Divata

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The Agusan image statue (900-950 AD) discovered in 1917 on the banks of the Wawa River near Esperanza, Agusan del Sur, Mindanao in the Philippines. Although having Hindu and Buddhist elements, locals worship it as a Diwata instead as a vessel for the animist gods. It is currently under the colonial possession of the American Field Museum, despite countless requests by locals to return the Image back home. Filippine, provincia di agusan, immagine hindu, statuetta in oro massiccio, xiii secolo.jpg
The Agusan image statue (900–950 AD) discovered in 1917 on the banks of the Wawa River near Esperanza, Agusan del Sur, Mindanao in the Philippines. Although having Hindu and Buddhist elements, locals worship it as a Diwata instead as a vessel for the animist gods. It is currently under the colonial possession of the American Field Museum, despite countless requests by locals to return the Image back home.

Divata (also spelled Duwata, Dewata, Ruwata, Diya, Dewa, and other cognates) is an archaic term for Diwata, a gender-neutral umbrella term used in the Philippines for gods, goddesses, nature spirits, nymphs, and fairies. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] Some spirits that have never been human are differentiated in certain ethnolinguistic groups as diwata, which can range from simple guardian spirits of objects, plants, animals, or places to deities embodying abstract concepts and natural phenomena, as well as divine beings belonging to pantheons. [2]

Contents

Etymology

The term divata (and its cognates such as dewatu, duwata, diya, dwata) is derived from the Sanskrit word devatā (देवता) or deva (देव), meaning "deity" or "divine being". [8] This linguistic heritage is attributed to the indirect cultural exchange between the Philippines and South Asia, mediated through Hindu-Buddhist polities in maritime Southeast Asia such as the Srivijaya Empire and the Majapahit Empire. [9] In Tagalog, the related word diwa means "spirit" or "essence", highlighting the spiritual connotation. [10]

Characteristics

Divata are believed to inhabit various realms and domains of the natural and spiritual world. Their functions and attributes vary widely:

While some divata are benevolent and invoked for protection and blessing, others are ambivalent or malevolent, requiring appeasement through ritual offerings. [10]

In Philippine mythology

In Philippine mythology, Diwatas, refers to fairies, nature spirits, celestial beings, and mythological gods. In folk religion, it specifically refers to celestial beings and nature spirits that were never human. These spirits can range from guardians of objects, plants, or animals to deities representing natural forces, abstract concepts, or even gods in a pantheon. [1] [2] [14] [15] [16] [17] Pag-Diwata is a ritual giving praise, veneration and worship to the gods and nature spirits. [18] The modern Filipino understanding of diwata encompasses meanings such as fairy, muse, nymph, dryad, or even deity (god or goddess). [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] The word is thought to originate from the Sanskrit word devata (deity). [26] Diwatas in folklore and mythology are often associated and or synchronized with fairies called lambana. [27] [28] [29] In modern Tagalog, diwata means fairy or nymph. It refers particularly to nature spirits of extraordinary beauty, like Maria Makiling. [30] [31] Spirits that have never been human are differentiated in some ethnic groups as diwata. These spirits can range from simple spirits like the diwata of a particular inanimate object, plant, animal, or place, [note 1] to deities who personify abstract concepts and natural phenomena, [note 2] to deities who are part of an actual pantheon. [note 3] They are also known as dewatu, divata, duwata, ruwata, dewa, dwata, diya, etc., in various Philippine languages (including Tagalog diwa, "spirit" or "essence"); all of which are derived from Sanskrit devata (देवता) or devá (देव), meaning "deity". These names are the result of syncretization with Hindu-Buddhist beliefs due to the indirect cultural exchange (via Srivijaya and Majapahit) between the Philippines and South Asia. [1] [32]

However, what entities are considered diwata varies by ethnic group. In some ethnic groups like the B'laan, Cuyonon Visayans, and the Tagalog, Diwata refers to the supreme being in their pantheon, [note 4] in which case there are different terms for non-human spirits. [1] [33] [note 5] Like in ancestor spirits, diwata are referred to in polite kinship titles when addressed directly, like apo ("elder") or nuno ("grandparent").

Popular depiction of a Diwata, of Maria Sinukuan a famous diwata in Filipino mythology and folklore JfMountArayat716PHeritagePampangafvf.JPG
Popular depiction of a Diwata, of Maria Sinukuan a famous diwata in Filipino mythology and folklore

Modern use

The modern Filipino understanding of diwata encompasses meanings such as muse, fairy, nymph, dryad, or even deity (god or goddess). [34] [35] [36] The word is thought to originate from the Sanskrit word devata (deity). [26] Diwatas in folklore and mythology are often associated and or synchronized with fairies called lambana. [27] [37] [29] In modern Tagalog, diwata means fairy or nymph. It refers particularly to nature spirits of extraordinary beauty, like Maria Makiling. [30] [31] Diwata, being nature spirits or deities, were easier to merge with Catholic ideas of saints or angels. Their roles in healing, fertility, and nature made them seem less threatening to the clergy. Over time, they were romanticized as enchanted beings (fairies) with European traits, fitting colonial ideals of beauty and goodness. [38] [39] [40] [41]

In contemporary usage, divata and diwata are often equated with "fairies" in popular imagination. Spanish missionaries and colonial writers, seeking equivalents in European folklore, frequently translated the term as "duendes" or "fairies". [42]

This conflation was further reinforced in the 19th and 20th centuries through literature, colonial reports, and later media portrayals that depicted diwatas as winged, benevolent, fairy-like beings rather than their more complex roles as deities and nature spirits in indigenous cosmologies. [43] Anthropologist Alicia Magos argues that the term "fairy" is a Western imposition that oversimplifies the diwata’s role in indigenous worldviews as mediators between humans and the spirit world. [44]

Regional variations

The concept of divata is linked to a broader Southeast Asian tradition of nature spirits and deities with Sanskrit-derived names:

These parallels highlight the shared Austronesian and Indic cosmological roots of Philippine divata, while also emphasizing their unique development within local mythologies.

Syncretism

With the arrival of Hindu-Buddhist ideas in precolonial Philippines, the term divata absorbed South and Southeast Asian cosmological influences. [9] Following the introduction of Islam in Mindanao and Christianity during the Spanish colonial period, many diwata/divata were reinterpreted, demonized, or syncretized with Catholic saints and folk religious practices. [42] During the Spanish period, diwata were syncretized with elves and fairies in European mythology and folklore, and were given names like duende (goblin or dwarf), encantador or encanto ("spell [caster]"), hechicero ("sorcerer"), sirena ("mermaid"), or maligno ("evil [spirit]"). [1] [48] [49] In Islamized ethnic groups of the Philippines, these nature spirits are usually called jinn or saitan , due to the influence of Islamic mythology. [48] [50] [51]

Art

Music

Science

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ e.g. Nuno sa punso , a dwarf-like anito that lives in anthills; and Dayang Masalanta, the Tagalog diwata of Mount Makiling
  2. ↑ e.g. Mayari, the Tagalog goddess of the moon; Barangaw, the Visayan god of rainbows; and Makapatag, the Visayan god of vengeance
  3. ↑ e.g. Bathala, the chief deity of the Tagalogs; Magbabaya, the supreme creator of the Lumad people; and Pilandok, trickster spirit of the Maranao
  4. ↑ Tagalogs differentiated between Diwata, the universal supreme being, and life creator Bathala, the supreme deity exclusive to them (Hislop, 1971)
  5. ↑ The most widespread names for these spirits in various Philippine ethnic groups are diwata or anito. Other names of diwata or specific types of diwata include fieu awas, kahoynon (B'laan); mahomanay, tahamaling (Bagobo); panya'en (Batak); tawong lipod, magindara (Bikol); magtitima, tawo sa talonan (Bukidnon); aled (Gaddang); annani (Ibanag); bakayauwan, monduntug, palasekan, pili, pinading (Ifugao); mangmangkit, katataoan/katawtaw-an, kibaan, litao (Ilocano); apdel, sasailo (Itneg); tumungaw (Kankana-ey); laman labuad, manglilili (Kapampangan); kama-kama/kamakaon (Karay-a); tuglinsau, tagbusau, mandangum (Mandaya); andagaw (Mangyan); tawagenen, manaog (Manobo); karibang (Maranao); kaybaan (Pangasinan); kamanan-daplak (Sambal); dayamdam, piritay (Tagalog); tawo sa talonan (Tagbanwa); lewenri, bawa, katao/kataw, tumawo/tamawo, tawong lupa (Visayan); and guban-on, digkusanon, dalaketnon (Waray).

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Scott, William Henry (1994). Barangay: Sixteenth-Century Philippine Culture and Society. Ateneo de Manila University Press. pp. 203–207. ISBN   978-9715501354.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Jocano, F. Landa (1969). Philippine Mythology. Centro Escolar University Research and Development Center. pp. 115–120.
  3. ↑ "diwata – Wiktionary". 23 September 2025. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  4. ↑ "Diwata – Tagalog.com Dictionary" . Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  5. ↑ Perdon, Renato (2012). Pocket Tagalog Dictionary: Tagalog-English English-Tagalog. Tuttle Publishing, 2012. ISBN   978-1-4629-0983-4
  6. ↑ "Diwata – Lingvanex Dictionary" . Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  7. ↑ "EL DESCUBRIMIENTO EN LAS ISLAS Y EN "LA TIERRA FIRME"", La figura femenina en los narradores testigo de la conquista, El Colegio de México, pp. 31–46, 1997-01-01, retrieved 2025-10-09
  8. ↑ Javellana, Renato (1984). "Sanskrit Loanwords in Philippine Languages". Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society. 12 (2): 85–94.
  9. 1 2 Junker, Laura L. (1999). Raiding, Trading, and Feasting: The Political Economy of Philippine Chiefdoms. University of Hawaii Press. pp. 321–325. ISBN   978-0824820341.{{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
  10. 1 2 Demetrio, Francisco R. (1991). Encyclopedia of Philippine Folk Beliefs and Customs. Vol. 1. Giraffe Books. pp. 278–280.
  11. ↑ Eugenio, Damitila Ramos (1994). Philippine Folk Literature: The Myths. University of the Philippines Press. pp. 55–60. ISBN   9789715420617.
  12. ↑ Perdon, Renato (2012). Pocket Tagalog Dictionary: Tagalog-English English-Tagalog. Tuttle Publishing, 2012. ISBN   978-1-4629-0983-4
  13. ↑ Lanuza, Michelle, The Legend of Maria Makiling, archived from the original on 2007-10-02, retrieved September 30, 2007
  14. ↑ "diwata – Wiktionary". 23 September 2025. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  15. ↑ "Diwata – Tagalog.com Dictionary" . Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  16. ↑ Perdon, Renato (2012). Pocket Tagalog Dictionary: Tagalog-English English-Tagalog. Tuttle Publishing, 2012. ISBN   978-1-4629-0983-4
  17. ↑ "Diwata – Lingvanex Dictionary" . Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  18. ↑ Scott, William Henry (2004). Barangay: sixteenth century Philippine culture and society (5. pr ed.). Manila: Ateneo de Manila Univ. Pr. ISBN   978-971-550-135-4.
  19. ↑ Clark, Jordan (2016-03-03). "The DIWATA of Philippine Mythology | Ancestors, Spirits, & Deities • THE ASWANG PROJECT". THE ASWANG PROJECT. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
  20. ↑ Indigenous Natural Enemies of the Malayan Black Bug Scotinophara coarctata (Fab.) on Palawan Island, Philippines. The Philippine Association of Entomologists, Inc. doi:10.59852/tpe-a267v7i5.
  21. ↑ Lietz, Paul S. (1962-09-29). "More on Alzina's Historia De Bisayas". Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints. 10 (3). doi:10.13185/2244-1638.2830. ISSN   2244-1638.
  22. ↑ Lira Loarca, Andrea (2025-03-06). "Reply on RC2". doi: 10.5194/egusphere-2024-2947-ac2 .{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  23. ↑ "Manggao and Maria Cacao". Tales from the 7,000 Isles: 38–39. 2011. doi:10.5040/9798216022213.0029. ISBN   979-8-216-02221-3.
  24. ↑ Retherford, Robert; Eugenio, Damiana L. (1997). "Philippine Folk Literature: The Myths". Asian Folklore Studies. 56 (1): 191. doi:10.2307/1178808. ISSN   0385-2342. JSTOR   1178808.
  25. ↑ "EL DESCUBRIMIENTO EN LAS ISLAS Y EN "LA TIERRA FIRME"", La figura femenina en los narradores testigo de la conquista, El Colegio de México, pp. 31–46, 1997-01-01, doi:10.2307/j.ctvhn0c9w.5 , retrieved 2025-10-09
  26. 1 2 Daniélou, Alain (1991). The Myths and Gods of India: The Classic Work on Hindu Polytheism from the Princeton Bollingen Series. Rochester: Inner Traditions International, Limited. ISBN   978-0-89281-354-4.
  27. 1 2 admin (2019-10-05). "Entering Lambana's mythical realm". PeopleAsia. Retrieved 2025-03-15.
  28. ↑ Clark, Jordan (2016-03-03). "The Diwata of Philippine Mythology | Ancestors, Spirits, & Deities". The Aswang Project. Retrieved 2025-03-15.
  29. 1 2 www.wisdomlib.org (1970-01-01). "Lambana: Significance and symbolism". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2025-03-15.
  30. 1 2 Perdon, Renato (2012). Pocket Tagalog Dictionary: Tagalog-English English-Tagalog. Tuttle Publishing, 2012. ISBN   978-1-4629-0983-4
  31. 1 2 Lanuza, Michelle, The Legend of Maria Makiling, archived from the original on 2007-10-02, retrieved September 30, 2007
  32. ↑ Eder, Matthias; Demetrio, Francisco (1971). "Dictionary of Philippine Folk Beliefs and Customs". Asian Folklore Studies. 30 (2): 144. doi:10.2307/1177533. ISSN   0385-2342. JSTOR   1177533.
  33. ↑ Eder, Matthias; Demetrio, Francisco (1971). "Dictionary of Philippine Folk Beliefs and Customs". Asian Folklore Studies. 30 (2): 144. doi:10.2307/1177533. ISSN   0385-2342. JSTOR   1177533.
  34. ↑ Manuel, E. Arsenio (1963). "A Survey of Philippine Folk Epics". Asian Folklore Studies. 22: 1–76. doi:10.2307/1177562. ISSN   0385-2342. JSTOR   1177562.
  35. ↑ Perdon, Renato (2012). Pocket Tagalog Dictionary: Tagalog-English/English-Tagalog. Singapore: Tuttle Publishing. ISBN   978-1-4629-0983-4.
  36. ↑ Clark, Jordan (2016-03-03). "The DIWATA of Philippine Mythology | Ancestors, Spirits, & Deities • THE ASWANG PROJECT". THE ASWANG PROJECT. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
  37. ↑ Clark, Jordan (2016-03-03). "The DIWATA of Philippine Mythology | Ancestors, Spirits, & Deities". The Aswang Project. Retrieved 2025-03-15.
  38. ↑ McCoy, Alfred W. (1982-06-30). "Culture and Consciousness in a Philippine City". Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints. 30 (2). doi:10.13185/2244-1638.1654. ISSN   2244-1638.
  39. ↑ McCoy, Alfred W. (1982-06-30). "Culture and Consciousness in a Philippine City". Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints. 30 (2). doi:10.13185/2244-1638.1654. ISSN   2244-1638.
  40. ↑ Demetrio, Francisco R. (1986). "On Human Values in Philippine Epics". Asian Folklore Studies. 45 (2): 205–225. doi:10.2307/1178618. ISSN   0385-2342. JSTOR   1178618.
  41. ↑ Aguilar, Filomeno V. (1998). Clash of spirits: the history of power and sugar planter hegemony on a Visayan island. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. ISBN   978-0-8248-1992-7.
  42. 1 2 Rafael, Vicente L. (1988). Contracting Colonialism: Translation and Christian Conversion in Tagalog Society Under Early Spanish Rule. Duke University Press. pp. 144–150. ISBN   978-0822310264.{{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
  43. ↑ Manuel, E. Arsenio (1973). Philippine Folklore, A Handbook. Greenwood Press. pp. 64–68.
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  56. ↑ NA, Nathaniel (2021-10-29). "Isang Araw sa Central Park" . Perspectives in the Arts and Humanities Asia. 10 (2): 301–302. doi:10.13185/paha2020.10223 (inactive 9 October 2025). ISSN   2719-0803.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of October 2025 (link)
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  67. ↑ "The Philippines' 50-kg-class microsatellite "DIWATA-1" has been received. DIWATA-1 will be released from Kibo this spring". Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. February 3, 2016. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
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