Courting the Seventh Moon

PROLOGUE: The Creation

The universe is a living, breathing existence called Bathala. He is the creator.

He created three realms: Kahilwayan – the heavens, Kamariitan – the realm of the living, and Kasakitan – the underworld. He created all deities who reside in all the realms. He created Sumpoy who ruled Kasakitan, and his brother, Magyan, who would soon be the one to ferry the souls of the dead to their realm. He created their brother, Sidapa, god of death, and Makaptan, god of sickness; these two are the rulers of Kamariitan.

Bathala also created Kaptan, supreme god of the skies, and Maguayan, supreme goddess of the seas. Together, they ruled Kahilwayan. Soon, Kaptan created his son Lihangin, who became the god of the wind, and Maguayan created her daughter Lidagat, goddess of the seas. Lihangin and Lidagat married and had four children: strong and brave Likabutan with a body made of rock, pleasant Liadlaw with a body made of gold, timid Libulan whose body is made of copper, and sweet and gentle Lisuga with a body of silver. Of the siblings, Lisuga was beloved to Kaptan the most.

Time went by and Lihangin passed away. He passed on his power over the winds to his eldest son, Likabutan. Soon after, his wife Lidagat, overcome with grief, followed him. Their souls were carried by Maguayan to a part of the underworld called Sulad, where souls of fallen deities lie forever.

The young god Likabutan, who had grown proud of his new power, planned an attack on his grandfather, Kaptan. He persuaded Liadlaw, who relented so as not to anger his brother. Together, they convinced Libulan to join. The brothers rushed into the heavens and faced the gate of steel that protected the kingdom of Kaptan. Likabutan blew strong winds that destroyed the gate.

Kaptan, in his fury, sent three lightning bolts after the brothers. One bolt struck Libulan who turned into seven balls, one struck Liadlaw who melted, and one struck Likabutan whose body broke into large pieces that fell down into the seas – and his body became the lands.

Lisuga, upon seeing the angry skies, came looking for her brothers in worry. Blinded by rage, Kaptan also struck Lisuga, and her body burst into billions of pieces.

Kaptan then descended into the seas, still furious, and accused Maguayan of commanding him through her power to attack his grandchildren. But Maguayan was asleep in the darkest depths of the seas when it all went down, and she told Kaptan so.

The supreme deities grieved their grandchildren, and tried their best to bring them back to life... but to no avail. With a heavy heart, they settled on giving them light – all except for Likabutan. And so Liadlaw became the sun, Libulan became the moons, and Lisuga became the stars who lit up the heavens at night.

In Likabutan's body, the deities planted a seed and it grew. From this tree came out a man and a woman, Sikalak and Sikabay. And so the humankind came to be.

Generations after generations, the humans worshiped the siblings, but most of all, they worshiped the beautiful moons. And so Bathala breathed life into these seven luminous heavenly bodies – and they became the seven moon deities.