Maybe one of the reason is that Filipino Mythology isn't widespread in the world, so it might never even reach the ears of the creator of the game. And another one is that Filipino Mythology has a lot of creation myths as well as different deities to research for, and maybe Atlus is not a fan of adding a lot of demons that might never even be interested in them, yet.
But you see, demons and deities in the Filipino folklore and mythology are both colorful and scary at the same time. The Philippines has three main islands called Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao (of which you already know that for sure). Different cultures and different stories to be told, and in each region of the Philippines, they have different variations of their own demons and gods that ancient Filipino people worship.
Read More: A Guide to Filipino Folklore
Such demons and gods do not fall short in stories compared to the present demons of Shin Megami Tensei Series. The Filipino demons and gods also have something to boast at both in stories and how the ancient people in the Philippines depicted them. And if I am given a chance to select at least seven (7) demons and deities to be added to the series if ever there will be a next Shin Megami Tensei Game, then it would be the following.
1.) Bakunawa
Tales about the Bakunawa say that it is the cause of eclipses. During ancient times, Filipinos believe that there are seven moons created by Bathala to light up the sky. The Bakunawa, amazed by their beauty, would rise from the ocean and swallow the whole of the moon, angering Bathala and causing them to be mortal enemies.
To keep the moons from completely being swallowed by the Bakunawa, ancient Filipinos would go out of their homes with pans and pots and would make noise in order to scare the Bakunawa into spitting out the moon back into the sky. Some of the people in the villages would play soothing sounds with their musical instruments, in hopes that the dragon would fall into a deep sleep. Thus, the brave men of the village hoped that while the dragon was hypnotized by the musical sounds they could somehow slay the dragon. Although the dragon was known as a “moon eater” it was also known as a “man eater”.
2.) Bulan
The god of the pale moon, he is depicted as a pubescent boy with uncommon comeliness that made savage beast and the vicious mermaids (Magindara) tame.
Bulan (or Libulan) stands out for his part in a love story between two male gods. As such, he’s been frequently co-opted to champion contemporary LGBT culture and its supposedly ancient roots, which has resulted in his unofficial designation as the patron god of homosexuality.
(Read More: The Moon God Libulan/ Bulan : Patron deity of homosexuals?)
3.) Sidapa
According to ancient Visayan writings, Sidapa has abducted a moon boy, called Bulan and made him his lover. As the story goes, Sidapa, the god of death, once saw the seven moons dancing. He admired them so much for their beauty that he fell in love with them. Soon realizing that the other gods were also infatuated with the moons, he asked the birds and mermaids to sing his endearments to the moons. To further up his game, so to speak, he ordered flowers to bloom so their sweet perfumes would reach the heavens.
Finally, he asked fireflies to light a path for the moons to find their way to him. One, who eventually came down, was named Bulan. One night, having also been captivated by the moons, Bakunawa the moon eating dragon rose from the sea. On seeing this, Sidapa saved Bulan and they eventually came to live together as male lovers on top of Mt. Madjaas.
4.) Mananagal
It is said that the Manananggal will sneak out of her house near midnight to hide in the bushes, or maybe a grove of banana trees. There she rubs her body with a certain type of oil and minutes later, she will sprout bat-like wings and her body gets cut at the waist. The body from the navel down will stay rooted to the spot while the top half will fly around looking for something to eat. With its acute sense of smell, it can smell a sick person or a pregnant woman even miles away. A truly terrorizing way of introducing new demons in the series.
5.) Magindara
The magindara or marindaga are beautiful but vicious freshwater and saltwater mermaids in Filipino, particularly Bicolano myth. They drown adults, especially evil persons, and feast on the victims’ flesh until nothing but bones are left for the fishes to pick. They lure fishermen into the water with their sad but enchanting singing or humming.
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Magindara Illustration by emirajuju
IG: https://www.instagram.com/emirajuju/
Watercolor by Mykie Concepcion
Tumblr: http://mykieconcepcion.tumblr.com/ |
6.) Batibat or Bangungot
The Batibat or Bangungot is a vengeful spirit found in Ilocano folklore. These spirits are blamed as the cause of the fatal nocturnal disease called bangungot or *SUNDS (sudden unexplained nocturnal death syndrome). A Batibat takes the form of a huge, old, fat woman that resides in trees. When these trees are cut down to make posts for a house, the homeowner may find that they have inherited an unwanted guest. The Batibat migrates into holes found in the posts and gets particularly cranky when someone dares to sleep near it. The Batibat will transform and sit on the chest of its victim until he suffocates.
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| Batibat by MickySketchBook via DeviantArt |
7.) Maguayen
According to the Ancient Visayans of the South, Magwayen is the first goddess of the sea and water, the female aspect of creation made by Kanlaon to balance Kaptan, the Sky God.
She personifies the great wide ocean that covers the entire world. She is nurturing, calming, and a provider of food for our Malay ancestors who relies on the abundant fish and seafoods to feed their barangays or "community", but is also known to be tempestuous and violent at times, capable of creating giant tsunamis, whirlpools, floods and heavy rains when she gets angry.
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| Maguayen, The Goddess of the Sea. Art by Ian Sta Maria |
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