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History

According to ancient myths, the Earth Mother Gaea gave birth to the three primary Diwatas: Bathala (Bathalang Maykapal), the supreme Sky Father and Diwatas' king; Aman Sinaya, goddess of the sea; and Amihan, god of the wind. Together, these three gods fashioned the first mortals from a bamboo shoot and instilled them with a soul ("kaluluwa"). Later, Bathala fell in love with a mortal woman while visiting Earth and sired three additional Diwatas: Apo Laki, god of war and the sun; the beautiful Mayari, goddess of the moon; and Tala, goddess of the stars. Subsequent generations of Diwatas soon followed, and they devoted much of their time and energies to serving as guardians of nature. [1]

Worship of the Diwatas spread throughout the Philippine archipelago. But following Spanish missionaries' arrival in the 16th century AD, Christianity began to replace the Diwatas'

worship, and Bathala reluctantly decided that the time had come for his people to break most of their ties with Earth. Bathala retreated to the extradimensional realm of Kaluwalhatian, the location of the sacred "Abo Fire" that serves as the symbol of his power, where he has since defended his realm from his younger brother Aswang, the god of evil and ruler of the nether realm of Impiyerno, the lowest level of the Kasanaan underworld. Nevertheless, Bathala still retains a deep affection for and interest in the people of Earth.[1]

Attributes

Weaknesses

Diwatas tend to weaken after prolonged stays in the Earth realm, and often bind their life essences to mortal hosts when away from Kaluwalhatian for extended periods. [1]

See Also

Links and References

References

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