From her came fertility of fields and health of flocks and herds.' Boxer Codex As the benevolent giver of food and prosperity, she was respected and loved by the people. Landa Jocano described Lakapati's nature as a goddess and how ancient Tagalogs revered her: 'Ikapati, goddess of cultivated land, was the most understanding and kind among the dieties of Bathala. Some historical books contain entries describing Lakapati and how she was worshipped.Īn entry in Outline of Philippine Mythology by F. Meanwhile, other myths describe Lakambakod, the god of crops, as Lakapati's partner. They placed the ball in the sky and it became Earth. After she gave Bathala a ball out of clay and banana blossom, he shaped the ball, forming the seas and mountains. In one story, Lakapati began the creation of the world when she sensed that Bathala felt something missing in his life. In other myths, Lakapati was the consort of Bathala (or Abba in some myths), the supreme god who was sometimes viewed as intersex or transgender as well.

In some myths, Lakapati is married to Mapulon, the god of seasons, and gave birth to Anagolay, the goddess of lost things.

2.4 Barangay: Sixteenth Century Philippine Culture and Society.During planting season, they would carry around carved figures and statues of Lakampati in the fields to worship her, similar to how Filipinos today carry the Sto. They would also offer plants and herbs of any kind when they needed her help with any trouble.

They commonly offered a plate of rice at around seven in the evening during a full moon for Lakampati. They sought for her aid for protection from starvation. Īncient Tagalogs revered Lakapati as the great mother goddess. Lakapati is described as having a half-woman and half-man figure, thus she is identified or interpreted as an androgynous, intersex, or transgender goddess. Her name comes from the Tagalog words ' Lakan,' which is the title for a noble ruler in some parts of the Philippines, and ' Pati,' which comes from Sanskrit and is also a title that means master or lord of. Her name literally means 'giver of food,' according to many accounts. Lakapati (or Ikapati, Lakampati) is the ancient Tagalog goddess of fertility and agriculture.

Barangay by william henry scott