Seven Moons there were, and seven times the great serpent fell in love.
Each sister was looked at with wonder and admiration as they passed along the night sky. The serpent thought that he must acquire these lovely beings, and sought to swallow them whole.
It was in that first night that the sky would forever be a little less brilliant, for the serpent took one of the sisters in his gaping jaws and swallowed her.
Months passed and the moon which the serpent had swallowed had melted away.
The serpent would not be satisfied unless he possessed a moon, so he tried again, but again, the moon had melted away. Six times the serpent had tried, and six times the moons melted away.
Bathala, in his throne in the skies, had noticed that the nights had lost their light. He did not know what had happened to them, but one night the screams and drums of man roused him from his sleep.
It was at that moment that the serpent was trying to swallow the seventh moon.
Humanity shouted at the great god to intercede, lest the night would forever be stolen by darkness.
The serpent heard the drums and the shouts, and retreated back to his cavern with great haste.
The great god thought hard. What if the serpent tried to swallow up the seventh moon again? To prevent this terrible thing from happening he planted a bamboo tree on the face of the moon. The tree can still be seen as a dark spot on her face when she soars through the night sky.
The serpent would not rest in defeat. Countless times has it tried to swallow up the seventh sister and countless times has it failed due to the machinations of man. The shouts and the drums prove too much for the ruler of the seas, and he retreats back to his caver, waiting on his next chance.
There are those elders that say that as long as the bamboo tree stays solid on the face of the moon the serpent will never succeed, but still mankind watches out for the serpent.
As long as the serpent seeks his prize, the deafening sounds from the throats and hands of man will be heard.
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Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Adapted from The Moon and the Bacunawa in Philippine Folk Literature: The Myths. Eugenio. 2001.
Watercolor by Tara Singson
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