AUGUST 30, 2017  

BY ZTEVETEVANS

Philippine Folklore: Maria Makiling

of Mount Makiling
 By kellepics – Pixabay – CC0 Creative Commons

Maria Makiling
As is often the case in many parts of the Philippines and around the world, mountains and volcanoes became
associated with legends, myths and ancient traditions and Mount Makiling is strongly associated with a
mythical female entity named Maria Makiling. She is also known as Mariang Makiling and is considered to be
a spirit or forest nymph known as a diwata or lambana in Philippine folklore. Before the Philippines were
colonized she was known as Dayang Masalanta or Dian Masalanta who could be called upon to stop or
prevent natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, or storms. She is also identified with the amount of fish
caught in Laguna de Bay which is part of her realm and appears to be a spirit of abundance influencing the
functioning of the natural world. She was seen as a benign spirit of nature that poor people could approach and
ask for help whenever they needed it.
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It is said that it is Maria who goes through the forest after a storm fixing broken branches and trees and
repairing the nests of birds that have been damaged. She walks through the forest healing the broken wings of
butterflies and clearing away debris from the forest floor and streams. Wherever she walks the sun shines and
the birds sing and the flowers bloom and the animals frisk and play as she tidies up the forest after the storm.