Bakunawa

Bakunawa
Teetle	Bakunawa
Description	Muin eater
Gender	Male/female
Region	Philippines
Equivalent	Sea serpent/Draigon

The Bakunawa, spelled Bakonawa, Baconaua, or Bakonaua, is a draigon in Philippine meethologie that is aften representit as a gigantic sea serpent. It is believit tae be the cause o eclipses.

It appears as a giant sea serpent wi a mooth the size o a loch, a reid tongue, whiskers, gills, smaw wires at its sides, an twa sets o wings, ane is lairge an ash-gray while the ither is smaw an is foond further doun its bouk.

Mythology

Tales aboot the Bakunawa say that it is the cause o eclipses. Durin auncient times, Filipinos believe that thare are seiven muins creatit bi Bathala tae licht up the sky. The Bakunawa, amazit bi thair brawness, wad rise frae the ocean an swallae the muins whole, angerin Bathala an causin thaim tae be mortal enemies.

Tae keep the Bakunawa muins frae completely bein swallaeed, auncient Filipinos wad go oot o thair hames wi pans an pots, an wad mak noise in order tae scare the Bakunawa intae spittin oot the muin back intae the sky. Some o the fowk in the veelages wad play soothin soonds wi thair muisical graith, in howps that the draigon wad faw intae a deep sleep. Sicweys, the brave men o the veelage howpit that while the draigon wis hypnotizit bi the muisical soonds thay coud somehow slay the dragon. Awtho the draigon wis kent as a "moon eater" it wis kent as a "man eater" an aw.

Ither tales tell that the Bakunawa haes a sister in the furm o a sea turtle. The sea turtle wad veesit a certaint island in the Philippines in order tae lay its eggs. Housomeivver, locals suin discovered that ivery time the sea turtle went tae shore, the watter seemed tae follae her, sicweys reducin the island's size. Worriet that thair island wad eventually disappear, the locals killed the sea turtle.

When the Bakunawa foond oot aboot this, it arose frae the sea an ett the muin. The fowk wur afraid sae thay prayed tae Bathala tae punish the creatur. Bathala refused but instead tauld thaim tae bang some pots an pans in order tae disturb the serpent. The muin is then regurgitatit while the Bakunawa disappeared, niver tae be seen again.

The island whaur the sea turtle lays its eggs is said tae exist the day. Some soorces say that the island micht juist be ane o the Turtle Islands.

Ithers tell hou the Bakunawa fell in luve wi a human girl in ane o the native tribes. The heid o the tribe foond oot aboot thair affair an haed thair hoose burned tae ashes. The Bakunawa, fyndin oot aboot this, became immersed in anger an treed tae tak revenge bi eatin aw the 12 muins. When the Bakunawa wis aboot tae eat the last ane, Bathala teuk action an punished the Bakunawa bi banishin it frae its hame awa frae the sea. It tells that the raison o the eclipses is hou the Bakunawa is tryin tae come back tae its hame an deceased faimily an aw.