Myth of Baconaua/Bakunawa
Photo credit: confuzzledMia via deviantART
Bakunawa is another mythical giant that brings with it a fascinating glimpse of how our ancestors deal with natural phenomena. Hailed as god of the underworld, Bakunawa is a half-dragon, half-snake that allegedly appears once or twice in a man’s lifetime to bring eclipse.
Legend has it that this giant sea serpent was enamored by the beauty of the seven moons we had back then. The Bakunawa swallowed the moons and brought darkness on the face of the earth. Bathala then asked the people to make improvised noise using pots and pans to disturb the sea monster. As a result, Bakunawa was frightened enough to spit out the moons and never return again.
Bakunawa’s origins can be traced back to a Hiligaynon folklore which describes this mythical creature as a giant sea serpent blessed with “a mouth the size of a lake, a red tongue, whiskers, gills, small wires at its sides, and two sets of wings.”
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