The Philipines is a country characterized by its complex cultures and influences as a result of previous colonizations. Spanish and American influences are very dominant in the Filipinos’s culture, with the country’s name itself, the Filipinas, given in honor of King Philip II of Spain in 1543 (Agoncillo 81). Its primary ancestors are the Malays from the southern Asian country which is now Indonesia. Even before the country was discovered by the Europeans, the Filipinos already had connections with the Chinese, which explains the large number of Chinese-Filipinos in the country. Years after, the Japanese, Indians, Arabians, the Muslims, and many other countries came to the country. Despite the mixture of foreign influences, the Philippines was able was able to maintain some of its indigenous beliefs and practices, with some having its variation from region to region.
Prior to the arrival of the Spaniards and the Roman Catholicism, the indigenous inhabitants of the Philippines were believers of animism or the worship of nature. There were some who worshipped the stars, the trees, the shrubs, mountains, and rocks. The stories of ancient mythology in the country are dominated by deities, stories of creation, and mythical creatures. Though these creatures are known in different names in different regions of the country, most Filipinos share the same belief of heaven, hell, and the spirit.
The Tagalogs, the major ethnic group in the country largely concentrated in Luzon, beleive that Bathala was the supreme God and was represented by the sun. Bathala and all other deities are known in different names in the different regions all over the country. According to the story, Bathala or Bathalang Maykapal, ruled over the barren Earth (Books LLC 26). Two other gods – Ulilang Kaluluwa (Orphaned Spirit) a huge snake living in the clouds, and Galang Kaluluwa (Wandering Spirit) ruled the skies. They were unknown to each other, and when Bathala and Ulilang Kaluluwa met, a fight ensued. Ulilang Kaluluwa died, making Bathala the ruler of the heavens. Galang Kaluluwa became friends with Bathala, and when he died, Bathala became the supreme god. His marriage to a mortal woman gave him three powerful offsprings: Apolaki, the God of War and Guradian of the Sun; Mayari, Goddess of the Moon; and Tala, Goddess of the Stars (Books LLC 28).
One myth says that when Bathala died, he did not designate any of his children to rule the Earth. Apolaki wanted to rule the Earth alone, but Mayari wanted an equal share. A fight took place, with Apolaki ending up taking out one his sister’s eyes. Feeling guilty and regretful for what he has done, he agreed to rule the Earth with Mayari but at different times. Apolaki will rule at daytime, and Mayari at night. Due to Mayari’s loss of one eye, her luminescence is less brighter than that of Apolaki’s.
Tala did not have a colorful story as her two siblings, but there are varied accounts regarding her origin. One story says that she is the daughter of Buan and not Bathala (Jocano 184). Buan or Bula is the moon goddess, and she was warned by Tala to be cautious of the sun god Arao or Adlaw’s rampage. When Arao is gone, Buan can then bring out the stars in the skies.
In another story of creation, Bathala, Aman Sinaya, and Amihan were the only beings who existed. Bathala was god of the sky, Aman Sinaya the goddess of the Sea, and Amihan the Northeast Wind (Balajadia 1). A long history of rivalry exists between Bathala and Aman Sinaya, and everyday they would fight. With both of them possessing superpowers, Bathala used his lightning bolts and thunder while Aman Sinaya used her waves and typhoons. When she sent tempest to the skies, Bathala retaliated by throwing giant boulders from the top of the mountains. These boulders became islands separated from each other, the islands that now compose the Philippines. In order to put a stop to their constant fights, Amihan took the form of a bird and tried to bring Bathala and Aman Sinaya close to each other so they could talk. In the end, the two agreed to stop the fight with Bathala planting a bamboo underneath the ocean floor. It grew tall until one day, Amihan the bird heard someone calling her. She pecked open the bamboo tree and Malakas (the Strong) and Maganda (the Beautiful) came out (Balajadia 3). They were said to be the first humans to live on Earth.
In yet another story that includes Bathala, Bakunawa or the “Moon eater” see each other as mortal enemies. Bakunawa resembles that of a giant sea dragon or serpent, and is known as the god of the underworld who causes the eclipse as he swallowed the moon (General Books LLC 32). Bathala created seven moons, and Bakunawa was attracted to their beauty. Leaping from the sea, he ate the moons which angered Bathala.
The Philippine culture is rich in mythology and traditional beliefs that deal about creation. Although a bit modernized due to the diverse cultures that were integrated into its old culture, these stories managed to survive by teaching children in school about them. Books and older people retelling these stories to the younger ones brought awareness to today’s children’s better understanding of their culture.
Works Cited
Agoncillo, Teodoro A. History of the Filipino People, Eighth Edition. n.d. Web. 16nov.
2014
Balajadia, Hilario. “The Creation Myth.” Lbpac. Lbac, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
Books LLC. Filipino Deities: Tagalog Deities, Visayan Deities, Bathala, Tagbanua
Mythology, Bakunawa, Bernardo Carpio, Sarimanok, Mangindusa, Kan-Laon. BooksLLC. Books LLC, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
Jocan, F. Landa and Wilfredo P. Ronquillo. Filipino Prehistory: Rediscovering
Precolonial Heritage Anthropolgy of the Filipino People. 1998. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
