*Note this story is in Tagalog

Sa kaibuturan ito’y naghihintay.

Hindi lahat ay alam ang kaniyang kuwento, ngunit marami ang nakaaalam kung anong klase ito.

Ang moon-eaters.

Ang mga celestial na halimaw.

Ang leon. Ang alimango. Ang higante. Ang ibon. Ang ahas.

Ang dragon.

Lahat sila ay dumaan sa pating, at ibinaba ito sa kalaliman na tinatawag nitong tahanan.

Mayroon bang isang kuwentong dapat sabihin?

O lagi lang itong nandiyan?

Maaaring gutom ang nagtutulak sa hayop, tulad ng halimaw, tulad ng alakdan. Ano pa ang magiging biktima ng pating kundi ang init ng isang buwan?

Maaari rin itong paglaruan, tulad ng leon. Ang buwan ay isang higanteng orb na pumupukaw sa atensyon ng halimaw. Ano pang elemento ang maaaring makaakit sa pating?

Maaaring ito ay galit, tulad ng alimango. Ang pating

ba ay supling ng araw at buwan? Nangangahulugan ba ito ng kabayaran laban sa mana mula sa mga magulang nito na hindi nito alam?

Maaaring ito ay paghihiganti, tulad ng higante. Ang pating ba ay isang mortal na nilalang? Nagdulot ba ito ng galit sa mga diyos? Ano ang nangyari dito na inilipat ito sa kalaliman ng dagat?

Maaaring ito ay kadiliman, tulad ng ibon. Kapag nakumpleto ng pating ang kaniyang gawain at ang mundo ay nahulog sa anino, ano na ang susunod na kakainin nito?

Maaaring bahagi ito ng nature niya, tulad ng ahas. Sa pag-iral ng mundo, bahagi ba ito ng pag-ikot?

At nariyan ang kuwento ng dragon.

Bawat nilalang ay alam ang kuwento nito.

Ang pitong buwan. Ang diyos Bathala.

Ang gahaman na dragon.

Ang pating ay naghihintay, hanggang sa iba ay mamatay, sa mga tunog ng sangkatauhan.

May isang kuwento sa pinaniniwalaan kong totoo.

Ang mga celestial na nilalang, na tinatawag na moon eaters, ay bahagi lahat ng mundo. Bawat isa ay may kanya-kanyang dahilan para kainin ang buwan o ang mga buwan.

At doon nakatira ang pating.

Ang pinakamahinang nilalang, bigo itong makuha ang midnight orb.

Ulit.

Ulit.

At ulit.

Alam na nito ang kabiguan at hindi na susubok muli, hanggang sa malaman nitong matagumpay niyang makukuha at premyo.

Sa tahanan nito sa kalaliman ay nagkukunwari. Alam nitong hindi magiging kasinglakas ng iba, hindi kasing galit, hindi kasing gahaman.

Ang poot nito ay mas tumindi, hindi poot sa iba, kung di poot sa sarili nito.

Bakit pa ito inilagay sa mundo kung magiging hindi siya kasinglakas ng iba?

Sa tubig ikinukubli nito ang kaniyang mga luha.

At naghihintay.

Hanggang sa gumabi.

=——————————=

English Version

In the depths it waits.

Not many know its story, though others may know of its kind.

The moon-eaters.

The celestial beasts.

The lion. The scorpion. The crab. The giant. The bird. The snake.

The dragon.

They all pass over the shark, relegating it to the depths it calls home.

Is there a tale to tell?

Or has it always been there?

It may be hunger that drives the beast, like the scorpion. What other prey will the shark have if not the warmth of the waning moon?

It may also be for play, like the lion. The moon is a giant orb that catches the beast’s attention, captivating it. What other element could enthrall the shark?

It may be anger, like the crab. Is the shark the offspring of the sun and moon. Does it mean retribution against the inheritance from the parents it never knew?

It may be revenge, like the giant. Was the shark ever a mortal being? Did it incur the wrath of the gods? What happened to it that relegated it to the watery abyss?

It may be darkness, like the bird. When the shark completes its task and the world is plunged into shadow, what will it eat next?

It may be a part of nature, like the snake. In the machinations of the natural world, is it part of the cycle?

Then there is the tale of the dragon.

Every being knows its story.

The 7 moons. The god Bathala.

The greedy dragon.

The shark lies in wait, until the others have fallen, to the sounds of humanity.

There is one tale which I believe to be true.

The celestial beings, called the moon eaters, are all part of the world. Each having their own reason to capture the moon, or moons to be more precise.

And it was there that the shark resided.

The weakest of the pack, it failed to capture the midnight orb.

Again.

Again.

And again.

It had known failure and would not try again, not until it knew it could successfully take its prize.

In its home in the deep it connives. It knows it will never be as strong as the others, not as angry, not as hungry.

Its hatred multiplies, not against the other beings, but against itself.

Why was it put on this earth if only to be last place?

The water hides its tears.

And it waits.

Until the night.

=——————————————————=

*Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a quarter of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by the majority. Its standardized form, officially named Filipino, is the national language of the Philippines, and is one of two official languages alongside English.

Written by Karl Gaverza

Translation by Gabriela Baron
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Translation Copyright © Gabriela Baron

Story inspired by Baconaua entry in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.

Baconaua Illustration by Benedict Jose Villarante

The post Baconaua – Tagalog Translation appeared first on Philippine Spirits.

*Note this story is in Pangasinan

Diad kaaralman et manaalagar itan.

Aliwan amin so makaamta ed istorya to, anggaman nayarin amta itan na arum.

Saray manag-aka’y bulan .

Saray ayep ed tawen.

Say leon. Say alakdan. Say alama. Say higante. Say manok. Say uleg.

Say dragon.

Dadalanan dan amin so pating, ipepelag da ya ed kaaralman na dayat ya tatawagin ton abung.

Wala kasi’y istoryan naibaga?

Odino wala la itan ed gapo?

Nayarin say eras so mamapakiwas ed sayan ayep, a singa say alakdan. Anto ni so arum a naakan na pating noag say petang na onlelereg a bulán ?

Nayarin para met itan ed galaw a singa say leon. Say bulán et sakey a balbaleg a globo a makapatenyeg ed imano na ayep, a mamapalikdo ed sikato. Anto ni ray arum ya elementon makapabilib ed pating?

Nayarin pasnok itan, a singa say alama. Kasin say pating anak na agew tan bulán ? Kasin mankabaliksan itan na panamales ed tawir na atateng ya agton balot akabat?

Ompan sikatoy ombawi, a singa samay higante. Kasin say pating datin sakey ya mortal? Naala to kasi so pasnok na saray dios? Anto so agawa to a sengegan na inkapelag to ed madanum a kaaralman?

Nayarin kabilungetan itan, a singa say manok. No asumpal la na pating so kimey to tan say mundo so nalner la, anto so ontumbok a kanen to?

Nayarin kabiangan itan na kalikasan, a singa say uleg. Diad kagagawa na mundo na palsa, kasin kabiangan itan na sikulo?

Insan wala met so istorya nipaakar ed dragon.

Amta na kada pinalsa so istorya to.

Say pitoran bulán . Say dios a si Bathala.

Say maagum a dragon.

Say pating manaalagar, anggad saray arum natumba la, ed saray boses na katooan.

Wala so sakey ya istorya a panisiaan kon tua.

Saray pinalsa ed tawen, a tatawagen a manag-aka’y bulan, amin kabiangan na mundo. Balang sakey et walaan na mismon rason no akin irelen toy bulán , odino saray bulán pian magmaliw a mas susto.

Tan ditan so panaayaman na pating.

Say sankakapuyan ed grupo et ag-akaerel na orbita ed pegley-labi.

Lamet.

Lamet.

Tan lamet.

Amta to so impakatalo tan agto la salien lamet, anggad amta to a sikatoy matalongaring a mangala ed premyo to.

Diad ayaman to ed kaaralem na dayat, sikatoy manseseet. Amta to a sikatoy agbalot magmaliw a mabiskeg a singa saray arum, aliwan masibeg, aliwan narasan a kapara da.

Say pambubusol to so ombabaleg, aliwan sumpad arum a pinalsa, noagta kontra ed gawa to’n díli .

Akin a niletneg itan ed sayan dalin pian magmaliw labat a unor a pasen?

Iyaamot na danum iray lua to.

Tan manalagar itan.

Anggad sayan labi.

=————————————-=

English Version

In the depths it waits.

Not many know its story, though others may know of its kind.

The moon-eaters.

The celestial beasts.

The lion. The scorpion. The crab. The giant. The bird. The snake.

The dragon.

They all pass over the shark, relegating it to the depths it calls home.

Is there a tale to tell?

Or has it always been there?

It may be hunger that drives the beast, like the scorpion. What other prey will the shark have if not the warmth of the waning moon?

It may also be for play, like the lion. The moon is a giant orb that catches the beast’s attention, captivating it. What other element could enthrall the shark?

It may be anger, like the crab. Is the shark the offspring of the sun and moon. Does it mean retribution against the inheritance from the parents it never knew?

It may be revenge, like the giant. Was the shark ever a mortal being? Did it incur the wrath of the gods? What happened to it that relegated it to the watery abyss?

It may be darkness, like the bird. When the shark completes its task and the world is plunged into shadow, what will it eat next?

It may be a part of nature, like the snake. In the machinations of the natural world, is it part of the cycle?

Then there is the tale of the dragon.

Every being knows its story.

The 7 moons. The god Bathala.

The greedy dragon.

The shark lies in wait, until the others have fallen, to the sounds of humanity.

There is one tale which I believe to be true.

The celestial beings, called the moon eaters, are all part of the world. Each having their own reason to capture the moon, or moons to be more precise.

And it was there that the shark resided.

The weakest of the pack, it failed to capture the midnight orb.

Again.

Again.

And again.

It had known failure and would not try again, not until it knew it could successfully take its prize.

In its home in the deep it connives. It knows it will never be as strong as the others, not as angry, not as hungry.

Its hatred multiplies, not against the other beings, but against itself.

Why was it put on this earth if only to be last place?

The water hides its tears.

And it waits.

Until the night.

=——————————————————=

*Pangasinan (Salitan Pangasinan) – sometimes called Pangasinense is one of the major languages of the Philippines. It is the language spoken in the province of Pangasinan, on the west-central seaboard of the island of Luzon along the Lingayen Gulf, the northern portion of Tarlac and southwestern La Union, most of whom belong to the Pangasinan ethnic group. Pangasinan is also understood in some municipalities in Benguet, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, and by the Aeta or Aeta of Zambales.

Written by Karl Gaverza

Translation by Carlo Rivera
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Translation Copyright ©Carlo Rivera

Edited by Lennox Martinez Licuanan

Story inspired by Baconaua entry in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.

Baconaua Illustration by Benedict Jose Villarante

Instagram: @bentoillus
Twitter: @bentoillus
Facebook Page: Bento Illustrations (Bento Illustrations)

The post Baconaua 2 – Pangasinan Translation appeared first on Philippine Spirits.

In the depths it waits.

Not many know its story, though others may know of its kind.

The moon-eaters.

The celestial beasts.

The lion. The scorpion. The crab. The giant. The bird. The snake.

The dragon.

They all pass over the shark, relegating it to the depths it calls home.

Is there a tale to tell?

Or has it always been there?

It may be hunger that drives the beast, like the scorpion. What other prey will the shark have if not the warmth of the waning moon?

It may also be for play, like the lion. The moon is a giant orb that catches the beast’s attention, captivating it. What other element could enthrall the shark?

It may be anger, like the crab. Is the shark the offspring of the sun and moon. Does it mean retribution against the inheritance from the parents it never knew?

It may be revenge, like the giant. Was the shark ever a mortal being? Did it incur the wrath of the gods? What happened to it that relegated it to the watery abyss?

It may be darkness, like the bird. When the shark completes its task and the world is plunged into shadow, what will it eat next?

It may be a part of nature, like the snake. In the machinations of the natural world, is it part of the cycle?

Then there is the tale of the dragon.

Every being knows its story.

The 7 moons. The god Bathala.

The greedy dragon.

The shark lies in wait, until the others have fallen, to the sounds of humanity.

There is one tale which I believe to be true.

The celestial beings, called the moon eaters, are all part of the world. Each having their own reason to capture the moon, or moons to be more precise.

And it was there that the shark resided.

The weakest of the pack, it failed to capture the midnight orb.

Again.

Again.

And again.

It had known failure and would not try again, not until it knew it could successfully take its prize.

In its home in the deep it connives. It knows it will never be as strong as the others, not as angry, not as hungry.

Its hatred multiplies, not against the other beings, but against itself.

Why was it put on this earth if only to be last place?

The water hides its tears.

And it waits.

Until the night.

=——————————————————=

Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Story inspired by Baconaua entry in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.

Baconaua Illustration by Benedict Jose Villarante

The post Baconaua appeared first on Philippine Spirits.

The night is not truly dark. Not while the moon and the stars shine their light.

There are those that wait for the true darkness to come, those that seek nothing else in life because the light has shown them things they did not wish to see, those that wish for the peace of the dead, in a cold, eternal world.

These people live by the sea, awaiting their false god, saying quiet prayers to end the moonlight. They shun noise and stay as silent as they can, fearing any sound that may lead their savior from its prize. Their gospel of endless night echoes in their minds.

Who are they? The lost, the forgotten, the afraid. Much like their god.

It is old, far older than the land that its worshipers walk on, far older than the sea that it calls its home, and far older than the usurpers it will one day devour. It remembers the worlds before the coming of the light and it will remember a time when the light has been fully decimated, when darkness will reign.

They will stay by the seashore until the last days of light are upon the world. When their lord will rise up from the depths of the sea and fly towards the light of the day and the light of night. They wait for the moment when their false god’s jaws encircle the usurpers.

When all will know the true peace of darkness.

————————–————————–————————-

Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Story inspired by Baconaua entry in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.

Baconaua Illustration by Leandro Geniston fromAklat ng mga Anito
FB: That Guy With A Pen

Watercolor by Catherine Chiu
FB: Wildling Child
IG: https://www.instagram.com/wildlingchild/

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