diwata1spirit being, usually a lesser god or goddess, believed to guard many natural features, such as forests [Tagalog Wiktionary]; spirit being, or deity, or messenger of a lesser god, or God, or Satan. From "devata", Sandskrit word, fr. Hinduism and Buddhism religions. The definition varies with locations, meaning changing with local use. In Tboli land it means God, in SW Palawano it means angel of God. In Palawano of the lower Brooke's Pt. area, the characteristics of the diwata seem to fit that an evil spirit or malevolent deity, seen in the western world as an evil spirit or demon.; Diwata among the Pelawan B, incorrectly thought to be a mediating spirit between God (Empu') and man (usually a shaman [belian] or spirit median). These have many connotations/descriptions associated with evil spirits or demons. A word to use with care and further research. 2. PC [Quezon area] uses "diwata" for demons, or evil spirits. 3. PS [Southern dialect] uses "diwata" for angels of God. Variation in meanings is also is the case in several of the 170 other Philippine languages. Some southern RP languages use Diwata for God [as in Tboli land], but most as some type of spirit messenger or lesser deity.Diki itue e pegliluan! Sabab misan si Seytan negpesutsulit eset sembatung dereakan et kenewagaʼt Empu'.This is not surprising/a-wonder! For even Satan pretends/disguises himself to look like an angel of God's light. 2Co 11:14.Indyari binresan beke' pineugad i Jesus meyaat neng *diwata, pegketbes, nugad ne kenye, indyari negulinan megtuy itueng yengyegang. 19 Menge' pepengenaran nemengingkut dye, "Manu angkan kaya lang nepeugad kay atin meyaat neng *diwata in?So Jesus commanded-to-leave the *evil spirit, then, it left the boy, and at that very moment the boy was healed. 19 The disciples asked, "Why is it that we-ex couldn't drive-out the *evil spirit?" Mt. 17:18-19.Diwata: A spirit/being that comes from the spirit world, and is ordered by the rulers of the spirit world. They are thought to guide people, teach them some way, and teach them the thoughts of a god. They are involved in healing sickness. They go inside the shaman and speak through him. I think angels and demons are the same to the Pelawan, not knowing the differences.; Palawano Southwest uses "diwata" for the word "angel" of God.; form: mereaat neng diwatasyndemoniodemoniodengdayangdereakan et Empu'endelimewkediwataankekampi i Satankuruduwa3layang langitlembitinglihiyenlinaminlinaminmeliwananmeraat na taawmereraat neng diwatanakem 4nebiyeksanantaaw mereattaaw mereraattaaw mereraattaw't kekayuantaw't kekayuantaw't kekewyuan2taw't kekeyuan2taw't kelingban2taw't kelingban22evil spirit being.Beres et diwata diki mekingeg.The sound of an evil spirit can't be heard.I John 4:3 diwata3spirit being which is evil, as among the Pelewan of the northern dialect.PC Mt 8:16 Na' ipineli'wan ye i' menge *diwata at sengempangan lamang na', Mt 10:1 at menge meridi' ne' *diwata, it apang memeli'wan it menge, 1Tim 4:1 it pekineg diye at menge *diwata ne' meronding na' at menge, 1Jn 4:1 moyo megpengesipi' i' kada *diwata, nangkay solayi' moyo i', 1Jn 4:1 solayi' moyo i' menge *diwata nang ket Empo' i' menge, 1Jn 4:2 i' Nakem it Empo': it kada *diwata ne' megpegsogid ne' it is, Rev 16:14 sabab menge *diwata ne' lembIting inyen.4Defined in the Palwano Souhtwest dialect as: "diwata" are powerful spirit beings who serve and praise God, doing whatever he tells them to do. Most live in the sky or heaven, but some are on earth doing what God sent them to do. They are all good except for the ones who rebelled and followed Seitan. PSV uses "seitan" for demon. B. Davis, E360. 1-15-2010.B. Davis writes: Diwata is still our key term for angel. Not inherently evil in our area. In the Palawano world view there, all diwata are good and serve God. The concept of two camps of angels, etc., is new and came in the Chronological Bible teaching. So we speak of diwata (angelic being), diwata ni Empo or diwata ni Seitan. However, for a demon possessing a person, we do not use diwata, but "seitan" (small <s>). Another term in our area is "taaw kewasa" or "kewasang taaw"; this applies to angels but seems to include other beings including ancestors who have "now become kewasa" so the believers rejected this as a term for "angel" and we have never used it. When Audrey Mayer with SIL (who had worked with Batak where diwata is always evil) checked our book of John, she asked Mr. Giyang questions and got answers which can be summed up: "they are both good and evil, we don't always know which." dd.
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