*Note this story is in Bicol-Naga

“Dati man akong magayon.”

May kinua an tawo saiya urog pa sa gabos na bulawan sa kinaban. Asin uya siya nahuhulid, hinahalat an aldaw kun nuarin siya makakabalos.

An sakuyang tugang na babayi.”

An saiyang tugang na babayi sarong baoó (sea turtle), an saiyang nilalakadan sinususog man kan mga balúd (waves). Nangatakot an mga tawo na baka an saindang mga harong mawara sa ibabaw kan kadagatan. An mga tawo dai man kaipuhan maghadit. Duman nagsusugok an sakuyang tugang kun sain an saiyang mga aki nakakanuod magkamang sa daga. Dai niya nanggad tinugutan na may mangyari sa isla.

Alagad an mga tawo sarong nilalang na tarakuton asin maluya an buot, binunó ninda an baoó tangarig “isalbar” an saindang sadiring lahi siring man kan saindang pagkahayop.

“An mga bulan.”

Kaya kinua niya kun ano an urog na pinakamahalaga sainda. An saindang mga kaingat-ingating Liwanag sa pagkabanggi. An saindang mga bulan namit abo(ashes) sa saiyang nguso. An pagbalos dai na nanggad maibabalik pa an buhay kan saiyang tugang alagad matao ining adal sa katawohan na nanggad dai matatawadan an pakikilaban sa drágon.

“An daguldol.”

Hinalon niya ini saro-saro. Kan hahalunon niya na an ikapito, luminutaw an sarong nakamaskarang diwáta an nakiaram tangarig isalbar an saiyang mahalagang liwanag. An mga tawo man may giniribo. Nagpadaguldol asin nagriribok, ini an habo kan Bakunawa asin ini an dai niya kinamumuyahang madangog puon pa kaidto. Iniluwa niya an ikapitong bulan asin nagbalik pasiring sa kairaruman.

‘Asin uya ako mahalat kun sain ako magigin magayon giraray.”

Saysay ninda na makakabalik  giraray an saiyang totoong anyo kun punduhan niya na an pagtuyo sa ikapitong bulan, alagad sa puso kan mga tawo midbid ninda na dai ini mangyayari. Kinua kan tawo an sarong urog na mahalagang bagay saiya, na dai na mariribayan.

“Dai ako mauntok hanggang dai ninda naaaraman an totoong kahulugan kan kawaran.”

=—————-=

English Version

“I was beautiful once. “

The humans took something from her more precious than all the gold in the world. And here she lies, waiting for the day she can fulfill her revenge.

“My sister.”

Her sister was the sea turtle, whose path was followed by the waves. The humans feared that their home would be lost beneath the sea. The humans needn’t have worried. That was where her sister laid her eggs, where her children would learn to walk on the land. She would never have let anything happen to the island.

But humanity is a scared and frail creature, they butchered her to ‘save’ their own skins like the animals that they were.

“The moons.”

She took from them what they cherished the most. Each of their precious lights in the night. Their moons tasted like ashes in her mouth. Revenge would not bring her sister back but it would teach the humans the price was high when dealing with the dragon.

“The thunder.”

She swallowed them one by one. When she reached the seventh the masked goddess intervened to save her precious light.  Then the humans did something. They let loose thunder and noise, the likes of which the Bakunawa had never heard before. She spat up the seventh moon and retreated beneath the depths.

“And here I wait, until I am beautiful again. “

They say that she will once again regain her true form when she stops hunting the seventh moon, but in the hearts of man they know that will never come to pass. The humans took something precious from her, something irreplaceable.

“I will not stop until they know the true meaning of loss. “

=——————-=

*Central Bicol, commonly called Bicol  Naga, is the most-spoken language in the Bicol Region of southern Luzon, Philippines. It is spoken in the northern and western part of Camarines Sur, second congressional district of Camarines Norte, eastern part of Albay, northeastern part of Sorsogon, San Pascual town in Masbate, and southwestern part of Catanduanes. Central Bicol speakers can be found in all provinces of Bicol and it is a majority language in Camarines Sur.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Bicol Translation by Adrian Bulalacao
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Adrian Bulalacao

Inspired by the Bakunawa myths

Bakunawa Illustration by Ku Rei

*Note this story is in Waray

Pito nga bulan an umagi ngan pito man guihapon kahigayon nahigugma an dako nga serpente. Ha paglabay han kalangitan kada gab-i, nakikit-an an kaanyag ngan kahusay han magburugto na kun diin mas pursigido an serpente nga mahadakpan para makaunan niya ine hin bug-os.

Ha siyahan nga gab-i, nasipatan an langit nga madalumdom ngan diri malamrag ngan nahakaunan han serpente an usa nga bulan han magburugto.

Lumabay an pira kabulan, an bulan nga nahilamunan han serpente hin nawara ha iya tiyan. Tungod han iya pagkadiskuntento, namiling hiya hin maaangkon nga usa pa liwat nga bulan ngan gintestingan niya ini. Sugad man han una, nawara guihap an bulan.

Kun iihapon, unom nga bulan an iya nabiktima nga ha kada may nawawara, duroy nga nagtitikasirom an langit.

Hi Bathala, usa nga hadi ngan may trono han kalangitan hin napapausa kun kay-ano nga nawawara na an lamrag han langit kada gab’i. Diri hiya maaram kun ano an nahihitabo. Han usa kagab-i, usa nga alagad an dumaop han iya pagpahuway. Hito la nga higayon ngan orasa, gintetesting paglamoy han serpente an ikapito nga bulan. Suminggaak an mga katawhan kan Bathala nga depensaran ngan umato agud diri mawara an lamrag ha kadayunan. Agi han kahadlok han aringasa han mga tawo, kumarikas dayon an serpente.

Tungod han panhitabo, nagpinanmurubuot hin hul-os an makagarahum han hadi. “Paanan-o kun lamuyon han serpente an ikapito nga bulan?”. Agud malikayan ini nga panhitabo, nagtanom hiya hin kawayan ha nawong han bulan para maging senyales. Diri napapugong an serpente, makadamo ka-beses niya gintetestingan nga mahikaunan an ikapito nga bulan ha magburugto. Ha kadamo nga pagtesting han serpente, makadamo guihap hiya madismayo. Ha mga singgit ngan aringasa han drum, nakalagiw dayon ngan naghuhulat nala an serpente han iya swerte para han iya intensyon.

Siring pa han kalagsan, hasta na aada an kawayan ha nawong han bulan, diri makukuha han serpente an iya karuyag mahitabo ngan diri man liwat magtatapod an mga katawhan. Hasta nga an serpente namimiling han iya premyo, an marisaw nga aringasa tikang han mga singgit han mga lalaki ngan babaye hin pirmi mababatian.

=———————————=

English Version

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 through the night sky. The serpent decided that

he must possess these lovely beings and seek to swallow them whole.

On that first night, 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 disappeared into his stomach. The serpent would not be satisfied unless he possessed another moon, so he tried again. But just like the last time, the moon melted away. Six moons were his victims; with each one lost, the night sky dimmed further.

Bathala, on 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, a cacophony roused him from his rest. At that moment, the serpent was trying to swallow the seventh moon. Humanity shouted to the great god to intercede, lest the night be forever stolen by darkness. Frightened, the serpent fled from the noise.

The great god thought hard. What if the serpent tried to swallow the seventh moon again? To prevent this terrible thing from happening, he planted a bamboo tree on the face of the moon as a warning sign.

The serpent would not rest in defeat. Countless times it tried to swallow up the seventh sister and countless times it failed due to the machinations of man. The shouts and the drums proved too much for the ruler of the seas, and he retreated to his caver, waiting for his next chance.

Elders say that as long as the bamboo tree stays solid on the face of the moon, the serpent will never succeed. Yet, mankind remains vigilant. For as long as the serpent seeks his prize, the deafening sounds from the throats and hands of men and women will be heard.*

=——————————–=

*Visayan (Bisaya or Binisaya) is a group of languages of the Philippines that are related to Tagalog and Bikol, all three of which are part of the Central Philippine languages. Most Visayan languages are spoken in the whole Visayas section of the country, but they are also spoken in the Bicol Region (particularly in Masbate), islands south of Luzon, such as those that make up Romblon, most of the areas of Mindanao and the province of Sulu located southwest of Mindanao. Some residents of Metro Manila also speak Visayan.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Translation by Yunie Dela Cruz Dador
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Yunie Dela Cruz Dador

Adapted from The Moon and the Bacunawa in Philippine Folk Literature: The Myths. Eugenio. 2001.

Watercolor by Tara Singson
IG: https://www.instagram.com/tarabell93/

*Note this story is in Bantayanon

Ang mga puya, naghinagawhaway samtang nag-istoryahay bahin sa bakunawa.

Gikalisangan nila ang pagsawp sa adlaw, kay amo ini ang takna nga mogawas sya para maghampang.

Ang tanan puya, mobiya kag mosyud ig-abot sang gab-i, kag dili na mobalik pa.

Pero nanu man ining makalisang nga dragon sa kalangitan? Nanu ang iya matoud nga istorya?

Sulti sang iban, sang una nga panahon, may pito ka buwan nga nagdan-ag sa kilumkilom. Sa usa sini nga mga gab-e, may grupo sa mga tawo ang way kukaluoy, mipatay sa utod nga babaye sang bakunawa-ang pawikan. Ang mga naghimo sini nga salaut, wa mobatyag nga sayup ang ila gihimo, kay sa ila pagtuo kung dili nila patyon ang utod nga babaye sang bakunawa nan ang ila isla malunupan,hangtod ini mapapas,  mosidsid sa kaladman sang dagat.

Ang bakunawa dili pa dragon sang hitsura sang una. Hinoun, usa ini ka gwapa kag makadani nga kataw o sirena. Pero sa iya nag-uros-uros nga kalagot nga gusto gayud makabawos, iya giutro ang iya hitsura, kag nahimo siya nga dragon.  Tagsa-tagsa niya nga gipawng ang mga suga sa kagabhion. Unom ka buwan ang nasyud sa iya tyan, pero, nauntat sya sa ikapito.

May mga huhungihong nga nagsiling nga usa ka nagmaskara nga dyosa ang nitardar sa gihimo sang Bakunawa.

Ang nagmaskara nga dyosa kag ang iyang mga sumusunod nagpalanug sang makabungoy nga kasaba nga miabot sa langit. Tungod sa kalanug kag kaalingogngog sini, sa kalit ang bakunawa nakabatyag sang kahadlok. Diin gikan ini nga tingog, ini natingaa.

Sa iya kalisang, ang bakunawa misawom balik sa dagat kag misway sa pag-utro sang iya hitsura, pero alaut lang kay ini dili na mahimo. Siya nagpabilin sa hitsura susama sa dragon, hangtod nga mautro ang iya kinaiya kag moundang na sya sa pagpangita sa buwan. Pero, wa ini mahitabo. Sa pinakauyokan  sa iya kasingkasing, ang bakunawa, nagpanikad gayud nga makabawos. Kag matag gab-e nga makit-an niya ang katapusan nga buwan, moabri ini sa iya higante nga tyan kag motilaw sa tam-is nga kadaugan. Ini padayon niya nga himoun hangtod nga ang mga tawo mismo makaamgo sa ila sayup nga gihimo.

Usa lang ini sa maanindot nga istorya sa higante nga dragon nga aton gitawag nga bakunawa.

Ara’y iban nga mahitungod sa gugma kag pagbiya, pero sa katapusan, nakasentro sa pagpanimawos.

Sang una nga panahon, ang bakunawa nahigugma sa tawhanon nga babaye sa usa sa mga tribu nga nawaa na sara nga anyo. Ang ila paghiusa, napuno sang kasakit, kay wa nauyonon sa mga sakop sa tribu ang ila relasyon. Ang Bakunawa kag ang babaye, sama sa normal nga managtrato, nigahin sang panahon nga magkaupod, sa sini, nilawum pa ang ila gugma sa matag-usa.

Hangtod nga ini nga balita, nahibaw-an sa lider sang tribu.

Ang iya tubag paspas kag makahadlok. Ang byay kag ang kinabuhi nga gipanday sang Bakunawa kag sang babaye nahimong abo. Misinggit ang bakunawa sa langit, nagping-it sa kasakit. Sa nanu nga paagi nga ang tawo nahimo man nga sama sini ka pintas?

Ang bakuna nahagit sa nahitabo, nibukal sa kalagot ang iya dugo kag siya nilupad pasingadto sa langit. Kaonon niya ang pito ka buwan isip bawos sa tanan nga nagpasakit sa ila. Ang una nga unom ka buwan gidali-dali niya, gituyo paglamoy. Pero naurong sya pag-abot sa ikapito nga buwan.

Iya nasugata ang dakung dios nga si Bathala.

Dili takus nga tupngan niya ang gahum sa dakong dios, pero sa gihapon sya nakig-away sa ngan sa panimawos. Sa katapusan, napildi ang Bakunawa, wa siya nilampus sa pagkaon sa ikapito nga buwan. Kag labaw sa tanan, isip silot, gihinginlan siya ni Bathala.

Sara, sa matag eklipse sang buwan ang Bakunawa makadumdum sa iya naagian kaupod ang babaye nga iya gihigugma kag ang kinabuhi nga saw-an unta nila nga duha. Sa matag-gutlo nga iya ini madumduman, sangko sa langit ang iya kaalingit kag ang kagustuhan nga makabawos, pero ara lat, nagtago sa iya kasingkasing ang usa ka pangandoy nga unta mobalik sa mga panahon nga ini malipayon pa.

Istorya ini sang Dyos sang Kamatayan kag sang Lyake nga Buwan.

Gikan sa tumoy sa taas nga bukid sang Sidapa, ang Dyos sang Kamatayon nagtan-aw sa kaanindot sa pito ka buwan. Ang kaanindot sini nga mga binuhat nakadani lat sa iban nga dyos. Ang Dyosa sa Syug modalit sang kanta sa mga Dyos, kag ang Dyos sa Kamatayon nakahibaw nga iya ini kinahanglan tupngan.

Ang Dyos sa Kamatayon nagpakilouy sa mga langgam kag kataw dya ang mga buwak kag aninipot. Misyon nila nga ipaabot ang mensahe sa Dyos sa Kamatayan ngadto sa mga buwan.

Hangtud nga may usay gayud nga nitubag.

Ang batan-on nga buwan nga lyake, interesado kung nanu ang ikadalit sang Dyos sang Kamatayon, nanaug gikan sa langit kag gisugat sya sa damu nga mga gasa  kag mga kanta. Dako ang kalipay sa Dyos sang Kamatayon nga ara gayud sang usa ka Buwan nga nitagad sa iya.

Pero, may nagpahipi nga hulga tungod sa usa ka Bakunawa nga napuyo sa kahiladman sa kadagatan. Ini nga bakunawa sama sa dyos, gamhanan kag kusgan. Nangandoy lat ini nga makaangkon sa Buwan para sa iya kaugalingon nga interes. Pagkanaug sa Batang-Buwan gikan sa langit, gikuha dayun ini nga higayon sang Bakunawa para agawon siya gikan sa Dyos sang Kamatayon. Mituyhakaw ini gikan sa iya gipuy-an ilawom sa dagat kag mikaligaw para lamyum ang Lyake nga Buwan.

Dili ini tugutan sang Dyos sang Kamatayon. Nilupad sya pasingadto sa langit kag gikawhat ang Buwan gikan sa naghuwat nga baba sang Bakunawa.

Pero di gayud magpalupig ang Bakunawa, bisan hangtud sara kay wa pa niya maangkon ang iya gihinamhinaman nga premyo. Sa katapusan, and Dyos sang Kamatayon kag ang Buwan niistar na lang sa igbaw sang bukid nga gitawang nga Madjaas.

Ini usa lang lat sa mga istorya nga gisugilon sa niagi nga katuigan, ang ila gigikanan dili na matugkad tungod sa pagdyagan sang panahon.

Pero aton dumduman:

Kung makakita ka sang Bakunawa nga nipalapit sa iya giapas nga premyo nga Buwan, Singgit! Paghimo sang way makatupong nga kasaba, pun-a ang kalangitan kag ang kagabhion sang sama sa dawdug nga kalanog nga saba kag singgana ang Bakunawa nga dili na gayud niya makuha pa ang iya gihamhinaman nga premyo.

Kay bisan pa man nanu nga panimawos ang iya himoun, dili gayud itugot sang tawo nga  maangkon sang Bakunawa ang katapusan nga Buwan.

=———————————=

English Version

The children speak in hushed tones when they talk of the dragon.

They fear the setting sun for it is then it comes out to play.
And all those children left behind after dark, well… They never return.

But what is the dragon in the night sky? What is its true story?

Some say that once, there were seven moons that lit the twilight. It was on one of these evenings that a group of humans slaughtered the dragon’s sister, the sea turtle. They did not feel at fault, for if they did not kill the dragon’s sister then their island would succumb to the watery depths.

The dragon was not a dragon then, instead it was a beautiful mermaid. For her revenge, she transformed into a dragon and one by one snuffed out the lights in the night. Six moons fell prey to its maw, but the dragon was stopped at the seventh.

Stories say that the masked goddess intervened. The masked goddess and her human followers caused a raucous sound which reached the heavens and it was then the dragon felt fear. Where had this sound come from, it wondered.

The dragon dived into the sea and tried to change its shape to her beautiful form, but alas, it was not to be. The dragon would remain a dragon until it would reach into its better nature and stop its quest for the moons. But that has not come to pass. With every inch of its being the dragon lusts for revenge and each night it sees the last moon in the sky it will open its gigantic maw and taste sweet victory. That is, until the humans do something about it.

That is but one tale of the great dragon. There is another of love and loss, but ultimately of vengeance.

The dragon once fell in love with a human woman of one of the tribes now lost to time. Their union was not without difficulty, as the people of the tribe did not approve of them. The dragon and the woman spent time together, falling deeper in love with each passing moment.
Until the head of the tribe found out.

His response was fast and brutal. The house and the life that the dragon and the woman had built would be reduced to ask. The dragon screamed in pain towards the sky. How could humans be this cruel?

The dragon responded in kind, his anger boiled over and he flew towards the sky. It would eat all the seven moons as vengeance upon all humans. The first six moons he swallowed with dire purpose, but the dragon was stopped when it reached the seventh moon.

In his way was the great god, Bathala.

The dragon could not hope to match the power of the great god, but it fought for its revenge. In the end the dragon did not succeed in eating the last moon and was banished by Bathala.

And in each eclipse of the moon the dragon remembers the life it once led, with the woman that it loved and the home that it built. Vengeance fills it, but there is also a deep longing to return to the times it had been happy.
And yet other stories abound.

There is the tale of the god of death and his husband.
From his mountain top Sidapa, the god of death admired from afar the beauty of the seven moons. The beauty of these lunar beings infatuated the other gods as well. The goddess of tides would sing to the bright gods and the god of death knew he had to match them.

The god of death pleaded with the birds and mermaids, with the flowers and the fireflies. Each would send word of the god of death’s message to the moons.

Until one responded.

The young boy-moon, Bulan, curious about what the god of death could offer, came down from the heavens and was met with a shower of gifts and songs. The god of death rejoiced that one of the moons had come down.
But there was the danger of the dragon. The dragon was a god of the deep and wanted to take the moons for itself. Once the boy-moon descended from the heavens the dragon saw its chance. It lifted itself up from its ocean dwelling and flew towards Bulan with the intent to devour the boy-moon.

The death god would not allow this and flew towards the boy-moon and snatched him from the dragon’s jaws.
The dragon would not have its prize, not then at least. And the death god and the boy-moon lived together at the top of the mountain Madjaas.

This is a tale told too often and is said to be fevered ramblings, their source lost to time.

These are but some of the stories of the dragon, and there are many more that are scattered throughout the islands.
But remember:

When you see the dragon close to its prize, scream. Make noise like there never was before, fill the night sky with man-made thunder and tell the dragon it will not get its prize.

For no matter what revenge it seeks, humanity will never surrender the final moon to the dragon.

————————–————————–———————–

*The Bantayanon language is the regional language of the Bantayan islands in the Philippines. It is a part of the Bisayan language family and is closely related to Waray and Hiligaynon. There are three dialects of Bantayanon, based in the three municipalities that comprise the island group: Binantayanun (in Bantayan), Linawisanun (in Madridejos), and Sinantapihanun (in Santa Fe), the most idiosyncratic of the three. There are also significant dialectal differences between the speech patterns of those that live in the town centers and those that live outside of the more rural areas of the islands.

Inspired by the different Bakunawa myths https://www.aswangproject.com/bakunawa/

Bakunawa Illustration by Felix Pabalinski
IG: @Elironpabalinas

*Note

The Bakunawa myth states that a giant serpent swallows up the moon, causing a lunar eclipse.

This comic a mish-mash of different versions of the Bakunawa myth. Some legends claim that the Bakunawa had a sister a sea turtle. Humans killed her sister and the Bakunawa ate up the moons in revenge. This intersects with the modern belief of Haliya as a moon goddess, with her mask being a more recent addition to the myth, fighting the Bakunawa.

*Annotation

=—————————————————————-=

*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.

**Baybayin (Tagalog pronunciation: [baɪbaˈjɪn]; also incorrectly known as alibata) is a Philippine script. It is an alphasyllabary belonging to the family of the Brahmic scripts. It was widely used in Luzon and other parts of the Philippines prior to and during the 16th and 17th centuries before being supplanted by the Latin alphabet during the period of Spanish colonization.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Translation and Transcription by Rosella S Moya-Torrecampo
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation and Transcription Copyright © Rosella S Moya-Torrecampo

Adapted from ‘The Moon and the Bacunawa’ in Philippine Folk Literature: The Myths. Eugenio. 2001.

Watercolor by Tara Singson
IG: https://www.instagram.com/tarabell93/

There are 41 possible different species of venomous snakes in the Philippines. Of that number 26 are sea snakes and the other 15 are terrestrial snakes that live in diverse habitats in freshwater and on land. Some species like Tropidolaemus subannulatus are arboreal and almost never go down to the ground. All terrestrial species of these are able to swim and some inhabit areas near human habitation, around sources of water such as flooded rice fields, streams and rivers, and in agricultural areas.

Venomous snakes in the Philippines are represented by two families: Elapidae and Viperidae while there also occur mildly venomous snakes which are members of the family Colubridae. It is still up to future research to determine the degree of danger that these mildly venomous snakes pose to humans.

It may be hard to distinguish venomous from non-venomous snakes without special attention to detail. Several snakes in the Philippines are black with white bandings and these include the species Calmaria lumbricoidea, Lycodon subcinctus, and members of the genera Hemibungarus and Calliophis. The latter two are dangerously venomous while the other species are non-venomous.  The only way to tell the difference is to check the side of the head in front of the eye to see if a loreal scale is present. If there is no loreal scale then the snake in question may be venomous.

In the Philippines, the snake fauna is relatively well known, but there are areas such as those in Luzon, Palawan and Mindanao that have not been explored in detail. It should be noted that accurate knowledge of snake species is necessary for proper treatment of snakebites. For example, there is only one antivenin manufactured for cobra snakebites derived from the species Naja philippinensis. It was believed in the past that there was only one species with three subspecies of the Philippine cobra, Naja naja, but further research has shown that the three subspecies are distinct and have been recognized as full species. This is important to note because antivenin is species specific, the antivenin used for one kind of snakebite may not work for bites of other species.

Her hands drifted across the keyboard and she took another sip of coffee. This should be good enough for now. The introduction is always the hardest part, then the rest just flows.

She stood up and went to her bag and took out some pictures. “Lovely,” she said to no one in particular. It had taken her months of work, traversing mountains and islands to get this collection. It was her life’s work, but she knew she had to do so much more.

The first picture was of Ophiophagus Hannah, also known as the king cobra. She knew how to describe every part of the snake’s anatomy. Her fingers ran through the nasal scales and noted that the loreal scale was absent.

She flipped through the pictures and picked another one at random. This time it was of Trimeresurus (Parias) schultzei, a green-turquoise snake with alternating bands of black and red. She remembered seeing this species in her travels to Leyte and Samar. They were tree-dwelling and it took her many attempts to get a proper photograph.

Laughter filled her small room. Such wonder and majesty that the elders of her people just ignored. There was power in knowing what you could conjure and they just wasted it on petty cantrips and dime store illusions.

Not her. Never her.

When the elders held her initiation, she did not fear. She had seen the kind of power that their kind possessed. Large black dogs, grotesque flying beings, flaming phantasms were but some of the conjurations she had experienced. But what she remembered was the snakes.

It was the favorite illusion of their people. A gnarled mass of slithering serpents flung at their victims, most of which died of fright in an instant. Those that were left alive through small mercies would forever have nightmares of the forked tongues, limbless bodies and scaled skin.

But the elders had no imagination. They assumed that all snakes looked like pythons and left it at that. It would end with her. She would show them all what they could be capable of if they just tried to see the horror that was at their doorsteps.

From the corner of her eye she could see the familiar black rings of the Hemibungarus calligaster, known by some as the Philippine coral snake. She held the photo against her chest and a faint orange and black glow manifested from her hands. In a moment the black and white ringed serpent was in front of her. She savored the beauty of her creation. This one she had seen in her hometown in Quezon province and it was this very snake that lead her heart to wander through the archipelago. She thanked it silently and went back to her research.

She had learned a lot from libraries and forests. Leafing through books and finding the creature in real life was a thrill she could never let go of. But there were other sources that she had queried, at a price.

Her mind drifted to Iloilo. There was a woman there with power much like hers, but different. She wouldn’t make eye contact for fear she would be exposed, but it was no use. She needed to know. The scar on her palm was throbbing now, the memories made her mind relive the pain. It was worth it though, she got what she was looking for.

The serpent that she would master.

Again, there was laughter. This would be no mere snake, no earthly beast. She walked to the window and the glistening stars reflected in her eyes. Light was not what she craved. It was only darkness in her heart that she let reign.

The darkness of the gods.

She breathed in deep. It was not yet time. She needed more information. She needed to see it for herself. In a month she would start her travels to the different bungalog in hopes of seeing her god.

Until then she would think of the wings and the whiskers, the blood red tongue and the mouth large enough to cast the world into terror.

One day she would use her powers to make it come alive.

One day.

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Written by Karl Gaverza

Copyright © Karl Gaverza 

Inspired by the May-gling legends from Quezon Provinc and description in Diccionario mitológico de Filipinas in Volume 2 of Retana, W.E. Archivo del bibliófilo filipino by Ferdinand Blumentritt (1895), trans Marcaida D. (2019)

May-galing Illustration by Edrian Paolo T. Baydo 

Color by Alexa Garde

Website: Lexa.us

More information on Philippine Snake species can be found in https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263375284_The_dangerously_venomous_snakes_of_the_Philippine_Archipelago_with_identification_keys_and_species_accounts

The children speak in hushed tones when they talk of the dragon.

They fear the setting sun for it is then it comes out to play.
And all those children left behind after dark, well… They never return.

But what is the dragon in the night sky? What is its true story?

Some say that once, there were seven moons that lit the twilight. It was on one of these evenings that a group of humans slaughtered the dragon’s sister, the sea turtle. They did not feel at fault, for if they did not kill the dragon’s sister then their island would succumb to the watery depths.

The dragon was not a dragon then, instead it was a beautiful mermaid. For her revenge, she transformed into a dragon and one by one snuffed out the lights in the night. Six moons fell prey to its maw, but the dragon was stopped at the seventh.

Stories say that the masked goddess intervened. The masked goddess and her human followers caused a raucous sound which reached the heavens and it was then the dragon felt fear. Where had this sound come from, it wondered.

The dragon dived into the sea and tried to change its shape to her beautiful form, but alas, it was not to be. The dragon would remain a dragon until it would reach into its better nature and stop its quest for the moons. But that has not come to pass. With every inch of its being the dragon lusts for revenge and each night it sees the last moon in the sky it will open its gigantic maw and taste sweet victory. That is, until the humans do something about it.

That is but one tale of the great dragon. There is another of love and loss, but ultimately of vengeance.

The dragon once fell in love with a human woman of one of the tribes now lost to time. Their union was not without difficulty, as the people of the tribe did not approve of them. The dragon and the woman spent time together, falling deeper in love with each passing moment.
Until the head of the tribe found out.

His response was fast and brutal. The house and the life that the dragon and the woman had built would be reduced to ask. The dragon screamed in pain towards the sky. How could humans be this cruel?

The dragon responded in kind, his anger boiled over and he flew towards the sky. It would eat all the seven moons as vengeance upon all humans. The first six moons he swallowed with dire purpose, but the dragon was stopped when it reached the seventh moon.

In his way was the great god, Bathala.

The dragon could not hope to match the power of the great god, but it fought for its revenge. In the end the dragon did not succeed in eating the last moon and was banished by Bathala.

And in each eclipse of the moon the dragon remembers the life it once led, with the woman that it loved and the home that it built. Vengeance fills it, but there is also a deep longing to return to the times it had been happy.
And yet other stories abound.

There is the tale of the god of death and his husband.
From his mountain top Sidapa, the god of death admired from afar the beauty of the seven moons. The beauty of these lunar beings infatuated the other gods as well. The goddess of tides would sing to the bright gods and the god of death knew he had to match them.

The god of death pleaded with the birds and mermaids, with the flowers and the fireflies. Each would send word of the god of death’s message to the moons.

Until one responded.

The young boy-moon, Bulan, curious about what the god of death could offer, came down from the heavens and was met with a shower of gifts and songs. The god of death rejoiced that one of the moons had come down.
But there was the danger of the dragon. The dragon was a god of the deep and wanted to take the moons for itself. Once the boy-moon descended from the heavens the dragon saw its chance. It lifted itself up from its ocean dwelling and flew towards Bulan with the intent to devour the boy-moon.

The death god would not allow this and flew towards the boy-moon and snatched him from the dragon’s jaws.
The dragon would not have its prize, not then at least. And the death god and the boy-moon lived together at the top of the mountain Madjaas.

This is a tale told too often and is said to be fevered ramblings, their source lost to time.

These are but some of the stories of the dragon, and there are many more that are scattered throughout the islands.
But remember:

When you see the dragon close to its prize, scream. Make noise like there never was before, fill the night sky with man-made thunder and tell the dragon it will not get its prize.

For no matter what revenge it seeks, humanity will never surrender the final moon to the dragon.

————————–————————–———————–

Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Inspired by the different Bakunawa myths https://www.aswangproject.com/bakunawa/

Bakunawa Illustration by Felix Pabalinski
IG: @Elironpabalinas

Every night the bakunawas come.

It started a month ago. Our village was no stranger to the moon serpents, and we readied our gongs and our chants to safeguard the lunar light against the beasts. We rejoiced then, not knowing the hardship we would face. I think back to those happy times and weep.

We were not ready for this.

First, they came alone. The night after the first serpent came, another took its place. It was not unknown to our people that there would be multiple bakunawas in a month following each other. Their kind thought of the moon as a plaything, greedily swallowing it up when they could.

Our people knew of two kinds of moon serpent, differentiated by their bellies. One with a transparent stomach that, when it swallowed the moon, would cause a partial eclipse, and another with a thick-walled stomach that would cause the sky to darken completely.

After the first week we were exhausted. We forced ourselves to push through the pain, and there were even times when the serpents would slip past and gorge on the moon. We chanted twice as hard until we spat blood.

But they did not stop.

We consulted the spirit-talkers among us for answers. They sat beneath their Balete trees and communed with the spirits of sea and sky.

I still remember that night. The spirit talkers cried tears of blood and spoke in a voice of darkness. They told us that this was only the beginning. The bakunawas would come, until the world was completely drenched in midnight.

And there was nothing we could do about it.

I didn’t want to believe the spirit talkers. Maybe something was wrong with their visions. I know that something had to be done to rid our village, and the world of the moon serpents, at least long enough that our village could rest.

But I don’t know what to think now that it has been a month. Our village is tired and we pray to the sun that it would rid us of these loathsome beasts, yet no reprieve comes.
‘The serpents will come as harbingers of the dark. They will take everything from us and lead us into the end,’ the possessed spirit talker’s words echo in my head.

I will not take this lying down. There must be something I can do to stop the moon serpents. I gather my things, my kris, my lucky amulet and some provisions.

As children, we were warned not to stray in too far into the bamboo forest, for there are beings there that are not what they seem. Among these are the muwa, old men and women in one of their forms, and large, hairy creatures once they set aside their illusions.

The answer must lie with them, for if the spirits will not help us, maybe the monsters will.

The wind whistles through the bamboo forest and I am still.
Here is where I find them, the monsters that hold the answers. The spirit talkers in my village cannot help, they are blinded by the serpent’s power and their spirit guides do not reply.

Something must be done.

I hear rustling from a nearby bush and I jump to investigate.
I come face to face with an old woman. She graciously bows to me, but I do not respond. I know what she is.

“Get up, I have no time for your tricks,” I say. The old woman laughs, a loud, guttural sound that sends jolts down my spine. But there is no time for fear. It is almost sundown and the bakunawas will come again. I have to do this, for my people.
“Here he is. Who is that fearless one? Who is so brave that he seeks out the people of the forest?” The old woman’s illusion disappears. She is now a creature of the forest, covered in hair and magic.

“I am Adlaw, and I seek you for answers.”

Again, the muwa laughs, echoing through the bamboo. I notice that more of their kind is watching us.

“The child of the sun. Many have heard about him. He takes his weapons. Charges into the forest. And for what? A quick death maybe?”

“I am not here to fight,” I say as I lay down my kris. “I need to know about the bakunawas.”

“The serpents they come. To play with the moon. The lunar orb. They come all nights. And do not tire.”

“Yes, they seek the moon. Every night my village ring the gongs and shout to make the serpents spit out the sun. But we grow weary. Soon we will not be able to hold them off, and the night will be plunged into darkness.”

“The hubris of humans. Thinking that the duty belongs solely to them. We muwa. We bayi-bayi. Know of the moon serpents. And we do not want to see the nights lose their light.”

“Will you help me then? Please tell me what I should do,” I say falling to my knees. My heart skips a beat, rejoicing that I may have finally found the answer.

“It will come at a cost. There is payment to be done,” the muwa approaches me and looks into my eyes. Her hairy face and monstrous visage make me take a step back.

“I will pay whatever price you require,” I say.

“It is not to us that you will pay,” the muwa says. Her face contorts into a macabre grin. “It is to the serpents.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“To stop them from taking the brightness of night. You must go to the cliffs. The serpents will see you. And they will make a choice.”

“What choice?”

“They will decide if your sacrifice is suitable. If it is acceptable to the serpents. They will stop playing with the orb. If you give them your life.”

Her words strike me deep the moment I realize what she is asking of me. I ask her if there is another way and she replies with a blunt “You must choose between yourself and your village, and all other villages.

The muwa picks up my kris and hands it to me.

“Go, child of the sun. Son of the human tribes. It is up to you to stop the serpents. To stop the endless night.”

I take the kris and exhale.

I know what I must do.

I am here at the cliffside, waiting for the sun to set.

On any other day I would have just sat here and enjoyed the view, the pink-orange haze across the horizon is beautiful.
But this was not that day.

The sun sinks below the sea and I prepare myself. The serpents will be here soon.

I think of happier times. I think of my friends. I think of futures I wish I had and pasts I no longer regret.

The village has come with the gongs and I can hear them prepare in the distance.

I chose to do this alone, not telling any soul. I did not want to be a martyr. It is not for my name that I do this. It is for every child that will grow to be a warrior. It is for every family that will now stay together. It is for my mother, that she will live a full life.

It is for them that I do this.

In my final minutes I shout to the skies and goad the serpents towards me.

They fly to me and I smile.

My sacrifice was enough.

In the bamboo forest, a laugh is heard echoing through the branches.

An old woman looks to the sky and basks in the moonlinght. She says to herself, “The child of the sun. Too foolish for his own good. Heeding words he does not know are true. His sacrifice will be remembered. Not by those he saved. But by those he believed.”

*In Kinaray-a folklore there are two kinds of bakunawas, one that has a transparent belly, blamed for partial lunar eclipses and one with an opaque belly, blamed for total lunar eclipses

Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Inspired by the bakunawa description in The Soul Book. Demetrio & Cordero-Fernando 1991.

Bakunawa (Kinaray-a) Illustration by Julius Arboleda
Online Portfolio: https://juliusarbo.weebly.com/

Inspired by the Muwa legends from Panay

Muwa Illustration by Billy Joe Pana Fragata
Instagram: @kuy_beige

Part 1 of Appeasing the Moon Serpents

Every night the bakunawas come.

It started a month ago. Our village was no stranger to the moon serpents, and we readied our gongs and our chants to safeguard the lunar light against the beasts. We rejoiced then, not knowing the hardship we would face. I think back to those happy times and weep.

We were not ready for this.

First, they came alone. The night after the first serpent came, another took its place. It was not unknown to our people that there would be multiple bakunawas in a month following each other. Their kind thought of the moon as a plaything, greedily swallowing it up when they could.

Our people knew of two kinds of moon serpent, differentiated by their bellies. One with a transparent stomach that, when it swallowed the moon, would cause a partial eclipse, and another with a thick-walled stomach that would cause the sky to darken completely.

After the first week we were exhausted. We forced ourselves to push through the pain, and there were even times when the serpents would slip past and gorge on the moon. We chanted twice as hard until we spat blood.

But they did not stop.

We consulted the spirit-talkers among us for answers. They sat beneath their Balete trees and communed with the spirits of sea and sky.

I still remember that night. The spirit talkers cried tears of blood and spoke in a voice of darkness. They told us that this was only the beginning. The bakunawas would come, until the world was completely drenched in midnight.

And there was nothing we could do about it.

I didn’t want to believe the spirit talkers. Maybe something was wrong with their visions. I know that something had to be done to rid our village, and the world of the moon serpents, at least long enough that our village could rest.

But I don’t know what to think now that it has been a month. Our village is tired and we pray to the sun that it would rid us of these loathsome beasts, yet no reprieve comes.
‘The serpents will come as harbingers of the dark. They will take everything from us and lead us into the end,’ the possessed spirit talker’s words echo in my head.

I will not take this lying down. There must be something I can do to stop the moon serpents. I gather my things, my kris, my lucky amulet and some provisions.

As children, we were warned not to stray in too far into the bamboo forest, for there are beings there that are not what they seem. Among these are the muwa, old men and women in one of their forms, and large, hairy creatures once they set aside their illusions.

The answer must lie with them, for if the spirits will not help us, maybe the monsters will.

*In Kinaray-a folklore there are two kinds of bakunawas, one that has a transparent belly, blamed for partial lunar eclipses and one with an opaque belly, blamed for total lunar eclipses
.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Inspired by the bakunawa description in The Soul Book. Demetrio & Cordero-Fernando 1991.

Bakunawa (Kinaray-a) Illustration by Julius Arboleda
Online Portfolio: https://juliusarbo.weebly.com/

The moon came into the cloudless night
In her garb of flowing silver.
The small boy stares at her
Through the still air
The moon waves her gentle arms
Dancing to a silent song
“O Moon, you must run away!
If the serpent comes,
It will find you
And swallow you whole!”
“Let me do my dance
And have me enjoy this quiet evening
Fear not, child,
For nothing could ever swallow me.”
“Mistress moon, please listen
I can feel the serpent’s presence
Already is it growing dark!”
“I will continue my dance
With the stars as my partners
Leave us be.”

The serpent coils
Closer and closer
The boy is standing on the edge
His eyes are closed
Through the night it comes
Faster than a shadow
Its eyes glistening
At its prize

How the nightbirds cry!
The moon is trapped in the sky
And the child weeps
His throat grows hoarse
But his shouts are not heard
The moon weeps silver tears
That fall into the sea

Shadows make their new home
Across the horizon
And a lone child cries
At the edge of the world

————————–————————–———————

Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Poem inspired by the Bakunawa myths

Bakunawa Illustration by Patato Doodles