Visayan gods of war

Visayan war gods

Visayan war gods: Macanduc, Varangao and Naguined

The Visayans were known and feared in the pre-colonial Philippines for their ferocity in war and combat. Their mastery of the arts of war and of sea ferrying unmatched. Tales of their exploits and raids reached far and wide. But their ferocity in combat is actually a manifestation of their strong faith and belief to their gods. Their body clad in gold and their skin decorated with the most beautiful tattoos is also a part of it. The Visayans invoked and venerated three main gods before setting out to wage war or to go to other territories to plunder them, the trinity of deities invoked were Naguined the god of war and poisons, Macanduc the god of war and plunder and Varangao the god of hope and embodiment of the rainbow. The Visayans believed with all their hearts that their gods are with them during battle, making them more vicious, adamant and victorious.

Trinity of Visayan war gods

Diwata ng digmaan Malandok, Naguined at Barangaw

Naguined

Naguined is the god of war and poison of the Visayans he is known to have two brothers who are also warriors,Arapayan and Magkaburak their skin blackened by countless tattoos and their teeth are said to be blackened, some say they have golden teeth like those of sharks. Naguined is prominently known to be a man but he choose to appear to men in the guise of a beautiful maiden, In some orally passed down stories tells of how Naguined chose to appear as a lovely maiden covered in tattoos to the Visayan warriors and thought them how to use poisons and herbs. There is also a story where Naguined and his brothers Arapayan and Magkaburak appear before the chambers of a Dayang (Noblewoman) where they lay with her in lust and in knowledge, the Dayang conceived a child (Nagmalitong Yawa Sinagmaling Diwata), she and her husband Datu praised the gods.

In pre-colonial Bicol they believed in a trinity of demon gods with the same name as the Visayan gods Naguine, Magkaburak, and Arapayan who are allies with the god of mischief and evil Asuang. Depicted as triplets of handsome men with tattoos from head to toe but their true form is a three-headed beast.

Macanduc and Bulan

Macanduc

Macanduc or Malandok sometimes called Malandog is the embodiment of all the things dread that happen during wartime, He is the patron of sea bandits and raiders. He is depicted having bronze skin decorated with countless tattoos, golden teeth, long dark hair and a muscular physique the paragon of the Visayan warriors, their god their idol. Stories of how the sky god Captan punished his worshippers when they wanted to wage war and plunder in Macanduc’s name forgetting to worship the sky god. A story of how Macanduc wanted to raid even the heavens, he wanted to kidnap the moons particularly Bulan who was the pubescent aspect of the moon. That the undisputed god of war and plunder wanted a boy (Bulan) to be his consort but the god of death Sidapa intervened, the first time and the only time the god of war ever lost in battle. 

Varangao

Varangao or Barangaw is the god of hope and embodiment of the rainbow. He is invoked during war times when the odds are not in your favor, he gives hope of defeating a stronger foe and the thought that if one dies in battle Baranganaw takes them by the hand and takes their spirit to guide them over a rainbow bridge where they can dwell in the heavens as ancestral spirits of war and battle. There is a story concerning this god how he gave hope to a lovely princess due to her vainglory was punished by the goddess of greed.