Mitolohiya: Filipino Deities and Where to Find Them

◈ Creation Myth • Bicolano

As the void was collapsing, the great sea appeared along with the endless skies. Beasts in the vast expanse of water and the sky above it could now be seen.

The kingdom of the sky was under the divine rule of Languit, while the water was under the sovereignty of the god Tubigan. Langit had a son, Paros, the wind, who became the husband of Tubigan's daughter, Dagat, also known as the sea. Four children were born to Dagat and Paros, three of whom were boys whose names are Daga, Aldao, and Bulan. Their only daughter was named Bitoon.

Daga was strong and possessed the body of a rock. Meanwhile his brother Aldao was said to be a cheerful golden boy. Bulan, on the other hand, was a meek and docile copper boy while Bitoon was beautiful and made of pure silver.

After the death of their father, Poros, Daga being the eldest son, succeeded in control of the winds. Soon after, their mother Dagat died, leaving the children under the care of their grandparents, Languit and Tubigan.

After assuming control of the winds, Daga became ambitious and quite arrogant. Desiring more and more power, he induced his younger brothers to join him in his rebellion against the kingdom of Languit. The brothers refused him at first. But with Daga's anger, Bulan and Aldao were constrained to join him in his plot.

Preparations were made for the upcoming upheaval. Once ready, they set out their expedition and began an attack on the gates of the sky. Failing to force the gates open, Daga let loose the winds in all directions, destroying the gates, and succeeding in gaining entrance to the kingdom.

When Daga thought that everything was going according to plan, they were met with an enraged Languit who set out three bolts of lightning after them. All were struck, and all had perished. Bulan's copper body melted, and so did the golden boy, Aldao. Daga's body fell into the sea, and became what is now known as the earth.

Their sister Bitoon, on discovering their absence, went to look for her brothers. But upon meeting the enraged god, she was also struck by a bolt of lightning which broke her body into many silver pieces.

Languit then descended from the sky and called upon Tubigan, accusing him of planning the treason with their grandsons. But Tubigan defended himself, saying he had no knowledge of the attack for he was deep asleep far beneath the ocean. Tubigan managed to calm Languit down, and the two wept over the loss of their grandchildren. Since they could not revive them, they gave each body a light.

Tubigan then planted a seed which grew into a bamboo tree, and from one of its branches came a man and a woman who became the first parents of humanity. They had three children. One was named Maisog who invented a fish trap.

One day he caught such a huge and grotesque-looking whale. Thinking it was a god, he ordered his people to worship it. The people gathered around and began to pray. But no sooner had they begun, the gods from the sky appeared and commanded Maisog to throw the whale to the water and worship no one but the gods. Despite the command, Maisog remained unafraid and defied them. Languit, the king of the sky, struck Maisog with lightning and stunned him. Then he scattered the people over the earth as a punishment.

Maisog's body was then blackened by thelightning which made all his descendants black. One of Maisog's son though, wascarried to the north and became the parent of the people of white color. Meanwhile,his other children were brought to the south where the sun was hot, scorchingtheir bodies so that their skin became brown color. The other people who werescattered were carried to the east where they had to feed on clay due to the scarcity of food. Because of this diet, their descendants were of yellow color.