BIAG NI LAM-ANG (Life of Lam-ang)

by Pedro Bukaneg
Pedro Bukaneg was known as the father of Iloko literature. His greatest achievement was the
writing of an epic poem, Biag ni Lam-ang which consists of 294 stanzas or about 1500 lines. He
was highly respected by the friars and the people as a teacher and a preacher. It was presumed
that before Pedro Bukaneg died, he left many Spanish translations of native songs, poems, and
other folkways depicting native culture.

In Nalbuan, somewhere in the Valley of Naguilian River in La Union, lived on 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 his husband was away, Namongan gave birth to a
baby boy with both the power of speech and unusual physical form. He told his mother that he should be
named Lam-ang.
The boy asked his mother where his father was. Lam-ang learned that his father had gone to fight the Igorots.
When Lam-ang was nine months old, his father has not yet returned. Armed with charms and powers, Lam-
ang left his mother to look after his father. From a dream, he learned that his father was killed by the Igorots.
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. Lam-ang slew them all, except one
whom he tortured first before releasing. Upon returning home, ninety-nine maidens gave him a bath in
the Amburayan River. For his shampoo, he burned so much straw that the communities near the river were
alarmed by the smoke. From the dirt of his hair and foul odor of his body, the water turned black and all the
fish in the river died.
Lam-ang heard about the beautiful maiden named Ines Kannoyan, daughter of the richest man of the town of
Kalanutian. He told his mother of his desire to court the maiden. Although his mother tried to discourage
him, nevertheless, he took a white rooster and a dog with him as he went forth to court Ines.
On his way to Kalanutian, he met his rival named Sumarang. They quarrelled violently and hurled him nine
hills away. Later, Sarindang tried to seduce him but Lam-ang rejected her advances. Reaching Kalanutian,
Lam-ang found a crowd of rivals for the hand of Ines Kannoyan. He impressed everyone with his magic. He
made his white rooster crow mightily and immediately the small house in the neighbourhood collapsed, the
people shouted in surprise and fear.
Hearing the noise, Ines looked of her window. To impress Ines Kannoyan, he made his dog growl. The house
that collapsed erected again as if nothing had happened. Duly impressed, Ines and her parents came down
and invited Lam-ang.
The parents of Ines Kannoyan asked for a bride price. They said that they would bestow the hands of Ines to
Lam-ang if he could equal their wealth consisting of lands and golds. Lam-ang went home and prepared for
his wedding. With the help of his mother, Namongan and transfolk, he was able to bring gold more than
match the wealth of the Kannoyans. He married Ines and there was a great celebration.
After sometime, the headman of the town reminded Lam-ang of their tradition where Lam-ang had to
catch rarang.
Lam-ang told Ines that he had a premonition that he would be bitten by a giant fish called Berkakan.
Inspite of this, Lam-ang was not discouraged to comply with what the tradition dictated him to do.
Just as he had dreamt so, Lam-ang was swallowed by the giant fish.
Ines became very sad but the white rooster told her that if the bones of Lam-ang could be recovered,
he might be revived. With the help of the diver named Marcos, all the bones of Lam-ang were collected. Ines
was instructed to put her apron over the bones of Lam-ang. The roster crowed, and the hen flapped its wings.
The dog growled twice, running and pawing at the bones, life began to stir in the assembled bones of Lam-
ang. Because of this, Lam-ang rewarded the diver, then the couple lived happily ever after with their pet
friends.