In Philippine mythology, Bakunawa is a giant sea dragon (or giant python) that can fly with wings. This mystical creature is described as having extraordinary strength and has up to 7 heads. Bakunawa's mouth is the size of a lake. It is depicted living in the deep sea at a time when the world had 7 moons. The Bakunawa dragon was fascinated by the moon's light so it always tried to swallow each moon. Accordingly, the dragon Bakunawa rose to the surface of the sea and jumped up to swallow the moon in its stomach. Every time the Bakunawa dragon swallows a moon, a lunar eclipse occurs. This the dragon flew up until it swallowed all 7 moons. The sky turned dark. The people became frightened. They prayed to the god Bathala who ordered them to bring all the pots and pans out and knock them to make noise. Bakunawa startled and released the last moon. Then the god Bathala appeared, sending Bakunawa out into space. Though Bakunawa tried to return home by way of the last moon's light, at such times he was always chased away by the sounds of mortals.
There are different stories explaining why Bakunawa ate the moon. There is a legend that Bakunawa is the representative of darkness, hating the beauty and purity of the moonlight. Thus, Bakunawa conspired to destroy the moon to engulf the world in darkness.
Another legend tells the reason why Bakunawa ate the moon. It has a sister who is a giant sea turtle. One night, the sea turtle came ashore to lay eggs, but wherever the turtle went, the sea followed it. Afraid that the turtle would go to the middle of the island, the whole island would be drowned by the sea, so the islanders... butchered the turtle. Of course Bakunawa got angry and swallowed the Moon.
In other places, it is said that Bakunawa once loved a mortal girl, and had a child with her. The girl's tribe knew about it, so they killed both mother and child. This prompts Bakunawa to take revenge.
It is also said that Bakunawa is an extremely beautiful narcissist (this time female, not male). One day, one of the moon's embodiments was Bulan - a young boy who went into the sea. But he ignored Bakunawa, hanging out with the mermaids. This offended Bakunawa and she transformed into a giant dragon to attack the moons.
📚 Explore more of the Mystical Creatures series here: Dive into the Enchanted Realms of Mythology
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