Bacunawa and the Seven moons

 

The Legend of the Bakunawa and the Seven Moons

Long ago, in the ancient skies of the Philippines, there were not just one, but seven moons. These celestial orbs lit up the night, casting their silvery glow over the land and sea, filling the world with beauty and light. The people gazed up in awe every evening, worshipping their ethereal presence.

But deep within the dark, mysterious waters of the ocean, a monstrous being stirred. His name was Bakunawa, a giant eel-like serpent with shimmering black scales and eyes that gleamed with the hunger of ages. His coils were vast, long enough to circle entire islands, and his massive jaws could swallow a mountain whole. Bakunawa had lived beneath the sea for millennia, unseen and unheard, his presence only known through whispered tales told by fishermen.

One fateful night, Bakunawa swam up from the depths. As he surfaced and gazed upon the seven moons, their glow entranced him. They shone so bright, so full of life, that his hunger grew beyond control. He longed to devour their light, to possess the beauty they held and make it his own.

With a mighty leap, Bakunawa surged out of the ocean and into the sky. His serpentine body spiraled upward, twisting and turning as he reached for the nearest moon. His jaws opened wide, and in a single snap, he swallowed the first moon whole.

Darkness spread across the sky, and the people below cried out in terror as they saw one of their beloved moons disappear. They prayed to the gods for protection, but Bakunawa was not finished. His hunger only grew fiercer, and he lunged toward the second moon, then the third.

One by one, Bakunawa devoured the moons, plunging the world into ever-deepening darkness.

It seemed as though nothing could stop the ravenous serpent. The heavens trembled, and the earth itself shook under his mighty power. But as Bakunawa reached for the sixth moon, the great god Laon awoke.

Laon, the ancient god of wisdom and might, had watched over the land since the dawn of time. His eyes, filled with the knowledge of the universe, saw the devastation Bakunawa was bringing to the world. Determined to save the last moon and restore balance, Laon descended from his celestial throne.

With a voice that echoed across the seas and mountains, Laon called out to Bakunawa, “Cease your destruction, serpent of the deep! You have taken enough.”

But Bakunawa, drunk with the power of the moons he had consumed, sneered at Laon. “I hunger for more!” he hissed. “I will devour the last of the moons and reign over a world of eternal darkness.”

Without another word, Bakunawa lunged toward the final moon, his jaws wide and his eyes gleaming with malevolence. But Laon was ready. Summoning the power of the gods, he stretched out his hand, and a brilliant light erupted from his palm, brighter than the combined glow of all seven moons.

The light struck Bakunawa with the force of a thousand storms, and the great serpent was thrown back, hissing in pain. He writhed in the sky, his body twisting and coiling, but no matter how hard he struggled, he could not approach the last moon.

Laon raised his other hand, and from the depths of the earth, chains of light emerged, wrapping themselves around Bakunawa’s vast body. The serpent thrashed, roaring in fury, but the chains tightened, dragging him back down toward the ocean.

“You shall not destroy what you cannot understand,” Laon declared. “Return to the deep, and know that you will never again consume the light of the heavens.”

With one final surge of power, Laon cast Bakunawa back into the ocean, where the serpent plunged into the dark depths, defeated and enraged. The remaining moon shone brightly once again, and the world was saved from eternal darkness.

However, the legend says that Bakunawa’s hunger was never fully sated. On some nights, when the moon appears to fade from the sky, it is said that Bakunawa is trying once more to swallow it whole. And in those moments, the people bang their drums, shout, and clang their pots and pans, hoping to drive the serpent away before he can devour the last of the light.

But as long as Laon watches over the world, the Bakunawa will never succeed in his quest to consume the final moon. And so, the last moon continues to shine, a reminder of the great battle between light and darkness, and the eternal vigilance of the gods.