"Biag ni Lam-ang"

“Biag ni Lam-Ang”


Biag ni Lam-Ang is an epic poem of the Ilokano people from the Ilocos region of the Philippines.

In Nalbuan, somewhere in the valley or Naguilian River in La Union lived Don Juan Panganiban and his wife Namongan. At the time Namongan was getting ready to give birth to her first born, Don Juan Panganiban had to go to the mountains to punish an Igorot band. While Don Juan was away, Namongan gave birth to a baby boy with both the power of speech and an unusual physical form. The Hero, Lam-ang, could talk immediately after birth. He picked his own name, and asked for his father’s presence. Barely nine months old, has Lam-Ang fought the headhunters who killed his father. Lam-ang went of to search for his father leaving his grieving mother. From a dream, he learned that his father was killed by the Igorots. When Lam-ang reached the place, he was angry upon seeing his father’s head on top of a bamboo pole that was stuck in the ground which was a scene that he had dreamed before reaching the place. Later Lam-ang found the Igorots in a sagang a feast celebrating a successful head hunting expedition. He found the Igorots still feasting around the severed head of his father. Instead of running Lam-ang bravely fight with the chieftain and its tribesmen. Lam-Ang won the fight with less effort that serves as his revenge for 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 raring, but was revived by his pets when his bones were retrieved.

The epic poem showed some of the earlier customs, culture, tradition and belief of the Ilocano people of the Philippines. The story presented some of the qualities of the people of the Ilocos region, adventurous, hardy and brave as strongly portrayed by Lam-ang. It is also presented the fact that life is full of trials and problems. One must be strong and just accept the reality that it is already part of life. Te epic poem also presented some humorous points.