The Land Archaic

Two - The Fourth of the goddess' sister

 "I am truly aware of the fear that the serpent has brought us. 

           Is it not my family's sole duty to be as the father of this village?

               the serpent god Bakunawa has truly devoured our goddess Bulan, the fifth of her sister!

                          And even though she has gone, her spouse the God Adlaw will redeem her!"

       The Village Chieften Datu Sari ang Daga who's family has nourished from the ancient island of Makaraig long before the others had come and sought refuge from the wars of the other villages. Datu Sari who's father once was the Datu and his father the Datu before him. The royal family, who is honored and revered by the people of the island of Makaraig is as old as the council of the village itself, and is known by the village folk  as magical as the mysteries that stay hidden in the world of the Maharlikas

      . Datu Sari ang Daga had married the daughter of a rival datu that once overthrew the family's seat of power amongst the people of the island of Makaraig, she bore a son who is destined to be the datu of the village when the inevitable death of his father shall come.

        Datu Sari and his ten council men surrounded the village bonfire that was once lit and promised the people there redemption as the sun arises and saves their goddess Bulan. This tragic event had once been and once been undone and it will now as the event had repeated the night before, their redemption is surely athand.

   "Hear the promise of the Datu! For this village will once be saved from the Bakunawa!

    For the Datu has in his blood the blood of the gods and his words are as divine as the serpent god himself; the Bakunawa!

    the promise is one as the fate of Makaraig, we the council had forseen this tragedy and has consulted the Khu khu Lam (witch)!

  Love your Datu once more, and we shall be saved!"

"Salvation?" cried one among the people

     "Salvation is never at hand from the mouth of the Bakunawa! In its womb, is the goddess Bulan the fifth of her sister!

        Now the goddess Bulan is wounded, the blood moon shall come from the goddess Bulan the fourth of her sister!"

     And a cascade of whispers and cries had flooded the crowd. They had once knew the story of the blood moon and the goddess Bulan and six of her sisters. The blood moon, who is drowned by the blood of the death of the other moons is believed to bring about suffering of the ancient world of the Maharlikas. It is fortold by the old seers of the ancient world of the Maharlikas that death and not salvation is to come, and this is known by the people of the island of Makaraig as their fathers had once knew and once fortold.

     The fear they had known from childhood had now enveloped the crowd. The village, fresh from the onslaught of the serpent god Bakunawa basked in the heat of the midday sun and the scorching grim that awaits them. They cried for their babes and theis spouses lives as they prayed for their redemption from the sun god Adlaw.

   But old as the world of the Maharlikas itself, is knowledge that kills them grimly. Fate can never be undone. For fate is a god as old as their God Bathala, the bringer of life and death. And the Father of all that is known, and all that is not. Their fate is all they await, the end they deem to be lurking from breast of the goddess Bulan and the fourth of her sister; the blood moon. All this, from the mouth of the serpent god Bakunawa who had to have its fill.

  "Dugong Bulan, Dugong Bulan"

Blood moon, Blood moon

  "Ang amon Amang ikaw dunggan"

You have cried to our forefathers

"Kamatyon ug kagutom imon binuhatan"

Death and Hunger you have brought upon

    And as the people of the island of Makaraig chanted this song. Praying for their impossible salvation, their hearts filled with fear for the lives of those they knew.