65 Water Deities and Spirits in Philippine Mythology

Water deities feature prominently in mythologies worldwide, often associated with bodies of water like seas, oceans, and rivers, which held significant cultural and practical importance in many civilizations. Springs and holy wells also garnered worship as sources of life-giving water.

Animal symbolism plays a role in this reverence, where creatures like whales, snakes (often depicted as dragons), turtles, fish, crabs, and sharks are viewed as divine beings in various mythological traditions. In Asian lore, there are connections between whales and dragons, both revered for their mythic qualities. Serpents, known for their symbolism and often depicted as serpentine deities, share many attributes with dragons in mythology.

Here are sixty-five (65) water deities and spirits in Philippine folklore, each with its description and the mythology from which it originates, along with their respective locales. These deities span thirty (30) different cultural mythologies, listed in alphabetical order.

Aeta Mythology (also Agta and Dumagat in Zambales, Tarlac, Pampanga, Panay, Bataan, and Nueva Ecija, Luzon):

1. Sedsed: the Aeta god of the sea

Agutaynen Mythology (northern part of Palawan in the Agutaya Island):

2. Neguno: the Cuyonon and Agutaynen god of the sea that cursed a selfish man by turning him into the first shark

Bagobo Mythology (west coast of Davao Gulf, Mindanao):

3. Pamulak Manobo: the Bagobo supreme deity and creator of the world, including the land, sea, and the first humans; throws water from the sky, causing rain, while his spit are the showers

Bicolano Mythology (Bicolandia, southeast Luzon):

4. Dagat: the Bicolano goddess of the sea

5. Bulan: the Bicolano moon god whose arm became the earth, and whose tears became the rivers and seas

6. Tubigan: the Bicolano god of the water

7. Magindang: the Bicolano god of fishing who leads fishermen in getting a good fish catch through sounds and signs

8. Onos: the Bicolano deity who freed the great flood that changed the land's features

Bisaya Mythology (southernmost islands of Luzon and a significant portion of Mindanao):

9. Maguayan: the Bisaya god who rules over the waters as his kingdom; father of Lidagat; brother of Kaptan

10. Maguyaen: the Bisaya goddess of the winds of the sea

11. Magauayan: the Bisaya sea deity who fought against Kaptan for eons until Manaul intervened

12. Lidagat: the Bisaya sea deity married to the wind; daughter of Maguayan

13. Bakunawa: the Bisaya serpent deity who can coil around the world; sought to swallow the seven "Queen" moons, successfully eating the six, where the last is guarded by bamboos

14. Makilum-sa-tubig: the Bisaya god of the sea

15. Kasaray-sarayan-sa-silgan: the Bisaya god of streams

16. Magdan-durunoon: the Bisaya god of hidden lakes

17. Santonilyo: a Bisaya deity who brings rain when its image is immersed at sea

18. Bulalakaw: the Talaandig deity who safeguards the creatures in the rivers; the lalayon ritual is offered to the deity

19. Launsina: the Capiznon goddess of the sun, moon, stars, and seas, and the most beloved because people seek forgiveness from her

Blaan Mythology (Southern Mindanao):

20. Fon Eel: the Blaan spirit of water

Bugkalot Mythology (also Ilongot or Ibiza of southern Sierra Madre, Luzon):

21. Oden: the Bugkalot deity of the rain, worshiped for its life-giving waters

Buhid Mangyan Mythology (Mindoro, southwest Luzon):

22. Afo Sapa: the Buhid Mangyan owner of rivers

Bukidnon Mythology (Maranao, Mindanao):

23. Diwata na Magbabaya: simply referred as Magbabaya; the good Bukidnon supreme deity and supreme planner who looks like a man; created the earth and the first eight elements, namely bronze, gold, coins, rock, clouds, rain, iron, and water; using the elements, he also created the sea, sky, moon, and stars; also known as the pure god who wills all things; one of three deities living in the realm called Banting

24. Dadanhayan ha Sugay: the evil Bukidnon lord from whom permission is asked; depicted as the evil deity with a human body and ten heads that continuously drools sticky saliva, which is th source of all waters; one of the three deities living in the realm called Banting

25. Bulalakaw: the Bukidnon guardian of the water and all the creatures living in it

26. Python of Pusod Hu Dagat: the gigantic Bukidnon python living at the center of the sea; caused a massive flood when it coiled its body at sea

Cuyonon Mythology (Cuyo Islands, Northern and Central Palawan):

*27. Neguno: the Cuyonon and Agutaynen god of the sea that cursed a selfish man by turning him into the first shark

Gaddang Mythology (Cagayan River, Northern Luzon):

28. Limat: the Gaddang god of the sea

Hanunoo Mangyan Mythology (Mindoro, southwest Luzon):

29. Apu Dandum: the Hanunoo Mangyan spirit living in the water

Hiligaynon Mythology (Panay, Guitars, Negros, Visayas:

30. Magyawan: the Hiligaynon god of the sea

*31. Manunubo: the Hiligaynon and Aklanon good spirit of the sea

Ilocano Mythology (Ilocos Region, Northwestern seaboard of Luzon):

32. Ocean Deity: the Ilocano goddess of the ocean whose waters slammed the edifice of salt being built by Ang-ngalo and Asin, causing the sea's water to become salty

Karay-a Mythology (Panay and Palawan, Visayas):

33. Kapapu-an: the Karay-a pantheon of ancestral spirits from whom the supernatural powers of shamans originated from; their aid enables specific types of shamans to gush water from rocks, leap far distances, create oil shields, become invisible, or pass through solid matter

Kapampangan Mythology (Pampanga, Bataan, Tarlac, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Zambales):

34. Apûng Malyari: the Kapampangan moon god who lives in Mt. Pinatubo and ruler of the eight rivers

35. Lakandanum: variant of the Kapampangan Naga, known to rule the waters

36. Apûng Malyari: the Kapampangan moon god who lives in Mt. Pinatubo and ruler of the eight rivers

Maguindanao Mythology (Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan):

37. Tunung: the Maguindanao spirits who live in the sky, water, mountain, or trees; listens to prayers and can converse with humans by borrowing the voice of a medium; protects humans from sickness and crops from pests

Manobo Mythology (from Sarangani island into the Mindanao mainland in the regions of Agusan, Davao, Bukidnon, Surigao, Misamis, and Cotabato, Mindanao):

38. Tagbanua: the Manobo god of rain

39. Yumud: the god of water

Maranao Mythology (Lanao Lake, Mindanao):

40. Tonong: divine Maranao spirits who often aid heroes; often lives in nonok trees, seas, lakes, and the sky realm

Tagbanwa Mythology (Palawan, the largest province in the Philippines home to the Kagayanen, Tagbanwa, Palawan, Taaw’t Bato, Molbog and Batak):

41. Polo: the benevolent Tagbanwa god of the sea whose help is invoked during times of illness

Pangasinense Mythology (Lingayen Gulf, Pangasinan Province, Central Luzon):

42. Gods of the Pistay Dayat: Pangasinense gods who are pacified through the Pistay Dayat ritual, where offerings are given to the spirits of the waters who pacify the gods

Sama-Bajau Mythology (Tawi-Tawi and other islands of the Sulu Archipelago):

43. Umboh Tuhan: also called Umboh Dilaut, the Sama-Bajau god of the sea and one of the two supreme deities; married to Dayang Dayang Mangilai

44. Umboh Kamun: the Sama-Bajau totem of mantis shrimp

45. Sumangâ: the Sama-Bajau spirit of sea vessels; the guardian who deflects attacks

Sambal Mythology (Zambales and Pangasinense of Bolinao and Anda)

46. Anitun Tauo: the Sambal goddess of wind and rain who was reduced in rank by Malayari for her conceit

Sidpan Mythology (Central and Northern Palawan):

47. Diwata Kat Sidpan: a deity who lives in the western region called Sidpan; controls the rains

Subanon Mythology (Zamboanga del Sur and Miami’s Occidental, Mindanao):

48. Tagma-sa-Dagat: the Subanon god of the sea

49. Tagma-sa-uba: the Subanon god of the rivers

Tagalog Mythology (Luzon provinces of Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Bulacan and Nueva Ecija to name a few):

50. Bathala: the Tagalog supreme god and creator deity, also known as Bathala Maykapal, Lumilikha, and Abba; an enormous being with control over thunder, lightning, flood, fire, thunder, and earthquakes; presides over lesser deities and uses spirits to intercede between divinities and mortals

51. Anitun Tabu: the Tagalog goddess of wind and rain and daughter of Idianale and Dumangan

52. Lakapati: the Tagalog hermaphrodite deity and protector of sown fields, sufficient field waters, and abundant fish catch

53. Amanikable: the Tagalog god of the sea who was spurned by the first mortal woman; also a god of hunters

54. Amansinaya: the Tagalog goddess of fishermen

55. Haik: the Tagalog god of the sea who protects travelers from tempests and storms

56. Bulan-hari: one of the Tagalog deities sent by Bathala to aid the people of Pinak; can command rain to fall; married to Bitu-in

57. Makapulaw: the Tagalog god of sailors

58. Great Serpent of Pasig: a giant Tagalog serpent who created the Pasig river after merchants wished to the deity; in exchange for the Pasig's creation, the souls of the merchants would be owned by the serpent

59. Quadruple Deities: the four childless naked Tau-buid Mangyan deities, composed of two gods who come from the sun and two goddesses who come from the upper part of the river; summoned using the paragayan or diolang plates

T'boli Mythology (Lake Sebu, Southwestern Mindanao):

60. Fu El: the T'boli spirit of water

61. Fu El Melel: the T'boli spirit of the river

Talaandig Mythology (Bukidnon, Mindanao):

62. Bulalakaw: the Talaandig deity who safeguards the creatures in the rivers; the lalayon ritual is offered to the deity

Teduray Mythology (Maguindanao, Mindanao):

63. Segoyong: the Teduray guardians of the classes of natural phenomena; punishes humans who do not show respect and steal their wards; many of them specialize in a class, which can be water, trees, grasses, caves behind waterfalls, land caves, snakes, fire, nunuk trees, deers, and pigs.

Waray Mythology (Samar, Visayas):

64. Hamorawan Lady: the Waray deity of the Hamorawan spring in Borongan, who blesses the waters with healing properties

65. Maka-andog: an epic Waray giant-hero who was friends with the sea spirits and controlled wildlife and fish; first inhabitant and ruler of Samar who lived for five centuries; later immortalized as a deity of fishing

These deities, gods, and spirits reflect the rich and diverse nature of Philippine mythology, highlighting the cultural importance of water in the Philippines.

Source and References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_water_deities#cite_note-64