Tambanokano | the titan crab

Belief in giant monsters eclipsing the moon and efforts to frighten them away are widespread throughout the Orient. Found all over Asia — in the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Mongolia, China and India — these ancient stories were spread through trade routes with the expansion of the earliest empires.

The folklore of Bisaya and Mandaya indigenous tribes of the Philippines tell different tales of a giant moon eating crab they call Tambanokano.

Crab_king by noah-kh / DeviantArt

Tambanokano the crab was the colossal son of LiAdlao, the golden orb of our sun and LiBulan, the silver sprite of our moon. They were two of four siblings born to LiDagat, the sea and LiHangin, the wind.

Long ago in a tiny village of Buglas, the cloudless night sky was illuminated by a bright flash of lightning. Buglas is the fourth largest island in the ancient archipelago we now know as the Republic of the Philippines.

As the ocean waves crash violently along the shore, smashing on the rocks and the breakwater, folks cower in their homes. They are reminded that Tambanokano lives to this day, each time a violent storm visits their island.

They say he is all powerful. That each time he blinks it causes lightning to flash in the sky. That every movement he makes create the waves in the sea. Old timers say Tambanokano is a willful and sorrow filled child.

Most of the time the solitary giant hides in a large cave in the bottom of the sea. Safely tucked away in the dark, far away from his fierce and ferocious father, the sun.

The tide rises high when Tambanokano is submerged in the depths of the sea. When he leaves the cave, the waters rush into the void, making the tides recede.

The crab only leaves his cave to search for his mother, the moon. He loves her so much and longs for her embrace. Clueless child has never known that his mother spends her days running away from her rapacious mate who chases after her constantly.

In the intervening years she has learned to swiftly elude him. Theirs is now a chaste dance of chase and escape. She rans fast to stay far ahead of him, he chases after her incessantly. At times almost catching up when she tires, but usually falling far behind.

The pair were so enamored they don’t spare much for poor Tambanokano. The ignored and neglected child kept growing in size and in frustration. He feared his father for his fiery temper. He blamed his mother for her distant absence.

When lightning bursts over the waves, breaking the stillness of the sea, we look to the horizon for the soft glow of these beloved orbs. The folks who honor the silvery moon and her partner the flaming sun bang their gongs to drive their huge son away when he gets too close.

In a lunar eclipse, when the moon passes through the Earth’s shadow — some hope Tambanokano has embraced his mother, others fear he is trying to devour her. In a solar eclipse, when the moon passes in front of the sun — some hope LiAdlao can finally embrace LiBulan, others fear she will escape his clutches once more.

As they watch the cosmic dance, the people of the earth celebrate by banging on their gongs. Some bang their gong to save the moon. Some play their gong to shoo away the crab. Some dance with their gong to encourage the sun.

All celebrate the celestial event.