Lecture on Bakunawa and Philippine Mythology

Introduction to Bakunawa

• Bakunawa: Great dragon/snake that flies into the sky and swallows the moon.
• Scaring Bakunawa: Tribes would bang drums and make noise to get it to spit out the moon.
• Transformation by Spanish Priests: Bakunawa was demonized and used to scare children into behaving.

Cultural and Regional Variations

• Visayan Region: Bakunawa is considered a very Visayan god.
• Bicol: Known as a god.
• Visayas: Considered a colossal sea creature, adversary to the gods.
• Mindanao: Known as Minokawa, a monstrous bird-like being.

Historical and Cross-Cultural Connections

• Early Documentation:
  • First documented in 1637 by Father Alonso De Mentrida.
  • Documented again in 1668 by Father Ignacio Alcina.
• Eclipse Beliefs: Both solar and lunar eclipses called Bakunawa in early dictionaries.
• Chinese Influence: Similar beliefs in China about a celestial dragon causing eclipses. Noise was made to scare the dragon away.
• Hindu Influence:
  • Story of Rahu, a Hindu demigod decapitated by Vishnu who attempts to swallow the sun or moon.
  • Influence spread through trade and Indianized kingdoms.
  • Connections to stories in Indonesia and Javanese mythology.

Story of Bakunawa and the 7 Moons

• Written Account:
  • First written by Fernando Buyser, a Filipino poet, in Cebu.
  • The 7 moons represent 7 days of the week or phases/lunar cycles.
• Speculations: May be a 20th-century poetic interpretation vs. oral tradition.
• Connection to Astronomy: Ancient Philippines had a keen understanding of astronomy.
• Symbolism in Christianity: Buyser makes connections to the number 7 in "Revelations."

Importance of Folklore in Filipino Culture

• Cultural Identity: Folklore helps understand Filipino identity.
• Oral Tradition: Much of the folklore is still passed down orally.
• Suppression of Written Expression: Colonization and Martial Law suppressed written expression, so stories were told orally.
• Cultural Unification: Folklore and mythology unify the Filipino identity.

Final Thoughts

• Validation of Mythical Creatures: Crucial to resist invalidating mythical creatures due to lack of documentation.
• Resource for Filipino Identity: Mapping out folklore can be a critical resource for cultural and literary identity.
• Role of Young Readers: Young readers are discovering and sharing these stories, enriching cultural knowledge.
• Entertainment: Oral traditions are entertaining and have helped preserve these stories through colonization and suppression.

Personal Reflections

• Assertion of Identity: For the speaker, exploring and sharing myths asserted a native identity against untruths.
• Need for Cultural Acceptance: Understanding Filipino identity involves accepting animism and pantheism.