Bakunawa

Last updated
Bakunawa
Visayan tenegre horn hilt closeup.JPG Filipino sword tenegre panay guard.JPG
Bakunawa pommels from Visayan tenegre swords
GroupingSea Serpent
Similar entities Sea serpent
Phaya Naga
Nāga
Dragon (Asian)
Region Visayas and Bicol regions of the Philippines

The Bakunawa, also called the Philippine moon-eating dragon, the Philippine moon dragon, moon dragon, or the moon-eating dragon, is a serpent, that looks like a Dragon in Philippine mythology. It is believed to be the cause of eclipses, earthquakes, rains, and wind. [1] The movements of the Bakunawa served as a geomantic calendar system for ancient Filipinos and were part of the rituals of the babaylan priestess. It is usually depicted with a characteristic looped tail and a single horn on the nose. It was believed to inhabit either the sky or the underworld. [2]

Contents

Due to increasing trade contacts with South Asia and the Indianization of Southeast Asia, the Bakunawa later became syncretized with the Nāga, Rahu, and Ketu of Hindu-Buddhist mythology. [3] [4]

Etymology

18th-century engraving of a karakoa warship with a Bakunawa design Caracoa (Karakoa).jpg
18th-century engraving of a karakoa warship with a Bakunawa design

Bakunawa is believed to be originally a compound word meaning "bent snake", from Proto-Western-Malayo-Polynesian *ba(ŋ)kuq ("bent", "curved") and *sawa ("large snake", "python"). [2] [6] [7] Spelling variants include Vakonawa, Baconaua, or Bakonaua. [8]

Historical accounts

"No. 42. When the moon is eclipsed, the Indians of various districts generally go out into the street or into the open fields, with bells, panastanes, etc. They strike them with great force and violence in order that they might thereby protect the moon which they say is being eaten or swallowed by the dragon, tiger, or crocodile. And the worst thing is that if they wish to say "the eclipse of the moon" it is very common in the Philippines to use this locution, saying "the dragon, tiger, or crocodile is swallowing the moon." The Tagalogs also make use of it and say, Linamon [ni] laho [ang] buwan [trans.: "Laho swallowed the moon"]."

Fr. Tomas Ortiz, Practica del Ministerio (1731) via Zuniga's Estadismo (1893) [9]

The Bakunawa is also sometimes known as Naga, from syncretization with the Hindu-Buddhist serpent deity, Nāga. [2] It was also syncretized with the Hindu-Buddhist navagraha pair, Rahu and Ketu, deities who were responsible for eclipses of the sun and moon, respectively. [10]

Versions of the Bakunawa also existed in other myths in the Philippines, sharing the common theme of being the cause of eclipses. The most similar to the Bakunawa is the Tagalog Laho (derived from Rahu; also known as Nono or Buaya), a serpent-like dragon that causes moon eclipses. [10] In Kapampangan mythology, Láwû is depicted as a bird-like dragon or serpent that causes both solar and lunar eclipses, however, its features are closer to the demon Rahu. [11] Both the words laho and láwû mean "eclipse" (also in modern parlance "to disappear" or "to vanish") in the Tagalog and Kapampangan language.

Other mythical creatures related to the Bakunawa include the Hiligaynon Bawa, Bauta, or Olimaw; the Mandaya and Manobo Tambanakua; the Bagobo Minokawa; and the Maranao Arimaonga. [10] However, these do not always appear serpent-like. The Maranao Arimaonga for example, is depicted as a lion-like dragon; while the Hiligaynon Olimaw is a winged serpent; the Bagobo Minokawa is a dragon-like giant bird; and the Mandaya Tambanokano and Manobo Tambanakua is a giant crab (sometimes also a giant tarantula or scorpion). [10] [12] [13]

Mythology

The rotation of the Bakunawa in a year, as explained in Mansueto Porras' Signosan (1919). This served prominently as a geomantic calendar system for ancient Filipinos, and were part of the divination rituals of babaylan shamans. The rotation of Visayan Philippine bakunawa.png
The rotation of the Bakunawa in a year, as explained in Mansueto Porras' Signosan (1919). This served prominently as a geomantic calendar system for ancient Filipinos, and were part of the divination rituals of babaylan shamans.

Cebuano mythology

Tales about the Bakunawa say that it is the cause of eclipses. During ancient times, Pre-colonial Cebuanos believed that their supreme god, Bathala(could also be Kaptan, the Visayan counterpart of Bathala), created 7 moons to light up the sky. The Bakunawa, amazed by their beauty, would rise from the ocean and swallow the moons whole, angering Bathala and causing them to be mortal enemies.

To keep the moons from completely being swallowed by the Bakunawa, ancient Filipinos would go out of their homes with pans and pots, and would bang on them with great force to make noise in order to scare the Bakunawa into spitting out the moon back into the sky. Some of the people in the villages would play soothing sounds with their musical instruments, in hopes that the dragon would fall into a deep sleep. Thus, the brave men of the village hoped that while the dragon was hypnotized by the musical sounds they could somehow slay the dragon. Although the dragon was known as a "moon eater" it was also known as a "man eater".

Other tales tell that the Bakunawa has a sister in the form of a sea turtle. [14] The sea turtle would visit a certain island in the Philippines in order to lay its eggs. However, locals soon discovered that every time the sea turtle went to shore, the water seemed to follow her, thus reducing the island's size. Worried that their island would eventually disappear, the locals killed the sea turtle. [15]

When the Bakunawa found out about this, it arose from the sea and ate the moon. The people were afraid, so they prayed to the supreme god to punish the creature. The god refused but instead told them to bang some pots and pans in order to disturb the serpent. The moon is then regurgitated while the Bakunawa disappears, never to be seen ever again.

Others tell how the Bakunawa fell in love with a human girl in one of the native tribes. [16] The head of the tribe found out about their affair and had their house burned to ashes. [16] The Bakunawa, finding out about this, became immersed in anger and tried to take revenge by eating all seven moons. [17] When the Bakunawa was about to eat the last one, the supreme god took action and punished the Bakunawa by banishing it from its home away from the sea. It also says that the reason for the eclipses is how the Bakunawa is trying to come back to its home and deceased family.

Some Filipino elders believe that Bakunawa is a moving island with communities mounted on its back, and that there are two classifications: the flying Bakunawa and the land Bakunawa.

West Visayan mythology

A tenegre sword from Panay with a Bakunawa head hilt Filipino sword tenegre panay overall.JPG
A tenegre sword from Panay with a Bakunawa head hilt

The story of Bakunawa and the Seven Moons was first documented in Mga Sugilanong Karaan 1913 by Buyser. The story gained wider recognition when was published in 1926 as part of the Mga Sugilanong Pilinhon (Folk lre Filipino) collection, where Buyser ends with his personal experience surrounding the belief in Bakunawa.

According to the ancient folks, when Bathala created the Moon, he created seven of it so that each would illuminate one night of the week[ 2]. The nights were bright and ever so beautiful because of these seven

But the joy of the people on earth didn't last, and the beauty of the sky was no more when one night a terrifying creature, that coiled around the world like an evil serpent, as Saint John told about in Apocalipsis[3], envied the beautiful creations of the Almighty, and to the great dismay of the people on earth, swallowed six of the Moons. This serpent was named Bakunawa.

When Bathala saw the creature devouring all but one Moon, He planted bamboos on the remaining Moon. From afar, they looked like “stains” on the surface of the Moon.

To the people's despair at the loss of the six Stars*, they learned to heavily guard themselves so that the one last Moon would not be taken and destroyed by the frightening Serpent. One night, the whole world panicked at the deafening scream of the people and the banging of drums among other objects that people could get a hold of to produce loud noise and sharp echoes as they saw the Moon being attacked by the Bakunawa. Children, big people, the elderly, women and men all cried:

“Return our Moon” among other unpleasant words. This was the only sound heard throughout the world that night. Cries and moans blended together, and took over the hearts of the people who feared that the world would end if they lost the only Moon they had left. The people came out of their houses and kneeled on the ground to pray that they would not be deprived of their Moon. It was a pity sight to behold that our brothers and sisters did not understand then what “Eclipse” was. The loud noises stopped as they saw the Bakunawa finally spit out the Moon.

The joy of the people at the return of the Moon could not be described that night. They lifted their hearts to the sky like flowers and uttered their praises of gratefulness to the Almighty who owned all creations.

Up until this time of progress, many still believed in the Bakunawa, and a lot still screamed: “Return our Moon”[4] and those in the mountainous regions and shores* still practiced this when an eclipse occurred. This was proven to us in the recent eclipses that had happened in our towns.

It was true what an old proverb said:

“The footprint of the old people never disappears.”

And this footprint was immortalized in the history of our City. [18]

Damiana Eugenio published a reworked version of the myth in her collection, Philippine Folk Literature: The Myths released through the University of the Philippines Press.

Literature

There is a short Hiligaynon song in 3/4 time that children used to sing during lunar eclipses:

Ang bulan namon sang una, sang unaOur moon long ago, long ago
Guin ka-on sang bakunawaWas eaten by the bakunawa
Malo-oy ka man, i-uli, i-uliPlease have pity, return it, return it
Korona sang amon hari.The crown of our king.
A Maranao kubing jaw harp handle made from horn and brass in the elaborate okir Maranao art tradition with an S-shaped naga design and a fish Jaw harp handle, Mindanao, Maranao, horn with brass studs, Honolulu Museum of Art.JPG
A Maranao kubing jaw harp handle made from horn and brass in the elaborate okir Maranao art tradition with an S-shaped naga design and a fish

Traditional art

Figures of the Bakunawa's head decorate the hilts of many ancient Filipino swords. These swords that originate in Panay are said to bestow upon the hangaway or mandirigma (sacred warriors) the fearful presence and power of the Bakunawa (or whatever deity/animal they have on their deity hilt) when they wield their swords in combat.

Games

A children's game called Bulan Bulan, Buwan Buwan, or Bakunawa is played in the Philippines. [19] [20] It has 6–8 players arranged in a circle.

A player acts as the buwan/bulan (moon) while another player acts as the Bakunawa (eclipse), chosen either through Jack-en-poy, “maalis taya”, or “maiba taya.” The other participants stand in a circle facing the center and holding each other's hands. The buwan/bulan stands inside the circle, while the Bakunawa stands outside.

Objective

The object of the game is for the Bakunawa to tag or touch the buwan/bulan. The rest of the players try to prevent the bakunawa from doing so by holding on to each other and running around the circle as fast as they can while not letting go of the ones next to them.

For the Bakunawa to get into the circle, he or she asks one of the players, "What chain is this?" and when the player replies, "This is an iron chain," the Bakunawa should ask another player because an iron chain is supposed to be unbreakable. A player who wants to let the bakunawa in can say, "This is an abaca chain," and should let go of his or her hold. This is usually done when the player playing as the bakunawa is tired from running around.

The malatikantumanlak can also try to get in by going under the linked hands. If the player chosen as the bakunawa is fast and small enough, this can be done easily. As soon as the bakunawa succeeds in getting in, the players forming the circle should let the buwan out of the circle.

The Bakunawa then tries to break out of the linked hands to try to get out to catch the buwan/bulan. When the Bakunawa succeeds in catching the buwan/bulan, they exchange places, or if both of them are too tired, another pair from the circle of players is chosen as the new Bakunawa and buwan/bulan.

Pop culture

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albay</span> Province in Bicol, Philippines

Albay, officially the Province of Albay, is a province in the Bicol Region of the Philippines, mostly on the southeastern part of the island of Luzon. Its capital is the city of Legazpi, the regional center of the whole Bicol Region, which is located in the southern foothill of Mayon Volcano.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sorsogon</span> Province in Bicol, Philippines

Sorsogon, officially the Province of Sorsogon, is a province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region. It is the southernmost province in the island of Luzon and is subdivided into fourteen municipalities (towns) and one city. Its capital is Sorsogon City and borders the province of Albay to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masbate</span> Province in Bicol, Philippines

Masbate, officially the Province of Masbate, is an island province in the Philippines located near the midsection of the nation's archipelago. Its provincial capital is Masbate City, the most populous in the province. The province consists of three major islands: Masbate, Ticao and Burias.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bicol Region</span> Administrative region of the Philippines

The Bicol Region, designated as Region V, is an administrative region of the Philippines. It comprises six provinces, four on the Bicol Peninsula : Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Sorsogon, and two off the shore: Catanduanes and Masbate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camarines Sur</span> Province in Bicol, Philippines

Camarines Sur, officially the Province of Camarines Sur, is a province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region on Luzon. Its capital is Pili and the province borders Camarines Norte and Quezon to the northwest, and Albay to the south. To the east lies the island province of Catanduanes across the Maqueda Channel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camarines Norte</span> Province in Bicol, Philippines

Camarines Norte, officially the Province of Camarines Norte, is a province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Daet, the most populous town in the province. The province borders Quezon to the west, Camarines Sur to the south, and the Philippine Sea to the north. It has historically been a Bikol-speaking region. However, there has been a language shift in recent years to Tagalog, which is more commonly used nowadays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine mythology</span>

Philippine mythology is rooted in the many indigenous Philippine folk religions. Philippine mythology exhibits influence from Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, and Christian traditions.

Tala, based on Hindu goddess Tara, is the name of the goddess of the morning and evening star in Tagalog mythology. Her origins are varied depending on the region. Golden Tara, the Majapahit-era gold statue of Hindu deity Tara or Tagalog adoption Tala was found in 1918 in Agusan. The legend of Tala has very close parallels to legends among non-Filipino cultures such as the India tribes of Bihar, Savara and Bhuiya, as well as the Indianized Semang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinduism in the Philippines</span>

Recent archaeological and other evidence suggests Hinduism has had some cultural, economic, political and religious influence in the Philippines. Among these is the 9th century Laguna Copperplate Inscription found in 1989, deciphered in 1992 to be Kawi script with Sanskrit words; the golden Agusan statue discovered in another part of Philippines in 1917 has also been linked to Hinduism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bicolano people</span> Ethnic group of the eastern Philippines

The Bicolano people are the fourth-largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group. Their native region is commonly referred to as Bicolandia, which comprises the entirety of the Bicol Peninsula and neighboring minor islands, all in the southeast portion of Luzon. Males from the region are often referred to as Bicolano, while Bicolana may be used to refer to females.

Pedro Penduko is a Filipino fictional comic book character created by National Artist for Literature Francisco V. Coching. The character, who is styled as a folk hero, debuted in the magazine Liwayway in 1954.

Minokawa is a giant, dragon-like bird in Philippine mythology. Early people believed this creature is so big that it can swallow the Sun to explain the occurrence of eclipses. It is even described as a giant bird named Minokawa that lives in outer space which can devour the Sun and the Moon, and would try to do the same with the Earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tagalog religion</span> Indigenous Philippine religion

Tagalog religion mainly consists of Tagalog Austronesian religious elements, supplemented with other elements later obtained from Hinduism, Mahayana Buddhism, and Islam. It was contemporaneously referred to by Spanish priests as tagalismo. It is also referred to by some as anitism, after the Tagalog term "anito" meaning "god" or "deity".

<i>Anito</i> Spirits and deities in indigenous Philippine folk religions

Anito, also spelled anitu, refers to ancestor spirits, nature spirits, and deities in the Indigenous Philippine folk religions from the precolonial age to the present, although the term itself may have other meanings and associations depending on the Filipino ethnic group. It can also refer to carved humanoid figures, the taotao, made of wood, stone, or ivory, that represent these spirits. Anito is also sometimes known as diwata in certain ethnic groups.

"Bulan" (lit. transl. Moon), is a song by Filipino singer, songwriter, and producer Felip also known by his stage name Ken, released on May 28, 2022. He wrote the song and produced it with Joshua Daniel Nase. It is a R&B, hip hop-produced song which contains Bisayan word, makes a commentary on modern life through the myth of the Bicolano moon deity, Bulan. Felip uses the story of Bulan as a metaphor for crab mentality.

References

  1. ↑ Tito, Genova (January 1, 2015). "A serpent, this earth and the end of the year". Business Mirror. ProQuest   1644507809.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Alfred McCoy (1982). "Baylan : Animist Religion and Philippine Peasant Ideology". Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society. 10 (3): 141–194.
  3. ↑ Cabrera, John Ray (2012). "Eclipse: The story behind the Bakunawa myth" (PDF). Philippine Journal of Astronomy. 5 (1): 12–13.
  4. ↑ "BAKUNAWA: The Moon Eating Serpent of Philippine Mythology". The Aswang Project. 27 May 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  5. ↑ Bartolomé Leonardo de Argensola (1711). "The Discovery and Conquest of the Molucco and Philippine Islands.". In John Stevens (ed.). A New Collection of Voyages and Travels, into several Parts of the World, none of them ever before Printed in English. p. 61.
  6. ↑ Robert Blust & Stephen Trussel. "Austronesian Comparative Dictionary: *ba(ŋ)kuq". Austronesian Comparative Dictionary. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  7. ↑ Robert Blust & Stephen Trussel. "Austronesian Comparative Dictionary: *sawa". Austronesian Comparative Dictionary. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  8. ↑ , Visayan-English Dictionary by Patrick Rafferty
  9. ↑ Blair, Emma (1906). The Philippine Islands, 1493–1898 Vol. 43. Arthur H. Clark Company.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Apostol, Virgil Mayor (2012). Way of the Ancient Healer: Sacred Teachings from the Philippine Ancestral Traditions. North Atlantic Books. ISBN   9781583945971.
  11. ↑ "LÁWÛ". Siuálâ Ding Meángûbié. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  12. ↑ "MINOKAWA: Mindanao's Eater of the Sun & Moon". The Aswang Project. 7 August 2017. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  13. ↑ Demetrio, Francisco R.; Cordero-Fernando, Gilda (1991). The Soul Book: Introduction to Philippine Pagan Religion. GCF Books.
  14. ↑ "Bakunawa". Philippine Spirits. 2018-10-31. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  15. ↑ "Kasugiran: A Miscellany of Folktales From The Visayas To Mindanao". pdfcoffee.com. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  16. 1 2 "Dreaded Folklore Creatures in Character Design | CIIT Philippines". CIIT Philippines School - Multimedia Arts, Web Design, 3D Animation, Mobile Game Development. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  17. ↑ Arcane, The Whimsical (2020-10-09). "REVIEW: TAROT OF THE DIVINE". thewhimsicalarcane. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  18. ↑ Mga Sugilanong Karaan "Ang Bakunawa" 1913 by Fernando Buyser
  19. ↑ "philippine traditional children games". groups.google.com. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  20. ↑ "BuwanBuwan". cargocollective.com. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  21. ↑ "LOOK: EverWing adds PH mythical creatures | ABS-CBN News". News.abs-cbn.com. 2017-07-19. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
  22. ↑ "Pinoy mythical creatures take flight on hit game EverWing". Smart.com.ph. 2017-07-18. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.