Diwata

Diwata (from Sanskrit devada, "gods"), engkantada (from Spanish: encantada, "enchantress, charmed") or engkanto (from Spanish: encanto, "spell, incantation, charm") are lesser gods and goddesses. Some are dryads who guard natural creations such as forests, seas, mountains, land and air. Diwatas have been colloqialized in modern times as faries or enchantresses.

Diwatas are described as fair-skinned, good-looking and, sometimes, blonde-haired. They are said to reside in large trees, such as acacia and balete. They tend to be resentful of humanity's intrusion into their realm. They also bring blessings upon those who do good to the forests and mountains, and curses upon those who harm them. One famous diwata is Maria Makiling, guardian of Mount Makiling in Laguna province. Engkanto (sometimes spelled Encanto) is an umbrella term for most supernatural beings. The common connotation is that they are fairies who reside primarily in the forests and the sea. They can also be called encantado (male) or encantada (female).

In Philippine mythology, a diwata (derived from Sanskrit devata देवता; encantada in Spanish) is a type of deity or spirit. The term "diwata" has taken on levels of meaning since its assimilation into the mythology of the pre-colonial Filipinos. The term is traditionally used in the Visayas, Palawan, and Mindanao regions, while the term anito is used in Luzon regions. Both terms are used in Bicol, Marinduque, Romblon, and Mindoro, signifying a 'buffer zone' area for the two terms. When the Spanish conquered the Philippines the commonly used meaning of the term reduced from goddess to dryad-like spirit which was considered benevolent or neutral. These spirits were invoked ritually for positive crop growth, health, and fortune; however, they were also considered to be able to incur illness or misfortune if not given proper respect.

They were said to reside in large trees, such as acacia and balete and were understood as the guardian spirits of nature: casting blessings or curses upon those who brought benefits or harm to the forests and mountains.

In modern times, the term "diwata" is sometimes loosely used to refer to a generic type of beings, much like "elf" or "fairy," or very specific types. The term "diwata" is synonymous to "anito" and the usage of the word "diwata" is more prevalent in the southern Philippines, while "anito" takes its place in the northern areas.

Deva is the Hindu term for deity; devatas (Javanese, Balinese, Sundanese, Malay and Indonesian: dewata; Philippine languages: diwata), are a kind of smaller more focused devas. The term "devata" also means devas (deva in plural form or the gods). There are many kinds of devatas: vanadevatas (forest spirits, perhaps descendants of early nature-spirit cults), gramadevata (village gods), devata of river crossings, caves, mountains, and so on. Every human activity has its devata, its spiritual counterpart or aspect.

In Philippine mythology, a diwata is a type of deity or spirit. The term "diwata" has taken on various levels of meaning since its assimilation into the mythology of the pre-colonial Filipinos, but its origin is in the Devata beings from Hinduism and Buddhism.

By the time the Spanish came to the Philippines, the most commonly-used meaning of the term had been reduced from goddess to dryad-like spirit – considered benevolent or neutral.

As Jose Rhommel Hernandez commented on our recent post about Tagalog Deities – "The word "Diwata" although used in Tagalog does not retain its Indian/Hindu meaning. Among the Tagalogs, Diwata is usually understood as a fairy. In the Visayas however, the word Diwata is understood as equivalent to the word Anito or ancestor spirit. Even in some groups in Mindanao, like the T'boli, the word used is "Demwata" which has the same meaning as the Visayan Diwata."

It's worth noting, that some indigenous tribes in the Philippines still hold communion with diwata spirits before undertaking any tasks or events.