When you think of Filipino religion, you mostly think about Catholics and Muslims. But those were taught by the Spanish and Arabs, respectively. Before they arrived, Filipinos had pagan gods, similar to the ancient Romans and Greeks. Today, I will talk about Bathala, whom ancient Filipinos believed to be the greatest god in existence.
Bathala was a god that had special deputies. 1 He was inspired by Islam a bit. The name Bathala literally means “creator of all things.” 2 He was considered to be quite humanlike. Bathala had many names, including “Abba.” His name might derive from the Sanskrit bhattara, 3 meaning “a noble lord.” 4
Of course, when the Spanish arrived in the Philippines, most people stopped believing in Bathala and turned to Christianity. But some indigenous people still exist, and probably still believe in Bathala.
1 Clark, Jordan (April 20, 2021). Pre-Colonial RELIGION, CULTURE & SOCIETY of the TAGALOGS |
Philippines. https://www.aswangproject.com/tagalogs/ (Last visited on February 28, 2024.)
2 Caballes, Ligaya (September 12, 2020). The Tagalog Deities. Who Are They?
https://thepinaywriter.com/the-tagalog-deities-who-are-they/ (Last visited on February 28, 2024.)
3 Bathala: The Creator God. https://mythlok.com/bathala/ (Last visited on February 28, 2024.)
4 Bhattara, Bhațțāra: 9 definitions.
https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/bhattara#:~:text=Sanskrit%20dictionary&text=%2Dra%E1%B8%
A5%20A%20noble%20lord.,or%20respect%3A%20see%20the%20next. (Last visited on February 28,
2024.)
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