Badadum, a guide of the dead, is specifically one of the Visayan Deities in the Philippines.

As an animist
culture and as such, many gods and goddesses exist for specific tasks or domains. Death being extremely
important in Filipino society is lovingly looked after by Badadum (also called Manananggal).

As a spirit that feeds off human hearts, it's oftentimes seen as a woman with its long talon like fingers
protruding from its back. By dusk, the spirit would separate and travel at night to hunt humans. It would
then prey on the victim by gliding down and slicing open its victim's chest, ripping out his or her heart
and feeding on it. With its victims dead, it would then detach itself from her body (which looks like a
"wheel" with its arms as spokes), and fly off into the night to repeat its process until dawn when it would
then return to the female form where it sleeps.

There are many things about the Visayan people that are not well known to the world and it is our goal
to help promote what they have. One of these things is Badadum. Badadum is one of 13 gods in the
Visayan pantheon that in his case wields power over death and those who have died. He is also known
as the guide for the spirits of those who have died. This deity was created by an actual Visayan from
Cebu, Philippines and we are proud to present him to the world

The Mythos

In some tribal communities in the Visayan islands of the Philippines, there exists a powerful god that
holds dominion over death and guides departed souls to the afterlife. Badadum is said to be a tall and
dark figure who wears traditional white clothing with red trim. He is a very old man with a long beard
and hair. Despite his age, he is incredibly strong. Old legends tell that years ago this figure was the
bravest warrior and strongest fighter among the Visayan people. He fought many battles and killed
many men in his lifetime and defending his people from warlike tribes that lived in the islands. During
one of these tribal wars, Badadum fell in battle. He was beheaded by an enemy weapon after being
caught off guard when some of his fellow warriors were overpowered by their foes as well. According to
ancient beliefs, he was granted both godlike powers and immortality as a reward for his loyalty and
bravery. In addition to being the guide of dead souls, Badadum is said to be the protector of ancient
relics and knowledge relating to the occult. He is said to be especially powerful during lightening storms.

Badadum in Popular Culture

Badadum is not a widely known deity among many Visayan people, though he has been mentioned in
various books on mythology that detail various tribes living throughout the Philippines. He has been
mentioned alongside very well-known deities such as Bathala, the creator god and Mayari, the goddess
of love. He is said to be a deity of immense power and one who is able to grant boons to those who pay
proper respect to him. Those who pray to him in times of desperation are said to find success in their
endeavors.

Origin Story

Badadum came into being during the Pre-colonial period among Visayan people as an actual historical
figure. He was a great warrior who defended his tribe from all manner of enemies. During one particular
battle, he was struck down and killed during the battle. His body was sent back to his village for proper
burial and the enemies left thinking that they had defeated him. Several nights following his burial,
tribesmen would hear strange sounds coming from their village. The sounds were described as being the
footsteps of a man and his loud voice uttering curses and lamentations.