The Legend of Bakunawa and the Seven Moons

 

The Legend of Bakunawa and the Seven Moons

In the ancient days of the Philippines, there were seven moons that graced the sky, each one glowing with a distinct and radiant light. These moons brought beauty to the night, illuminating the lands, seas, and forests with their silvery glow. The people adored the moons, believing them to be divine gifts, symbols of life and harmony.

But beneath the deep, dark waters of the ocean, a creature of immense size and power slumbered. His name was Bakunawa, a giant eel-like dragon with scales as dark as the deepest night and eyes that burned like smoldering embers. He was an ancient being, filled with envy for the beauty of the moons, longing to devour them and claim their light for himself.

Night after night, Bakunawa would rise from the depths of the ocean to gaze at the seven moons, his heart filled with desire. Their brilliance only fed his hunger, and the thought of swallowing them became an obsession he could no longer resist.

One fateful evening, as the moons aligned in the sky in their full glory, Bakunawa made his move. He surged out of the ocean with a mighty roar, his enormous body coiling up into the heavens. His jaws opened wide, and with one swift motion, he swallowed the first moon whole.

The people below looked up in horror as the first moon disappeared from the sky, its light extinguished in an instant. Darkness began to creep over the land, and a cold fear spread among the people. They cried out in terror, praying to the gods to save the remaining moons.

But Bakunawa was not finished. His hunger only grew stronger as he tasted the moon's light. He lunged for the second moon, devouring it just as quickly as the first. Then, the third moon vanished into his maw, followed by the fourth. One by one, Bakunawa consumed the moons, plunging the world deeper into darkness.

As Bakunawa prepared to devour the sixth moon, the Supreme God Bathala, the creator and protector of the universe, felt the balance of the heavens tipping into chaos. Bathala, watching from his throne in Kaluwalhatian, the realm of the gods, knew he had to act swiftly before Bakunawa could consume the final moon and bring eternal darkness upon the world.

With a flash of divine power, Bathala descended from the heavens, his presence filling the skies with radiant light. His form was mighty and vast, draped in robes of shimmering stardust, and his eyes gleamed with the light of a thousand suns.

“Bakunawa!” Bathala’s voice thundered across the sky, causing the oceans to churn and the winds to howl. “Cease your destruction, and return to the depths from which you came!”

But Bakunawa, emboldened by his feast of moons, snarled at Bathala. “I am the master of the seas and the skies,” Bakunawa hissed, his long body writhing through the clouds. “The moons belong to me now, and I will devour the last of them to bring darkness to your creation!”

Undeterred, Bathala raised his hand, and from it, a brilliant beam of light shot forth, striking Bakunawa and halting his advance toward the sixth moon. The light was so intense that it burned through the darkness Bakunawa had spread, forcing the dragon to recoil in pain.

Roaring in fury, Bakunawa lashed out at Bathala, his enormous body twisting and curling as he tried to strike the god down. But Bathala was far too powerful. With a wave of his hand, Bathala summoned chains of lightning, which wrapped around Bakunawa’s body, binding him and pulling him away from the moons.

“You are a creature of darkness, Bakunawa,” Bathala said, his voice filled with both sorrow and command. “You were never meant to possess the light of the moons. Your hunger shall be your downfall.”

Bakunawa, enraged and defiant, fought against the chains, his eyes still locked on the final moon. But no matter how hard he struggled, he could not break free from Bathala’s divine power.

With a final burst of energy, Bathala cast Bakunawa down from the sky, hurling him back into the depths of the ocean where he belonged. The moons Bakunawa had swallowed were freed from his belly, returning to their rightful places in the heavens, their light restored. The world was once again bathed in the serene glow of the seven moons, and peace returned to the night.

Yet, Bathala knew that Bakunawa’s hunger would never truly be quenched. From time to time, the serpent would rise again, reaching for the moons in his endless desire to consume them. During these moments, when the people saw the moon beginning to disappear, they knew it was Bakunawa trying to swallow it once more. They would beat drums, clang pots and pans, and shout into the night, hoping to scare the dragon away and protect the moon.

Though Bakunawa would forever try to steal the moons, Bathala’s power ensured that he would never succeed. The seven moons remained in the sky, a symbol of light’s eternal triumph over darkness and a reminder of Bathala’s vigilance over his creation.

And so, the legend of Bakunawa and the seven moons lived on, passed down from generation to generation