Lakapati – Intersex God of Fertility
Philippine Mythology: Luzon Divinities
The latest addition to my Diwata Collection: Lakapati, the intersex god of fertility. (Yes, @bretmanrock was my inspiration).
“Long before the Spaniards arrived, the concept that there were more than two genders was socially and spiritually accepted in precolonial Tagalog society and other parts of what is now known as the Philippines. In many Spanish records such as the Boxer Codex and dictionaries it states that there were individuals who were born with male sexual organs, however were seen and considered as women by society often marrying men, dressing in women clothing, and partaking in activities often done by women such as weaving and cultivating the fields.
These individuals were not thought of as being abnormal, but actually were seen as people who were more closer to the divine, often becoming spiritual leaders, known as bayog, asog, bayoguin, those who were an intermediary between the mundane and spirit world. According to the Boxer Codex they were the highest spiritual authority of katalonans, the priests and priestesses. In fact, one of the most beloved deities in the Tagalog pantheon was Lakapati or Lakan Pati, the giver of food, fertility, and an intersex deity (in Spanish and English texts the term used is hermaphrodite, but to adhere to modern terms, I will refrain from using the old derogatory word and use intersex).
The name Lakapati comes from the Tagalog word “Lakan” which was a title for a noble ruler, the Tagalogs version of Rajah or Datu used in other parts of the Philippines, and “Pati”, which comes from Sanskrit and also is a title meaning master or lord of. Lakapati is The Deity of Sown Fields & Fertility.”
Source: @thepinaywriter …