#Alfred Ismael Galaroza
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Tambanokano [Philippine mythology; Mindanao/Mandaya myths]
In the native religion of Mindanao and Mandaya (in the Philippines), the moon and the sun are somewhat important characters (or, rather, personifications of the moon and the sun). The moon was married to the sun, but her husband was angry and prone to outbursts of rage. One day, for reasons that are unknown to me, the sun became particularly mad at the moon. The moon ran away with all her might, but the sun gave chase and pursued her relentlessly. At times, the moon grew tired and slowed down, nearly allowing her pursuer to catch up with her. But he never reached her, because every time he comes close to catching his wife, the moon starts running again. And the two of them are still running, sometimes coming close to one another but never touching. And that is why the sun and the moon move across the sky.
In better times, though, the moon and the sun had children together. Among them was a magical creature, shaped like a man but glowing like a star. But the sun got angry and murdered his own son before horribly cutting the corpse up in hundreds of little bits. He then spread the tiny little bits across the night sky, where they are still glowing, just as the son did when he was whole. And that is why you can see stars at night.
Not all offspring of the sun and the moon were slain, however. One of them is named Tambanokano, and to this day he still resides in the depths of the ocean. Tambanokano is a humongous crab with power over lightning: every time the creature opens and closes his eyes, a bolt of lightning flashes in the sky. Tambanokano unfortunately inherited his father’s temper and he, too, is often angry at the poor moon. It happened several times that he becomes enraged at his mother and rises up, trying to devour the moon alive. But the people saw this and left their homes, beating gongs and shouting at the crab until the creature becomes scared of the noise and retreats to his oceanic home. And that is why the moon still exists. (Note: it is believed that this story refers to a lunar eclipse!)
Tambanokano’s dwelling is a huge hole somewhere in the ocean floor. When he is there, the ocean stands high. But sometimes he leaves his dwelling, and the water rushes into the cave, after which it becomes low tide. The movement this titanic creature makes as it wanders about the ocean floor causes waves to appear on the surface of the sea. When the crab re-enters his home, he pushes the water up again. And that is why the ocean has high and low tides.
Sources:
Cole, M. C., 1916, Philippine Folk Tales.
Eugenio, D. L., 2007, Philippine Folk Literature: an Anthology, UP Press, 500 pp.
(image source 1: Alfred Ismael Galaroza on Artstation)
(image source 2: ZanderBarcelo on Deviantart)
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Minokawa by Alfred Ismael Galaroza
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MINOKAWA
In Philippine legends, Minokawa is a colossal bird often associated with eclipses. It's depicted as a dragon-like creature capable of swallowing the sun and the moon. According to Bagobo tales, Minokawa is as large as an island with feathers sharp as swords, mirror-like eyes, and beak and legs made of steel. It resides beyond the sky's eastern horizon, while another mythical entity, the Baua, is believed to dwell above the sky in a cave covered by blue smoke, according to Visayan folklore.
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Alfred Ismael Galaroza
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Bakunawa by Alfred Ismael Galaroza
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Arimaonga by Alfred Ismael Galaroza
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Visayan War Gods by Alfred Ismael Galaroza
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Minokawa vs Bakunawa by Alfred Ismael Galaroza
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