Bathala (God)
Like other countries all over the world, the belief in God is part of the ethnicity of Philippine history. Ancient Filipinos called their God as Bathala (Supereme Being and Creator) philippine mythsaddressed as Maykapal (Creator). Bathala, was the Supreme God of the ancient Tagalog and King of the Diwatas. Derived from the Sanskrit term Bathara Guru (for the same deity), the concept of Bathala, as with many beliefs in pre-Hispanic Philippines, owe a huge debt to the Hinduism of the Srivijayan Javanese. All of these beliefs were soon changed after the Spaniards set foot on the islands. Spanish missionaries used Bathala as a way for them to convert the Tagalogs into Christianity by associating him with the Christian God. They also did this to the other deities by replacing them with saints. Since then, the name "Bathala" was used to refer to the Christian God and is still used by Filipinos today, and God is even addressed as "Poong (Lord) Maykapal".
Bathala has counterparts in other parts of the Philippines. In Northern Luzon, Kabunian and Lumawig; in Southern Luzon, Gugurang and Mangindusa; and in the Visayas, Abba, Kan-Laon, and Kaptan.
Great Find here Mitchelle!
ReplyDeleteDid you not encounter its relation to the Babaylans?
Let us discuss this further in Class on Monday!
Thank you and God Bless!
Hector
Assignment!
ReplyDeleteAnalogy for the Myths Bathala (God)
Like other countries, Old Filino have thier own belief about God, they consider Bathala as a Supriem Being and Creator. Even that the Philippines is the only Christian country in the ASIA Continent. Our own roots about God (Bathala) will never been erase, even the generation was still do the change and our past was not recognize under the law of continues change of belief about who's God are real! But still thankful, coz' some of the ethnic and native in the remote region here in Philippines still and continue following their belief for Bathala and other like Anito.
yes... nice myth Mitch..
ReplyDeleteall about God's bathala's etc..
i hope we discuss this in our class on monday..:))
nice..its all about god..i could say although that we have different beliefs we should remember that our religion is just a pathway to us for communicating to god ..
ReplyDeleteThis myth teach us that whatever beliefs we have, still there is only one that all of us know and that is there is God.Though there are so many religions arises still the fact is that we all believe in HIM.
ReplyDelete