Hello and welcome to all, This time I will give a brief summary of one of the versions of the two siblings deities, both are the children of Abba / Bathala:
They are named as Apolaki and Mayari. Apolaki is the Philippines Sun deity and Guardian of warriors and fighters while his sister Mayari is the Moon deity, is the Philippines goddess of the moon, as well as combat, revolution, equality and strength. It is said that when Abba / Bathala died without announcing who will succeed his reign, Apolaki immediately announced himself as the next ruler causing his sister Mayari to fight for equal rights to rule over the world and skies, in one fight of the two siblings, she lost one of her eyes, despite this she won against Apolaki and now rules over half of the skies with Apolaki who apologized profusely in regret for his actions which cost one of his sibling Mayari’s eyes
This is a drawing / sketch of both Apolaki and Mayari:
Note: I know and recognize that all of the texts or figurines of any Philippines deities from the past are burnt or destroyed off by the Spanish in olden days.
I drew this portrait in a timeline before Mayari lost one of her eyes in the duel against Apolaki and I’m not trying to Westernize what they may have actually looked like in written records of ancient times. Also the name there as Garet de Cabenez desu will be the pen name I use when drawing or sketching the deities of ancient Philippines time, I also do not know how to draw females yet so i have to work on that side too in drawing / sketching
Blessed Be,
Margaret
Edit: Also @BryWisteria I just realized this isn’t part of the Catch Up IV topics allowed, it’s okay if it’s not accepted too, I apologize for the mix up I may have caused anyone and any viewers so I’ll place this in the Witchy Wisdom instead and take off the link to the current week’s challenge
This is part of your culture and I’m sure there’s one about ancestors, there’s an art or creative challenge. @BryWisteria will help you. She’s more familiar
Thank you @christina4 , I am still learning about the different deities, different indigenous folks have different spins to their tales in the Philippines Mythology section, thank goodness the internet’s here or research would take much more longer time frame than current times and the translations too, for once sometimes having too many dialects for a country can make it difficult to study all of the local languages whether they’re from the province or city, thank you to all the linguists and interpreters who did their part in the past.
I’ll just wait for what @BryWisteria will tell or guide me to, I might end up doing a different drawing of other deities just in case, maybe Idianale this time, the Goddess associated to Labor and Good Deeds… I won’t start on who her children are in different versions of the tales it’s honestly too long to write down for a post, one would end up writing a long story book about all of them if it’s done, what I just sent were some summary about Apolaki and Mayari, there’s also another sister apparently named Tala who’s the female deity of the stars, is she the youngest? I’m not sure about that yet
I like hearing stories about peoples mistakes so maybe I won’t make the some mistakes!
I see what happens to the gods when there in there anger, one loses there eye and have to live with regret! Tragedy!
Thank you for this tid bit!
Jeannie
In a way the deities also teach the virtue of asking for forgiveness and forgiving too while also staying true to the best of their ability in keeping the vow not to hurt their loved ones again, it’s something I never heard from anyone who may have wronged me in the past though one person among them is something I’ll still need to figure out if the apology through actions is genuine or if it’s all an act all over again to have control over me again, it’s better to be safe than sorry for me
Anne thank you for pointing that out. It’s important not to hurt anyone. That is something in the Wiccan reed I try to live up to. I have some regrets when I hurt the people I loved in the past. I had to forgive myself which was hard. I was in my anger when I was in my adolescent year’s I made some really bad choices! But then again I have been wronged too and it is important to know that the person needs to be genuine so they don’t do it again. I learned a lot from this story. Thank you for the moral of the story. Good to remember for the future ahead of me.
Jeannie
This is a lovely exploration of deities and a beautiful piece of artwork- thanks so much for sharing!
As for this week’s catch-up challenge, I’d say this would make a lovely entry to either the Dealing in Divine (deities challenge) or Art Witch challenge. Feel free to let me know which you would prefer, and I will award the corresponding title along with the award post tomorrow!
I’m still figuring out which tale version to use for the goddess or mortal Idianale, from one version she is the wife of Abba or Bathala in another she’s one of his servants who help him in ruling the skies and marries a different deity instead, I’ll still need to research about her,
This one can be placed under the Art Witch Challenge @BryWisteria , not the best work for myself so I do need to practice drawing too, it may have been months or even years since I last did any drawing, I don’t have the talent but the group which taught me Arnis, one of their leaders taught me how to draw too, and one of the only friends in 8th Grade gave guidance in drawing after seeing I needed improvement in it, I just usually apply both sides in the present.
One time while I was still being treated horribly some part of my control snapped against the one person who wronged not only myself but also used others to do the bidding on me, I don’t know if that was why the reason one of the leaders a hidden group in one of my former schools which teaches self defense albeit in an unorthodox street style took me under their wings as one of the apprentices,
I knew for once I was hysterical when that instrument was about to hit me and ran, I forgot that time I have Asthma all I wanted was to flee, don’t look back and keep running, if only one of those that wronged me didn’t have such strong strength and control of physical power I would have succeeded in getting as far as I can from anyone who poses a threat to my younger self that time, I guess it’s partly a reason why a group kept tabs and watch over me when it was weekdays and I am in the campus grounds yet acting like I was a servant to them, something in my eyes likely looked like I just wanted the nightmare of my old days to end already. When I sort of remember it now I can sort of tell some part was still fighting even if it seemed my fate were sealed in the past that I’d likely die and see my old friend again after a tormenting 3 more years than him, however more than anything my soul that time just wanted to rest in peace some part of me will probably always feel fear towards that instrument it’s something that was ingrained to my body and that look in the eyes of the one who did it,
I only figured out in the present when I do feel the same feeling again I’ll need to listen to sounds of nature from YouTube videos or sometimes I’ll watch anime just to pass the overwhelming fear and anxiety, or at times and probably if I do trust a person enough already, I’d let them embrace or stay right beside me as I cry all of the emotions out but never anger for I do worry if I let it out, someone else may end up hurt cause of me in a way I guess the concept of original sin as taught by Christianity in the Eastern side is something I’ll need to fix for myself
And so it shall be! I think your art is absolutely beautiful, Margarget, and you are right- with practice and time, your talents will continue to develop and flourish! Thank you for sharing your lovely art, Art Witch!
Once again, thank you for the badge or title @BryWisteria , I’m in the process of learning how to draw tattoos from the Visayas Tribes which are only seen in warriors before and during colonial times, there have been those who also study martial arts in the Philippines who actually have it too as a claim to the heritage, I’d find it nice to learn what those tattoos and patterns mean symbolically too, my grandma comes from Visayas and in the Amaya setting in epic and GMA 7, the highest sky deity is called Abba, maybe it’s why from there I ended up calling the sky deity under the same name too, it felt right and it fit for me,
I think your art is absolutely beautiful, Margarget, and you are right- with practice and time, your talents will continue to develop and flourish! 
Thank you for sharing your lovely art, Art Witch! 
May you wear it with pride, as it represents your beautiful talents as an Art Witch! 
congratulations on the badge!!! 
