Philippine (Tagalog ): Lakambini

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Philippine (Tagalog ): Lakambini He is known as the “pure maiden” for his incomparable beauty, ironic that he is a male deity. He was originally known as the god of “kapurihan” (purity) and is also the god of food, and festivity. He is also associated as youthful fit deity, thus, a god of youth. Worshiped mainly by men, they pray to him to let them find a beautiful maiden to wed. Because of this, he has good relations with the goddess of love, Diyan Masalanta. Strangely, he had the power to cure “throat ailments”. During the Spanish occupation, the friars – through a series of manipulations in a bid to destroy the indigenous Tagalog religion – told the Tagalogs that Lakambini was an “obscure” deity called “abogado dela garganta” (throat advocate) and was a god of gluttony as he wanted the Holy Spirit (depicted at the time as Diyan Masalanta) for himself. These negative notions crafted by the Spanish against Lakambini are historically incorrect and are regarded as mere Spanish fabrications. Tagalogs who continued to revere Lakambini were tortured by the Spanish to completely convert into Christianity and demonize Lakambini. Lakambini has another form named Lakandayton, the god of attachment. Lakambini’s traditional emblem is a strong, fit, and handsome youth.

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