LAM-ANG

BIAG NI LAM-ANG

(Life of Lam-ang) is pre-Hispanic epic poem of the Ilocano people of the Philippines.The story was handed down orally for generations before it was written down around 1640 assumedly bya blind Ilokano bard named Pedro Bucaneg.

(SUMMARY) 

Don Juan and his wife Namongan lived in Nalbuan, now part of La Union in the northern part of thePhilippines. They had a son named Lam-ang. Before Lam-ang was born, Don Juan went to the mountainsin order to punish a group of their Igorot enemies. While he was away, his son Lam-ang was born. It tookfour people to help Namongan give birth. As soon as the baby boy popped out, he spoke and asked thathe be given the name Lam-ang. He also chose his godparents and asked where his father was.After nine months of waiting for his father to return, Lam-ang decided he would go look for him.Namongan thought Lam-ang was up to the challenge but she was sad to let him go. During hisexhausting journey, he decided to rest for awhile. He fell asleep and had a dream about his father's headbeing stuck on a pole by the Igorot. Lam-ang was furious when he learned what had happened to hisfather. He rushed to their village and killed them all, except for one whom he let go so that he could tellother people about Lam-ang's greatness.Upon returning to Nalbuan in triumph, he was bathed by women in the Amburayan river. All the fish diedbecause of the dirt and odor from Lam-ang's body.There was a young woman named Ines Kannoyan whom Lam-ang wanted to woo. She lived inCalanutian and he brought along his white rooster and gray dog to visit her. On the way, Lam-ang met hisenemy Sumarang, another suitor of Ines whom he fought and readily defeated.Lam-ang found the house of Ines surrounded by many suitors all of whom were trying to catch her attention. He had his rooster crow, which caused a nearby house to fall. This made Ines look out. Hehad his dog bark and in an instant the fallen house rose up again. The girl's parents witnessed this andcalled for him. The rooster expressed the love of Lam-ang. The parents agreed to a marriage with their daughter if Lam-ang would give them a dowry valued at double their wealth. Lam-ang had no problemfulfilling this condition and he and Ines were married.It was a tradition to have a newly married man swim in the river for the rarang fish. Unfortunately, Lam-ang dove straight into the mouth of the water monster Berkakan. Ines had Marcos get his bones, whichshe covered with a piece of cloth. His rooster crowed and his dog barked and slowly the bones started tomove. Back alive, Lam-ang and his wife lived happily ever after with his white rooster and gray dog.