Maiden of the Moon

There was once a time when gods have walked amongst men and lived with them in harmony. Bathala, the supreme god looked after every living mortal together with his divine children and siblings. Home to all the gods, Kaluwahatian, housed Bathala and all the other deities. But men wanted more. Having the gods appear to them and interact with them was not enough. Humans took it as a gesture of vanity and a plain display of their power. Through the years, a group of corrupt humans learned the dark arts and summoned the giant sea serpent Bakunawa from the depths of the sea. Just as the prophecy foretold, the greed and anger of men became the start of the great catastrophe that would bring death to the gods and destroy the world as we know it. One by one Bakunawa swallowed the moons in the sky. From seven, only one remained. Bakunawa so taken by the beauty of this celestial body will not stop until he had the last moon and to forever subject the night in total darkness. Sitan, the trickster and one of the principal gods strong enough to fight the serpent helped Bathala to lock it up once more in the pits of Kasanaan- the furthermost corner of the underworld. Without a divine being looking after the underworld, the gods still risked having the sea serpent escape in the future. To save the fate of Kaluwalhatian, Sitan agreed to become the ruler of the underworld but in one condition. Sitan ordered retaliation on the humans. Together with his four agents, they brought famine, sickness, war, disaster to the mortal world. Sitan’s wrath was too much that even his fellow gods feared him and retreated to Kaluwalhatian and vowed to never again set foot to the mortal realm. Bathala, with his undying love and faith in the goodness within mankind, stopped Sitan midway through wiping out all life forms on earth. As punishment for his attempts to wipe out mankind, Sitan was barred out of Kaluwalhatian and was forced to live out every single day in Kasanaan. Still wounded from fighting the sea serpent, Bathala had just enough power to save the mortal realm but he was too weak that he retreated and later was forced to a deep slumber. In this period of transition, Bathala’s children took charge of looking after what was left of mankind. Even then, human’s devotion to the ancient gods started to waiver day by day, weakening the deities. During Bathala’s slumber conflict rose between his children on who should ascend to the throne. Apolaki, the shining one, the Sun god, patron of warriors was quick to stake his claim as the rightful heir to his father’s throne. Mayari, the charming one, goddess of the moon, twin sister of Apolaki, and most of all Bathala’s favorite child contest her brother’s claim. She demanded to be co-rulers and have an equal share of their father’s dominion, an idea that did not sit well with Apolaki. He loved and respected his sister but sharing the throne was not something his love could even cover. A fierce celestial battle ensued, each god residing in Kaluwalhatian took sides and the war between siblings started. Mayari was as skilled in fighting as she was beautiful but she could not match her brother's prowess in battle. Apolaki slashed Mayari’s left eye and the moon grew dimmer. Not wanting to harm his sister even more coupled with the overwhelming guilt that washed over him, Apolaki caved in and agreed to share the throne. Apolaki ruled over the Earth during the day. Mayari ruled over the earth during the night. The days were bountiful and each time the sun comes up meant new beginnings, new adventures, new life. Apolaki ruled through all of it. The nights were peaceful. The gentle breeze of the wind and the moonlight brought calmness, beauty, and art. In the dead of the night, as the world sleeps, Mayari ruled through all of it, keeping her subjects safe and guiding the crossing souls to a peaceful afterlife in Maca or escort them to be punished in Kasanaan. This led her to a few encounters with Sitan. From afar they came to know one another. In their godly form, deities from Kaluwalhatian and deities from Kasanaan could never come into physical contact. It was a rule meant to draw a distinction between the good and the bad but for Sitan his punishment was twice as unbearable. Sitan just like anyone was taken by Mayari’s beauty, enamored by her wits, and fascinated by her will. If only there was a way to touch her, hold her, love her. A way that they would never have to steal glances and moments separated by their celestial barrier. Sure enough, they found a loophole to these rigid rules that kept them separated. Sitan made an enchantment that enabled them to shapeshift into mortal bodies. He tried his best to capture her beauty even in human form and gave Mayari two eyes so that she would not stand out among mortals. Powerful as Sitan was he could not fully replicate the original brightness and color of Mayari’s original eyes, so she ended up having one eye still dimmer than the other. The couple would walk among mortals, exploring and immersing themselves in the world they ruled from afar. On earth they were free. Free to touch and stay in each other’s embrace but only until dawn. Once they hear the rooster’s first crow, it was time to say goodbye once more.  Mayari was a goddess desired and pursued by many gods in Kaluwalhatian but to their disappointment, she refused everyone who asked for her hand in marriage telling them that she wanted to hold on to her virtue as a maiden. Little did they know that her heart was already possessed by another. It was her intention to wait for her father Bathala to recover and express her desire to be with Sitan. But until then they had to sneak out in the night and taste the thrills of being mortal. In Bathala’s absence, the world was again slipping into chaos. Colonizers from a western world with their western beliefs posed an even greater threat to the deities than the Bakunawa ever did. Humans in their helpless attempt to gain power and control leaned more into darker arts. With the help of the lesser deities in Kasanaan a group of Babaylans had the means to cast a spell to disrupt the fragile balance of the gods. They took advantage of Mayari in her weakened mortal form and performed a spell that would forever imprison her in a mortal body giving them the means to kill her. Sitan then discovered the treachery of the lesser gods in Kasanaan and their intent to kill his lover. In a helpless attempt to stop the spell, he anchored his soul to Mayari's. Her soul will stay alive and will be reborn into a new mortal child as long as he stays on Earth. In his human form, Sitan retained some of his powers but is still very much at a disadvantage. The spell saved Mayari’s essence giving hope of one day bringing her back into her true goddess form but in haste Sitan messed up a crucial part of the spell. Once her first mortal vessel has perished, there will be no way of identifying Mayari’s new body, and her memories of her previous life would be erased. Back at home in Kaluwalhatian, Bathala wakes up to yet another disaster. His mortal subjects were enslaved, their homes burned, their riches plundered, and those who had the courage to push back were systematically killed by the thousands. What broke his heart the most was the news that his favorite daughter was missing and last seen breaking rules, residing a body of a mortal. Apolaki has convinced his father to give up on the search for Mayari. Believing that she was dead, Bathala closed the threshold for paradise turning their backs on the mortal realm. And before the turn of a century, the ancient gods were a dying breed, for their power and glory only reside on how much the people had believed in them. With the history erased or altered, their believers burnt or hanged, there was almost no one left to keep the ancient ways alive. No one, save for Sitan and his agents stuck on Earth. Just before Mayari drew her last breath on her first mortal body, Sitan made a promise to her.  He will find her no matter how long it takes.  He will find her and bring her back home even if it means he has to burn the world to ashes. Footnotes: Bathala - The supreme god of being; creator of man and earth and addressed sometimes as Bathalang Maykapal Kaluwahatian - Ancient Tagalog counterpart of heaven. A paradise where the gods live in. It is in some ways equivalent to Mount Olympus from Greek Mythology Bakunawa - is one of the most prominent mythological creatures in the whole archipelago                 -a giant sea serpent that swallows the moon and causes eclipses Sitan -  Deity of Kasanaan, the god of the lower world, keeper of souls, who punishes the sinful at Kasanaan Kasanaan - a village in the lower world, a place of grief and affliction. It is where Sitan punishes the sinful Mayari- one-eyed goddess of the Moon, daughter of Bathala, sister of Apolaki, most beautiful goddess Apolaki -  the sun god as well as patron of the warriors Babaylan- recognized as healers, spiritual practitioners, shamans in the Philippine indigenous communities, individuals who practice magic, supernatural powers, and have close ties to the spiritual world Hi! Thanks for dropping by. This is my first time dabbling in fantasy and writing a story purely in English. Constructive criticisms are always welcomed. Most of the deities, creatures, and lore in this story are derived from the Ancient Tagalog Deities of PhilMyth. I did take creative liberties to make them fit the story I had in mind. I also picked and chose from varying sources and conflicting mythos throughout the archipelago. So if any of you find creatures or deities from a different region intermingling with the Tagalog gods, that is probably why. This is a work of fiction. Make of it what you will. I do hope you enjoy the story I have in stored for you guys. I just wanted to share my fascination for Philippine Mythology with all of you and put my own spin, sprinkle some modern take on it. Comments are greatly appreciated!