Biag ni Lam-ang

Philippine mythology Title Lam-Ang Description Philippine folk heroGender Female Region IlocosThis box: view • talk • edit

Biag ni Lam-ang (Ilokano:"The Life of Lam-ang") is a pre-Hispanic epic poem of the Ilokano people from the Ilocos region of the Philippines. Recited and originally written in the Ilokano language, it is believed to be the work of many poets from various generations, and was first preserved in writing around 1640, by a blind Ilokano bard named Pedro Bucaneg.

The hero, Lam-ang, could talk immediately after birth. He picked his own name, chose his own sponsor, and asked for his father’s presence. Barely nine months old, Lam-ang fought the headhunters who killed his father. Accompanied by his pets - a rooster and a dog - he journeyed to court the beautiful Ines Kannoyan. Ines Kannoyan’s palace was filled with suitors, so Lam-ang’s rooster flapped its wings and the long house toppled. This amazed everybody, especially Ines. Then, Lam-ang’s dog barked and a big house arose. Lam-ang gave Ines two golden ships filled with treasures, and then he married her. Finally, he was eaten by a giant shark called a berkakan while searching for a rare native fish called a rarang, but was revived by his pets when his bones were retrieved.

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