mythological creatures of the Philippines

Bakunawa


Kinnara


In pre-colonial Philippines Kinnara or Kinnari are symbolic of androgynous beauty and of a lover's devotion, ethereal beauty, and one's undying devotion towards a lover. Pre-colonial gold pieces have been found depicting such otherworldly beauty.
The Kinnara are described as gentle, loyal, and subservient creatures. They are depicted as having a beautiful face, the upper body of a slender woman or boy with wings. Alternately, a kinnara can transform its hands and limbs into feathered wings for flight and the lower body of a bird description varies. Kinnaras are skilled dancers and musicians, performing solely for their lover.

Tawong Lipod
The ''Tawong Lipod''  (tawong-lipod or wind people ) present and prevalent in Bicolano lore. They are celebrated mythic beings up to this day in the form of effigies in festivals. They are believed to be celestial beings skilled in the arts of dancing, they were the handmaidens and servants of the Lunar deities of Bicol. They are the equivalents of Sylphs and Apsara (Hindu-Buddhism influenced myths) depicted lithe and attractive youths capable of flight  and can send gust of winds to people who do misdeeds, they are also mentioned in the epic Ibalong, one of the protagonists ''Baltog'' was said to have been descended from this mythic race of creatures.

They are often depicted as lithe and lovely being capable of flight and can command winds, they are associated with the Lunar gods Haliya and Bulan.  



Naga

Naga sometimes called Marindaga, Marinaga, Maginaga are type of freshwater mermaids but instead of having fish tails they have eels and/or water snakes for tails and the upper body of a human female having an alluring face, curvaceous body and long flowing hair. 

Nagas are snake-like mermaids that may take human form. They tend to be very curious. According to traditions, nāgas are only malevolent to humans when they have been mistreated. They are susceptible to mankind's disrespectful actions in relation to the environment. They are also associated with waters—rivers, lakes, seas, and wells—and are generally regarded as guardians of treasure.
In the Western Visayas region of the Philippines the fundamental principles of  naga, or bakunawa, rotation are almost exactly the same as those found in Upper  Burma, Thailand, and Cambodia. The term bakunawa was first defined in Fr. Alonso  de Mentrida's monumental 1637 dictionary, Bocabulario de la Lengua Bisaia-Hilig'

 Magindara 

The sea is such a beutiful sight to behold same as these creatures who inhabit them, the beautiful but deadly mermaids of the Bicol and Visayan waters, The Magindara are beautiful but vicious creatures with the upper body of attractive young women with long flowing hair, their lower halves are that of multi-coloured fishes.
They are believed to have alluring voices that can lull and lure men into the sea, where the Magindara would drown and tear them tp pieces to eat them. It is believed that the magindara like the flesh of evil men. It is also believed that these vicious creatures do not harm innocent children but instead save them from drowning. There are stories about the Lunar deities of Bicol (Bulan and Haliya) that when the lunar god Bulan descended into the waters of Ibalong he was so comely and radiant that the vicious Magindara became tamed and turned into friendly mermaids.

The Origin myth of the Magindara, long ago the evil god Asuang fathered two daughters, both were beautiful but both were half human and half creautre, The older was named Oryol who had the lower body of a snake, and the younger was named Magindara. Oryol had the power to lure anyone with her voice, while Magindara's voice could either call storms or calm the seas. Asuang being an evil god asked her younger daughter to call storm to choas chaos and death, Magindara being kind refused to call storms that would kill human lives. Her disobedience angered her father which resulted in her banishment to the sea, later many beautiful but fierce maidens  half woman half fish immerged from the waters where Magindara was banished thus the namesake for these mermaids.

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