What is an epic? a lengthynarrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation.
Pedro Bucaneg
- (March 1592 c. 1630)
- Father of Ilocano Literature - a blind Ilocano poet and Christian missionary born in Bantay, Abra. - The author of the famous Ilocano epic Biag ni Lamang.
Biag ni Lam-ang is an Ilocano epic written by the
Father of Ilocano Literature, Pedro Bucaneg. The story of Biag ni Lam-ang gives us knowledge to our Philippine history, it gives us ideas about our early ancestors in how they hunt for food and to find territorial place that suits them. Our country is perfect for them to live because our county is abundant with so many things. We believe that there are creatures that live with us but invisible to see with our naked eye, they can see us but we can feel their presence because of our instinct.
This story is far beyond our reality. Lam-ang as
the main character and as a Filipino, he treasures our values that describe us the most even though we dont really know if this story really exists but it sure does that this story is created with an imaginative Filipino thinker. Philippines have all the treasure that we can boost. The person who creates this has the pride to show the world that we can also write stories like this one.
The theme of the epic revolves around the
bravery and courage of the main character portrayed by Lam-ang, who was gifted with speech as early as his day of birth, who embarked on a series of adventures which culminated in his heroic death and subsequent resurrection.
Long time ago, in a place called Nalbuan,
somewhere in Ilocos, there was a couple named Don Juan and his wife Namongan. By the time Namongan was already conceiving a child in her womb, Don Juan was forced to go the mountains to punish a group of Igorots who were said to be causing trouble on the mountains.
Don Juan never came back. Namongan gave birth
to a baby boy who was gifted with speech as early as his day of birth. He jumped out of the bed and told his mother to name him Lam-ang and immediately chose his godparents.
Time passed and Namongan and other people in
Nalbuan noticed Lam-angs extraordinary strength. When he found out his father never came back from the mountains, he told his mother that he wants to search for his father. Namongan did not agree with his sons decision but later on was convinced and gave Lam-ang the permission to find his father.
Lam-ang started on his journey
and went on until he found it necessary to rest and take a short nap. While asleep, he dreamed of his fathers head being an object of festivities among the Igorots. He immediately arose and continued his journey until he found the Igorots indeed feasting over his fathers head.
He asked the Igorots why they killed his father,
but the Igorots instead advised him to go home if he did not want to suffer the same fate which his father suffered. This was accompanied by a challenge to a fight, despite their obvious numerical superiority. But Lam-ang, armed with supernatural powers, handily defeated them, giving the last surviving Igorot a slow painful death by cutting his hands and his ears and finally carving out his eyes to show his anger for what they had done to his father.
Satisfied with his revenge, Lam-ang went home
victorious. Rumors spread at Nalbuan about Lamangs victory. When he arrived home, he called for the ladies in their town to accompany him in taking a bath at the Amburayan river.
While washing himself in the river, the
river swelled, and the shrimps, fishes and other creatures in the river were agitated and died for the dirt washed from his body was too much.
As they were about to
leave the river, Lam-ang noticed a giant crocodile. He dove back into the water and engaged with the creature in a fierce fight until the creature was subdued. He brought it ashore and instructed the ladies to pull its teeth to serve as amulets against danger during journeys.
Lam-ang heard about the beauty of a certain
maiden who live in a town called Calanutian, not far from Nalbuan. The maiden is known as Ines Kannoyan. Lam-ang went to Calanutian to court her. While on his way, he met Sumarang, one of the suitors of Ines who tried to dissuade him from proceeding and who taunted him into a fight. The fight that ensued proved fatal to Sumarang as he was blown six hills away with a spear pierced through his stomach.
Lam-ang reached Iness house and found out that
her yard is full of suitors from different towns. To get Iness attention, Lam-ang asked help from his friends: the rooster and the gray dog. The rooster crowed which destroyed the neighborhood. Afterwards, his gray dog barked and brought the neighborhood back to normal again.
This incident caught Iness and her parents attention. He
asked for Lam-ang to get inside her house and asked for his purpose of coming in Calanutian. Through his spokesman - the rooster he told them that he came to ask for Kannoyans hand in marriage. He was told that if he desired to marry Kannoyan, he must first be able to match their wealth, for which he willingly complied. Having satisfied her parents, he went home to his mother and enjoined her and his townspeople to attend his wedding which was to take place in Cannoyans town.
The wedding was elaborate, an event that
involved practically everyone in town. A month with endless music and festivity. There were fireworks, musical band, and display of attractive items like the glasses, the mirror, the slippers, clothes and nice food. After the wedding, Lam-angs party plus his wife and her town mates went back to their town of Nalbuan, where festivities were resumed. The guests expressed a desire to taste a delicacy made ofrarangfish; a tradition in Nalbuan after a wedding.
Lam-ang was obliged to go to the sea and catch
the fish. Before going, however, his rooster warned that something unpleasant was bound to happen. This warning proved true, as Lam-ang was swallowed by a bigbercacan,or shark-like fish. Ines mourned and for a while she thought there was no way to retrieve her lost husband. But the rooster indicated that if only all the bones could be gathered back, Lam-ang could be brought to life again.
She then enlisted the aid of a certain diver named
Marcos, who was ready to come to her aid to look for the bones. When all Lam-angs bones were gathered, the rooster crowed and the bones moved. The dog barked, and Lam-ang arose and was finally resurrected. Ines embraced him. For his deep appreciation for the help of his friends - the rooster and the dog - and of Marcos the diver, he promised that each one of them would get his or its due reward. And they lived HAPPILY EVER AFTER.