 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2015) |
  | |
| Grouping | Sea Serpent |
|---|---|
| Similar entities | Sea serpent Phaya Naga Nāga Dragon (Asian) |
| Region | Visayas and Bicol regions of the Philippines |
 |
 Philippines portal |
The Bakunawa, also called the Philippine moon-eating dragon, the Philippine moon dragon, moon dragon, or the moon-eating dragon, is a serpent, that looks like a Dragon in Philippine mythology. It is believed to be the cause of eclipses, earthquakes, rains, and wind.[1] The movements of the Bakunawa served as a geomantic calendar system for ancient Filipinos and were part of the rituals of the babaylan priestess. It is usually depicted with a characteristic looped tail and a single horn on the nose. It was believed to inhabit either the sky or the underworld.[2]
Due to increasing trade contacts with South Asia and the Indianization of Southeast Asia, the Bakunawa later became syncretized with the Nāga, Rahu, and Ketu of Hindu-Buddhist mythology.[3][4]
- ^ Tito, Genova (January 1, 2015). "A serpent, this earth and the end of the year". Business Mirror. ProQuest 1644507809.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
mccoywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cabrera, John Ray (2012). "Eclipse: The story behind the Bakunawa myth" (PDF). Philippine Journal of Astronomy. 5 (1): 12–13.
- ^ "BAKUNAWA: The Moon Eating Serpent of Philippine Mythology". The Aswang Project. 27 May 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2019.