Ibanag Folk Literature

Ibanag folk literature, like any other literature, is the expression of Cagayano's joys and sorrows, hopes and
fears, love and hatred, the very ingredients that whipped up all the literary genre handed down to us.
The Ibanags, like any other groups of people, meet life in all its naked conflicts: man versus man; man versus
environment or society; man versus himself; man versus his conscience, nay, man versus his God.
All these conflicts, since the glorious days of Ibanag legendary heroes, Biuag and Malana, and since the
heroic times of Magalad and Dayag, have brought enmity, disunity, divisiveness, lust for wealth and self, and to use
the words of a sociologist, ethnic violence and suicide.
This in the span of some five hundred years, Ibanag folk literary, and Ibanag balladeer, verzista, the Ibanag
minstrel, rural folk and countryside mystics composed and handed down volumes of folk literature advocating love,
peace, justice, honesty, unity, morality, reconciliation and betterment of life style.
Ibanag folk literature is didactic, moralistic, predominantly sentimental, romantic, socialistic, comic and
spiritual--all aimed at uniting the Cagayanos, brave like the kasi or wild cock that challenges them to greatness at
sunrise; mission-oriented like the Bannag on whose banks their forebears were rooted; graceful as the bamboo that
bends in the winds of challenges; sturdy as the Manga in the typhoons of controversies.
Ibanag Myths
Bakit Tumataas Ang Dagat Kapag Bilog Ang Buwan?
An Ibanag Myth of Gods, Love and a Goddess

MATAGAL na matagal na, ang mga diwata (dios y diosas, gods and goddesses) lamang ang nabubuhay dito
sa daigdig (mondo, world). Ang lupa (tierra, earth) , dagat(mar, sea) at langit (cielo, sky) ay pinagha-harian ng 3
makapangyarihang ‘diwata’ (espiritus, gods). Ang ‘diwata’ ng langit ay si Araw (sol, sun) at anak niya ang
napaka-gandang Buwan (luna, moon).
Aliwan ni Buwan ang mamasyal lagi na sa kalawakan ng langit, nakaluklok sa kanyang gintong saksakyan. Minsan,
nakakita siya ng isang bagong daanan na, pagtahak niya, ay naghantong sa kanya sa labas ng kaharian ng langit.
Duon, kung saan nagtagpo ang langit at dagat (horizon), maraming kakaiba at magaganda siyang nakita. Lalo
siyang na-aliw at abala sa pamamasyal nang gulatin siya ng isang tinig sa likod. “Saan ka nagmula, hay, ikaw na
pinaka-magandang nilalang?”

Paglinga ni Buwan, namasdan niya
ang isang binata na, kamangha-
mangha, ay hawig sa ama niya,
si Araw, bagaman at mas maputi
nang kaunti. Tatakbo na sana
si Buwan sa takot nang nakita
niyang nakangiti ang binata.
Naglakas-luob siya at sumagot,
“Ako si Buwan, anak
niAraw na diwata ng langit.”
Lalong napangiti ang binata. “Ako
naman si Mar, anak
ng diwata ngdagat. Halina’t
pumasok sa aming kaharian!”
Nagsimulang maging matalik na
magkaibigan ang 2 anak-diwata at
matagal silang naghuntahan. Nang
oras nang umalis si Buwan,
nangako silang dalawa na
magkikita uli nang madalas, at
pakikipag-tagpuan, maligayang- uli ang binata, at tumakas siya mula
maligaya si Buwan pagbalik sa langit. Luklok sa kanyang
sa langit. Hindi napigilan ang gintong saksakyan, kumaskas siya
sarili, ikinuwento niya sa sa kanilang dating tagpuan.
isang pinsan (prima, cousin) ang Mula sa yungib na piitan, naaninaw
pagkikita nila ni Mar. Nataon ni Mar sa tubig ang naghahanap
naman, hindi alam ni Buwan, naBuwan. Kinalampag niya
inggit pala itong pinsan sa ganda at ang yungib at sinikap na maka-
ligaya niya. Mabilis na isinumbong kawala upang makausap muli
ngpinsan ang lihim kay Araw, ang si Buwan subalit nabulabog man
ama ni Buwan. niya ang tubig ng dagat, lubhang
Galit na galit matibay ang yungib at hindi siya
ang diwata ng langit sa papuslit na nakalabas.
pakikipag-ligawan ng kanyang Samantala, matagal naghintay
anak. Ikinulong niya si Buwan at si Buwan subalit hindi sumipot
pinagbawalang lumabas si Mar. Tigib ng lungkot, umuwi
nglangit kahit kailan man. Tapos, si Buwan. Subalit mula nuon,
pinasugod niya ang tuwing mangulila
isang sugo (escudero, messenger) siBuwan kay Mar, tumatakas siya
sa diwata ng dagat upang at nagbabalik sa lihim na tagpuan
maraming marami silang pag- iparatang na niligawan ni Marnang upang hanapin ang kasintahan. At
uusapan. Ganuon nga ang nangyari, patago ang anak niyang si Buwan. tuwing litaw ni Buwan, humihilab
at panay-panay silang nagkita sa Nagalit din ang diwata ng dagatat at umaangat ang lupa.
tagpuan ng langit at dagat. ikinulong naman si Mar sa “Si Mar ang may gawa niyan,” ang
Hanggang isang araw, natuklasan isang yungib (cueva, cave) sa lagi nang sinasabi ng
nilang umiibig sila sa isa’t isa. ilalim ngdagat. mgamangingisda ( pescadores,
Minsan, pagkagaling sa isa pang Matagal na napiit si Buwan sa luob fishermen), “pumipiglas makalabas
lihim na ng langit. Lubha siyang sa yungib.”
naghinagpis at nangulila kay Mar.
Isang araw, hindi na niya natiis na
hindi makaharap

WHY THERE IS HIGH TIDE DURING FULL MOON

An Ibanag Myth
Long, long ago only gods lived in this world. The earth, the sea, and the sky were ruled by three different
powerful gods.
The sun god who ruled the sky had a very beautiful daughter, Luna, the moon. Luna enjoyed going around the
heavens in her golden chariot. One day she found herself taking another path which led her outside her kingdom.
She wandered on until she reached the place where the sky met the sea. Beautiful and unusual sights greeted her
eyes. As she was admiring the beautiful things around, a voice startled her. It asked, Where has thou come from,
most beautiful one?”

Turning around she saw a young man who looked much like her father though fairer. She wanted to run
away but when she looked at him again, she saw that he was smiling at her. Taking courage she answered, I am
Luna, daughter of the sun god.”
The young man smiled at her and answered, “I am Mar, the son of the sea god. Welcome to our kingdom.”
Soon the two became good friends. They had many interesting stories to tell each other. When it was time for Luna
to go, they promised to see each other as often as they could for they had many more tales to tell. They continued
meeting at the same spot until they realized that they were in love with each other.
One day after one of their secret meetings, Luna went back to the heavens full of joy. She was so happy that she
told her secret to one of ha cousins. The cousin, jealous of her beauty and her happiness, reported the affair to the
sun god. The sun god was angered at his daughter’s disobedience to the Immortal Laws. He shut her in their garden
and did not allow her to get out. Then he sent a messenger to the sea god informing hi n that his son Mar has
disobeyed the Immortal Laws. The sea god, when was also angered by his son’s disobedience, imprisoned him in
one of his sea caves.
Luna stayed in the garden.She was very sad at not being able to see Mar. She longed to be with him again.
Feeling very restless one day, she escaped from the garden. She took her golden chariot and rushed to their meeting
place. Mar, who was imprisoned in the sea cave, saw her reflection on the water. He wanted to get out to meet her.
He tried hard to get out of the cave, but he could not. He struggled so hard that he shook the walls of his cave
causing unrest in the sea. Luna waited for Mar to appear, but he did not come. Then she went back home very sad.
Each time she remembered Mar she would rush out in her golden chariot to the meeting place in the hope of seeing
him again.
The fishermen out in the sea believe that each time Luna, the moon, appears, the sea gets troubled. “It is Mar trying
to escape from his cave,” they say.
Ibanag Poetry and Songs
Ibanag folk poetry is purely sung, which explains how it was handed down to the present: by way of oral
transmission.
Ibanag songs are for ceremonial and recreational purposes and they are narrative, speculative, romantic, ridiculing or
titillating.
Ibanags have the singular honor of having two epic songs, the Salomon and the Pasion.
The Salomon, to the accompaniment of the "cinco-cinco" (a five-stringed instrument) is sung during the Christmas
season before improvised home altars, supported through the night with wine, coffee, chocolate, and native cakes.
It is narrative on the conception, birth and life of the Baby Christ, filled with episodes that teach Cagayano children
Ibanag virtues of truthfulness, honesty, loyalty, industry and devotion.
In one episode, the Virgin Mary and Joseph on their flight to Egypt from the soldiers of King Herod, with the Baby
Jesus in Mary's arms, passed by a farmer sowing grains, and Mary asked:
Anni i ibini wagi? (What are you sowing, brother?)
Said the farmer: Batu i paddag gunak ku ibini. (I am sowing pebbles.)
Said Mary: Batu nga imulam, batu nga emmu gataban.(Pebbles that you sow, pebbles that you reap.)

Folk Songs
Other folksongs are love songs most often with promises, pledges, assurances, lessons to teach and guidance to give.
The growth of Ibanag songs and singers reached its peak when the haranaor serenade in rustic communities was
both a form of nocturnal recreation among the "babbagitolay" and a way of starting courtship for a "magingnganay."
There was a stalemate of folksong production and serenading during Martial Law days and during the twenty-year
rule of the Old Regime when the freedoms were curtailed, and when the province became a critical area.
Love folksongs were common during weddings and other socials.
Here are some:
O lappaw a makayaya
Nga inimmi-immian na mata,
Pare nakuan tu ari ka matay,
Tape manayuk ka gugammay.
(O lovely flo'er
My eyes behold forever,
May you not wither, nor die,
That long you be gem of my eye.)
Some Ibanag folksongs were inspired by the reaction of people toward their environment; expression of feelings and
emotions caused by their work, labors, government leaders and relationship among fellowmen.
PAGAYAYA Cunna labbe niyo a pagayaya
Pagayaya ay a metallugaring Nu kemmamatan ka na mata
I pattaradde tam ngamin, Chorus:
Pagayaya I palu paggia Tamu e dadan rafutu cao
Pangawanan ta zigariga, Ta pawang nenang mgafu nicao
Pare nakuan tu yao nga gayam, Ta innga lagud
Makeyawa tam mulamuagang Ta pakalallo nam maya nikaw.
Kegafuanan na kapawan Awan ta logo
Na ziga nganufulotan. Ta kunna ariyakku nga pakkakaturuk
(REJOICING Yoye nga aya ku
Happiness is the end Ay pordiy os tu ikallona
Of our being together Ta kunnaw nga zigariga ku.
Happiness is the well-being VULAN
And elimination of suffering. O! volan a kalalatuag
May it be that this occasion, Mine ka nappakanauag
Bring us satisfaction Mine ka nappakarenu
Which will make us forget Ta dalan a lakaracku
Our hatred and suffering.) Makememmi ka nga iniinan
AYATAT TAKA Ta kawan niki tu kunam
Ayatat-taka maski anni ziga-riga ku Paggariaman mi tuluan mu
Megafu nikaw nga nikamian na futu nikaw Y aya mi ari mofu
Ta inga lagud ta pakemmimi nga lappaw
NELOGO NGA AYA
Nelogo ta aya awna na tu liwa
Tagapiak cu y pate
Tanu y patay capatuan
Melogo nagattam
O dios ku uffunam ma
Tapenu melillita
Anna napaaya nga
Ta minangilogo, ngapatacabi nu ari
Mapassa nga makapalilli
O dios iddu sikaw afu y mangiolu
Nga mangillilli ta dalan ira nga logi
Ickawan ma ta marenu nga dalan
Ta ariak ku nga ikaya a magattam ta ziga
Nu logo nga aya.
TADDAY NGA MAGINGNGAANAY
Tadday nga magingnganay
Kunna kristal a malaray
Nu kessidal na awa tu
Babang ay magana
Nagimmuguk ka ta annung mu
Tape ari nga magana
Ta nu magana awan ngana tu serbi na.
Refrain:
Y maginnganay ari nga mallipay
Ta logo na kagi yra na lallaki
Maggimmuguk ka ta ginuguyammu
Tape awan nikaw tu messimmu.
(Repeat Refrain)