This November, as we also celebrate International Children's Day and the Philippines’ National Month for Children, we explore the vast & educational folklore about children & young people known in Philippine mythologies & native religions. #KidsRule (A THREAD)

Depiction of kids as gods vary among the ethnic groups in the Philippines. Deities portrayed as child demigods appear in many pantheons such as the Itneg & Ibaloi, while deities appearing in child form appear in the Bisaya, Suludnon, and Eskaya pantheons, among others.

Born through "popping" from the two pricked fingers of his star goddess-mother Gaygayoma, Takyayen of the Itneg pantheon is a celestial demigod kiddo whose father is the mortal Aponitolau.

Kids who were sliced in half, one part ruling as the thunder god while the other ruling as the lightning god? The Ibaloi and Ifugao pantheons got you covered.

For the Ibaloi, the sliced kid god is the son of the supreme deity, Kabunian, with a mortal spouse. For the Ifugao, the kid god is named Ovug, son of the exploring god Dumagid and the mortal Dugai.

Anyone heard of Santonilyo? Apparently, there are at least 3 distinct deities with similar names. All in kid form. For a background, their looks are said to have originated (probably) from the Santo Niño image brought to the islands in the 16th century by a Spanish ship.

Santonilyo in the Bisaya pantheon is a child deity who summons rain when his image is immersed at sea. He is also called the deity of white men, due to his supposed origin. For the Suludnon in Panay, their Santonilyo is instead the deity of good graces.

But a child deity as THE supreme god? Say hello to the Eskaya pantheon, where Ai Suno, modernly conflated w/ the Santo Niño, is the lil, but powerful, supreme child-god who can retrieve the sacred silver bell, Lingganay nga Ugis, dropped by the ancient bird Baroko.

Children as humans also abound. The Maranao child of heaven (not to mention ancestor of all tonong spirits & humans) chose to be reincarnated as adventurer Rajah Indarapatra, mortal son of the ruler Nabi Bakaramat & brother of Rajah Solaiman. Yup, he went into a LOT of journeys.

A young hero raised by a giant and possess a magic golden top which can bring all dreams into a reality? That's Manggob from Mansaka mythology. He even used his abilities to find his long-lost sister.

Feeling old, and want to be young again? Scratch that plan to find the fountain of youth. In Manobo mythology, the immortal epic hero Lumabet ordered the repeated cutting of his mortal father. The result? His father become youthful again, taking in the form of a small child.

What if your mom transformed into a ghoul & wanted to kill you and your little brother? Of course, you rescue your sibling and get help from the Timawa engkanto folks. Hanunoo Mangyan's Daga-Daga did just that as a child w/ her lovable brother Palyos, who has a cute pet chicken.

There is even a modern story from Ivatan folklore, where a girl, Tita, was once kidnapped by nature spirits to play games w/ her. The spirits later transported her back home, where she menstruated mid-way, causing the spirits to flee. Where she landed is now called Ranum ñi Tita.

Great Flood stories, but the protagonists are children? That's the Teduray version of the tale, where the ancestors of humans can be traced from the survivors, a Teduray boy and a Dulungan Manobo girl.

How about a discover of an entire ancient lake, but the discover is a child? Say hello to the T'boli kid Kludan, who discovered Lake Sebu (in some myths). He was also the first "man", who became the hard-working servant of the first (adult) woman, Boi Henwu.

Childhood BFFs, falling madly in love as they grew up, but separated due to their bloodline? The Bicolanos know it too well, with the myth of Malinay, who loved exploring spirit-filled caves & forests, & Baltong, the handsome engkanto who was befriended by the brave Malinay.

When there are protagonists, there are also antagonists who primarily target children. One is Hiligaynon mythology's Mangalos, spirits who eat the insides of children. Another is those under the bracket term Aswang, which may include manananggal, iqui, tiktik, wakwak, & the like.

But some are not necessarily bad. They instead serve to reinforce good child behavior within communities, such as the Isnag pantheon's Dagdagamiyan, who hates children playing in harvest areas, and the horse Sildado, who hates children who play noisily outside the house.

Know any disrespectful or rude children that may need a scary lesson? The Maranao pantheon's Sakar is here to save your day. Sakar is an underworld monster who traps all rude children inside its belly for all of eternity.

Since there are beings who scare children, definitely, there are also those who protect and aid them, or, at least, have some form of positive association with kiddos.

Think you're not destined for something? Sorry to burst your bubble, but according to Sulod beliefs, you 100% are. 3 brothers are responsible for this, namely, Mangganghaw, Manglægas, & Patag’æs. The last conversed w/ you when you were a baby, sealing your destiny in the process.

Want a child to have a long life? The Bugkalot pantheon's Abel is here to hear your plea. Don't want a child to go hungry? Say your chants towards the Isnag pantheon's Pilay (deity of rice), and the Tagalog pantheon's Lakapati (deity of fertility, agriculture, & the homeless).

But what if a child does journey early, away from this "mundane" world, and into the spirit world? What happens then? In some cases, they live a good afterlife for a part or for all of their lives in the other side.

The Manobo pantheon has Mebuyan, who nourishes the souls of infants in the spirit world, until they become more independent. While Maranao belief says that souls of children transform into the Papanok sa Aras, beautiful birds of paradise residing in the skyworld called Sorga.

In conclusion, kids make up many of the stories loved by generations of Filipinos from distinct ethnic backgrounds. Each story, signifying a cultural concept & ranging from heroism, knowledge passing in the youth, to checks & balances to reinforce good human behaviors.