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.

This series of adventures started with his search for his lost father who was murdered by the head-
hunting Igorots in the Igorot country. While on his way, he met a certain Sumarang, whose name
connotes obstruction, 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 “three kingdoms” away with a spear
pierced through his stomach. This encounter led to another when he met a nine-headed serpent who,
like Sumarang earlier tried to dissuade him from going any further. The serpent having been ignored
challenged him into a fight which cost the serpent its heads.

Lam-ang went on until he found it necessary to rest and take a short nap. While asleep, he dreamed of
his father’s 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 father’s 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, he went home. At home, he thought of taking a swim in the Cordan River
with the company of Cannoyan and her lady-friends. So he proceeded to Cannoyan’s place in the town
of Calanutian, disregarding her mother’s advice to the contrary. On his way, he met a woman and
named Saridandan, whose name suggests that she was a woman of ill repute. He resisted her
blandishments, for his feeling for Cannoyan was far greater for anyone to take.

When he reached Cannoyan’s house, he found a multitude of suitors futilely vying for her hand. With
the help of his pets - the cock and the dog - he was able to catch Cannoyan’s attention. He asked her to
go with him to the river along with her lady-friends. She acceded. While washing himself in the river, the
river swelled, and the shrimps, fishes and other creatures in the river were agitated 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.

Back at Cannoyan’s house, he was confronted by her parents with an inquiry as to what his real
intention was. He had to set aside his alibi that he went there to ask Cannoyan and her friends to
accompany him to the river, and told them, through his spokesman - the cock - that he came to ask for
Cannoyan’s hand in marriage. He was told that if he desired to marry Cannoyan, 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
Cannoyan’s town.

The wedding was elaborate, an event that involved practically everyone in town. 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-ang’s 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 of
rarang fish.

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
big bercacan, or shark-like fish. Cannoyan 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 Marcus, who was ready to come to her aid to look for
the bones. When all Lam-ang’s bones were gathered, the rooster crowed and the bones moved. The dog
barked, and Lam-ang arose and was finally resurrected. Cannoyan embraced him. For his deep
appreciation for the help of his pets - the cock and the dog - and of Marcus the diver, he promised that
each other would get his or its due reward. And they lived happily ever after
Pedro Bukaneg (March 1592 – c. 1630) was a Filipino poet. Blind since birth, he is the acknowledged author of
the Ilocano epic Biag ni Lam-ang (Life of Lam-ang). He is considered the "Father ofIlocano literature." A street inside the Cultural
Center of the Philippines (CCP) complex in Pasay City, Philippines is named in his honor. His surname is lent to the Bukanegan, the
Ilocano equivalent of theBalagtasan.

Biography[edit]
Bukaneg was a foundling, who shortly after his birth already floating in a basket between Bantay and Vigan in the Banaoang River
was found by an old woman. They brought him to the Bantay Augustiner priest who baptized him as Pedro Bucaneg. Bukaneg was
blind, but appeared during his upbringing in the Augustinian convent smart and talented. He took lessons in Latin and Spanish and
also learned the local languages and Ilocano Isneg.

Through his knowledge of these languages he was asked by the priests in the region to translate their prayers and sermons in local
languages. He was being asked to help with the conversion of the local population. Bukaneg composed poems and songs and was
loved by the Ilocanos as a troubadour. He was regarded by the locals as a seer. Even the Spaniards knocked him for his services.
He would have identified the killer of a servant of a Spaniard on a day in a row of Itneg men by placing his hand on the chest of all
these men.

His blindness prevented him not to write. He dictated the text of his poems, songs and translations, and someone else wrote.
However, much of the work of Bukaneg has been preserved. Ilocano epic Biag ni Lam-ang is attributed to Bukaneg by some authors
and historians. However, it is also possible that Bukaneg wrote the text of the work that has been sung for centuries by the Ilocano
and thus preserved it for eternity. It was also Bukaneg who translated the Doctrina Cristiana in Ilocano. This book was printed in
1593 as one of the first books in the Philippines and was intended for use in the conversion of the local population. In 1621 the
Ilocano translation of Bukaneg was printed in the Augustinian Convent of Manila. Bukaneg was also largely responsible for Arte de
la Lengue Iloca, the first grammar book of the Ilocano of Brother Francisco Lopez, which was printed in 1927 by the University of
Santo Tomas.

Bukaneg died around 1630. In his honor, a street in the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex in Pasay is named after him.