➢ originally an agricultural goddess,

was the deity of love, particularly

MYTHOLOGY REVIEWER sexual love.

DIANA (ARTEMIS)

Good Luck!!! ➢ was a huntress, goddess of the

woods and moon.

MARS (ARES)
ROMAN MYTHOLOGY ➢ the son of Juno, was a highly
respected god of war but also an
agricultural deity.
➢ he represented two primary Roman
ROMAN GODS AND GODDESS preoccupations — farming and
JUPITER or JOVE (ZEUS) fighting.

➢ reigned in the Roman pantheon and

defended the state MERCURY (HERMES)
➢ a god of celestial phenomena and ➢ was a god of commerce and
justice. messages.

SATURN (CRONUS) CUPID (EROS)

➢ the father of Jupiter, ruled Italy during ➢ Venus’ son.
the Golden Age. ➢ was the god of erotic attraction.
➢ the Saturnalia was held in his honor, a
winter festival in which masters and
slaves exchanged roles, a time of gift APOLLO
giving and license.
➢ was the god of truth and light, as in
Greece.
DIS or PLUTO (HADES)
➢ ruled the underworld of death. LIBER or BACCHUS (DIONYSUS)
➢ was the god of wine and
NEPTUNE (POSEIDON) drunkenness.
➢ was lord of the sea.
PROSERPINA (PERSEPHONE)
JUNO (HERA) ➢ a goddess of spring.
➢ the daughter of Ceres and wife of
➢ the wife of Jupiter, a goddess of Pluto.
motherhood and childbearing.

VULCAN OR MULCIBER (HEPHAESTUS)

VESTA (HESTIA)
➢ was a god of fire and warmth, of the
➢ was a lovely goddess of the hearth forge and of volcanic eruptions.
and of sacrificial fire.
➢ her temple was tended by the Vestal
Virgins.
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/m/mythol
ogy/about-roman-mythology
CERES (DEMETER)
➢ was a goddess of grain.
ARTHURIAN LEGEND
MINERVA (ATHENA)
➢ was a warrior goddess who also
presided over commerce. LEGEND
➢ is a traditional story sometimes
popularly regarded as historical but
unauthenticated.
VENUS (APHRODITE)
KING ARTHUR comradeship of the Round Table apart,
and he eventually goes to war against
➢ he is a Celtic king born of deceit Arthur.
and adultery, grew to become one of
the most famous rulers of Britain.
➢ he was a warrior, a knight and a KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE
king who killed giants, witches and
monsters and led a band of heroes ➢ a fellowship of knights Arthur chose
on many daring adventures. from the sons of noble families to
➢ some historian believe that Arthur defend king and country.
was Dux (Duke) of Britain, a Roman ➢ when Arthur received the Round Table
title. from his father, there was room for 150
➢ he is known for his Knights of the knights, though later, twelve are
Round Table and for uniting the mentioned.
peoples of his land. Even though his
end was tragic, he is still known and
12 KNIGHTS
celebrated all over the world today.
➢ his story is painted on the halls of the • SIR LANCELOT
British Parliament. ➢ was the son of King Ban of Benwick and
Queen Elaine.
➢ Lancelot was the First Knight of the
https://www.pbs.org/mythsandheroes/myths_fo Round Table, and he never failed in
ur_arthur.html gentleness, courtesy, or courage. In
addition to his courage and prowess on
the battlefield, Lancelot was also a
knight who was consistently serving
ARTHURIAN LEGEND others, thus giving him a good name
➢ a Celtic warlord of the late 400s CE. and favor amorng most circles
➢ son of an adulterous love between Sir ➢ Legend tells us that as a child, Lancelot
Lancelot and Queen Guinevere. was left by the shore of The Lake,
where he was found by Vivien, the
Lady of the Lake. Caring for him as her
THE KING AND HIS KNIGHTS own, Vivien fostered and raised
Lancelot, raising one of history’s
➢ at the center of the legends is King greatest knights.
Arthur. Like many heroes of meat and ➢ It was Sir Lancelot’s love for Queen
legend, he is one of a royal birth. Guinevere which led to the confrontation
➢ Arthur must overcome many enemies where Lancelot mistakenly killed Sir
to establish his claim to the throne, and Gareth, ultimately leading to the
some of the kings and noblemen he disbandment of the Round Table.
defeats are so impressed by him that ➢ He resCued Guinevere from being
they swear loyalty to him. burned at the stake on two different
occasions.
MAGICAL POWER AND HUMAN
• SIR GAWAIN
WEAKNESS
➢ was generally said to be the nephew
➢ Arthur becomes king by gaining of King Arthur.
possession of the enchanted sword ➢ Gawain’s parents were King Lot of
Excalibur, a token of power like many Orkney and Morgause.
magical devices in mythology. ➢ he was also the most trusted friend
➢ Other supernatural elements in the of Sir Lancelot and in some
Arthurian legends include the giants legends, he seems to be the rightful
and monsters that Arthur and the heir to the throne of Camelot once
knights frequently battle. King Arthur passes.
➢ The tragic aspect of the legends, ➢ the accidental death of Gawain’s
however, arises not from wicked brothers, Sir Gareth at Sir Lancelot’s
sorcerers or viious enemies but from the hands caused Gawain, one of the
people closest to the king. mightiest warriors at court, to
➢ Guinevere, his queen, and Lancelot become the bitter enemy of his
his beloved friend and champion knight, once greatest friend.
betray the king by becoming lovers.
➢ Like the appearance of the serpent in • SIR GARETH
the Garden of Eden, their adultery ➢ was the youngest son of King Lot
introduces discord and deception into and Morgause of Orkney, which
what had been a perfect world. made him the youngest brother of Sir
➢ Mordred, Arthur’s jealous nephew, uses Gawain.
Guinevere’s affair to tear the
 ➢ Sir Lancelot blindly illed Sir Gareth ➢ first country to mine diamonds.
accidentally in his rescue of Queen ➢ The Shani Shingnapur Village in India
Guinevere from burning at the stake. is a village that doesn't have any
When Sir Gawain, Gareth’s older doors and locks.
brother heard of Gareth’s death at ➢ Indians were the ones who invented
Lancelot’s hands, he turned against shampoo.
Sir Lancelot and demanded that King ➢ pioneers of plastic surgery.
Arthur find and punish him.
➢ it was this rift between Lancelot and
Gawain that ultimately set the stage
for Mordred’s takeover of the INDIAN MYTHOLOGY
Kingdom.
➢ are the narratives found in Hindu texts
such as the Vedic literature, epics like
Mahabharata and Ramayana, and the
Puranas, the regional literature like
Periya Puranam.
INDIAN MYTHOLOGY
India is in Southern Asia. It is bordered by the VEDAS
Arabian Sea, Laccadive Sea, and the Bay of
➢ the earliest Indian texts.
Bengal to the South; Bhutan, Nepal, China,
➢ a series of sacred hymns in honor of the
and Pakistan to the North; and Bangladesh
Aryan gods, who personified natural
and Myanmar (Burma) to the East.
forces such a sun, storm, and fire.
➢ the Vedic religion was materialistic,
devoted to obtaining power, prosperity,
INDIA health, and other blessings by means of
rituals and sacrifices.
➢ is the seventh largest country in the
world in terms of land area.

HINDUISM
POLITICAL BOUNDARIES
➢ around 500 BC, Buddha, addressed
➢ India shares its international borders himself to the problem of human
with: Pakistan and Nepal in the suffering and discovered away to
West; China and Bhutan on its eliminate it through discipline living and
Northeast; Myanmar and giving up one's desires. He gained so
Bangladesh on its East; Sri Lanka on many followers that the Brahmins were
its South. forced to incorporate his ideas into their
teachings.
CLIMATE ➢ the results was Hinduism, a modified
polytheism with three major gods:
➢ the climate is altered by the Thar Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.
Desert and the Himalayas.
➢ some areas in the North have
severe summer and extreme DELHI
winters with temperature reaching to ➢ the capital city of India.
freezing points.
➢ the country has four season:
summer, winter, monsoon, and
post monsoon. INDIAN GODS AND GODDESSES
➢ HIGHEST TEMPERATURE
RECORDED: 45°C INDRA
➢ LOWEST TEMPERATURE
RECORDED: ➢ main god of the Vedas.
-45°C ➢ a hard drinking, swaggering warrior who
rides his solar chariot across the sky
and wields the thunderbolt.
RELIGION / RELIGIOUS DEMOGRAPHY ➢ as a storm god, he brings the rain to
fertilize India’s parched soil.
➢ HINDUS – constitute of 79.8% of the
population.
➢ MUSLIMS – 14.2% MITRA and VARUNA
➢ CHRISTIANS – 2.3%
➢ SIKHS – 1.7% ➢ maintain the cosmic order.
➢ MITRA, the sun, presides over contracts
and friendship.
TRIVIA ABOUT INDIA
 ➢ VARUNA, the moon, supervises the • In the beginning , the heavens and earth
oaths. were still one and all was chaos. The
➢ these gods (MITRA and VARUNA) universe was like a big black egg,
reflects the values of the warrior caste. carrying Pan Gu inside itself. After 18
thousand years Pan Gu woke from a
long sleep. He felt suffocated, so he
AGNI took up a broadax and wielded it with all
➢ is the priest’s god of fire. his might to crack open the egg.
➢ he presides at the altar of the hearth, • The light, clear part of it floated up and
exists as lightning, and blazes at the formed the heavens, the cold, turbid
heart of the sun. matter stayed below to form earth. Pan
Gu stood in the middle, his head
touching the sky, his feet planted on the
BRIHASPATI earth. The heavens and the earth began
to grow at a rate of ten feet per day, and
➢ the god of incantation and ritual. Pan Gu grew along with them. After
➢ the personification of priestly magic. another 18 thousand years, the sky was
higher, the earth thicker, and Pan Gu
stood between them like a pillar 9 million
SOMA
li in height so that they would never join
➢ is a both narcotic plant and god who again.
gives inspiration, literates men, and
represents the principle of life. • When Pan Gu died, his breath became
the wind and clouds, his voice the
rolling thunder. One eye became the
sun and on the moon. His body and
BRAHMA, VISHNU, SHIVA limbs turned to five big mountains and
➢ BRAHMA – the creator of everything his blood formed the roaring water. His
(LIFE) veins became far-stretching roads and
➢ VISHNU – the preserver of nature his muscles fertile land.
(BIRTH)
➢ SHIVA – the ultimate destroyer • The innumerable stars in the sky came
(DEATH) who brings about change from his hair and beard, and flowers
whenever it becomes necessary. and trees from his skin and the fine
hairs on his body. His marrow turned to
jade and pearls. His sweat flowed like
the good rain and sweet dew that
CHINESE MYTHOLOGY nurtured all things on earth.

The current Chinese government recognizes • According to some versions of the Pan
fifty-six ethnic groups. Gu legend, his tears flowed to make
rivers and radiance of his eyes turned
into thunder and lighting. When he was
CREATION MYTH happy the sun shone, but when he was
angry black clouds gathered in the sky.
PHAN KU One version of the legend has it that the
fleas and lice on his body became the
• In the beginning was a huge egg
ancestors of mankind.
containing chaos and mixture of yin-
yang (female, male, cold-heat, dark-
light, wet-dry, etc.). Also, within this yin- • The Pan Gu story has become firmly
yang was Phan Ku who broke forth from fixed in Chinese tradition. There is even
the egg as a giant who separated the an idiom relating to it: “Since Pan Gu
yin-yang into many opposites, including created earth and the heavens,”
earth and sky. With a great chisel and meaning “for a very long time.”
huge hammer, Phan Ku carved out the Nevertheless, it is rather a latecomer to
mountains, rivers, valleys, and oceans. the catalog of Chinese legends. First
He also made the sun, moon, and stars. mention of it is in a book on Chinese
When he died, after 18,000 years, it is myths written by Xu Zheng in the Three
said that the fleas in his hair became Kingdoms period (CE 220-265). Some
human beings. In summation, the opinions hold that it originated in south
Chinese say that everything that is – is China or southeast Asia.
Phan Ku and everything that Phan Ku is
yin-yang.
http://faculty.salisbury.edu/~mllewis/World-
Civ/Chinese.htm

PAN GU
 CHINESE GODS AND ➢ it was said she molded yellow mud into
a figure like her, which was then alive
GODDESSES and became the first human being.
➢ Nüwa is also known for mending the sky
with five-colored stones.
GUANYIN

➢ goddess of mercy. NEZHA

➢ she is considered to always help the
distressed and hungry and gives ➢ a great teen deity in Chinese mythology.
comfort and aid wherever it is needed. ➢ Nezha was most well-known for
➢ the most well-known one in China and assisting Jiang Ziya against the Shang
liked by both young and old people. Dynasty in the 16th century Chinese
novel Fengsheng Yanyi.
➢ In the journey to West, Nezha was a
JADE EMPEROR general of the heaven.
➢ she fought the monkey king and helped
➢ the most powerful god and controls all him defeat powerful demons.
gods from the Buddhist and Taoist and
other religions.
➢ is worshiped by ordinary Chinese CAISHEN
people throughout all China.
➢ the highest deity ruling the universe in ➢ a god in charge of wealth in Chinese
Chinese Taoism. mythology.
➢ Chinese people specially businessmen
often offer sacrifices to Caishen at
home or shops, hoping to become richer
WANGMU NIANGNIANG with the help of this “Chinese god of
money”
➢ queen mother of the West. ➢ he is usually depicted in red clothes
➢ the highest goddess and wife of the holding a golden rod.
Jade Emperor in Taoism.
➢ she commands all female gods and is
also a god of happiness and longevity CHANG’E
and has magic pills which can make
people live forever. ➢ Chinese goddess of the Moon.
➢ she owns a Heavenly Peach Garden in ➢ wife of Hou Yi, a hero who shot nine
which magic peach trees grow. sons in the ancient mythology of China.
➢ the peach can make people perpetually ➢ During the traditional Chinese Mid-
young. Autumn festival, Chinese people usually
offer mooncakes and stare at the moon
in hopes of seeing her.
YAN WANG
➢ god of death who commands all the
gods of the underworld. THE EIGHT IMMORTALS
➢ he has a filing book which records the
life and death of every person. ➢ a group of legendary immortals in
➢ he gives appropriate punishment Chinese mythology.
according to the conduct of each acts ➢ each immortal has his or her own power
during his lifetime. tool to bestow life or destroy evil.
➢ They live on five islands in the east
China’s Bohai Sea including the famous
LONG WANG Penglai Island in Shandong province.

➢ dragon king • He Xian’gu

➢ the Chinese god of the sea. • Han Xiang Zi
➢ he rules his own royal court and • Lan Caihe
commands all creatures in water. • Li Tieguai
➢ the dragon king also controls the rain
• Lü Dongbin
and winds and can bring rainfall to the
• Zhongli Quan
earth according to the order of Jade
• Cao Guojiu
Emperor.
• Zhang Guo Lao.

NÜWA https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/Chines
e_Customs/eight_immortals.htm
➢ Chinese goddess who created human
beings.
OTHER CHINESE GODS AND GODDESS
Yue Lao – Chinese god of love. • Most of these myths were passed on
through oral tradition and preserved
Fuxing – Chinese god of happiness. through the aid of community spiritual
Gonggong – Chinese god of water. leaders or shamans (babaylan, katalonan,
mumbaki, baglan, machanitu, walian,
Zhu Geliang – Chinese god of wisdom. mangubat, bahasa, etc.) and community
elders.
Tudiye – Chinese earth god.
Xie Zhi – Chinese god of justice.
Shennongshi – Chinese god of medicine. PHILIPPINE PANTHEON OF GODS AND
Jiutianxuannv – Chinese goddess of war. GODDESSES

Xihe – Chinese god of sun. According to the late Damiana L. Eugenio, the
Mother of Philippine Folklore, myths “account
for the origin of the world, of mankind, of
death, or for characteristics of birds,
HOW THE CHINESE ZODIAC STARTED animals, geographical features, and the
phenomena of nature”.
The Jade Emperor announced a race for all
animals to compete for the twelve places in the
Chinese zodiac. The rat was supposed to wake
up her neighbor the cat in the morning, but LUZON DEITIES
simply forgot. The rat joined the other animals
in the race to the palace, climbing on the ox, ➢ the first one is the most powerful
who was running in front, only to jump off when Bathala, or Bathalang Maykapal.
they had reached the palace to become the ➢ Bathala reigns Supreme in the
first animal of the zodiac. heavens, he is the leader of the gods in
the Tagalog myths.

It was followed by the ox, the tiger, the rabbit,

the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat, the TWO BROTHERS OF BATHALA
monkey, the rooster, the dog and the pig. • ULILANG KALULUWA (a snake living
The cat, however, arrived far too late and in the clouds)
missed out. • GALANG KALULUWA (the winged
wanderer).
This is why the cat hates the rat so much that
she will always try to kill her. None of the three knew each other, and when
Ulilang met with Bathala, a violent duel
happened. Bathala won, and Ulilang was killed,
giving Bathala control of the heavens.

Galang Kaluluwa became the sky ruler and

MYTHS and FOLKLORE OF THE Bathala’s best friend. But after the sky
wanderers illness, Galang died, and Bathala
PHILIPPINES ruled supreme

PHILIPPINE MYTHOLOGY 3 DEMIGODS

• Philippine mythology is incorporated from Mythology is incomplete without any demigods.
various sources, having similarities with Bathala fell in love with a mortal woman. But
Indonesian and Malay myths, as well as unfortunately, she died after giving birth to her
Hindu, Muslim, Shinto, Buddhist, and three beautiful daughters.
Philippine Christian traditions, such as the
notion of mythology heaven (kaluwalhatian, Bathala didn’t want anything bad to happen to
kalangitan, kamurawayan, etc.), hell his girls, so he brought all three of them to the
(kasamaan, sulad, etc.), and the human sky to live with him.
soul (kaluluwa, kaulolan, makatu, ginokud,
• MALYARI
etc.).
➢ Goddess of the Moon
• TALA
• Philippine mythology attempts to explain
➢ Goddess of the Stars
the nature of the world through the lives
• HANAN
and actions of deities (called anitos in the
north and diwatas in the south), heroes, ➢ Goddess of the Morning
and mythological creatures.
AMAN SINAYA ➢ he is described as a strong and skillful
hunter.
➢ Goddess of the Sea (Tagalog region) ➢ this Tagalog sky-god later tied the knot
with another major deity, Anagolay,
known as the goddess of lost things.
IDIANALE
➢ The marriage produced two children:
➢ Goddess of Labor and Good Deeds.
➢ Known to be one of the assistants of • APOLAKI, the sun god
Bathala. • DIAN MASALANTA, the goddess of
➢ Idianale married Dumangan, the god of lovers.
good harvest, and later gave birth to
Dumakulem and Anitun Tabu.
DIAN MASALANTA

DUMANGAN ➢ goddess of Lovers, Childbirth, and

Peace
➢ God of Good Harvest ➢ the goddess of love, childbirth,
➢ Dumangan was the Tagalog sky-god of peace, and the protector of lovers
good harvest, the husband of Idianale, among the ancient Tagalogs.
and father to Dumakulem and Anitun ➢ legend says that if you offer sacrifices to
Tabu. Dian Masalanta, she will ensure
➢ In Zambales culture, Dumangan (or successful pregnancies.
Dumagan) is the reason for the rice to
“yield better grains.”
APOLAKI

ANITUN TABU ➢ God of the Sun, Patron of Warriors

➢ He shares almost the same qualities
➢ Goddess of the Wind and Rain with the Kapampangan sun god of war
➢ This goddess was known as Aniton and death.
Tauo, one of the lesser deities assisting ➢ Aring Sinukuan, early people of
their vhief god, Malyari. According to Pangasinan claimed that Apolaki talked
legend, Aniton Tauo was once to them.
considered superior to other Zambales ➢ Back when blackened teeth were
deities. considered the standard of beauty,
➢ But when she became so full of herself some of these natives told a friar that a
Malyari reduced her rank as a disappointed Apolaki had scolded them
punishment. for welcoming “foreigners with white
teeth.”

MAPULON
LIBULAN
➢ God of Seasons
➢ One of the lesser divinities assisting ➢ God of the Moon, Patron God of
Bathala. Homosexuality
➢ He was the husband of Ikapati/Lakapati, ➢ Libulan in myths of Visayas is portrayed
the fertilitygoddess, and the father of as a man, but some believe that the
Anagolay, the goddess of lost things. moon is a LIBULAN female aspect of
the sun, so she is a woman in other
myths like the Tagalog folktales.
LAKAPATI ➢ However, according to one explanation,
Libulan is a hermaphrodite or just a
➢ Hermaphrodite Goddess of Fertility and
crossdresser.
Agriculture
➢ During the olden days of ancient
➢ One of the most intriguing deities of
Visayans, male babaylans garbed in
Philippine mythology, Ikapati (or
female fashion were regarded in high
Lakapati) was the Tagalog goddess of
esteem by the barangays.
fertility.
➢ Lakapati as an androgynous, SITAN
hermaphrodite, and even a
“transgender” god. ➢ God of the Lower World
➢ Sitan, is the god of the lower world, a
leader of the evil of the ancient hell.
➢ He encourages the mortal to commit sin,
with the help of his four disciples:
DUMAKULEM • Manggagaway
➢ the son of Idianale and Dumangan, and • Manisilat
the brother of the wind goddess Anitun • Mangkukulam
Tabu. • Hukluban
THE 3 ANITO (Tagalog and Pampanga • KASARAY-SARAYAN-SA-SILGAN –
Regions) Lord of the Streams
• MAGDAN-DURUNOON – Lord of
• LAKAMBINI Hidden Lakes
➢ God of Purity • SARANGAN-SA-BAGTIW – Lord of
➢ A male Diwata known for his Storms
incomparable beauty.
• SUKLANG-MALAYON – Guardian of
➢ He was originally known as the god of
Happy Homes, sister to Abyang
“kapurihan’(purity) and is also the god
• ABYANG – Sister of Suklang-malayon
of food, festivity, and anti-gluttony.
• ALUNSINA – Goddess of the sky
➢ Worshiped mainly by men: they pray to
Lakambini to let them finda beautiful
maiden to wed. Kamaritaan – EARTHWORLD

• LAKAN BAKOD • SIDAPA – Goddess of Death (Principal

➢ Lord of Fences deity)
➢ Lakan Bakod was the “lord of Fences,” a • MAKAPTAN – God of Sickness
protector of crops powerful enough to keep (Principal deity)
animals out of farmlands. • DANAPOLAY – Supervisor of the Court
➢ He was invoked and offered eels when of the two Earthworld Rulers
fencing a plot of land. • PANDAQUE – spokesperson of Sidapa
• TAGUSIRANGAN
• Lakan Danum • DUWINDIHAN
➢ Ruler of the Waters • DALONGDONGAN
➢ Among the ancient Kapampangans, • TAGABIRITLAKAN-KA-ADLAW
Lakan Danum was known as the water • SUTA
god depicted as a serpent-like mermaid
• AGTA
(naga).
• TABUKNUN
➢ Before the Spaniards arrived, locals
would often throw livestock to the river
as a peace offering for Lakan danum. Kasakitan – UNDERWORLD
Failure to do so resulted in long periods
of drought. • SUMPOY – Ruler of the Underworld;
brother of Makaptan
• MAGYAN – Ferryman leading the souls
ARING SINUKUAN to the underworld; brother of Makaptan
➢ lives in Mount Arayat. and Sumpoy
➢ According to stories, he was the one • SISIBURANEN – Keeper of souls
who taught the ancient Kapampangan • SIMURAN AND SIGUINARUNGAN –
metallurgy, wood cutting’gathering, Gatekeepers of the Kasakitan realm
and rice cultivation. Kanitu-nituhan
➢ He had three children, namely: • SARAGNAYAN – Lord of Darkness
• MUNAG SUMALĀ – the golden • ABYANG DURUNUUN – Goddess of
serpent god who represents dawn Charms
• LAKANDANUP – the god of gluttony • UMAGAD PALINTI – Messenger of the
who represented the sun at two brothers of the underworld
noontime • SUMPAY PAKO-PAKO – Messenger of
• GATPANAPUN – the noble god who the two brothers of the underworld
only knew pleasure and represented • PINGANUN-PINGANUN – guardians of
the aftermoon. enchanted places

https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/central-
luzon-state-university/professional- THE GODS AND THE CREATION
education/philippine-god-and- OF THE WORLD
goddesses/45401125

Kahilwayan – SKYWORLD Philippine myths show that our ancient peoples

believed in one supreme god and in a number
• KAPTAN – Ruler of the sky (Principal of lesser gods and goddesses. Sometimes the
deity) name of the god is not given, he is simply
• MAKLIUM-SA-TWAN – Lord of the referred to as the Supreme God, great Being,
Plains or God the Most high. Most of the time, their
• MAKLIUM-SA-BAGIDAN – Lord of Fire names were given, and these names varied
• MAKLIUM-SA-TUBIG – Lord of the sea with the different tribes:
 • Bathala for the Tagalogs but flood myths are quite common. In majority
• Mangetchay for the Pampangos of the myths, the flood occurs as a punishment
• Gugurang for the Bicols for the people’s failre to fulfil their sacrificial
• Lumawig and Kabunian for the Bontoc obligations to the gods or to observe God’s
and Igorot laws. Other reasons or causes of the flood are
• Liddum for the Ifugao given in the myths. A Nabaloi version blames
• Mahal Makakaako for the Mangyan the flood on the negligence of the woman
• Laon for the Visayans guarding the river. She fell asleep and wood
and thrash cogged the river and caused it to
• Magbabaya for the Bukidnons
swell and overflow.
• Sualla or Tullus for the tiruray
• Melu for the Blaan
• Makalidug for the Manobo of the
Agusan Valley ESTABLISHMENT OF NATURAL ORDER
• Diwata for the Bagobo
Myths try to explain marny kinds of natural
• Manama for the Munuvu phenomena: why there is rain, rainbow,
• the couple-god Kadaw La Sambad and thunder, lightning, earthquake, eclipse, and the
the Bulon La Mogaw for the Tiboli. like. The rain is believed by many as the tears
In many myths, the supreme god is the creator shed by a man longing for his vanished wife, a
of the world. Sometimes people were merely Diwata (fairy) throwing out water in the sky.
told that the god made the earth and no further The rainbow is believed to be the flower loving
details. daughter of Bathala, who was cursed by the
latter to stay on earth forever because of her
In some myths, the creation of the world was failure to attend a family council ordered by the
not the work of a supreme being but rather the Bathala. Other believed that the rainbow is not
outcome of a struggle between hostile forces. a person but a road from the sky to the earth
that a man built so that his star wife and child
could visit him without any difficulty. The origin
of the lightning and thunder are stories about
EARLY CONCEPTIONS OF THE UNIVERSE
the marriage of a god and a mortal wife. The
Stories of creation contain scattered references earthquake is what early Filipinos believed as
which indicate the early Filipinos’ conception of the movement of the body part of a great being
the universe. This universe consists of the or by the movement of the post or being that
Skyworld, the earth or Middleworld, and the supports the earth. Others believed that the
underworld. Almost all the different regional eclipse of the moon occurs whenever the moon
groups believe that the universe has many is swallowed or embraced by a monster –huge
layers with which each layer is inhabited by snake, lion, or gigantic tarantula.
different kinds of being. Part of the early
Filipinos’ concept of the universe is the belief
that once upon a time the sky was low, and ORIGIN OF MAN
many myths attest to this belief.
The creation of man in myths follows
immediately after the creation of the world.
Philippine myths explain the origin of the first
THE SUN, THE MOON, AND THE STARS
people on earth in three ways:
Myths about the sun, the moon and the stars
1. man came to earth from
explain the following:
heaven/skyworld;
1. why the sun and the moon shine at 2. the first man and woman emerged fully
different times of the day, formed from two nodes of a piece of
2. why the sun shines more brightly than bamboo, from two stumps of banana
the moon, plant, hatched from two eggs of a bird;
3. why there are spots on the face of the 3. they were created by a god and his
moon, and the sun, helpers out of earth or some other
4. the origin of the stars. material.

A central motif in many of these myths is the

enmity or quarrel of the sun and the moon.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GODS AND MEN
Myths portray some of the gods and
THE GREAT FLOOD goddesses as being in frequent and intimate
communication with the mortals on earth. This
Mythology speaks of such world calamities as is especially true among the tribes living in the
a great fire and a deluge that happened a long mountains of the northern parts of the the main
time ago, and myths describing such calamities Isand.
are worldwide in occurrence. In the Philippines,
there seems to be no myth about great fires,
ACQUISITION OF CULTURE AND THE ORIGIN OF PLANTS
ORIGIN OF FIRE
Plant myths and legends abound in Philippine
After the creation of man, he has to have fire to Folklore. They give highly fanciful accounts of
keep his surroundings warm and to use for his the origin of various kinds of plants, flowers,
own needs. How fire was brought to man is and fruits. Among the most widely known of
explained in different stories. Many believed these are those about rice, the staple food of
that fire came to man as a gift from the gods or the Philippines. Legends believed that rice was
that it was stolen from a giant as it was told in only known by the gods until they gave people
the folktale Biag ni Lam-ang (life of Lam-ang) the detailed instruction on how to plant, have a
of the North. good harvest, and cook it. Other motifs include,
lovers eloping, a child hiding and running
away, anda lover who died in behalf of his/her
love.
ORIGIN OF LAND FEATURES
Legends about land features explain the origin
of mountains and volcanoes in general and PHILIPPINE MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURES
some specific and famous volcanoes and
mountains. A motif that is found in few of these Some mythological creatures, aside from their
mountains are the ising from the common specific name, are also refered through a
grave of faithful lovers. Others come from the generic term which encompasses other similar
grave of huge animals or a giant who lived in it mythological creatures. Some of these terms
pulled it out from its foundations and carried it incude:
and moved it to a different place to show its
strength. • ASWANG
➢ Bracket term for shape-shifting
creatures that have a variety of forms,
such as the blood-sucking vampire, the
ORIGIN OF ANIMALS self-segmenting viscera sucker, the
Animal legends present an interesting array of man-eating weredog, the vindictive or
Phlippine fauna, especialy of the smaller evil-eye witch, and the carrion-eating
specie-birds, fishes, and insects. Of beasts, ghoul.
legends deal mostly with monkey, rarely with
cats and rats. There seem to be legends of the • DUWENDE
origin of monkeys in every region of the ➢ Bracket term for small magical beings of
Philippines. Motifs varied from one place to the land.
another. One motif is that that those who
became monkeys are hungry children who are • ENGKANTO
denied of proper food by their mothers and ➢ Bracket term for highly-attractive
stepmothers. In lowland Filipino legends, it is enchanted human-like environmental
usually a lazy boy who is transformed into a beings, usually exuding the scent of
monkey. In these motifs, the transformation flowers and having no philthrum.
into a monkey happened asa form of
punishment for laziness and selfishness. In • HIGANTE
some stories, ireverence in children may also ➢ Bracket term for giant humanoid land
change them into monkeys. creatures.

Legends about other smal animals like birds • SIRENA

vary from one place to another. Common motif ➢ Bracket term for water creatures with a
includes girl or boy cruely treated by their humanoid upper body and the body of a
parents or step-parent. They run away and fish from waist down similar to merfolks.
become a bird, oftentimes by merely wisting to ➢ Most creatures originating from
escape the cruelty of the parent. Some birds Philippine mythology, however, are not
that make peculiar nolses are also subject of under any specific bracket term.
legends. The owl was said to be an old woman
who kept weeping and crying for her dead son
Juan to come back to her. An interesting
CREATURES OF THE SOIL
legend about the bat says that it is once a rat
on which the wings of a bird got stuck. He was • AGTA
however, rejected by both the birds and rats, ➢ Is a tall mythical creature with skin as
and so in shame he hides during the daytime black as charcoal, found in Philippine
and flies only at night. mythology.
➢ These creatures reside in different trees,
most commonl Santo or Balete trees.
➢ They are known to climb down from
their perches and roam around the land
warning fishermen to stay on land
 instead of fishing. Then, the agta will transforms into its true form and attacks
push trees down so that the timbers will the person. It sits upon the chest of its
prevent the fishermen from going to the victim until they suffocate. To ward off
sea to fish. the batibat, one should bite one’s thumb
➢ The agta is just like the kapre, who likes or wiggle one’s toes. In this way, the
staying in its tree while smoking a rolled person will awaken from the nightmare
cigar. They are usually depicted as induced by the batibat
naked.
• BERBALANG
• AMALANHIG ➢ are mythical creatures in Filipino
➢ also called ‘Maranhig’ or ‘Amaranhig’ culture.
➢ are creatures in Visayan mythology, ➢ they have a human appearance, but
particularly among Hiligaynon speaking resemble the characters of vampires
groups. and have wings and slanted eyes.
➢ Amalanhig are Aswangs who failed to ➢ they dig up graves to feast on the
transfer their monstrosity causing them corpses.
to rise from their graves to kill humans
by biting their necks. • BUNGISNGIS
➢ Another version that has survived ➢ one-eyed giant, purported to dwell in
through word-of-mouth recounts that Meluz, Orion, Bataan, and Cebu;
Amanlanhigs are said to chase any described as always laughing
living person they found and once they
reach them, they would tickle the victim
until they die, both of laughter and
• BUSAW
terror. In order to escape from
➢ is a legendary creature that resembles
Amanlanhigs, one runs in zigzag
humans in appearance and behavior,
direction since they can only walk in
raising farm animals and planting root
straight direction due to the stiffness of
crops.
their body. One would also dimb trees or
➢ However, its favorite food is humans,
high platforms enough to be out of their
resulting in scattered human skeletons
reach. One would also run into lakes
on the grounds of its dwelling place.
and rivers since Amanlanhigs are
scared of deep bodies of water.
• DIWATA
➢ (from Sanskrit devata, “gods”),
• AMOMONGO
engkantada (from Spanish encantada,
➢ is a creature described as hairy, man-
“enchantress, charmed”) or engkanto
sized and ape-like with long nails.
(from Spanish encanto, “spell,
➢ The term may have its roots in the
incantation, charm”) are gods and
Hiligaynon word amó, which means
goddesses below the supreme deity or
“ape” or “monkey”.
deities; some are similar to dryads who
➢ Residents of La Castellana in Negros
Occidental refer to the creature as a guard natural creations such as forests,
seas, mountains, land and air;
“wild monkey” that lives in caves near
fairskinned, good-looking and,
the foot of Mt. Kanlaon. The creature is
sometimes, blonde-haired; reside in
said to have attacked two residents of
the settlement and disemboweled goats large trees, such as acacia and balete,
and chickens in the area, for the and tend to be resentful of humanity’s
intrusion into their realm.
purpose of eating the entrails.
• DUWENDE
➢ goblins, hobgoblins, elves or dwarfs
• BATIBAT (Spanish: duende “goblin, elf, charm” <
➢ is a vengeful demon found in Ilocano “duen de (casa)”, owner of the house);
folklore. little creatures who provide good fortune
➢ In Tagalog folklore, the creature is or foretell an ominous fate to people.
called Bangungot.
➢ These demons were blamed as the • KAPRE
cause of the fatal nocturnal disease ➢ muscular tree giants described as being
called bangungot. A batibat takes the a tall (7 to 9 ft), big, black, terrifying, and
form of a huge, old, fat woman that hairy.
resides in trees. They usually come in
contact with humans when the tree in • MAMBABARANG
which they reside is felled and made ➢ witches who utilize insects to do their
into a support post for a house. This bidding.
causes them to migrate into holes found
in the post. The batibat forbids humans
from sleeping near its post. When a
person does sleep near it, the batibat
• MANGKUKULAM
➢ bruha (from Spanish: bruja, “witch”) are
witches, wizards, bruho (Spanish:brujo,
“wizard, male witch”), or sorcerers who
cast evil spells to humans; also called
manggagaway

• MULTO
➢ Common themes in ghost legends
include the White Lady, the headless
priest and the phantom hitchhiker. The
white lady appears in lonely places,
dressed in white, with no visible face or
with a disfigured face. Apparently she
has died a violent death and is still
haunting the vicinity, but with no ill
intent. The headless priest prowls at
night in a graveyard or ruined place,
either carrying His severed head or
searching for his head. Balete Drive,
Fort Santiago, Malinta Tunnel, San Juan
La Union and the Romblon Triangle are
famous ghost Haunts.