Diwata
Encyclopedia
In Philippine mythology
Philippine mythology
Philippine mythology include a collection of tales and superstitions about magical creatures and entities. Some Filipinos, even though heavily westernized and Christianized, still believe on these tales...

, a Diwata (origin Sanskrit Devata), also known as Encantada, is a mythological
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...

 figure similar to fairies
Fairy
A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...

 or nymph
Nymph
A nymph in Greek mythology is a female minor nature deity typically associated with a particular location or landform. Different from gods, nymphs are generally regarded as divine spirits who animate nature, and are usually depicted as beautiful, young nubile maidens who love to dance and sing;...

s. They are nature spirits and live one with mother earth. They were benevolent or neutral and could be called upon ritually for positive crop growth, health, and fortune; however, they also caused illness or misfortune if not given proper respect. They are said to reside in large trees, such as acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...

 and balete
Balete
Balete can refer to:*The modern name for the baMalete, a Southern African Tswana tribe.*The Banyan Tree, locally known as 'Balite' or 'Balete' in the Philippines and closely associated with the spirit world according to a number of Philippine Myths, or any species of Ficus in general*Balete, Aklan,...

 and are the guardian spirits of nature, casting blessings or curses upon those who bring benefits or harm to the forests and mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...

s. They have their origin in the Hindu Devata, with the term Diwata originating from the Indonesian Dewata.

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 what 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
Philtrum
The philtrum , is a medial cleft common to many mammals, extending from the nose to the upper lip, and, together with a glandular rhinarium and slit-like nostrils, is believed to constitute the primitive condition for mammals in general...

 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).

Types

A male diwata is also called enkanto, and it resides primarily in the sea. It is customary for Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....

 fishermen to offer meat and other delicacies to the enkanto by throwing them into the sea, after a day's bountiful catch.

Comics

In the comics
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...

 character created by Gener Pedrina
Gener Pedrina
Gener "Ner" Pedrina is a freelance Filipino comic book artist who has taken on various roles in the industry. Most notable is his creation of Sanduguan...

 for the Sanduguan Universe, Diwata is a half-human and half-encantada whose real name is Maria Klarissa Valiente.

Television

In the television sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...

 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, Faye, is married to Enteng Kabisote, a human.

In the GMA Network
GMA Network
GMA Network is a major commercial television & radio network in the Philippines. GMA Network is owned by GMA Network, Inc. a publicly listed company...

's fantasy television series Encantadia
Encantadia
Encantadia is a Filipino fantasy television series produced by GMA Network. The pilot episode was aired on May 2, 2005. Its last episode was aired on December 9 of the same year to give way to its second book, Etheria. This series aired its pilot episode on December 12, and its last episode on...

and Mulawin
Mulawin
Mulawin is a speculative fiction Television drama series about two races of winged humanoids. The Mulawin must fight the Ravena to protect the mortals from its wrath. It tells the story of Aguiluz portrayed by Richard Gutierrez and Alwina which was portrayed by Angel Locsin.It was originally aired...

, Diwatas are a race of supernatural being living in Encantadia, a dimension beyond the human world. Pure diwatas have pointed ears like elves
Elf
An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...

, one of them is Cassiopeia and some resemble fairies, like Muyak, human-like diwatas are born from a diwata and another encantado. All diwatas and encantados reside in the Kingdom of Lireo.

A diwata or an encantado that has royal blood is called Sang'gre, which can be distinguished by their markings on their back, the nga character from the Baybayin
Baybayin
Baybayin , is a pre-Spanish Philippine writing system. It is a member of the Brahmic family and is recorded as being in use in the 16th century...

 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.

Another television series from GMA Network, Amaya
Amaya (TV series)
Amaya is a Philippine historical fiction and period drama created and developed by Suzette Doctolero, with Marian Rivera in the title-role. Directed by Mac Alejandre, it premiered on May 30 on GMA Network and on June 1, 2011 on GMA Pinoy TV....

 depicts diwata as goddesses who may be called upon through a ritual. The series revolves around the life of Amaya, a binukot (kept maiden) and her fate to become the most powerful woman of her time. It is set during the pre-colonial times of the Philippines. The diwatas shown were Maguayen who ferries the souls of the dead to Sulad and Pandaki, who can change a fate of a dungan (soul).

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
ABS-CBN
ABS–CBN Corporation is a Philippine-based media conglomerate. It is the Philippines' largest media and entertainment conglomerate. The corporation was the merger of Alto Broadcasting System which at that time owned by James Lindenberg and Antonio Quirino, and the Chronicle Broadcasting Network ...

's Pedro Penduko
Pedro Penduko
Pedro Penduko is a Filipino comic book character styled as a folk hero or superhero, created by Francisco V. Coching and debuted on Liwayway Magazine....

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.

Literature

Diwata is the primary character in the play Speech and Debate written in 2007 by Stephen Karam. The character constitutes an ironic representation of the Diwata, as an awkward, socially rejected high school student intent on creating her own club to catalyze the downfall of her closed-minded drama teacher.

See also

  • Devata, deities, divine beings or lesser gods in Hindu-Buddhist concept
  • Hyang
    Hyang
    Hyang is an unseen spiritual entity that has supernatural power in ancient Indonesian mythology. This spirit can be either divine or ancestral. The reverence for this spiritual entity can be found in Sunda Wiwitan, Kejawen, and Balinese Hinduism. In modern Indonesian this term tends to be...

    , similar concept in ancient Indonesia
    Indonesia
    Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

  • Kami
    Kami
    is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...

    , similar concept in Japanese Shinto
    Shinto
    or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...

    faith
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