Bakunawa

"Bent serpent." A mythical sky-serpent believed to be responsible for causing eclipses by devouring the sun and the moon. It is said to have the body of a great big shark.

In Cebu, it was said that pregnant women should not venture outside during an eclipse because the demon Bakunawa might suck what they were conceiving.

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References

Sources

  • Philippine quarterly of culture and society, Vol. 27. (1999). University of San Carlos, p. 123.
  • Hart, Donn V., et al. (1965). Southeast Asian birth customs: three studies in human reproduction. Human Relations Area Files, p. 88.
  • Ramos, Maximo D. (1967). The creatures of midnight: faded deities of Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. Philippines: Island Publishers, p. 19.