Tala, Goddess of the Stars

Illustration piece honoring the Filipino Goddess of the Stars, Tala.

A little about the Filipino Goddess:

In one story, Tala is the goddess of the evening and morning stars. She is the daughter of Buan (the Moon personified) and Araw (the Sun personified). Buan and Araw had many star children but Buan believed that they would not survive Araw's heat. In agreement, they both were to destroy the stars. Araw ate his half while Buan hid her half of their star children within the clouds. Araw found out and became very angry then chased Buan across the sky. At dawn, Tala, the eldest daughter, comes forth to warn her mother and the stars whether or not the sky is clear from Araw. This is a myth that explains eclipses and the transitioning of day and night.

In another myth, Tala is the daughter of the creator god Bathala and a mortal woman. She has two sisters, Mayari, the goddess of the moon, and Hanan the goddess of the morning. Overall, Tala was also regarded in pre-colonial society to be a guiding force to ferrymen, leading them to safety with her star orbs as she is the creator of the constellations.
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Created on the iPad Pro using the Procreate app.

Below the image, it says "Tala". The script is the pre-colonial filipino script known as Baybayin (bye-bye-een) and it was a writing system used for poetry, announcements for the community, and short notes. Before the Spanish arrived, it was a way to communicate between tribes and communities. There are many script variations depending on the region and tribe.