FILIPINO DEITIES
FIRST GENERATION GODS:
Bathala – The supreme god of being; creator of
man and earth and addressed sometimes as
Bathalang Maykapal. He dwells in Kaluwalhatian
together with the lesser gods and goddesses.
Aside from the lesser gods and goddesses, he
sent his anitos in order to assist the daily lives of
every human. When most of the natives were
converted to Christianity during the Spanish Era,
he was referred to the Christian God.
Amanikable – Originally this god was
worshipped as the god of Hunters. In more
modern stories he has become associated as
the ill-tempered god of the sea, replacing Aman
Sinaya among of the first generation gods (aside
from Bathala), he was never married after his
love was spurned by a beautiful mortal maiden,
Maganda. In frustration, he swore vengeance
against the humans by sending turbulent waves
and horrible tempests in order to wreck boats
and to drown men.
Idiyanale – The goddess of labor and good
deeds. Natives used to call for her guidance in
order to make their works successful. She
married Dimangan and had two offspring.
Dimangan - The god of good harvest. He was
married to Idiyanale and had two offspring.
Ikapati – The goddess of cultivated land. She
was the most understanding and kind among
the deities of Bathala. Her gift to man was
agriculture. As the benevolent giver of food and
prosperity, she was respected and loved by the
people. From her came fertility of fields and
health of flocks and herds. Ikapati was said to
have married Mapulon, god of seasons. They
had a daughter named Anagolay, who became
the goddess of lost things. When Anagolay
attained maidenhood, she married Dumakulem,
son of Idianale and Dumangan, by whom she
had two children, Apolake, who became god of
the sun and patron of warriors, and Dian
Masalanta, who became goddess of lovers.
Lakapati – Often confused with Ikapati from
variant Tagalog pantheons, Lakapati was a
major fertility deity. During sacrifices made in a
new field, the farmer would hold up a child and
say, “Lakapati, pakanin mo yaring alipin mo;
huwag mong gutumin [Lakapati, feed this thy
slave; let him not hunger]” (San Buenaventura
1613, 361). Prominent among deities who
received full-blown sacrifices were fertility gods.
Lakapati, fittingly represented by a
hermaphrodite image with both male and
female parts, was worshiped in the fields at
planting time.
Mapulon – The god of seasons and husband of
Ikapati of whom they had a daughter.
SECOND GENERATION GODS:
Mayari – The goddess of the moon and one of
the three daughters of Bathala by a mortal
woman. She was the most charming of all the
goddesses. She had two sisters, Tala and Hanan.
Tala – The goddess of the stars; sister of Mayari
and Hanan and one of the three daughters of
Bathala by a mortal woman.
Hanan – The goddess of morning; sister of
Mayari and Tala and one of the three daughters
of Bathala by a mortal woman.
Dumakulem – The strong, agile guardian of
mountains and the son of Idiyanale and
Dimangan. His sister was Anitun Tabu. He later
married Anagolay.
Anitun Tabu – The fickle-minded goddess of
wind and rain. She was the daughter of
Idiyanale and Dimangan and the sister of
Dumakulem.
FILIPINO DEITIES

Anagolay – The goddess of lost things and the

only offspring of Ikapati and Mapulon. She was Aman Sinaya – She is the primordial goddess of
married to Dumakulem. the ocean and protector of fishermen.

Galang Kaluluwa (Wandering Spirit) – The

winged god present in some creation myths
THIRD GENERATION GODS:
who loves to travel. He is identified as a close
Apolaki – The god of sun and the chief patron friend of Bathala.
of warriors. He was the son of Anagolay and
Haik – god of the sea.
Dumakulem.
Lakambakod – The protector of the growing
Diyan Masalanta – The goddess of love,
crops.
conception and childbirth and the protector of
lovers. She was the daughter of Anagolay and Lakambini – is know as the “pure maiden” for
Dumakulem and youngest of all the deities. his incomparable beauty, ironic that he is a
male diwata. He was originally known as the
Sitan – The guardian of Kasamaan and the
god of “kapurihan”(purity) and is also the god of
keeper of all souls therein, the counterpart of
food, festivity and anti-gluttony. worshiped
Satan. He had four agents whose task was to
mainly by men: they pray to Lakambini to let
lead man to sin and destruction.
them find a beautiful maiden to wed. An
Manggagaway – She was the first agent of obscure deity called “abogado dela garganta”
Sitan and was primarily blamed as the cause of (throat advocate) by the Spaniards and was
diseases. Sometimes, she would change herself turned into the god of gluttony.
into a human form, appearing as a false healer.
Lingga – a phallic god.
If she wished to kill someone, she employed a
magic wand. Ulilang Kaluluwa (Orphaned Spirit) – It is a
serpent god present in some creation myths
Manisilat – The second agent of Sitan, she was
that was killed by Bathala after an ensuing rival.
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. Like his fellow agents, he could
change his form to that of a healer and then
induce fire at his victim’s house. If the fire were
extinguished immediately, the victim would
eventually die. His name remains today as
witch.

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. Her name literally means “crone” or
“hag.”