Diwata

Not to be confused with "lambanana", or Super Lamb Banana, a sculpture in Liverpool, England.

In Philippine mythology, a Diwata or Lambana is a mythological figure similar to fairies or nymphs. They are said to reside in large trees, such as acacia and balete and are the guardian sprits of nature, bringing blessing or curses upon those who bring benefits or harm to the forests and mountains. It is a Filipino spelling for the Sanskrit word devadha, but the name is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word dev, meaning deity.

The term "diwata" has taken on various levels of meaning since its concept's being assimilated into the mythology of the pre-colonial Filipinos. It is sometimes loosely used to refer to a generic type of beings much like "elf" or "fairy," or very specific ones as mentioned above. It has been noted that the term "diwata" is synonymous to "anito," and that the usage of the word "diwata" is more prevalent in the Southern Philippines, while "anito" takes its place in the Northern areas.

Characteristics

Although there are numerous and varied accounts as to how they should look like, a general trend may be observed in that they are normally human in appearance, beautiful and seemingly ageless at that, save for some distinct characteristics. This may take the form of not having a philtrum or having continuously smooth and supple skin that somehow resemble fingernails, without any wrinkled parts as in the elbows and knees. They also tend to be fairer than average, as pale skin has been associated with the supernatural even during pre-colonial times (for example, the "white lady" belief is prevalent in the East and Southeast Asian regions), though the characteristics of having nose bridges and blonde hair are suspiciously colonial in nature.

Types

A male diwata is also called encanto, and it resides primarily in the sea. It is customary for Filipino fishermen to offer meat and other delicacies to the encanto by throwing them into the sea, after a day's bountiful catch.

In the Tagbanua mythology, the diwatas are considered equivalent to other creation gods such as, Bathala and Kan-Laon, in the sense that, they are also creators of the world and of the human beings. Although Mangindusa is considered their sumpreme being, he was traditionally more of a punisher of crime (dusa) rather than the sole "creator" of the world.

Some prominent diwatas include:

• Maria Makiling, guardian of Mount Makiling in Laguna province
• Maria Sinukuan, guardian of Mount Arayat in Pampanga province
• Maria Cacao, guardian of Mount Lantoy in Argao, Cebu

In other parts of the Philippines, diwata is analogous to the Greek gods and goddesses. Some of the famous Diwata are:

• Apolake (or Adlaw), god of the sun
• Amanikable, the ruler of the seas
• Anitan, the guardian of lightning.
• Bathala (also known as Kabunian, Malayari, Apo, and Lumawig) the ruler of the heavens
• Dian Masalanta the goddess of love,
• Mayari (or Bulan in other areas), the goddess of the moon,
• Tala, goddess of the stars, and

Popular Culture

Comics

In the comics character created by Gener Pedrina for the Sanduguan Universe, Diwata is a half-human and half-encantada whose real name is Maria Klarissa Valiente.

Television

In the television sitcom Okay ka, Fairy Ko created by MZET productions, diwatas live in a mythical world named Enkantasya where Ina Magenta is the Queen of the Diwatas. Ina Magenta's daughter, Fey, is married to Enteng Kabisote, a human.

In the GMA Network's fantasy television series Encantadia and Mulawin, Diwatas are a race of supernatural being living in Encantadia, a dimension beyond the human world. Some diwatas have pointed ears like elves, one of them is Cassiopeia and some resemble fairies, like Muyak, but many of them are human-like. All diwatas and encantados reside in the Kingdom of Lireo.

A diwata or an encantado that has a royal blood is called Sang'gre (probably coined from Dan Brown's The Davinci Code), which can be distinguished by their markings on their back, the nga character from the Baybayin script. The Queen of the Diwatas in Lireo carries the title of Ynang Reyna. Lirean society is matriarchal and only a Sang'gre in the matriarch line may ascend the throne.

The term, lambana, an old Tagalog word for a drawing symbol or picture that represents a deity of the ancient pagan religion of the Tagalog people was recently used in fantasy-themed television shows such as ABS-CBN's Pedro Penduko as a term for "small fairies"..

Music

Diwata is a Filipino singer-comedienne who made a mark with the Tagalog remake of the English song "Sincerely" and became well known with "Sisirin Mo," a naughty song with double meaning that titillated the masses' imagination from her self titled album "Diwata". This album launched a whole new genre of songs that shocked the sensibilities of the predominantly Catholic Philippines in the year 2001.

References