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38-516: Darangen is a Maranao epic poem from the Lake Lanao region of Mindanao , Philippines . It consists of 17 cycles with 72,000 lines in iambic tetrameter or catalectic trochaic tetrameter . Each cycle pertains to a different self-contained story. The most notable of which deals with the exploits of the hero Bantugan. In 2002, the Darangen was declared a National Cultural Treasure of

76-431: A single author, but is rather a collection of tales passed down orally from generation to generation. It has 72,000 lines divided into 17 cycles (also called books or episodes) in iambic tetrameter or catalectic trochaic tetrameter . Each of the cycles can be treated as an independent story, but they are all connected sequentially. The epic is also recorded in the archaic Maranao language, which differs significantly from

114-451: A spondee and an iamb, were joined to make a "metron". In Greek and Latin iambic poetry the first syllable of each iambic metron could optionally be long instead of short. An example in Latin is the hymn Aeterne rerum conditor composed in the 4th century by St Ambrose, which begins: Aetérne rérum cónditór, noctém diémque quí regís, ... "Eternal Creator of (all) things, Who rulest

152-427: A strong match between word accent and rhythm, as in the line above. A variation on this metre was the iambic septenarius, or iambic tetrameter catalectic . This was similar but with the last syllable omitted. The example below also comes from Terence: The final syllable of the line could be long or short, but every final syllable counted as long by the principle known as brevis in longo . The term iambic tetrameter

190-595: A walay of lesser nobility, and the common lawig analogous to the bahay kubo . Maranao kulintang music is a type of a gong music. Sarunaay is also found among both Muslim and non-Muslim groups of the Southern Philippines. Kobbing is a Maranao instrument and Biyula is another popular Instrument. Biyula is a string instrument. In 2005, the Darangen Epic of the Maranao people of Lake Lanao

228-404: Is a ubiquitous symbol of their art. It is depicted as a Hoodhud ( Arabic ) with colorful wings and feathered tail, holding a fish on its beak or talons. The head of Sarimanok is like the head of a Hoopoe (Balalatoc in maranaw) and is profusely decorated with scroll, leaf and spiral motifs ( okir ). It is a symbol of good fortune. The Maranao have also developed their own adaptation of

266-469: Is also traditionally accompanied by several dances, each interpreting specific episodes of the epic. Depending on the part being performed, the performance can last a few hours to a week. The epic also incorporates Maranao customary laws, social values, and practices prior to the Maranao conversion to Islam in the 14th century. The term Darangen literally means "that which is narrated by song or chant" in

304-418: Is an unstressed syllable while "/" is a stressed syllable.) Some poetic forms rely upon the iambic tetrameter, for example triolet , Onegin stanza , In Memoriam stanza , long measure (or long meter ) ballad stanza. The term iambic tetrameter originally applied to the quantitative meter of Classical Greek poetry, in which an iamb consisted of a short syllable followed by a long syllable. Two iambs, or

342-428: Is described as being founded by Diwata Ndaw Gibbon, the grandfather of Prince Bantugan. Bembaran has a satellite city-state of Gadongan (literally "storehouse"), also known as Gadongan Pamaoy or Kodarangan a Lena ("petrified or enchanted yellow-green"). It also features the powerful city of Kadaraan sa Ndlaw (also known as Kadaraan Sandaw, Kadaraan, or Kadaan), literally "[the place of the] sunset" (i.e. "west"). They are

380-430: Is divided into two strata. Namely, mapiyatao (pure) and kasilidan (mixed blood). kasilidan is further subdivided into categories which are as follows; sarowang (non-Maranao), balbal (beast), dagamot (Sorcerer/Sorceress) and bisaya (Slave). The mapiyatao are natives entitled to ascend to thrones by pure royal bloodline. On the other hand, the kasilidan are natives suspected of mixed bloodline. However, due to

418-771: The Ramayana epic, the Maharadia Lawana . They also have a traditional dance, the Singkil , which was based on another local Ramayana adaptation, the Darangən . Traditional Maranao architecture, like elsewhere in the Philippines and at large maritime Southeast Asia , follows the Austronesian framework of wooden structures on piles, divided in three tiers pertaining to social class: torogan of royalty, mala

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456-424: The Darangen . Some modern revisions have omitted mentions of the tonong and diwata entirely. Some older Darangen singers have refused to sing these versions as they are deemed inauthentic. The use of archaic Maranao in the Darangen also makes it less readily accessible to modern Maranao speakers, leading to decreasing interest among modern Maranao youth. Some versions are so old only the chanters can understand

494-485: The Darangen . They are ethnically and culturally closely related to the Iranun people and Maguindanao people , all three groups being denoted speaking Danao languages and giving name to the island of Mindanao . They are grouped with other Moro people due to their shared religion. The name "Maranao" (also spelled "Mëranaw", or "Maranaw") means "people of the lake" ( lanaw or ranaw , archaic danaw , means "lake" in

532-511: The Maranao language ). This is in reference to Lake Lanao , the predominant geographic feature of the ancestral homeland of the Maranao people. The original endonym of the ancestral Maranao is believed to be "Iranaoan". This group later diverged, resulting in the modern Maguindanaon and the Iranun people (whose names can also be translated to "people of the lake"), while the ancestral Iranaoan who stayed in Lake Lanao became known as

570-596: The Maranao language , from the verb darang ("to narrate in the form of songs or chants"). The Darangen was originally a purely oral tradition. Its importance was first recognized by Frank Charles Laubach , an American missionary and teacher then living in the Lanao Province . He first encountered it in February 1930 on a return trip to Lanao by boat after he had attended the Manila Carnival . He

608-767: The Tiruray or Subanon . Maranao royals have varied infusions of Arab, Indian, Malay, and Chinese ancestry Maranao is an Austronesian language spoken by the Maranao people in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur. Because of the mass influx of Cebuano migrants to Mindanao, many Maranaos are also fluent in Cebuano. Tagalog is also spoken by the Maranaos, which ranks second among its native language, along with English, and Arabic due to its importance to Islam and Maranao culture. Maranao language Lanao del Sur Confederate States of Lanao Ethnic groups in

646-484: The "Samar" ( Sama-Bajau ), the sea people, many times. Dances associated with the Darangen include the following: The Bantugan cycle of the Darangen has been adapted into the ballet performance Darangen ni Bantugan by the Philippine Ballet Theatre . The conservation of the Darangen faces several challenges. Some modern Maranao Islamic religious leaders object to the non-Islamic themes of

684-901: The Folklore Division of the Mindanao State University Research Center (now the Mamitua Saber Research Center) under the sponsorship of the Toyota Foundation . They collected, transcribed, and translated various parts and versions of the Darangen from Maranao elders and from kirim (handwritten Maranao songbooks written in the Jawi alphabet ) over a period of ten years. The entire epic was published from 1986 to 1988 in eight volumes, in both original Maranao and their English translations. The Darangen does not have

722-400: The Maranao. The heroes in the epic worship and interact with various ancestor and guardian spirits ( tonong ) and nature spirits ( diwata ). An example is Batara-sa-Marudo , a nature spirit capable of bringing down floods and storms. The Darangen features several locales, but the principal setting is the grand city of Bembaran (also spelled Bumbaran or Bembran), ruled by the main hero of

760-705: The Maranao. These three ethnic groups are still related to each other, share similar cultures and speak languages belonging to the Danao language family . The Maranao were the last of the Muslims of the Southern Philippines undergoing Islamization , primarily under the influence of the Maguindanao Sultanate . Like neighboring Moros and the Lumads , during the nominal occupation of the Philippines by

798-484: The Maranaws at night, you can hear them singing folk songs or reciting poems that are beautiful and strange. Yet on account of the absence of a Maranaw writer, Maranaw literature has remained in the dark for other people. It has become something of a tale that other Filipino tribes hear only from visitors to Lanao Laubach's version, however, was incomplete. A more complete version was later compiled by modern scholars from

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836-482: The Philippines Iambic tetrameter ("x" is a syllable that can be long or short, "–" is a long syllable, and "u" is a short one.) In modern English poetry, it refers to a line consisting of four iambic feet . The word " tetrameter " simply means that there are four feet in the line; iambic tetrameter is a line comprising four iambs, defined by accent. The scheme is thus: (In this case, "x"

874-794: The Philippines by the National Museum and a Provincial Treasure by the Lanao del Sur provincial government. The Darangen epic was also proclaimed as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005 by UNESCO (inscribed in 2008). It is the longest surviving epic poetry in the Philippines . Darangen is meant to be narrated by singing or chanting. Select parts of it are performed by male and female singers during weddings and celebrations (traditionally at night time), usually accompanied by music from kulintang gong ensembles, Tambor drums, and kudyapi stringed instruments. It

912-474: The Philippines. Lanao is the subject of various myths and legends. It supports a major fishery, and powers the hydroelectric plant installed on it; the Agus River system generates 70% of the electricity used by the people of Mindanao. A commanding view of the lake is offered by Marawi City, the provincial capital. Sarimanok , Papanok a " Məra " or "Marapatik" is a legendary bird of the Maranao that

950-624: The Spanish, and later the American and the Japanese, the Maranao had tribal leaders called datu . In the 16th century, upon the arrival of Islam , they developed into kingdoms with sultans due to the influence of Muslim missionaries. Maranao culture can be characterized by: Maranao culture is centered around Lake Lanao, the largest lake in Mindanao, and second-largest and deepest lake in

988-470: The changes brought by time, these social strata are beginning to decline due to the rise of wealth of each and every Maranao families. Maranaos number 1,800,000 in 2020, representing 1.65% of the population. Along with the Iranun and Maguindanao, the Maranao are one of three, related, indigenous groups native to Mindanao. These groups share genes, linguistic and cultural ties to non-Muslim Lumad groups such as

1026-414: The epic, Prince Bantugan. It was described as being near a great river. The city's name means "[the place of the] sunrise" (i.e. "east"), and was also known as Tangkal a Baaraantakan, with the same meaning. It is also sometimes referred to as Mimbalas, meaning "the place where a river cuts across". It supposedly does not exist anymore as it was enchanted and sank to the bottom of the sea. In the epic, Bembaran

1064-412: The epic, which usually lasts for a few hours. The chanting or singing is commonly accompanied by dances and musical performances using traditional Maranao instruments like kulintang gong ensembles, Tambor drums, and kudyapi stringed instruments. The Darangen originates from before the conversion of the Maranao people to Islam, and thus details the traditional pre-Islamic anito religions of

1102-518: The epics. Laubach described Mohammad as a man who "knew more Maranao songs than any other living man." Laubach published part of the Darangen in November 1930 in the journal Philippine Public Schools . This was the first time the oral epics have ever been recorded in print, and it was also the first instance of the Maranao language being published in the Latin script . When you pass by the houses of

1140-416: The following from Terence, the break came after the 9th, not the 8th, metrical position: A characteristic of iambic metre in early Latin was that even the short elements in the metre were often replaced with a long syllable, as with tun in fórtunátus , or two short ones, as with mihi above; but if so, they were usually unaccented to give the impression of being short. There was usually therefore quite

1178-418: The modern colloquial version of Maranao. Darangen was memorized by their performers. Skilled chanters were known as onor . The epic was most commonly sung at night time, during weddings ( kawing ) and other celebrations. But it can also be used as a lullabye for children. A full performance of the entire epic usually takes about a week. In modern times, however, it is more common to only perform parts of

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1216-400: The night and day" The two lines above consist of the following rhythm, and joined make a tetrameter: Latin poetry was quantitative, i.e. based on syllable length not stress accent, and in places the word-accent does not match the metrical accent (e.g. noctém and regís ). In Ambrose's hymn, there is a strong break at the end of each half of the tetrameter, so that it is usual to write

1254-510: The traditional enemies of Bembaran and the big battles in the Darangen are between them. They are described as attacking neighboring city-states via the sea, using their large fleet of ships. The rulers of Kadaraan and Bembaran are descendants of the same ancestor. The epic also illuminates the inter-ethnic relationships of the Maranao people. They mention the Manobo , the mountain-dwellers, and

1292-480: The two halves of the verse on separate lines. The iambic tetrameter was one of the metres used in the comedies of Plautus and Terence in the early period of Latin literature (2nd century BC). This kind of tetrameter is also known as the iambic octonarius, because it has eight iambic feet. There were two varieties. One had a break at the end of the second metron as in Ambrose's hymn. In some lines, however, such as

1330-497: The words used. The number of people able to play instruments like the kulintang and kudyapi are also declining. Maranao people The Maranao people ( Maranao : Bangsa Mëranaw ; Filipino : mga Maranaw ), also spelled Meranaw , Maranaw , and Mëranaw , is a predominantly Muslim Filipino ethnic group native to the region around Lanao Lake in the island of Mindanao . They are known for their artwork, weaving, wood, plastic and metal crafts and epic literature,

1368-446: Was accompanied by 35 Maranao leaders, two of them sang darangen (epics) of Bantugan for the two-day journey. After hearing parts of the Darangen , Laubach was so impressed by the "sustained beauty and dignity" of the songs that he immediately contacted Maranao people who could recite various parts of it. He transcribed them phonetically by typewriter. His best source was the nobleman Panggaga Mohammad, who also helped Laubach transcribe

1406-494: Was adopted to describe a similar metre in accentual-syllabic verse , as composed in English, German, Russian, and other languages. Here, iamb refers to an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. A line of iambic tetrameter consists of four such feet in a row: ( Christopher Marlowe , " The Passionate Shepherd to His Love ") ( Emanuel Schikaneder , libretto to The Magic Flute ) (the opening line of Adon Olam ,

1444-601: Was selected by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity . Maranao cuisine is spicier compared to most regions elsewhere in the Philippines, a trait largely shared with much of Mindanao. Traditionally cultivated spices, locally known as palapa ( Bontang, native product of Gandamatu ) are a common condiment . It is made of stewed sakurab scallion bulbs, ginger , and chillies in coconut oil . Dishes are intertwined with important cultural rituals across all aspects of Maranao culture: from birth to death. Traditionally, Maranao society

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