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We know the Greek gods and goddesses. We know many of their Roman counterparts. We know the Norse deities, or at least Thor and Loki. We even study them in school.
But Filipino mythology — with its pantheons of gods, goddesses, heroes, spirits, shamans, and other otherworldly creatures — is a subject we have rarely had the opportunity to love and learn in detail.
Which is a shame because with so many indigenous groups in the Philippines, each with their own cast of fantastical characters and intriguing world-building, Filipino mythology is a veritable treasure trove of tales.
This is the start of a series of articles on Filipino mythology. Here, we’ll focus on the deities — gods, goddesses — and other immortal beings that were said to roam the land, water, and heavens in these 7,641 islands all those years ago.
Because there are many ethnic groups in the Philippines, the supreme deity, or deities, are also called by many different names.
The most commonly known is Bathala, the supreme god and creator deity of the Tagalog people.
In the Eskaya tradition, the supreme deity is a child called Ai Suno, who is linked to a sacred silver bell called Lingganay nga Ugis. This bell was once in the custody of the Tumud Babaylan but was stolen by a Spanish priest named Prayleng Vicente. A bird called Baroko helped the babaylan retrieve the bell and dropped it into the Kamayaan river. It is said that only Ai Suno can retrieve the bell and free the people from bondage; otherwise, a great deluge will take place if anyone else tries to get the bell.
In most cultures, there is only one supreme deity, but a few groups have two, such as the Sama-Bajau and the T’boli, and the supreme deity of the Waray has both a male and a female aspect.
Name | Rank | Indigenous Group | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Gutugutumakkan | supreme deity | Aeta (Agta, Ayta) | supreme deity |
Gamhanan | supreme deity | Aklanon | supreme deity and giver of life, security, and livelihood |
Laon | other top level deities | Aklanon | chief goddess |
Magwala / Magdili | supreme deity | Ati | supreme spirit |
Pamulak Manobo | supreme deity | Bagobo | supreme deity and creator of the world |
Maguimba | supreme deity | Batak | god in the remotest times; lived among the people; provided all the necessities of life and cures for all illnesses; able to bring the dead back to life |
Diwata | other top level deities | Batak | god who provides for the needs of humans and gives out rewards for good deeds |
Gugurang | supreme deity | Bicolano | supreme god; god of good |
Kaptan | supreme deity | Bisaya | supreme god; god of the sky; controls the wind and lightning |
Melu | creator deity | Blaan | creator deity |
Loos Klagan | other top level deities | Blaan | most feared deity; uttering his name is considered a curse |
Kabunian / Intutungcho | supreme deity | Bontok | supreme deity |
Lumawig | other top level deities | Bontok | second son of Kabunian who taught the Bontok the five core values of an egalitarian society |
Magbabaya | supreme deity | Bukidnon | supreme deity; created the earth, sea, sky, moon, stars, and the first eight elements |
Agtayabun | other top level deities | Bukidnon | adviser and peacemaker deity with a hawk-like head, wings, and a human body |
Dadanhayan ha Sugay | other top level deities | Bukidnon | evil deity with a human body and ten heads |
Laon | supreme deity | Capiznon | supreme goddess |
Ai Suno | supreme deity | Eskaya | supreme child deity |
Nanolay | creator deity | Gaddang | creator of all things |
Mahal na Makaako | supreme deity | Hanunoo Mangyan | supreme deity |
Kabunian | supreme deity | Ibaloi | supreme deity |
Makapangwa | supreme deity | Ibanag | supreme being |
Kabunian | supreme deity | Ifugao | supreme deity; chief among the high-ranking deities above the skyworld |
Ampual | other top level deities | Ifugao | god of the fourth skyworld; bestowed plants and animals on people |
Buni | supreme deity | Ilocano | possible name of the supreme being who tasked giants with creation |
Parsua | creator deity | Ilocano | creator deity |
Laon | supreme deity | Ilonggo (Hiligaynon) | supreme goddess and creator |
Makaako | creator deity | Ilonggo (Hiligaynon) | creator and the most powerful god |
Kabunyan | supreme deity | Kalinga | supreme deity; makes the soul suitable for good crops; wards off bad spirits |
Lumawig | supreme deity | Kankanaey | supreme deity |
Mangetchay / Mangatia | supreme deity | Kapampangan | supreme deity |
Maka-ako | supreme deity | Karay-a | supreme deity residing on the uppermost level of the cosmic universe's seven layers |
Tagna-an | creator deity | Karay-a | creator god and the most powerful and versatile shaman |
Alunsina | other top level deities | Karay-a | mother goddess |
Supreme Being | supreme deity | Maguindanao | supreme deity who is far way, and so lesser divinities and spirits hear people's prayers instead |
Tahaw | supreme deity | Mamanwa | supreme deity |
Tagbusan | supreme deity | Manobo | supreme deity; rules over the destinies of all other gods and mortals |
Dagau | creator deity | Manobo | goddess of creation; lives at the world's four pillars |
Makalindung | creator deity | Manobo | god of creation; set up the world on iron posts |
Manama / Sigalungan | supreme deity | Manuvu | supreme deity; created the diwatas to assist him in creation |
Tohan | supreme deity | Maranao | supreme deity |
Empuq / Ampu / Nagsalad | supreme deity | Pala'wan (Palawano) | supreme deity and creator of all things; also called Nagsalad (the weaver) because he is the master who wove the world and created several kinds of humanity |
Ama-Gaolay | supreme deity | Pangasinense | supreme deity |
Dayang Dayang Mangilai | supreme deity | Sama-Bajau | goddess of the forest; one of two supreme deities |
Umboh Tuhan / Umboh Dilaut | supreme deity | Sama-Bajau | god of the sea; one of two supreme deities |
Malayari | supreme deity | Sambal | supreme deity and creator |
Diwata Magbabaya | supreme deity | Subanon | supreme deity; creator of heaven and earth; lives in the sky; can turn anyone into stone through his lightning |
Tungkung Langit | supreme deity | Suludnon (Panay-Bukidnon) | supreme deity; the most powerful male Diwata |
Bulon La Mogoaw | supreme deity | T'boli | one of two supreme deities; married to Kadaw La Sambad; lives in the seventh layer of the universe |
Kadaw La Sambad | supreme deity | T'boli | one of two supreme deities; married to Bulon La Mogoaw; lives in the seventh layer of the universe |
Cumucul | other top level deities | T'boli | son of the supreme deities; has a sword and shield and a cohort of fire |
Bathala | supreme deity | Tagalog | supreme god and creator deity, also known as Bathala Maykapal, Lumilikha, and Abba |
Magbabaya | supreme deity | Talaandig | supreme deity |
Tulus | supreme deity | Teduray (Tiruray) | the Great Spirit who created all things from mud, including those that we see (such as humans) and those that we can't see (such as spirits) |
Minaden | creator deity | Teduray (Tiruray) | creator of mankind |
Bagatulayan | supreme deity | Tinguian (Itneg) | supreme deity; directs the activities of the world and the heavenly realms |
Kadaklan | other top level deities | Tinguian (Itneg) | second-ranked deity who taught the people how to harvest crops, cure sickness, overcome bard omens and ward off evil spirits |
Makapatag-Malaon | supreme deity | Waray | supreme deity who had both a male (Makapatag - fearful and destructive) and female (Malaon - understanding) aspect |
Although the work of creation is usually associated with the supreme deity, a few groups have other gods or goddesses involved with creation. In the Manobo tribe, for example, the supreme deity is called Tagbusan; he rules over the destinies of mortals as well as those of other gods and goddesses. However, in one version of their creation myth, the world was created by a god called Makalindung. In another version, a goddess called Dagau was the one who created the world, propping it on four pillars. Whenever human blood is spilled, she causes a great python to wrap itself around the world pillars, shaking the earth and causing earthquakes.
A pantheon may also have other top-level deities in addition to their ruling god or goddess.
For example, Laon is the chief among the goddesses in the Aklanon tradition, while Alunsina is the mother goddess in the Karay-a mythology.
In the Bontok stories, Kabunian is the supreme deity, but his second son Lumawig is also sometimes considered a supreme deity and is, in addition, a revered hero who taught the people the values essential for an egalitarian society.
Kadaklan is the second-highest deity among the Tinguian (Itneg) and is said to be the one who taught the people lessons such as how to harvest crops and cure illnesses.
The list below is by no means complete but it gathers most of the important gods, goddesses, and other immortal beings in the mythologies of nearly 50 ethnic groups in the Philippines. (Mythical creatures, mortal heroes, and other human characters will be compiled in coming posts.)
The characters are arranged in alphabetical order, according to what they are the god or goddess of, then by ethnic group.
And, of course, the easiest way to search for a particular name (e.g., Liwayway) or element (e.g., water) would be to press Ctrl+F in your browser.
Name | God/Goddess of... | Indigenous Group | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Ipamahandi | accidents | Bukidnon | goddess of accidents |
Ikapati | agriculture | Tagalog | goddess of cultivated land and fertility |
Makatalubhay | agriculture | Tagalog | god of bananas |
Ginuong Dalaga | agriculture - crops | Tagalog | goddess of crops |
Kabunyan | agriculture - crops | Kalinga | supreme deity; makes the soul suitable for good crops; wards off bad spirits |
Lakan-bakod | agriculture - crops | Tagalog | god of crops; god of rice; god of the fruits of the earth; protector of fences |
Taragomi | agriculture - crops | Bagobo | god of crops |
Kampungan | agriculture - fields | Tagalog | god of harvests and sown fields |
Pusod-Lupa | agriculture - fields | Tagalog | god of the fields |
Tagumbanwa | agriculture - fields | Bukidnon | guardian of the fields |
Uwinan Sana | agriculture - fields | Tagalog | god of the fields and the jungle |
Anianihan | agriculture - harvest | Ilocano | god of harvest |
Bangutbanwa | agriculture - harvest | Aklanon | god of good harvests and an orderly universe |
Damulag | agriculture - harvest | Sambal | harvest - god of protecting fruiting rice from the elements |
Dumangan | agriculture - harvest | Sambal | harvest - god of good harvest |
Dumangan | agriculture - harvest | Tagalog | god of good harvest |
Kalasakas | agriculture - harvest | Sambal | harvest - god of early ripening of rice stalks |
Kalasokus | agriculture - harvest | Sambal | harvest - god of turning grain yellow and dry |
Kampungan | agriculture - harvest | Tagalog | god of harvests and sown fields |
Lalahon | agriculture - harvest | Bisaya | goddess of fire, volcanoes, and the harvest |
Tag-ani | agriculture - harvest | Tagalog | god of harvest |
Taphagan | agriculture - harvest | Manobo | goddess of the harvest who guards the rice in the granary |
Wigan | agriculture - harvest | Ifugao | god of good harvest |
Bingsol | agriculture - ploughmen | Tagalog | god of ploughmen |
Baybay | agriculture - rice | Batak | goddess and master of rice |
Kakiadan | agriculture - rice | Manobo | goddess of rice |
Pilay | agriculture - rice | Isnag | spirit of the rice; a ritual is offered to Pilay to ensure that children don't go hungry |
Apo | ancestral spirits | Maranao | ancestral spirits (tonong) tasked to kill or drive away evil spirits |
Kapapu-an | ancestral spirits | Karay-a | ancestral spirits from whom the supernatural powers of shamans originated; with their help, specific types of shamans can cause water to gush from rocks, create oil shields, leap far distances, pass through solid matter, or become invisible |
Umboh | ancestral spirits | Sama-Bajau | ancestral spirits |
Bulalakaw | animals | Talaandig | deity who protects the creatures in the rivers |
Gemang | animals | Bugkalot (Ilongot) | guardian of wild beasts |
Lalawag | animals | Talaandig | deity who protects wild pigs |
Maka-andog | animals | Waray | epic giant-hero who controlled wildlife and fish and was friendly with the sea spirits |
Makaboteng | animals | Tinguian (Itneg) | guardian of deer and wild hogs |
Mangumanay | animals | Talaandig | deity who protects wild chickens |
Pamahandi | animals | Bukidnon | protector of carabaos and horses |
Panya’en | animals | Batak | entities who control certain wild trees and animals |
True | animals | Mamanwa | deity of the forest; herder of hunting animals |
Lakambini / Lakandaytan | attachment | Tagalog | god of attachment |
Dal'lang | beauty | Ilocano | goddess of beauty |
Malagu | beauty | Kapampangan | goddess of beauty; married a mortal |
Lalawig | bees | Bukidnon | incantu (guardian divinity) of bees and honey |
Mangusal | bees | Talaandig | deity who protects honeybees |
Ungaw | bees | Batak | god and master of bees |
Aldó | bird deity | Kapampangan | white fiery bird; one of the souls of Batálâ |
Baroko | bird deity | Eskaya | the bird who aided in the retrieval of the Lingganay nga Ugis (silver bell), which it dropped at Kamayaan river, where it can only be retrieved by Ai Suno, the supreme child deity, when he returns to free his people from bondage; if the bell is retrieved by someone else, a great deluge will occur |
Batálâ / Salaksak | bird deity | Kapampangan | kingfisher deity known as father sky; when he was swallowed by Dapu, the crocodile deity who carried the earth on her back, Batálâ's two souls came out - Aldó and Búlan |
Bulalakaw | bird deity | Capiznon | bird god who can cause illness |
Búlan | bird deity | Kapampangan | red fiery bird; one of the souls of Batálâ |
Galurâ | bird deity | Kapampangan | giant eagle; bringer of storms |
Kalao | bird deity | Bugkalot (Ilongot) | spirit birds who guide and protect hunters' lives and souls |
Maylupa | bird deity | Tagalog | crow master of the earth |
Muhen | bird deity | T'boli | bird god of fate; when heard, his song is thought to portend misfortune and any undertaking is immediately abandoned or postponed |
Sarimanok | bird deity | Maranao | sacred omen birds |
Matanda | business | Tagalog | god of merchants and second-hand dealers |
Busao | calamity | Bukidnon | god of calamity |
Banig | caves | Ifugao | spirits of the hillsides and caves |
Matimtiman | charm | Kapampangan | goddess of charm; married a mortal |
Abyang Durunuun | charms | Bisaya | goddess of charms |
Umouiri | clouds | Manobo | god of clouds |
Dagau | creator deity | Manobo | goddess of creation; lives at the world's four pillars |
Makaako | creator deity | Ilonggo (Hiligaynon) | creator and the most powerful god |
Makalindung | creator deity | Manobo | god of creation; set up the world on iron posts |
Melu | creator deity | Blaan | creator deity |
Minaden | creator deity | Teduray (Tiruray) | creator of mankind |
Nanolay | creator deity | Gaddang | creator of all things |
Parsua | creator deity | Ilocano | creator deity |
Tagna-an | creator deity | Karay-a | creator god and the most powerful and versatile shaman |
Saragnayan | darkness | Bisaya | god of darkness |
Saragnayan | darkness | Capiznon | god of darkness |
Sipnget | darkness | Ilocano | goddess of darkness |
Liwayway | dawn | Tagalog | goddess of dawn |
Tala | dawn | Tagalog | goddess of stars; also called Bulak Tala, deity of the morning star |
Aring Sinukûan | death | Kapampangan | sun god of war and death |
Hangin | death | Ilonggo (Hiligaynon) | spirits of the death wind; takes the life of the elderly |
Malakal Maut | death | Maranao | angel of death; takes the soul of someone 3-7 days after the person's leaf falls from the sacred tree |
Sidapa | death | Bisaya | goddess of death; co-ruler of Kamaritaan, the middleworld, together with Makaptan |
Tagbayan | death | Ifugao | divinities associated with death; feast on human souls |
Diwata ko sa Magaw | destruction | Maranao | spirit of destruction |
Kalaon | destruction | Bicolano | god of destruction |
Tungkung Langit | drought | Capiznon | god of the sky who brings famine, drought, storms, and floods |
Apadel / Kalagang | dwellers | Tinguian (Itneg) | guardian deity; dweller of the spirit-stones |
Aran | dwellers | Ibanag | tiny human-like beings that reside in trees, anthills, and dark spaces |
Be’tang | dwellers | Bugkalot (Ilongot) | shape-shifting spirit-creatures who dwell in the forests or wilderness; can enter dreams and alter a human's sense of time |
Bulaw | dwellers | Buhid Mangyan | immortals who live in mountain peaks and are depicted as shooting stars because when they fly from one peak to another, they light their way with torches made from human bone |
Daniw | dwellers | Hanunoo Mangyan | spirit dwelling in the healers' stone |
Malawan | dwellers | Buhid Mangyan | spirits that live in the springs in the deep forest |
Munduntug | dwellers | Ifugao | divinities living in mountains who cause hunters to be lost |
Pinacheng | dwellers | Ifugao | deities living in caves, stones, creeks, rocks who mislead and hide people |
Tonong | dwellers | Maranao | divine spirits who aid heroes; usually live in nonok trees, seas, lakes, and the sky realm |
Afo Daga | earth | Buhid Mangyan | lahi (protector spirit) of the earth |
Bunag | earth | Gaddang | god of the earth |
Kaptan | earth | Ilonggo (Hiligaynon) | god of the earth |
Lulid-Batang | earth | Capiznon | god of the earth, responsible for earthquakes and volcanic eruptions |
Sedumunadoc | earth | Tagbanwa | god of the earth, whose favor is sought to have a good harvest |
Tagma-sa-Yuta | earth | Subanon | god of the earth |
Kolyog | earthquakes | Ifugao | god of earthquakes |
Linok | earthquakes | Bisaya | god of earthquakes |
Lulid-Batang | earthquakes | Capiznon | god of the earth, responsible for earthquakes and volcanic eruptions |
Pinganun-pinganun | enchanted places | Bisaya | god of enchanted places |
Dadanhayan ha Sugay | evil | Bukidnon | evil deity with a human body and ten heads |
Datu na Gyadsal | evil | Maguindanao | the chief adversary |
Tungkung Langit | famine | Capiznon | god of the sky who brings famine, drought, storms, and floods |
Ikapati | fertility | Tagalog | goddess of cultivated land and fertility |
Lakapati | fertility | Tagalog | fertility deity; deity of vagrants and waifs |
Obban | fertility | Kankanaey | goddess of reproduction; daughter of the supreme deity Lumawig |
Lalahon | fire | Bisaya | goddess of fire, volcanoes, and the harvest |
Makilum-sa-bagidan | fire | Bisaya | god of fire |
Amansinaya | fishing | Tagalog | goddess of fishermen |
Magindang | fishing | Bicolano | god of fishing; guides fishermen to a good catch through sounds and signs |
Tungkung Langit | floods | Capiznon | god of the sky who brings famine, drought, storms, and floods |
Bago | forest / woods | Isnag | spirit of the forest |
Dayang Dayang Mangilai | forest / woods | Sama-Bajau | goddess of the forest; one of two supreme deities |
Diwata ng Kagubatan | forest / woods | Cuyonon and Agutaynen | goddess of the forest |
Mamelig | forest / woods | Bukidnon | incantu (guardian divinity) of the forest |
Okot | forest / woods | Bicolano | forest god; his whistles lead hunters to their prey |
Pawi | forest / woods | Aeta (Agta, Ayta) | god of the forest |
Tagma-sa-Manguabungud | forest / woods | Subanon | god of the woods |
True | forest / woods | Mamanwa | deity of the forest; herder of hunting animals |
Idianale | good deeds | Tagalog | goddess of labor and good deeds; also referred to as a goddess of the rice field |
Namtogan | good fortune | Ifugao | god of good fortune who made rice harvests and livestock bountiful; paraplegic |
Mangalagar | good grace | Sambal | goddess of good grace |
Tigbas | government | Bukidnon | god of good government |
Burigadang Pada Sinaklang Bulawan | greed | Capiznon | goddess of greed |
Apadel / Kalagang | guardian deities | Tinguian (Itneg) | guardian deity; dweller of the spirit-stones |
Incantus | guardian deities | Bukidnon | guardian spirits and divinities who comprised six of the seven original figures created by the three supreme deities |
Segoyong | guardian deities | Teduray (Tiruray) | guardians of nature; many specialize in a particular class, such as fire, water, trees, grass, deer, pigs, land caves, and caves behind waterfalls |
Sumpoy | guide | Ilonggo (Hiligaynon) | god who guides the soul towards a very high mountain |
Cabuyaran | healing | Ilocano | goddess of healing |
Menalam | healing | Gaddang | female goddess-spirit who enters the body of a healer in a trance and gives instructions on how to heal the sick |
Talanganay | healing | Gaddang | male god-spirit who enters the body of a healer in a trance and gives instructions on how to heal the sick |
Akasi | health | Sambal | god of health and sickness |
Lumalayag | health | Tagbanwa | warriors who challenge and fight the salakap (spirits of sickness) |
Mangindusa / Nagabacaban | heavens | Tagbanwa | god of the heavens; punisher of crime; depicted as sitting and swinging back and forth in a bintayawan |
Banig | hills | Ifugao | spirits of the hillsides and caves |
Suklang-malaon | homes | Bisaya | goddess of happy homes |
Anilaw ha Sumagda | house deity | Talaandig | house deity who guards the door |
Dadagunan hu Suguy | house deity | Talaandig | house deity who guards the lawn |
Diwata ha Manilib | house deity | Talaandig | house deity who records the activity of people inside the house |
Diwata Pinatanlay | house deity | Talaandig | house deity who guards the house and stays at the ridge of the roof |
Sinyuda Kahibunan | house deity | Talaandig | house deity who keeps the hall |
Abog | hunting | Bagobo | god of hunters |
Alagaka | hunting | Tagalog | protector of hunters |
Amanikable | hunting | Tagalog | god of the sea; god of hunters |
Anlabban | hunting | Isnag | special protector of hunters; looks after the welfare of people in general |
Kalao | hunting | Bugkalot (Ilongot) | spirit birds who guide and protect hunters' lives and souls |
Kedes | hunting | Aeta (Agta, Ayta) | god of the hunt |
Mamlindao | hunting | Kalinga | hunting spirits |
Paglingniyalan | hunting | Tagalog | god of hunters |
Sugudun / Sugujun | hunting | Manobo | god of hunters and trappers |
Uwinan Sana | jungle | Tagalog | god of the fields and the jungle |
Idianale | labor | Tagalog | goddess of labor and good deeds; also referred to as a goddess of the rice field |
Magdan-durunoon | lakes | Bisaya | god of hidden lakes |
Kaptan | lightning | Bisaya | supreme god; god of the sky; controls the wind and lightning |
Keat | lightning | Bugkalot (Ilongot) | personification of lightning |
Kidlat | lightning | Tagalog | god of lightning |
KiLat | lightning | Kalinga | god of lightning |
Linting Habughabug | lightning | Capiznon | god of lightning, who shouts in anger, and whose look can kill people |
Revenador | lightning | Ilocano | god of thunder and lightning |
Ribung Linti | lightning | Suludnon (Panay-Bukidnon) | deity of lightning and thunderstorms |
Anagolay | lost things | Tagalog | goddess of lost things |
Dian Masalanta | lovers | Tagalog | goddess of lovers |
Diwata | mediator | Pala'wan (Palawano) | benevolent and protective deity who is the mediator between humans and the supreme deity |
Liddum | mediator | Ifugao | chief mediator between the people and other gods; the only deity who inhabits the Kabunian realm |
Sappia | mercy | Bisaya | goddess of mercy |
Glinton | metalwork | T'boli | god of metalwork |
Ked-Yem | metalwork | Bontok | god of blacksmiths |
Tolus ka Gomanan | metalwork | Bagobo | god of smiths |
Mahinhin | modesty | Kapampangan | goddess of modesty; married a mortal |
Apûng Malyari | moon | Kapampangan | moon god, ruler of the eight rivers |
Bulan | moon | Ifugao | moon deity |
Bulan | moon | Pangasinense | moon god; merry and mischievous; guides the ways of thieves; his palace is the source of light of the stars |
Bulan | moon | Bisaya | moon deity |
Delan | moon | Bugkalot (Ilongot) | deity of the moon; giver of light and growth |
Haliya | moon | Bicolano | goddess of the moon |
Kabigat | moon | Bontok | goddess of the moon |
Launsina | moon | Capiznon | goddess of the sun, moon, stars, and seas; the most beloved by people |
Mayari | moon | Kapampangan | moon goddess who battled her brother, Apolaqui |
Mayari | moon | Tagalog | goddess of the moon |
Hanan | morning | Tagalog | goddess of the morning |
Afo Fungsu | mountains | Buhid Mangyan | lahi (protector spirit) of mountain peaks |
Batungbayanin | mountains | Batak | spirit of the mountains |
Camiguin | mountains | Bukidnon | mountain goddess |
Dumakulem | mountains | Tagalog | guardian of mountains |
Ibabagsuk | nature | Bukidnon | incantu (guardian divinity) of nature and plants |
Makiling | nature | Tagalog | kind goddess of Mount Makiling and protector of its environment and wildlife |
Saitan | nature | Sama-Bajau | nature spirits |
Inikadowa | other spirits | Maranao | a tonong (benign spirit) double or guardian of a person, who is with the person from the moment the baby is born |
Jinn | other spirits | Sama-Bajau | familiar spirits |
Makalun | other spirits | Ifugao | spirits that serve as messengers of the gods |
Sikag a Makaombaw | other spirits | Maranao | an intelligent and independent tonong (spirit) living within a very powerful amulet, which grants its wielder authority over all other tonong |
Tunung | other spirits | Maguindanao | spirits who live in the sky, water, mountain, or trees; listens to prayers and can converse with humans by borrowing the voice of a medium; protects humans from sickness and crops from pests |
Agtayabun | other top level deities | Bukidnon | adviser and peacemaker deity with a hawk-like head, wings, and a human body |
Alunsina | other top level deities | Karay-a | mother goddess |
Ampual | other top level deities | Ifugao | god of the fourth skyworld; bestowed plants and animals on people |
Cumucul | other top level deities | T'boli | son of the supreme deities; has a sword and shield and a cohort of fire |
Dadanhayan ha Sugay | other top level deities | Bukidnon | evil deity with a human body and ten heads |
Diwata | other top level deities | Batak | god who provides for the needs of humans and gives out rewards for good deeds |
Kadaklan | other top level deities | Tinguian (Itneg) | second-ranked deity who taught the people how to harvest crops, cure sickness, overcome bad omens and ward off evil spirits |
Laon | other top level deities | Aklanon | chief goddess |
Loos Klagan | other top level deities | Blaan | most feared deity; uttering his name is considered a curse |
Lumawig | other top level deities | Bontok | second son of Kabunian who taught the Bontok the five core values of an egalitarian society |
Agtayabun | peace | Bukidnon | adviser and peacemaker deity with a hawk-like head, wings, and a human body |
Bulan | peace | Ilocano | god of peace |
Manglubar | peace | Sambal | god of peaceful living |
Kainomayan | plenty | Sambal | goddess of plenty |
Malaykat | protection | Maguindanao | angelic beings who protect each person from illness; they also guide people in work, making humans active, diligent, and good |
Nága | protection | Kapampangan | serpent deities who protect structures against fire |
Tigyama | protection | Bagobo | god of protection |
Anitun Tabu | rain | Tagalog | goddess of wind and rain |
Anitun Tauo | rain | Sambal | goddess of wind and rain |
Diwata Kat Sidpan | rain | Tagbanwa | deity who controls the rain |
Oden | rain | Bugkalot (Ilongot) | deity of the rain |
Tagbanua | rain | Manobo | god of rain |
Balangaw | rainbow | Bisaya | the rainbow; one of the gods of war |
Bighari | rainbow | Tagalog | goddess of the rainbow; known for her love of flowers |
Bungun | rainbow | Kalinga | god of the rainbow |
Llokesin | rats | Ifugao | god of rats |
Halupi | remembrance | Ifugao | divinities of remembrance |
Afo Sapa | rivers | Buhid Mangyan | lahi (protector spirit) of rivers |
Apûng Malyari | rivers | Kapampangan | moon god, ruler of the eight rivers |
Fu El Melel | rivers | T'boli | spirit of the river |
Sirinan | rivers | Isnag | spirit of the river |
Sumalongsong | rivers | Suludnon (Panay-Bukidnon) | deity of the rivers and seas |
Tagma-sa-uba | rivers | Subanon | god of the rivers |
Bangan | romance | Kankanaey | goddess of romance; daughter of the supreme deity Lumawig |
Amanikable | sea | Tagalog | god of the sea; god of hunters |
Dagat | sea | Bicolano | goddess of the sea |
Haik | sea | Tagalog | god of the sea who protects travelers from storms and tempests |
Launsina | sea | Capiznon | goddess of the sun, moon, stars, and seas; the most beloved by people |
Lidagat | sea | Bisaya | the sea married to the wind; daughter of Maguayan, the god of the waters |
Limat | sea | Gaddang | god of the sea |
Magyawan | sea | Ilonggo (Hiligaynon) | god of the sea |
Makilum-sa-tubig | sea | Bisaya | god of the sea |
Neguno | sea | Cuyonon and Agutaynen | god of the sea |
Polo | sea | Tagbanwa | god of the sea whose help is invoked during times of illness |
Sedsed | sea | Aeta (Agta, Ayta) | god of the sea |
Sumalongsong | sea | Suludnon (Panay-Bukidnon) | deity of the rivers and seas |
Tagma-sa-Dagat | sea | Subanon | god of the sea |
Umboh Tuhan / Umboh Dilaut | sea | Sama-Bajau | god of the sea; one of two supreme deities |
Makapulaw | sea - sailors | Tagalog | god of sailors |
Sumangâ | sea - vessels | Sama-Bajau | spirit of sea vessels; guardian who deflects attacks on boats |
Beljan / Balyan | shamans | Pala'wan (Palawano) | spirits of all beljan (shamans) who travel across the universe (which is divided into fourteen different layers) to heal the world and reestablish cosmic balance |
Lageay Lengkuos | shamans | Teduray (Tiruray) | greatest of heroes; a shaman (beliyan) who made the earth and forests; the only one who could pass the magnet stone in the strait between the big and little oceans |
Akasi | sickness | Sambal | god of health and sickness |
Makaptan | sickness | Bisaya | god of sickness; co-ruler of Kamaritaan, the middleworld, together with Sidapa |
Salakap | sickness | Tagbanwa | spirits of epidemic sickness that arrive with the northwest winds |
Alunsina | sky | Bisaya | goddess of the sky |
Aninitud angachar | sky | Ifugao | deity of the sky world whose dissatisfaction with offerings manifests as lightning and thunder |
Batálâ / Salaksak | sky | Kapampangan | kingfisher deity known as father sky; when he was swallowed by Dapu, the crocodile deity who carried the earth on her back, Batálâ's two souls came out - Aldó and Búlan |
Kaptan | sky | Bisaya | supreme god; god of the sky; controls the wind and lightning |
Languiton | sky | Bicolano | god of the sky |
Laonsina | sky | Karay-a | sky goddess |
Mino’aw a Minepen | sky | Maranao | powerful spirit of the sky |
Tawen | sky | Bugkalot (Ilongot) | personification of the sky |
Tolos | sky | Maranao | benign spirits (tonong) who inhabit the sky realms; invoked in times of battle and quests |
Tungkung Langit | sky | Capiznon | god of the sky who brings famine, drought, storms, and floods |
Apu Daga | soil | Hanunoo Mangyan | spirit in the soil |
Talagbugta | soil | Bukidnon | incantu (guardian divinity) of the soil |
Apila | sports | Manobo | god of wrestling and sports |
Baka | stars | Teduray (Tiruray) | one of six constellation deities asked by the hero Lageay Lengkuos to remain in the sky to aid in people's farming |
Fegeferafad / Keluguy | stars | Teduray (Tiruray) | one of six constellation deities asked by the hero Lageay Lengkuos to remain in the sky to aid in people's farming |
Gaygayoma | stars | Tinguian (Itneg) | star goddess |
Kenogon | stars | Teduray (Tiruray) | one of six constellation deities asked by the hero Lageay Lengkuos to remain in the sky to aid in people's farming |
Kufukufu | stars | Teduray (Tiruray) | one of six constellation deities asked by the hero Lageay Lengkuos to remain in the sky to aid in people's farming |
Launsina | stars | Capiznon | goddess of the sun, moon, stars, and seas; the most beloved by people |
Mi’lalabi | stars | Ifugao | star and constellation deities |
Pandac | stars | Bugkalot (Ilongot) | deity of the stars; giver of light and growth |
Seretar | stars | Teduray (Tiruray) | one of six constellation deities asked by the hero Lageay Lengkuos to remain in the sky to aid in people's farming |
Singkad | stars | Teduray (Tiruray) | one of six constellation deities asked by the hero Lageay Lengkuos to remain in the sky to aid in people's farming |
Tala | stars | Tagalog | goddess of stars; also called Bulak Tala, deity of the morning star |
Tálâ | stars | Kapampangan | the bright star who introduced wet rice cultivation |
Fon Batoo | stones / minerals | Blaan | spirit of rocks and stones |
Liadlao | stones / minerals | Bisaya | gold-bodied son of Lidagat and Lihangin; his body became the sun |
Libulan | stones / minerals | Bisaya | copper-bodied son of Lidagat and Lihangin; his body became the moon |
Licalibutan | stones / minerals | Bisaya | rock-bodied son of Lidagat and Lihangin; inherited control of the wind from his father; his body became the earth |
Lisuga | stones / minerals | Bisaya | silver-bodied daughter of Lidagat and Lihangin; her body fragmented to become the stars |
Paglimusan | stones / minerals | Batak | spirit of the small stones |
Sulingbunganin | stones / minerals | Batak | spirit of the big rocks |
Galurâ | storms | Kapampangan | giant eagle; bringer of storms |
Inaiyau | storms | Manobo | god of storms |
Puwok | storms | Ifugao | controls typhoons |
Sarangan-sa-bagtiw | storms | Bisaya | god of storms |
Tungkung Langit | storms | Capiznon | god of the sky who brings famine, drought, storms, and floods |
Umboh Baliyu | storms | Sama-Bajau | spirits of wind and storms |
Kasaray-sarayan-sa-silgan | streams | Bisaya | god of streams |
Bankakah | strength | Batak | one of the deities of strength |
Baybayen | strength | Batak | one of the deities of strength |
Buengelen | strength | Batak | one of the deities of strength |
Paraen | strength | Batak | one of the deities of strength |
Siabuanan | strength | Batak | one of the deities of strength |
Adlaw | sun | Bisaya | sun deity |
Agueo | sun | Pangasinense | sun god who lives in a palace of light |
Algao | sun | Aeta (Agta, Ayta) | sun god |
Amman | sun | Ilocano | god of the sun |
Apolake | sun | Tagalog | god of the sun; god of warriors; ruler of the world during daytime |
Apolaqui | sun | Kapampangan | sun god who battled his sister, Mayari |
Aring Sinukûan | sun | Kapampangan | sun god of war and death |
Chal-chal | sun | Bontok | god of the sun |
Elag | sun | Bugkalot (Ilongot) | deity of the sun; giver of light and growth |
Init-init | sun | Tinguian (Itneg) | sun god |
Launsina | sun | Capiznon | goddess of the sun, moon, stars, and seas; the most beloved by people |
Magrakad | sun | Tagbanwa | god found on the other side of the sun at exactly noontime; gives the warmth which sustains life and carries away sickness when people are ill |
Mapatar | sun | Ifugao | sun deity |
Ai Suno | supreme deity | Eskaya | supreme child deity |
Ama-Gaolay | supreme deity | Pangasinense | supreme deity |
Bagatulayan | supreme deity | Tinguian (Itneg) | supreme deity; directs the activities of the world and the heavenly realms |
Bathala | supreme deity | Tagalog | supreme god and creator deity, also known as Bathala Maykapal, Lumilikha, and Abba |
Bulon La Mogoaw | supreme deity | T'boli | one of two supreme deities; married to Kadaw La Sambad; lives in the seventh layer of the universe |
Buni | supreme deity | Ilocano | possible name of the supreme being who tasked giants with creation |
Dayang Dayang Mangilai | supreme deity | Sama-Bajau | goddess of the forest; one of two supreme deities |
Diwata Magbabaya | supreme deity | Subanon | supreme deity; creator of heaven and earth; lives in the sky; can turn anyone into stone through his lightning |
Empuq / Ampu / Nagsalad | supreme deity | Pala'wan (Palawano) | supreme deity and creator of all things; also called Nagsalad (the weaver) because he is the master who wove the world and created several kinds of humanity |
Gamhanan | supreme deity | Aklanon | supreme deity and giver of life, security, and livelihood |
Gugurang | supreme deity | Bicolano | supreme god; god of good |
Gutugutumakkan | supreme deity | Aeta (Agta, Ayta) | supreme deity |
Kabunian | supreme deity | Ifugao | supreme deity; chief among the high-ranking deities above the skyworld |
Kabunian | supreme deity | Ibaloi | supreme deity |
Kabunian / Intutungcho | supreme deity | Bontok | supreme deity |
Kabunyan | supreme deity | Kalinga | supreme deity; makes the soul suitable for good crops; wards off bad spirits |
Kadaw La Sambad | supreme deity | T'boli | one of two supreme deities; married to Bulon La Mogoaw; lives in the seventh layer of the universe |
Kaptan | supreme deity | Bisaya | supreme god; god of the sky; controls the wind and lightning |
Laon | supreme deity | Ilonggo (Hiligaynon) | supreme goddess and creator |
Laon | supreme deity | Capiznon | supreme goddess |
Lumawig | supreme deity | Kankanaey | supreme deity |
Magbabaya | supreme deity | Bukidnon | supreme deity; created the earth, sea, sky, moon, stars, and the first eight elements |
Magbabaya | supreme deity | Talaandig | supreme deity |
Maguimba | supreme deity | Batak | god in the remotest times; lived among the people; provided all the necessities of life and cures for all illnesses; able to bring the dead back to life |
Magwala / Magdili | supreme deity | Ati | supreme spirit |
Mahal na Makaako | supreme deity | Hanunoo Mangyan | supreme deity |
Maka-ako | supreme deity | Karay-a | supreme deity residing on the uppermost level of the cosmic universe's seven layers |
Makapangwa | supreme deity | Ibanag | supreme being |
Makapatag-Malaon | supreme deity | Waray | supreme deity who had both a male (Makapatag - fearful and destructive) and female (Malaon - understanding) aspect |
Malayari | supreme deity | Sambal | supreme deity and creator |
Manama / Sigalungan | supreme deity | Manuvu | supreme deity; created the diwatas to assist him in creation |
Mangetchay / Mangatia | supreme deity | Kapampangan | supreme deity |
Pamulak Manobo | supreme deity | Bagobo | supreme deity and creator of the world |
Supreme Being | supreme deity | Maguindanao | supreme deity who is far way, and so lesser divinities and spirits hear people's prayers instead |
Tagbusan | supreme deity | Manobo | supreme deity; rules over the destinies of all other gods and mortals |
Tahaw | supreme deity | Mamanwa | supreme deity |
Tohan | supreme deity | Maranao | supreme deity |
Tulus | supreme deity | Teduray (Tiruray) | the Great Spirit who created all things from mud, including those that we see (such as humans) and those that we can't see (such as spirits) |
Tungkung Langit | supreme deity | Suludnon (Panay-Bukidnon) | supreme deity; the most powerful male Diwata |
Umboh Tuhan / Umboh Dilaut | supreme deity | Sama-Bajau | god of the sea; one of two supreme deities |
Mangilala | temptation | Bukidnon | god of temptation; haunts the seventh tier of the underworld |
Ibu | the dead | Manobo | goddess; rules over the land of the dead |
Imbayan / Lingayan | the dead | Ifugao | divinities who guide souls after they die |
Maguayen | the dead | Ilonggo (Hiligaynon) | god who carries the souls of the dead to the ends of the earth in a boat |
Manduyapit | the dead | Manobo | god who ferries departed souls across the red river before going to the afterworld |
Paalulong | the dead | Tagalog | god of the sick and the dead |
Lampinsaka | the sick | Tagalog | god of the lame and cripple |
Paalulong | the sick | Tagalog | god of the sick and the dead |
Polo | the sick | Tagbanwa | god of the sea whose help is invoked during times of illness |
Tagma-sa-langit | the sick | Subanon | god who protects the sick |
Anit / Anitan | thunder | Manobo | guardian of the thunderbolt |
Kidu | thunder | Bugkalot (Ilongot) | personification of thunder |
KiDul | thunder | Kalinga | god of thunder |
Revenador | thunder | Ilocano | god of thunder and lightning |
Ribung Linti | thunder | Suludnon (Panay-Bukidnon) | deity of lightning and thunderstorms |
Upu Kuyaw | thunder | Pala'wan (Palawano) | grandfather god of thunder |
Bangun Bangun | times / seasons | Suludnon (Panay-Bukidnon) | deity of universal time; regulates cosmic movements |
Gatpanapun | times / seasons | Kapampangan | represents the afternoon |
Lakandanup | times / seasons | Kapampangan | represents the sun at noontime; god of gluttony |
Linamin at Bulag | times / seasons | Pala'wan (Palawano) | goddess of the dry season |
Mapulon | times / seasons | Tagalog | god of seasons |
Munag Sumalâ | times / seasons | Kapampangan | represents dawn; golden serpent child |
Pahulangkug | times / seasons | Suludnon (Panay-Bukidnon) | deity who changes the seasons |
Sisilim | times / seasons | Kapampangan | represents the dusk; her arrival is greeted by the songs of the cicadas |
Galangkalulua | travel | Tagalog | winged god who loves to travel |
Kapiso Pabalita | travel | Tagalog | news-giving protector of travelers |
Balungbunganin | trees | Batak | spirit of the almaciga trees |
Fon Kayoo | trees | Blaan | spirit of the trees |
Panya’en | trees | Batak | entities who control certain wild trees and animals |
Aninitud chalom | underworld | Ifugao | deity of the underworld whose anger manifests as a sudden shaking of the earth |
Masaken | underworld | Kankanaey | ruler of the underworld |
Masekën | underworld | Ibaloi | ruler of the underworld; has red eyes, green eyebrows, and a tail |
Mebuyan | underworld | Bagobo | underworld goddess |
Tabiacoud | underworld | Tagbanwa | god of the underworld |
Taliyakud | underworld | Tagbanwa | chief god of the underworld who tends a fire between two tree trunks; asks questions of the souls of the dead |
Tau Dalom Tala | underworld | Blaan | spirit who lives in the underworld |
Makilum-sa-twan | valleys / plains | Bisaya | god of the plains and valleys |
Maklilum-sa-twan | valleys / plains | Capiznon | god of the plains and valleys |
Lalahon | volcanoes | Bisaya | goddess of fire, volcanoes, and the harvest |
Lulid-Batang | volcanoes | Capiznon | god of the earth, responsible for earthquakes and volcanic eruptions |
Apolaqui / Apolaki | war | Pangasinense | war god |
Aring Sinukûan | war | Kapampangan | sun god of war and death |
Balangaw | war | Bisaya | the rainbow; one of the gods of war |
Hipag | war | Ifugao | ferocious spirits of war that give soldiers courage on the field of war |
Inaginid | war | Bisaya | one of the gods of war |
Makanduk | war | Bisaya | one of the gods of war |
Pamdiya | war | Manobo | war divinities |
Sidapa | war | Tagalog | god of war who settles disputes among mortals |
Talagbusao | war | Bukidnon | bloodthirsty god of war |
Apolake | warriors | Tagalog | god of the sun; god of warriors; ruler of the world during daytime |
Chacha | warriors | Bontok | god of warriors |
Darago | warriors | Bagobo | god of warriors |
Mandarangan | warriors | Bagobo | god of warriors |
Apo | water | Maranao | benign tornado and waterspout spirits (tonong) tasked to kill or drive away evil spirits |
Apu Dandum | water | Hanunoo Mangyan | spirit in the water |
Bulalakaw | water | Bukidnon | incantu (guardian divinity) of the water and all the creatures living in it |
Fon Eel | water | Blaan | spirit of water |
Fu El | water | T'boli | spirit of water |
Maguayan | water | Bisaya | god who rules the waters as his kingdom; father of Lidagat |
Tubigan | water | Bicolano | god of the water |
Yumud | water | Manobo | god of water |
Fili | wealth / property | Ifugao | divinities of property |
Kayamanan | wealth / property | Sambal | goddess of wealth |
Mamahandi | wealth / property | Bukidnon | incantu (guardian divinity) of the material wealth of men |
Tao-sa-sulup | wealth / property | Bukidnon | god of material goods |
Abra | weather | Ilocano | god who controls the weather |
Libtakan | weather | Manobo | god of sunrise, sunset, and good weather |
Bait Pandi | weaving | Bagobo | goddess of weavers |
Fu Dalu | weaving | T'boli | goddess of the abaca plant; speaks to weavers in their dreams and guides them in creating patterns and designs |
Mamiyo | weaving | Ifugao | stretcher of skeins; one of 23 Ifugao weaving deities |
Monlolot | weaving | Ifugao | winder of thread on the spindle; one of 23 Ifugao weaving deities |
Alipugpug | wind | Isnag | spirit of the little whirlwind from the burned field, whose presence is a sign of a good harvest coming |
Amihan | wind | Tagalog | gentle wind deity who plays only during half of the year, because playing together with her brother, Habagat, would be too much for the world to handle |
Anitun Tabu | wind | Tagalog | goddess of wind and rain |
Anitun Tauo | wind | Sambal | goddess of wind and rain |
Domalongdong | wind | Bukidnon | god of the north wind |
Habagat | wind | Tagalog | active wind deity who plays only during half of the year, because playing together with his sister, Amihan, would be too much for the world to handle |
Hangin | wind | Tagalog | god of wind |
Kaptan | wind | Bisaya | supreme god; god of the sky; controls the wind and lightning |
Lihangin | wind | Bisaya | the wind married to the sea; son of Kaptan, the sky god |
Linamin at Barat | wind | Pala'wan (Palawano) | goddess of the monsoon winds |
Lubay-lubyuk Hanginun si Mahuyuk-huyukun | wind | Capiznon | goddess of the evening breeze |
Magbaya | wind | Bukidnon | god of the west wind |
Maguyaen | wind | Bisaya | goddess of the winds of the sea |
Ognaaling | wind | Bukidnon | god of the south wind |
Paros | wind | Bicolano | god of the wind |
Puok | wind | Ifugao | a kind of Hidit (punishing divinities) who use winds to destroy the dwellings of miners who break taboos |
Saguday | wind | Ilocano | god of the wind |
Tagaloambung | wind | Bukidnon | god of the east wind |
Umboh Baliyu | wind | Sama-Bajau | spirits of wind and storms |
Ginuong Pagsuutan | women | Tagalog | protectress of women and travail |
Ibabasag | women | Bukidnon | goddess of pregnant women |
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