#i think in philippine provinces their local devai would be called diwata

[ask19thcentury-doctorgilbert]

Hi!!! I'm not sure how old your blog is, but I've stumbled across it now! I was just reading some of your stuff and I wanted to know: Is 'Devai" the term you're using for the Nation-people? I never know what to call them myself, like how would humans refer to them as, do they know they are their country people, and what not. If Yes, how did you come up with the term 'Devai'? :0

Hello!!

Yes, 'Devai' is the term that I use for nations in my headcanon! It's based on the word 'Diwata'. In pre-colonial filipino tradition, the Diwata are nature spirits who protect the land and sometimes the people who reside within their land too. I thought that it was appropriate, given what nations are supposed to represent!

Devai (or Devas, singular) is how they refer to each other within the Devai community. Humans have come up with different names for them across the centuries. "Nation" is a relatively recent name for them, which I like to think started to be coined by the masses in the 19th century, particularly in Europe.

As for whether people know them or not, I think that varies greatly depending on the culture and the devas in question themselves. There are Devai who are bonded to communities who are 100% aware of who they are and what they represent. There are some whose identities, by choice or otherwise, are on a strict need-to-know basis. Devai can blend into society easily as they don't appear different from the average human. Really, the only way you'd be able to tell that there's more to them than they seem is if you 1) saw them in a fight, 2) spend a prolonged amount of time around them.

Hope that answered your question!! ^^