The Bakunawa
In Philippine mythology, a giant sea serpent rises from the ocean to swallow the moon, and people bang pots to make it spit it out.
What was reported
In the folklore of the Visayas and other parts of the Philippines, the bakunawa is an enormous sea serpent or dragon. In one version, the sky once held seven moons, and the bakunawa swallowed six of them. To protect the last one, people bang pots and pans and make noise until the creature spits it back out.
The bakunawa is linked to eclipses of the moon and sun, and to the tides.
Explanations offered
The story explains lunar and solar eclipses, which are now understood as the Earth or moon passing into each other's shadow. Similar stories of creatures swallowing the moon or sun are found in many cultures, from India to China.
- When
- Told for generations
- Where
- Visayas, Philippines
- Witnesses
- Filipino tradition
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.