswang
- Absolute Silence Manipulation (So quiet that no-one can hear them).
- Absolute Thievery (Can steal anything)
- Corruption Manipulation (In the form of evil actions)
- Corruption Inducement (Via large-scale attacks in villages)
- Curse Manipulation (As Kulam or witches)
- Curse Inducement (Can cause miscarriages or even curse people with death)
- Malevolent Deity (Eats unborn babies)
- Omnifarious (Can shapeshift into anything, but most of the time they become black dogs)
- Beast Morphing, Sin Manipulation and Adaptive Defense (Their ability to adapt and live within the urban and rural environments populated by humans while still maintaining their feral, monstrous nature is cited as a feature that distinguishes aswang from most other monsters)
- Vice Inducement (Because aswang were believed to be the cause of miscarriages)
- Immunity to Light Manipulation (Immune to sunlight unlike vampires)
- Vampire Lordship, Body Modification, Omni-Magic, Archetype: Satanic Incarnation and Invisibility ("The sixth was called silagan, whose office it was, if they saw anyone clothed in white, to tear out his liver and eat it, thus causing his death. This, like the preceding, was in the island of Catanduanes. Let no one, moreover, consider this a fable; because, in Calavan, they tore out in this way through the anus all the intestines of a Spanish notary, who was buried in Calilaya by father Fray Juan de Mérida. The seventh was called manananggal, and his purpose was to show himself at night to many persons, without his head or entrails. In such wise the devil walked about and carried, or pretended to carry, his head to different places; and, in the morning, returned it to his body—remaining, as before, alive. This seems to be a fable, although the natives affirm that they have seen it, because the devil probably caused them so to believe. This occurred in Catanduanes. The eighth they called osuang, which is equivalent to 'sorcerer;' they say that they have seen him fly, and that he murdered men and ate their flesh. This was among the Visayas Islands; among the Tagalos these did not exist." Fr. Juan de Plasencia, Customs of the Tagalogs (1589))
- Bakunawa
- Eclipse Manipulation (He is the cause of eclipses)
- Moon Destruction (consumed 6 primordial moons)
- Primordial Water Manipulation (Was one of the first beings to exist)
- Ocean Lordship (said to be the Lord of Oceans)
- Ocean Manipulation (Can control oceans)
- Ocean Lordship (said to be the Lord of Oceans)
- Transcendent Dragon Physiology (is a very powerful creature in Filipino mythology)
- Nullification of Supreme Divinity (Was a threat to Bathala)
- Gugurang
- Cosmic Guardian (Supreme deity of the Bicolano peoples)
- Primordial Magma Manipulation, Primordial Fire Manipulation, Primordial Earth Manipulation (The supreme god; causes the pit of Mayon volcano to rumble when he is displeased; cut Mt. Malinao in half with a thunderbolt)
- Volcanic Fields Manipulation (Cut a volcano in half)
- Haliya
- Cosmic Guardian (Of the moon)
- Lunar Deity and Lunar Manipulation (Goddess of the moon)
Tboli Deities[]
Major Deities[]
- Bulon La Mogoaw
- Absolute Invincibility (Supreme Deity in the Tboli pantheon)
- Lunar Deity (one of the two supreme deities; married to Kadaw La Sambad; lives in the seventh layer of the universe)
- Lunar Manipulation
- Night Manipulation (God of the night)
- Kadaw La Sambad
- Absolute Invincibility (Supreme Deity in the Tboli pantheon)
- Day Manipulation (one of the two supreme deities; married to Bulon La Mogoaw; lives in the seventh layer of the univers)
- Solar Deity (God of the sun)
- Solar Manipulation
- Solar Empowerment (From surviving Tboli sources, Kadaw La Sambad got amplified by the sun)
- Solar Manipulation
Siblings of The Major Tboli Deities[]
- Bong Libun
- Cosmic Manipulation (Over the concept of nature)
- Planetary Manipulation (His corpse became land from which sprouted all plants and trees)
- Nature Deity and Concept Manipulation (His corpse became the concept of land)
- Meta Nature Manipulation and Plant Manipulation (His dead body)
- Cosmic Manipulation (Over the concept of nature)
- Cumucul
- Absolute Combat (Given that he has a sword and shield, he should be immensely proficient)
- Absolute Weapon Proficiency (Over his sword and shield)
- Absolute Swordsmanship (His tok or sword is likely very strong)
- Shield Proficiency and possible Absolute Defence (Possibly like his sword, it is incredibly durable)
- Meta Immunity Bypassing (Via the sword and shield)
- Absolute Weapon Proficiency (Over his sword and shield)
- Absolute Storage (Can control anything in his box)
- Container Imprisonment (Can contain his horse or seal anything)
- Kaunting - a magical horse inside a box.
- Size Manipulation (His horse can become "as small as a mouse when not ridden")
- Container Imprisonment (Can contain his horse or seal anything)
- Fire Manipulation (Has a cohort of fire)
- Absolute Combat (Given that he has a sword and shield, he should be immensely proficient)
- Dwata
- Creator Deity (Dwata means creator)
- Cosmic Manipulation, Planetary Manipulation and Conceptual Lordship (Over creation in relation to the earth)
- Meta Environment Manipulation (Dwata according to Tboli sources spread what was from Bong Libun's corpse which became land from which sprouted all plants and trees and the literal concept of earth)
- Meta Nature Manipulation (Created the land)
- Plant Manipulation and Plant Growth (Bong Libun's dead body)
- Meta Nature Manipulation (Created the land)
- Omnificence and Absolute Life Creation (Breathed life into beings to make the first humans from clay figures left by Hyu We and Sedek We)
- Nigh-Complete Arsenal (As a Creator deity)
- Primordial Earth Manipulation (By controlling Bong Libun's dead body)
- Ultimate Power and Ancient Power (Over the concept of earth)
- Creator Deity (Dwata means creator)
- Hyu We and Sedek We
- Reality Warping and Life Creation (Dwata created life from clay figures left by them)
- Sky Deity and Sky Lordship (Controllers of the sky)
- Primordial Sky Manipulation (Were the children of Bulon la Mogoaw and Kadaw la Sambad)
- Omni-Weather Manipulation (Could control all forms of weather)
- Primordial Sky Manipulation (Were the children of Bulon la Mogoaw and Kadaw la Sambad)
- Sfedat
- Earth Deity, Meta Nature Manipulation and Plant Manipulation (Son of the supreme deities; married to Bong Libun; could not bear children; asked Bong Libun to instead kill him, where his body became the land on which plants spout from)
- Primordial Earth Manipulation (Was the original form of land prior to Bong Libun's death)
- Earth Deity, Meta Nature Manipulation and Plant Manipulation (Son of the supreme deities; married to Bong Libun; could not bear children; asked Bong Libun to instead kill him, where his body became the land on which plants spout from)
Sons of Hyu We[]
- Blanga
- Earth Deity (God of stones and rocks)
- Golem Manipulation
- Primordial Earth Manipulation (Presumably god of primordial stones)
- Mineral Manipulation (Via control of stones)
- Earth Deity (God of stones and rocks)
- Fun Bulol
- Mountain Deity (God of mountains)
- Ginton
- Fundamental Forces Manipulation
- Electromagnetism Manipulation (Controller of magnetism)
- Metal Deity (God of metallurgy)
- Fundamental Forces Manipulation
- Litik
- Lightning Deity (God of lightning)
- Primordial Lightning Manipulation (Daughter of the supreme Tboli deities)
- Lightning Deity (God of lightning)
- Lmugot Mangay
- Aether Manipulation (God of the soul)
- Life Deity (The god of life)
- Size Manipulation and Growth Manipulation (The god of all growing things)
- Tdolok
- Death Deity (God of death)
- Absolute Death Manipulation, Absolute Death Inducement and Death-Force Manipulation (Can kill anything)
- Nether Manipulation (Can also kill souls)
- Death Deity (God of death)
- Teme Lus
- Animal Deity (God of animals)
- Animal Manipulation and Prehistoric Lifeform Manipulation (God of wild beasts)
- Animal Deity (God of animals)
Sons of Bong Libun[]
- Divine Disease Manipulation
- Head Manipulation (Fun Daskulo)
- Cold Manipulation (Fun Lkef)
- Eye Attacks (Fun Kumuga)
- Skin Attacks (Fun Blekes)
- Hair Ranged Weaponry (Fun Lalang)
Other Tboli Deities[]
- Loos Klagan and La Fun
- Benevolent Deity
- Absolute Restoration (They can restore any injury)
- Absolute Regeneration and Omni-Healing (As divine healers, they can regenerate any injury they come across on others or themselves)
- Wound Manipulation (As healers)
- Wound Transferal (They both transfer wounds)
- Absolute Restoration (They can restore any injury)
- Benevolent Deity
- Muhen
- Avian Physiology and [[Wing Manifestation] (Bird)
- Fate Deity (The god of fate)
- Meta Music Manipulation and complete Paralysis Inducement (His song is said to cause anyone to stop what they are doing)
- Apocalyptic Music Manipulation (His music is thought to be a sign of misfortune)
- Meta Fate Manipulation (Is the bird of fate)
- Meta Luck and Meta Probability Manipulation (Via controlling one's fortune)
- Destiny Perception, Meta Time-Space Manipulation and Reality Warping (Via controlling the fates of anyone)
- Meta Luck and Meta Probability Manipulation (Via controlling one's fortune)
- Primordial Music Manipulation (He is one of the most important deities in the Tboli pantheon)
- Meta Music Manipulation and complete Paralysis Inducement (His song is said to cause anyone to stop what they are doing)
- Sedek We's Siblings (never mentioned)
Variations[]
- Olden Visayan Deity (The oldest Filipino deities)
- Tagalog Deity
Associations[]
Limitations[]
- Deity Consumption/Imprisonment/Slayer/Banishment
- Divine Power Negation/Absortion/Immunity
- Divinity Nullification
Notes[]
There are numerous Filipino deities. These are simply the most notable deities.
Known Users[]
- Diyos and Diyosas (Philippine Mythology)
- Satoshi (Philippine Mythology) through bearing Bathala's powers and being able to summon everything within the mythology according to the Boxer Codex
- Diwatas (Marvel Comics)