REDISCOVER Eclipse - The story behind the Bacunawa myth

 

 Eclipse - The story behind the Bacunawa myth

by John Rey Cabrera for the Philippine Journal of Astronomy 2012

Eclipse, it is the most feared celestial phenomenon in the ancient times. Several culture worldwide speaks of a frightening mythical dragon that swallowed the moon whenever it occurs. Both the Sun and the Moon were never spared by the beastly fangs of these creatures, and all cultures although differed in their belief of which mythical iconology believe a similar fate, that the Sun and the Moon were dreadfully swallowed by these creatures.

Hindu-Buddhist in India believed that Rahu, a demonic figure chases after the Sun. In China, the legendary celestial dragon went to attack the Moon. Even our ancestors have their share of story to tell.

They believed of a Bakunawa, a giant sea-dwelling serpent that randomly rose up to the sky and swallowed the Moon. Asterism Master and fellow. ALPer Christopher Louie Lu said that "legend has it that the ancestors' god, Bathala, scattered 7 Moons in the sky and because their glitters were such a breathtaking plendor in the sky, Bakunawa fancied them and consequently swallowed six ofthem. For the people to defend the last remaining Moon, the tribal folks have to go out of their homes trumpeting vociferous noise by sounding off their pots and pans in order to drove off Bakunawa and ultimately return to the ocean floor."

Modern science debunked such mythology but with respect to the ancestors by saying that there is no other means to understand such a bleeding Moon or a darkening Sun than the demonic apparitions, often manifested by animal forms, swallowing or concealing them.

They believed of a Bakunawa, a giant sea-dwelling serpent that randomly rose up to the sky and swallowed the Moon. Asterism Master and fellow. ALPer Christopher Louie Lu said that "legend has it that the ancestors' god, Bathala, scattered 7 Moons in the sky and because their glitters were such a breathtaking plendor in the sky, Bakunawa fancied them and consequently swallowed six of

Even our myth of having 7 Moons were decoded by scientists which tells that of lunar phases, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Third Quarter and Waning Crescent. New Moon of course was disregarded from the mythological source because of its darkness and almost zero visibility.

NOTE:  The new moon, referred to as "subang,"  The moon looks like a crab shell. They used the term ''banilig'' "balirig" to describe this phase.The full moon,or the moon in general is known as ''bulan'' or  "dayaw," was celebrated for its perfect and praiseworthy brilliance from sunset to sunrise. As it began to wane, setting just before dawn, it was called "banolor," symbolizing a transition or exchange, akin to a passing of the torch from one generation to the next.

REMINDER

The orally transmitted mythology of the Philippines is intended for sharing and understanding, not for appropriation, commercial exploitation, or the promotion of foreigners and foreign products. It is a dynamic narrative tradition that evolves over time, distinct from the standardized mythologies found in Western and European cultures. Unlike these established mythologies, the Philippine government has not mandated standardized versions of stories and legends.

Orally transmitted stories undergo variations and evolve over time, resulting in numerous different versions. There are many different version told by Filipinos,and retold by Filipinos.