A long time ago when the world was still young, Bathala created seven moons to illuminate the night skies each day of the week, Each moon was actually of the embodiement of the lunar deity (diwata) or the moon goddess. The night skies were bright and ever so beautiful because each diwata continously shrone in the night sky
Bakunawa was the god of the underworld and his kingdom was a the bottom of the sea, Once clear night, he decided to come out of the surface to gaze at the skies, He saw the moon that shining oso brightly and its beauty captivated at one, Without losing any time, he rose out of the sea, and with his mouth as big as as wide as a lake, his touch as red as blood, with whiskers, gills and two sets of wings, he swallowed the moon in one gulp
Inordinately proud of this fear, Bakunawa returned to his kingdom at once, Upon reaching the sea bottom, he expelled the moon to see his captured prize but he found out that the moon had already melted like wax while in his mouth
Feeling desperate, Bakunawa rose to the surface of the water on the following night. He saw again the moon in the sky and he longed to possess the shining beauty all for himself. With one big splash, he rose to the sky and swallowed the radian moon in his mouth. but the moon melted again.
Bakunawa returned on the next night, and on the next-- each time swallowing the bright goddess that shone in the sky. But each time, the lunar goddess metled in his mouth before he could reach his kingdom
At last, Bakunawa had swallowed all the six moon goddess, and there was only one left in the sky to light the heaven at night. Bathala grew worried. The earth would become dark at nighttime
Bathala realized the fondness of Bakunawa for the beautiful goddess. so he planted bamboos, on the moon's surface. From afar the bamboos looked like stains on the moon's face. With her marred beauty, Bathala was thinking that Bakunawa would soon dislike the moon
The old folks,on their partm worked togehter to guard the moon that they loved, They were not willing to lose again the last and only moon that was left for the people to see
But bakunawa was not disheartened. One nbright night, he rose from the sea and watched the moon for awhile. Then, in a surprise move, he flew up to the sea and swallowed the moon. The people panicked, they shotued "Return out moon!" Then they banged objects and made alot of noise to stop the evil Moon-Eater. The loud noise startled Bakunawa, He saw the people were about to hurl objects at him. Bakunawa's jaw dropped and released the the moon from his mouth. Quickly after that, he retreated tnto his abode at the depth of the sea and remained quiet for quite a time.
The people rejoiced, They saw the moon in full again, since that time, the people learned to be more vigilant for the return of bakunawa. The next time that they saw the moon being swallowed by Bakunawa, they let out their cries of "Return Our Moon!" until Bakunawa would let go of their beautiful moon goddess.