The following is a list of gods, goddesses, deities, and many other divine, semi-divine, and important figures from classical Philippine mythology and indigenous Philippine folk religions collectively referred to as Anito, whose expansive stories span from a hundred years ago to presumably thousands of years from modern times.
The list does not include creatures; for these, see list of Philippine mythological creatures.
Overview
The mythological figures, including deities (diwatas), heroes, and other important figures. Each ethnic group has their own distinct pantheon of deities. Some deities of ethnic groups have similar names or associations, but remain distinct from one another.Jocano, F. L. (1969). Philippine Mythology. Quezon City: Capitol Publishing House Inc. The diversity in these important figures is exhibited in many cases, of which a prime example is the Ifugao pantheon, where in a single pantheon, deities alone are calculated to number at least 1,500. There are over a hundred distinct pantheons in the Philippines.Barton, R. F. (1946). The Religion of the Ifugaos, Volumes 65–68. American Anthropological Assn.
Some ethnic groups have pantheons ruled by a supreme deity (or deities), while others revere ancestor spirits and/or the spirits of the natural world, where there is a chief deity but consider no deity supreme among their divinities.Zaide, S. M. (1999). The Philippines: A Unique Nation. All-Nations Publishing. in the country is anito. The term itself can be further divided into ninuno or anito (ancestral spirits)Guillermo, A. R. (2012). Historical Dictionary of the Philippines. Scarecrow Press. and diwata (gods, goddesses, and deities), although in many cases, the meaning of the terms differ depending on their ethnic association.Scott, W. H. (1994). Barangay: Sixteenth Century Philippine Culture and Society. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press.Hislop, S. K. (1971). Anitism: a survey of religious beliefs native to the Philippines. Asian Studies.Halili, M. C. N. (2004). Philippine History. Rex Bookstore, Inc.
The following figures continue to exist and prevail among the collective memory and culture of Filipinos today, especially among adherents to the native and sacred Filipino religions, despite centuries of persecution beginning with the introduction of non-native Islam and colonial Christianity which sought to abolish all native faiths in the archipelago beginning in the late 14th century, and intensified during the middle of the 16th century to the late 20th century. This contact between native and foreign faiths later accumulated more stories, which also became part of both faiths, with some alterations. Deity, spirit, and hero figures continue to be viewed as important and existing among native faiths and the general Filipino culture. These perceptions of existence towards gods, goddesses, deities, and spirits in the sacred native Filipino religions, are the same as how Christians perceive the existence of their God and the same way Muslims perceive the existence of their Allah.Demetrio, F. R., Cordero-Fernando, G., & Zialcita, F. N. (1991). The Soul Book. Quezon City: GCF Books.Garcia, J. N. C. (2008). Precolonial Gender-Crossing and the Babaylan Chronicles. Philippine Gay Culture: Binabae to Bakla, Silahis to MSM. The University of the Philippines Press.Limos, M. A. (2019). The Fall of the Babaylan. Esquire. There have been proposals to revitalize the indigenous Philippine folk religions and make them the national religion of the country during the First Philippine Republic, but the proposal did not prosper, as the focus at the time was the war against Spanish and, later, American colonizers.Kenno, L. W. V. (1901). The Katipunan of the Philippines. The North American Review.
Ivatan Immortals
Mayo: the supreme being;Hornedo, F. H. (1994). Philippine Studies Vol. 42, No. 4: Death and After Death: Ivatan Beliefs and Practices. Ateneo de Manila University. rituals are offered to Mayo especially during the fishing seasonHornedo, F. H. (1980). Philippine Studies Vol. 28, No. 1: The World and The Ways of the Ivatan Añitu. Ateneo de Manila University. Mayo: a fisherfolk hero who introduced the yuyus used to catch flying fishes called dibang, which are in turn used to catch the summertime fish arayu The Giver: the entity who provides all things; the souls of the upper class travel to the beings's abode in heaven and become stars Añitu: refers to the souls of the dead, place spirits, and wandering invisibles not identified nor tied down to any particular locale or thing Añitu between Chavidug and Chavayan: place spirit Añitus who were reported to create sounds when the gorge between Chavidug and Chavayan were being created through dynamite explosions; believed to have shifted their residences after the construction of the passage Rirryaw Añitu: place spirit Añitus who played music and sang inside a cave in Sabtang, while lighting up fire; believed to have change residences after they were disturbed by a man ji Rahet Añitu: a grinning place spirit Añitu who lived in an old tree; a man later cut the tree and found an earthen pot believed to have been owned by the Añitu Nuvwan Añitu: good place spirit Añitus who saved a woman from a falling tree; they are offered rituals through the vivyayin ji P'Supwan Añitu: good place spirit Añitus who became friends and allies of a mortal woman named Carmen Acido; sometimes taking in the form of dogs, they aided her and guided her in many of her tasks until her death from old age; despite their kindness towards Carmen, most people avoided the farm where they live Mayavusay Añitu: place spirit Añitus living in a parcel of land in Mayavusay; sometimes take in the form of piglets, and can return cut vegetation parts into the mother vegetation Cairn-dwelling Añitu: place spirit Añitus who lived in cairns and put a curse towards a man who destroyed their home; appearing as humans, the shaman Balaw conversed with them to right the wrong made by the man against their home Mayuray Añitu: a wandering Añitu who expanded and was filled with darkness; encountered by a young boy who the spirit did not harm; referred as a kapri, Añitus who walk around and grow as tall as the height for their surroundings Dayanak Añitu: a type of very small Añitu with red eyes and gold ornaments; accepting their gold ornaments will cause misfortune
Mortals
Benita: a mortal woman who was visited by her deceased husband in the form of an Añitu, which led to the return of three parcels of land to their rightful owner; in another story, she was visited by her deceased goddaughter, which led to proper rituals which appeased her goddaughter's soul Maria: a mortal woman who was visited by the silent Añitu of her husband's relative; the spirit was later appeased through prayers Juanito: a mortal man who was visited in a dream by his deceased father's Añitu, which led to him relenting to give more share of the family inheritance to his half-sister, Maring Wife of Leoncio Cabading: visited by her deceased husband's Añitu, who told her to stop the prayers for it will do nothing as he was killed by a violent landslide; the spirit offered her to join him, to which she rejected Carmen Acido: a mortal woman who became friends and allies of the Añitu from ji P'Supwan; she lived to over 80 years old Balaw: a medicine man and shaman who communicated and controlled certain Añitus Maria Barios: a woman whose back-basket was ridden by a wandering Añitu, who she carried until she arrived at the town center Juan Galarion: a man who saw a giant wandering Añitu, as large as the church of Mahataw; he believed it was a kapri Tita: a girl who was kidnapped and later returned by wandering Añitus; while being carried by the Añitus, she menstruated, which made the Añitus flee; the site where she landed is known as Ranum ñi Tita
Isneg (Apayao) Immortals
Chief Spirits: may take the form of human beings, former mortals who mix with the living, and reside in bathing placesVanoverbergh, M. (1941). The Isneg Farmer. Catholic Anthropologist Conference. Vol. III, No. 4. Anlabban: looks after the general welfare of the people; special protector of hunters Bago: the spirit of the forest Sirinan: the spirit of the river Landusan: responsible for some cases of extreme poverty; like all evil spirits, Landusan can also be countered by the rare tagarut herb-amulet Helpful Harvest Spirits Abad Aglalannawan Anat Binusilan Dawiliyan Dekat Dumingiw Imbanon Gimbanonan Ginalinan Sibo llanit: a group of sky dwellers Spirits Who Harm the Harvest Alupundan: causes the reapers’ toes to get sore all over and swell Arurin: deity who sees to it that the harvest is bad if farmers fail to offer to her a share of the harvest Dagdagamiyan: a female spirit who causes sickness in children for playing in places where the harvest is being done Darupaypay: devours the palay stored in the hut before it is transferred to the granary Ginuudan: comes to measure the containers of palay, and causes it to dwindle Sildado: resembles a horse, and kills children who play noisily outside the house Inargay: kills people during harvest time; the inapugan ritual of offered to the deity to appease him not to kill anyone Alipugpug: spirit of the little whirlwind from the burned field, who portends a good harvestCasal, G. (1986). Kayamanan: Ma’i—Panoramas of Philippine Primeval. Manila: Central Bank of the Philippines and Ayala Museum. Pilay: spirit of the rice, who resides on the paga, a shelf above the hearth; the pisi ritual is offered to the deity to ensure that children won't get hungry Unnamed Man: held the world on his hands; produced a spark using a flint and a steel, causing Sal-it (lightning); in contrast, Addug (thunder) is the water roaring in the skyEugenio, D. L. (1989). Philippine Folk Literature: The Folktales. Quezon City: The University of the Philippines Folklorists Inc.
Mortals
Man Who Caused Birds to Attack: a man who was aided by birds, by giving him seeds that he was tasked to plant and share with other birds; reneged on his promise, resulting to the never-ending attacks of birds on the seeds planted by mankind Man Who Hates Flies: a man whose cow was killed by a fly, which resulted into a law that allowed the killing of fliesVanoverbergh, M. (1955). Isneg Tales. Asian Folklore Studies. Vol. XIV. Washington: Catholic Anthropological Conference.
Tinguian (Itneg) Immortals
The Triad: three most powerful deities, whose ranks differ per Itneg locality; three accounts exist, one is that all three are forms of a single deity, second is that the three are distinct while one of them is supreme, & third is that the three are distinct and each possess the same rank as supreme deities Kadaklan: the supreme deity & most powerful in many accounts; created the sun, moon, stars, and earth; married to the once-mortal Agemem; second in rank in one account; taught the people how to pray, harvest their crops, ward off evil spirits, and overcome bad omens and cure sicknessesMillare, F. D. (1955). Philippine Studies Vol. 3, No. 4: The Tinguians and Their Old Form of Worship. Ateneo de Manila University Bagatulayan: the supreme deity who directs the activities of the world, ruling over the universe as he watches down on earth; provided the laws in which order is based upon;Gaioni, D. T. (1985). The Tingyans of Northern Philippines and Their Spirit World. Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH. referred also as the Great AnitoPeraren, A. A. (1966). Tinguian Folklore and how it Mirrors Tinguian Culture and Folklife. University of San Carlos. Kabuniyan: the supreme deity who is the most loved & revered among the primal deities; depicted as a friendly and loving god with a spear and a head-axe; went down onto earth as ordered by the deity Kadaklan; taught the people agriculture, ritual life, and many others; married the once-mortal Ginnalingan; believed to sometimes walk among mortals as a giant