PHILIPPINE EPICS:

1. Hinilawod – Panay

2. Biag ni Lam-Ang – Ilocos

3. Indarapatra at Sulayman – Mindanao

4. Ibalon/Ibalong – Bicol

5. Hudhud (Hudhud ni Aliguyon) – Ifugao

1. Hinilawod – Panay

- An epic poem from the island of Panay.

- The term of the epic translates to “Tales from the Mouth of The Halawod
River”. It is commonly known to the Visayan people of Panay.

Summary:

A long time ago, there is a sky goddess called Alunsina. The king of the gods
Kaptan feared that she cannot marry anyone and urged her to marry. Many gods
made an attempt to woo Alunsina but failed since she chose a mortal named
Paubari, the datu of Halawod.

Alunsina’s choice enraged the gods who failed to court her. They conspired with
each other and agreed, with the leadership of Maklium-sa-t’wan, to hinder the
marriage of Alunsina and Paubari by flooding Halawod. However, Alunsina and
Paubari was saved from the flood with the help of Suklang Malayon, Alunsina’s
sibling. Malayon heard the gods’ plan which prompted him to tell his sister.
Alunsina and Paubari returned to Halawod after the flood. Months after, Alunsina
bore triplets named Labaw Dongon, Humadapnon at Dumalapdap. After they
were born, Alunisina asked Bungot-Banwa to uphold a ritual to strengthen the
triplets, which they did. The triplets walked their own path, such in the case of
Labaw Donggon, who was imprisoned by Saragnayan after their battle.

Labaw Donggon’s son avenged his father and won against Saragnayan and both
returned to their home. Humadapnon and Dumalapdap was enraged when they
heard their brother’s fate. Humadapnon decided to hoax Saragnayan and his
descendants. While Dumalapdap married Lubay Lubyok Mahanginun si
Mahuyokhuyokan and battled a two-headed being named Balanakon. He also
battled Uyutang, a being with large fangs and sharp nails. He battled the being for
seven moons. Dumalapdap won and returned home with Lubay-Lubyok Hanginun
si Mahuyokhuyokan to marry. When the siblings returned home, Datu Paubari
celebrated the siblings’ triumph.
2. Biag ni Lam-Ang – Ilocos

- (Life of Lam-ang) is a pre-Hispanic epic poem of the Ilocano people of the

Philippines. The story was handed down orally for generations before it was
written down around 1640 assumedly by a blind Ilokano bard named Pedro
Bucaneg.
- It is said that it is the only complete epic from a Christianized Philippine
indigenous group. Exhibiting a mixture of Spanish and indigenous cultures, the
earliest written record of the epic was in 1889.

Summary:

Don Juan and his wife Namongan lived in Nalbuan, now part of La Union in the
northern part of the Philippines. They had a son named Lam-ang. Before Lam-ang
was born, Don Juan went to the mountains in order to punish a group of their
Igorot enemies. While he was away, his son Lam-ang was born. It took four
people to help Namongan give birth. As soon as the baby boy popped out, he
spoke and asked that he be given the name Lam-ang. He also chose his
godparents and asked where his father was.

After nine months of waiting for his father to return, Lam-ang decided he
would go look for him. Namongan thought Lam-ang was up to the challenge but
she was sad to let him go. During his exhausting journey, he decided to rest for a
while. He fell asleep and had a dream about his father’s head being stuck on a
pole by the Igorot. Lam-ang was furious when he learned what had happened to
his father. He rushed to their village and killed them all, except for one whom he
let go so that he could tell other people about Lam-ang’s greatness. Upon
returning to Nalbuan in triumph, he was bathed by women in the Amburayan
River. All the fish died because of the dirt and odor from Lam-ang’s body.

There was a young woman named Ines Kannoyan whom Lam-ang wanted to
woo.  She lived in Calanutian and he brought along his white rooster and gray dog
to visit her. On the way, Lam-ang met his enemy Sumarang, another suitor of Ines
whom he fought and readily defeated. Lam-ang found the house of Ines
surrounded by many suitors all of whom were trying to catch her attention.  He
had his rooster crow, which caused a nearby house to fall.  This made Ines look
out. He had his dog bark and in an instant the fallen house rose up again. The girl’s
parents witnessed this and called for him. The rooster expressed the love of Lam-
ang. The parents agreed to a marriage with their daughter if Lam-ang would give
them a dowry valued at double their wealth. Lam-ang had no problem fulfilling
this condition and he and Ines were married. It was a tradition to have a newly
married man swim in the river for the rarang fish. Unfortunately, Lam-ang dove
straight into the mouth of the water monster Berkakan. Ines had Marcos get his
bones, which she covered with a piece of cloth. His rooster crowed and his dog
barked and slowly the bones started to move. Back alive, Lam-ang and his wife
lived happily ever after with his white rooster and gray dog.
3. Indarapatra at Sulayman – Mindanao

- This is the story of King Indarapatra and his brother Sulayman.

Summary:

A very long time ago, the large island of Mindanao was completely covered
with water, and the sea extended over all the lowlands so that nothing could be
seen but mountains. There were many people living in the country, and all the
highlands were dotted with villages and settlements. For many years the people
prospered, living in peace and contentment. Suddenly there appeared in the land
four horrible monsters which, in a short time, had devoured every human being
they could find. Kurita, a terrible creature with many limbs, lived partly on land
and partly in the sea, but its favourite haunt was the mountain where the rattan
grew; and here it brought utter destruction on every living thing. The second
monster, Tarabusaw, an ugly creature in the form of a man, lived on Mt. Matutun,
and far and wide from that place he devoured the people, laying waste the land.
The third, an enormous bird called Pah, was so large that when on the wing it
covered the sun and brought darkness to the earth. Its egg was as large as a
house. Mt. Bita was its haunt, and there the only people who escaped its voracity
were those who hid in caves in the mountains. The fourth monster was a dreadful
bird also, having seven heads and the power to see in all directions at the same
time. Mt. Gurayn was its home and like the others it wrought havoc in its region.

So great was the death and destruction caused by these terrible animals that
at length the news spread even to the most distant lands, and all nations were
grieved to hear of the sad fate of Mindanao. Now far across the sea in the land of
the golden sunset was a city so great that to look at its many people would injure
the eyes of man. When tidings of these great disasters reached this distant city,
the heart of the king Indarapatra was filled with compassion, and he called his
brother, Sulayman, begging him to save the land of Mindanao from the monsters.
Sulayman listened to the story, and as he heard he was moved with pity. So
Sulayman departed for Mindanao, and he neither walked nor used a boat, but he
went through the air and landed on the mountain where the rattan grew. There
he stood on the summit and gazed about on all sides. He looked on the land and
the villages, but he could see no living thing. Then the whole mountain began to
move, and then shook. Suddenly out of the ground came the horrible
creature, Kurita. It sprang at the man and sank its claws into his flesh. But
Sulayman, knowing at once that this was the scourge of the land, drew his sword
and cut Kurita to pieces. Encouraged by his first success, Sulayman went on to Mt.
Matutun where conditions were even worse. As he stood on the heights viewing
the great devastation there was a noise in the forest and a movement in the trees.
With a loud yell, forth leaped Tarabusaw. For a moment they looked at each
other, neither showing any fear. Then Tarabusaw threatened to devour the man,
and Sulayman declared that he would kill the monster. At that the animal broke
large branches off the trees and began striking at Sulayman who, in turn, fought
back. For a long time the battle continued until at last the monster fell exhausted
to the ground and then Sulayman killed him with his sword. The next place visited
by Sulayman was Mt. Bita. Here havoc was present everywhere, and though he
passed by many homes, not a single soul was left. As he walked along, growing
sadder at each moment, a sudden darkness which startled him fell over the land.
As he looked toward the sky he beheld a great bird descending upon him.
Immediately he struck at it, cutting off its wing with his sword, and the bird fell
dead at his feet; but the wing fell on Sulayman, and he was crushed.

Now at this very time King Indarapatra was sitting at his window, and looking
out he saw the little tree wither and dry up. Then although he was very sad
knowing that his brother is dead, he was filled with a desire for revenge, and
putting on his sword and belt he started for Mindanao in search of his brother.
He, too, travelled through the air with great speed until he came to the mountain
where the rattan grew. There he looked about, awed at the great destruction,
and when he saw the bones of Kurita he knew that his brother had been there
and gone. He went on till he came to Matutun, and when he saw the bones of
Tarabusaw he knew that this, too, was the work of Sulayman. Still searching for
his brother, he arrived at Mt. Bita where the dead bird lay on the ground, and as
he lifted the severed wing he beheld the bones of Sulayman with his sword by his
side. His grief now so overwhelmed Indarapatra that he wept for some time.
Upon looking up he beheld a small jar of water by his side. This he knew had been
sent from heaven, and he poured the water over the bones, and Sulayman came
to life again. They greeted each other and talked long together. Sulayman
declared that he had not been dead but asleep, and their hearts were full of joy.
After some time Sulayman returned to his distant home, but Indarapatra
continued his journey to Mt. Gurayn where he killed the dreadful bird with the
seven heads. After these monsters had all been destroyed and peace and safety
had been restored to the land, Indarapatra began searching everywhere to see if
some of the people might not be hidden in the earth still alive.

One day during his search he caught sight of a beautiful woman at a distance.
When he hastened toward her she disappeared through a hole in the ground
where she was standing. Disappointed and tired, he sat down on a rock to rest,
when, looking about, he saw near him a pot of uncooked rice with a big fire on the
ground in front of it. This revived him and he proceeded to cook the rice. As he did
so, however, he heard someone laugh nearby, and turning he beheld an old
woman watching him. As he greeted her, she drew near and talked with him while
he ate the rice. Of all the people in the land, the old woman told him, only a very
few were still alive, and they hid in a cave in the ground from whence they never
ventured. As for herself and her old husband, she went on, they had hidden in a
hollow tree, and this they had never dared leave until after Sulayman killed the
voracious bird, Pah. At Indarapatra’s earnest request, the old woman led him to
the cave where he found the headman with his family and some of his people.
They all gathered about the stranger, asking many questions, for this was the first
they had heard about the death of the monsters. When they found what
Indarapatra had done for them, they were filled with gratitude, and to show their
appreciation the headman gave his daughter to him in marriage, and she proved
to be the beautiful girl whom Indarapatra had seen at the mouth of the cave.
Then the people all came out of their hiding-place and returned to their homes
where they lived in peace and happiness. And the sea withdrew from the land and
gave the lowlands to the people.
4. Ibalon/Ibalong – Bicol
- BALTOG is considered the first man to settle   in Bikol, who came from
Botavara and of the race Lipod. He slays a great boar with his bare hands when
it destroyed his taro field.

Summary:

Bikol was a land of wide plains and fertile fields; anything planted in its soil
yielded bountiful harvests. The first man was Baltog, originally from Botavara and
of the race Lipod. His linsa  or gabi  plants were the lushest in the place but were
destroyed by a great Tandayag boar. Furious, Baltog pursued the boar and killed
it, not with lance but by breaking its jaws with his own strong arms. The
supersized boar had jawbones as wide as two arms extended, and tusks which
measured about two-thirds longer than the handle of his lance. He hung the
gigantic jawbone on a talisay  tree near his house in Tondol. All the people who
came from as far as Panicuason were struck by the monstrous size of the dead
boar.
Soon after, Handiong came to Bikol and destroyed the wild creatures roaming
the land. In Ponong, he slew, after a ten- month fight, the beasts with one eye and
three throats, winged sharks under the sea, wild carabaos and man-eating
crocodiles bigger than boats. To the mountain Kulasi, he exiled the sarimaw and
buried in Hantik all the serpents whose voices rang like sirens. However, he failed
to subdue, despite all his efforts, one elusive snake. Known as Oryol, the snake
was sometimes a serpent, and sometimes a woman. To Handiong, Oryol was a
challenge, for even when he binds her over a thousand times, she would scoff
mockingly at him and cleverly untie her knots. With sweet words, she would
entice Handiong who would search the forests for her. But she was seductive as
well as deceitful. She would thwart his labors and   interfere with his battle;
although there were occasions when she helped fight and kill the animals
infesting the place. In the fight with giant crocodiles, which colored the Bikol
River red, he emerged unhurt while the apes of the pongo and orangutan variety
who had watched with horror were finally driven to the mountain Isarog. Having
freed the land from wild beasts, he devoted himself to a settled life. He exhorted
his people to plant linsa and rice. He built the first boat ever to play the Bikol
River; its rudder and sail were contributions of Guimantong, one of his men, who
also invented the plow, harrow and roll, including the ganta  and other measures,
the yoke, bolo and hoe.
Hablon invented a weaving loom and bobbins. The native of Dinahon worked
on the jar, claypot, stove, earthen bowl and other household utensils. Sural carved
a Bikol syllabary out of a stone from Libong, and polished to shine by Gapon.
Handiong and his men built towns. The houses of varying sizes hung from the
branches of the banasi and the kamagong trees. The reason was that it was only
up in the moog, as the houses were called, that one could escape the heat,
swarming insects and wild animals. Laws were set to ensure protection of life and
honour, and accord equality to all without distinction. With this, respect for rights
of heritage and succession were guaranteed, and slave and master kept to his
own place. Suddenly, the great deluge caused by tempests brought havoc and
destruction to the growing civilization. The catastrophe completely transformed
the land. Three volcanoes—Hamtik, Kulasi and Isarog—erupted simultaneously,
and caused a strip of land, now known as Pasacao, to rise from the sea. Torn apart
from the mainland was Malbogon, now as islet, where two witches Hilan and
Lariong lived. The Inarihan River turned its course and overflowed to Ponong. In
Bato, a big mountain sank, and in its place, up came a lake which supplied fish to
all of Ibalon. The Dagatnon tribe, from which had come the Dumagats from
Cotmon, was wiped out as the gulf of Calabagnan overflowed.
Handiong had a close companion, the young warrior Bantong. To him,
Handiong entrusted the job of getting rid of Rabot, a fierce monster who was
half-man and half-beast. How many of the people that came near his lair were
turned into stone
by the beast? The plague of the land, he was also known as the great liar. Smart
Bantong first tried to find out about the monster’s habits. And he guessed right:
Rabot slept heavily all day as he simply rolled over the ground. After watching him
for days, Bantong slew the monster in two parts and brought the corpse to
Libmanan where Handiong viewed the remains amidst the loud rejoicing of his
people. But the sight of Rabot shocked Handiong. For a long time, he remained
stupefied. Why and what else happened is not known as Cadugnung stops his
narration and promises to talk about it next time.
5. Hudhud (Hudhud ni Aliguyon) – Ifugao

- The Hudhud consists of narrative chants traditionally performed by the Ifugao

community, which is well known for its rice terraces extending over the
highlands of the northern island of the Philippine archipelago. It is practised
during the rice sowing season, at harvest time and at funeral wakes and rituals.

- Hudhud ni Aliguyon is a famous epic that came from the Ifugao province

of Luzon in the Philippines. It narrates events about the culture and traditions
of the Ifugao and their hero, Aliguyon. Belonging in the genre of Hudhud di Ani
for harvesting in the fields, this heroic epic has three functions. First, it is sung
in unison, therefore helping the harvesters as they work in the fields together.
Second, it is connected with the idea that singing the hudhud chant can help
increase the rice growing in the field. It is believed that deities of the field are
pleased to hear the workers chanting the hudhud. Lastly, the third function
has to do with gender. There is a female ideology prominent in the hudhud
making this a characteristic of the epic. While male epic focuses in violence and
bloodshed, the female epic concentrates on peaceful solutions.

- Since the Ifugao’s culture is matrilineal, the wife generally takes the main part
in the chants, and her brother occupies a higher position than her husband.
The language of the stories abounds in figurative expressions and repetitions
and employs metonymy, metaphor and onomatopoeia, rendering
transcription very difficult. Thus, there are very few written expressions of this
tradition. The chant tells about ancestral heroes, customary law, religious
beliefs and traditional practices, and reflects the importance of rice cultivation.
The narrators, mainly elderly women, hold a key position in the community,
both as historians and preachers.
Summary:

Aliguyon was a prominent member of the Ifugao tribe and he possessed the

ability to travel to faraway places without resting, eating or sleeping. He moved
so fast that he could catch any weapon thrown at him, and he was never defeated
in battle. One of his duels was against Pumbakhayon, a warrior from the tribe
of Daligdigan. They fought nonstop for a year and a half, rested a bit, and then
fought again for another year and a half. They eventually realized that they were
so evenly matched that no one would come out victorious. In the
end, Aliguyon ended up marrying Pumbakhayon‘s sister Bugan,
and Pumbakhayon married Aliguyon‘s sister Aginaya, thereby uniting the tribes
of Gohandan and Daligdigan.
Ferdinand Ramos Diño