Bathala: The Supreme God of Filipino Mythology

7 days ago

1 min read

Updated: 3 days ago

Bathala is the supreme god of Tagalog mythology, the creator and ruler of the sky and of human destiny.

Creator and ruler

Spanish-era accounts describe the Tagalog people honoring a supreme being called Bathala, sometimes 'Bathalang Maykapal,' the creator of all things.

In many retellings, Bathala's children include Apolaki (the sun), Mayari (the moon), Tala (the stars) and Hanan (the morning).

Bathala was believed to work through lesser spirits and ancestor spirits called anito. People made offerings to these spirits for help in daily life.

Many link the phrase 'bahala na' to Bathala: leave it to God. Today the phrase carries a mix of faith, courage and letting go.

Spanish missionaries sometimes used the name Bathala when teaching about the Christian God. The name lives on in Filipino language and art.

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