The life of Lam-Ang

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The life of Lam-Ang , on Ilokano Biag ni Lam-Ang ( trad. Bay .: ᜊᜒᜌᜈᜒᜎᜀ / col . Bay .: ᜊᜒᜌᜄ᜔ᜈᜒᜎᜋ᜔ᜀᜅ᜔ / Pinyin : Lán Fēng de shēnghuó) is a northern Luconian epic from Samtoy , today's Ilokos, from the pre-colonial time of the Philippines . It is believed that the myth was composed by several authors who passed the story down over several generations, probably orally, and spun it on and on. The first, known, written version of the epic was written around 1640 with Latin letters under the title " Historia a Pacasaritaan ti Panagbiag ni Lam-ang iti Ili a Nalbuan nga Asaoa ni Da Ines Cannoyan iti Ili a Calanutian " and is ascribed to Pedro Bukaneg . However, this is questionable as he was blind from birth.

The story is one of Luzon's adaptations of the Ramayana ( Sans. , रामायण) and revolves around the hero Lam-Ang ( trad. Bay .: ᜎᜀ / col . Bay .: ᜎᜋ᜔ᜀᜅ᜔). And although the epic already shows traces of Spanish influence, it is still one of the few documents that show the pre-colonial social structures and traditions of Ilokos. The story also makes it very clear that the authors saw the Samtoy , today's Ilokano, as cultured people, whereas the village communities and ethnic groups of the north were seen as uncivilized savages.

Summary

Lam-Ang is a child blessed by the gods, who begins to speak shortly after its birth, grows up completely and chooses its own nickname. After visions about the death of his father Don Juan and when he does not return to his hometown Nalbuan after a battle , the only nine-month-old Lam-Ang decides to look for him and goes to the Kalinga , one of the Kalinga , in the Cordilleras in northern Luzon Subgroup of the Igorot . (These were, until modern times, notorious as headhunters, who always cut off the heads of their opponents. In history, the tribes are described as wild, uncivilized barbarians.)

When Lam-Ang sees his father's head impaled on a bamboo stick stuck in the ground, he becomes irascible and demands an explanation from the locals for this barbaric outrage. But the village chief warns that if he does not leave this place he will suffer the same fate. Since the hero is gifted with the spear, he refuses, fights, wins the confrontation against the savages and kills all village members. He only leaves one of them alive so that he may tell of Lam-Ang's greatness.

On his way home, Lam-Ang passes the Amburayan , one of two great rivers Samtoys (the other is Bakun ), and washes himself there. The dirt and blood on his skin and clothes mean that all living things in the river die on the spot. During the bath he is accompanied by women who have been watching him. When he finally gets home, Lam-Ang, Ines Kannoyan from Calanutian , decides to court and marry, and thus defies his mother Namongan's wishes . Lam-Ang travels again to win Ines' heart.

On his way to Calanutian, Lam-Ang meets Sumarang , another suitor for Ines' heart. After Sumarang has been defeated and killed, Lam-Ang finally arrives at Ines' property, which is already surrounded by possible husbands. To get their attention, Lam-Ang orders his white rooster to flap its wings, causing a nearby house to collapse. Then he tells his gray dog ​​to bark, whereupon the house is rebuilt. Ines' impressed parents only agree to a wedding if Lam-Ang is able to give twice the value of their property as a dowry. Lam-Ang agrees, travels home and after a week gives them two golden ships filled with jewels, statues and fruits, whereupon he is married.

It was a tradition at the time for the groom to dive for the Rarag fish in the river . Despite a vision of death, Lam-Ang swims after these fish, but is eaten by the monster Berkakan . Ines orders the old diver Lacay Marcos to pick up her husband's bones and wraps them with a piece of tapis , a piece of cloth. When Lam-Ang's rooster crows and his dog barks, the hero is brought back to life.

literature

Hornedo, Florentino H. Panitikan: An Essay on the Philippine Ethnic Literature. Manila: Cultural Center of the Philippines, 1992

Individual evidence

  1. PEDRO BUKANEG Father of the Iloko Literature ( Memento from July 27, 2010 in the Internet Archive )

Web links: The epic from Lam-Ang on Ilokano