10 PHILIPPINE MYTHOLOGICAL CHARACTERS

ANITUN TABU is known as DUMAKULEM was the son

the fickle-minded goddess of of Idianale and Dumangan,
wind and rain in Tagalog and brother of wind
mythology. She's one of the goddess Anitun Tabu. The
two children of Dumangan (the ancient Tagalogs revered him
sky-god of good harvest) and
as the guardian of the
Idianale (the goddess of labor,
mountains. He is often
good deeds, and animal
depicted as a strong and
husbandry), along with her
skillful hunter.
brother Dumakulem, guardian
of the mountains

DUMANGAN was the

Tagalog sky-god of good harvest, the husband
of Idianale, and father to Dumakulem and Anitun Tabu.

BATHALA Also known IDIANALE If Bathala was the

as Maykapal or Abba, this boss, the other lesser deities
highest-ranking deity was who lived with him in the sky
described as “may kapal sa were his assistants. Each of
lahat,” or the creator of these lower-ranking gods and
everything. His origin is goddesses had specific
unknown but his name suggests responsibilities. One of them
Hindu influences. According to was Idianale (Idiyanale or
William Henry Idianali in other sources), the
Scott, Bathala was derived from goddess of labor and good
the Sanskrit bhattara which deeds.
means “noble lord.”
IKAPATI/LAKAPATI Probably one MAPULON In Tagalog
of the most intriguing deities of mythology, Mapulon was the
Philippinemythology, Ikapati (or L god of seasons. F. Landa
akapati) was the Tagalog Jocano, in the book “Outline of
goddess of fertility. F.Landa Philippine
Mythology,” described Mapulon
Jocano described her as
as one of the lesser divinities
the “goddess of the cultivated assisting Bathala.
land” And the “benevolent giver of
food and prosperity.”

ANAGOLAY Pre-colonial
Tagalogs who were hopelessly looking for their missing
stuff prayed to Anagolay, the goddess of lost
things. She was the daughter of two major Tagalog
deities–Ikapati and Mapulon.

Dian Masalanta is the goddess

APOLAKI is a God of the of love, childbirth, peace, and
Tagalogs and the Pangasinan. the protector of lovers among
He is also considered to be the the ancient Tagalogs. She is a
counterpart of the third generation goddess and
Kapampangan supreme deity, the youngest of all deities;
Aring Sinukuan, who is also a daughter of Dumakulem,
God of the Sun and War guardian of mountains and
Anagolay, the goddess of lost
things and sister of Apolaki, the
god of war
 2 PHILIPPINE FABLE CHARACTERS

A man discovers his goose An old lion pretends to be sick

lays golden eggs. He gets rich only to capture animals that
selling the golden eggs his show him sympathy. He puts
goose lays every morning. them in his sack to eat later. A
Soon, he wants all the eggs fox notices that the tracks lead
for himself, killing the goose to into his den and not away, so
get them. The moral is, "Greed he tricks the lion into closing
often overreaches itself." his eyes and rescues the
animals. The moral is, "Using
your head keeps you from
making foolish or disastrous
mistakes."

1 PHILIPPINE EPIC CHARACTER

Lam-ang is an immortal with an extensive knowledge of combat and fighting

methods. History: Lam-ang is the man whose life story is depicted in the novel
"Biag ni Lam-ang". A man gifted with immortality, he dedicated his life in fighting
evil and oppression wherever he is.
 5 PHILIPPINE LEGEND CHARACTERS

The Legend of the Pineapple is a folktale A giant sampaloc (Tamarindus indica or

about a young girl named Pina. She was, tamarind tree) once grew in the garden of
without a doubt, the most spoiled child her a selfish, stingy old woman. One day, an
village had ever seen. When her mother grew old man begged for some tamarind fruit as
ill, Pina could not be bothered to help, even a cure for his ailing grandson. Instead of
though her mother only asked her to boil some helping him, the old woman set her
rice. Pina claimed she couldn't find the ladle. ferocious dogs upon him to drive him
Her frustrated mother made a wish that Pina
away. The old man was badly hurt. He was
in fact a diwata (nymph or fairy) in
would grow a thousand eyes so she could see
disguise.After the diwata (still appearing as
the ladle. Pina disappeared and the neighbors the old man) had departed, there was a
had to help her mother get well. Her mother thundering noise and rain, followed by the
searched for Pina, but couldn't find her. Finally cracking of the earth. The entire orchard
her mother found a large round fruit growing sank into a colossal pit which was
with a thousand unseeing eyes. Her mother immediately filled with water, which
took the seeds from the fruit and grew a lot of villagers thence named after the large
them, then gave them to the people in the tamarind tree.
village. This was the first and only generous
thing Pina had ever done for anyone else.

A guava tree or fruit is called bayabas in

Tagalog, which is the language of the Philippines. The story goes like this: A
long time ago, there's a king who ruled a rich, prosperous island. He had all the
things a king could ever ask for: the power, the wealth, and all the delicious
foods one could only imagine.

A Persian legend tells the origin of tulips,

young Prince Farhad was madly in love Long time ago in a very far away forest
with his maid, Shirin. One day he heard there is a small seed inside
the news (false) that Shirin was dead, the cashew fruit who always wonder
overwhelmed with grief Farhad saddled about the world outside. With eyes
his horse, and went to the rocks to look closed, he breathed in the smell of the
for death. From many wounds caused by flowers, the gentle touch of the breeze
rocks, drops of Farhad’s blood spread on on his exposed body, the smell of the
the ground, from every drop a purple outside world.
tulip grew, the symbol of his love for
Shirin. That is why in ancient Persia, the
red tulip was a symbol of passionate love.