Bacunawa and the Seven moons

 A folktale from Sorsogon

In the time when the skies were home to seven moons, each one brighter and more beautiful than the last, the world below was bathed in a celestial glow. These moons were the guardians of the night

The seven moons sailed across the heavens in harmony, bringing peace and wonder to all.

But deep in the dark ocean depths, hidden from the light of the moons, there lived a creature of great power and sadness—Bacunawa, the serpent-dragon. Bacunawa was a monstrous eel-like dragon, her scales as black as the sea at midnight, her eyes glowing like embers. Though feared by the people, Bacunawa was not born of evil. She had once roamed the seas freely, content in her realm beneath the waves.

But one night, as Bacunawa surfaced from the deep, her eyes were caught by the beauty of the moons. She watched them glide through the sky, their radiant glow dancing on the water’s surface. But it was not just their light that captured her—it was Bulan, the god who ruled over them. His beauty was beyond anything Bacunawa had ever known. His light filled her heart, awakening something she had never felt before: love.

Night after night, Bacunawa watched Bulan and his moons from the depths of the ocean, her heart aching with desire. But she was of the sea, and he of the sky. No matter how she yearned, they were worlds apart. Consumed by her longing, Bacunawa’s love turned into obsession. If she could not be with Bulan, she would take his moons and bring them down into her watery realm.

One fateful night, Bacunawa rose from the sea. Her massive form coiled through the sky like a dark storm, blotting out the stars. Her jaws, large enough to swallow mountains, stretched wide as she lunged toward the nearest moon.

Bulan, sensing the disturbance, appeared in the sky. He watched in shock as Bacunawa devoured the first of his moons, its light swallowed by her dark form. The sky dimmed, and the world below trembled in fear as one by one, the moons began to vanish.

"Bacunawa, stop!" Bulan called out, his voice gentle yet filled with sorrow. "Why do you take what is not yours?"

Bacunawa turned her glowing eyes to Bulan, her heart beating wildly. "I love you, Bulan. I have watched you for so long, and my heart can no longer bear the distance between us. If I cannot have you, I will take the moons to keep me company in my lonely depths."

Bulan’s heart ached for the dragon, for he saw the pain that twisted her soul. But he could not let her destroy the balance of the heavens. "Bacunawa, I belong to the sky, and you to the sea. We cannot be together. Release the moons, for they are not yours to take."

But Bacunawa would not listen. Driven mad by her unrequited love, she struck again, devouring a second moon. The sky grew darker still, the once brilliant night now shrouded in shadow.

Desperate, Bulan called out to Gugurang, the Supreme God, ruler of the heavens and protector of the cosmic order. Gugurang, with his fiery eyes and voice of thunder, heard Bulan’s plea and descended from his mountain of flame. His presence shook the heavens and the earth alike.

"Bacunawa!" Gugurang’s voice boomed, echoing across the seas. "You dare disrupt the balance of the universe? Release the moons at once, or face my wrath!"

But Bacunawa, lost in her desire, would not be swayed. "I will take them all!" she roared, lunging for the third moon. Her jaws closed around it, and the sky dimmed further, casting the world into a cold, eerie twilight.

Gugurang’s eyes blazed with fury. He raised his mighty hand, summoning the fire that burned in the heart of the world. With a gesture, he sent a wave of flame roaring across the sky. It struck Bacunawa with such force that she recoiled, hissing in pain.

"You cannot defy the will of the gods!" Gugurang thundered. "The moons are not yours to devour!"

But Bacunawa was undeterred. Her love for Bulan had twisted into something darker—an insatiable hunger. She coiled through the sky again, snapping at the remaining moons, determined to drag them into the sea.

Seeing her relentless attack, Gugurang unleashed his full power. The heavens erupted in a storm of fire and lightning, striking Bacunawa with divine force. The serpent-dragon screamed in agony, her massive form writhing as she was driven back into the depths of the ocean.

Gugurang’s power was too great, and Bacunawa, though strong, could not withstand it. With a final, desperate glance at Bulan, she sank beneath the waves, her heart broken, her hunger unfulfilled. The three moons she had swallowed were lost to the ocean, but the remaining four were saved by Gugurang’s intervention.

"She will rise again," Gugurang warned. "Her hunger will never be sated, and her love for you, Bulan, will continue to drive her madness. But each time she tries to steal the moons, I will stop her."

Bulan nodded, his heart heavy with sorrow. "I wish I could ease her suffering, but love cannot be forced, and she must learn this."

Gugurang turned to the four remaining moons, restoring their light to the darkened sky. The world breathed a sigh of relief as the night was once again illuminated by their silver glow.

From that night onward, Bacunawa would rise from the ocean depths during certain times, attempting to devour the moons in her eternal longing for Bulan. And each time, the people of the world would sound their gongs and bang their drums, hoping to drive her away. They knew that Gugurang, the Supreme God, would always be watching, ready to protect the balance of the heavens.

And though Bacunawa would forever yearn for the moon god, her love remained as distant as the stars, a reminder that even the greatest of desires cannot bend the order of the universe.