What is

an
 Epic Definition
AnEpic(from the
Ancient Greek,
from(epos) "word,
story, poem
 Epic Definition
An Epic is a long narrative
poem that relates the great
deeds of a larger-than-life hero
who embodies the values of a
particular society.
 THREE
DIFFERENT
TYPES OF
EPIC
 1. Folk epic
A folk epic is such a story that evolves
from the people of a civilization and their
lives.
It rises above the facts of those lives,
although it is grounded in those facts, to
the commonality of their human
experiences, wisdom, and values.
2. Art Epic
An art epic , on the contrary, is a
deliberate creation by the artist-
writer about a civilization or a
people.
It, too, may be based on a long-ago
histories or on long-ago literature.
 3. Mock Epic
A mock epic is a long, heroic-comical
poem that merely imitates features of the
classical epic.
The mock epic focuses frequently on the
exploits of an antihero whose activities
illustrate the shallowness of a class or
group he represents.
This style of epic is a satire.
Elements of the Epic
Epic Hero
Heroic Quest
Valorous Deeds
Divine Intervention
Great Events
 Epic Hero
Great Stature-
Larger than Life
Possesses the
character traits most
valued by society
(i.e. determination,
courage, wit,
wisdom)
 Heroic Quest
Long, Dangerous
Journey
Proves Heroism
Wins Honor and
Renown
Aids Others
Valorous Deeds
Demonstrate
Heros Courage,
Strength, or
Virtue
Make up most of
the Action
Battles Evil
Forces
Saves Others
Divine Intervention
Hero receives Help:
God/Supernatural Force
takes interest in Heros
Quest
Great Events
Historical/Mythologica
l events as Backdrop
for Epic
E.g.: The Iliad, Trojan
War
Characteristics of Epic
Poetry
The hero is a figure of great

national or international

importance.

The setting is large in scale,

sometimes world-wide, or at
 The actions involves heroic
deeds in battle or a long and
arduous journey intrepidly
accomplished.
In these great actions, the
immortals and other
supernatural beings
themselves take an interest
and active part.
An epic poem is a ceremonial
performance.
 The poet begins by stating his theme, then
invokes the Muses to help him with his
undertaking.
The narration usually begins in the middle
point of the action and at a crucial point; the
events that happened before the narrative
opening are introduced later on.
There are catalogues of some of the main
characters, introduced to the reader in
formal detail.
EXAMPLE
OF
PHILIPPIN
 BIAG NI
LAM-ANG
What is the epic
of "Biag ni Lam-
ang?"
 Brief history of the
Story
"Biag ni Lam-ang" is an epic
poem of the Ilocano people
dating from the pre-Hispanic
era of the Philippines.
The famous Ilokano epic.
The story is a mix of
adventure and romance
with exciting and
The title translates to
"The Life of Lam-ang,"
and the story reveals the
details of this man's birth
and life.
The poem was written
down in 1640, allegedly
by a blind Ilocano bard
named Pedro Bucaneg.
 The epic poem showed some of the
earlier customs, culture, tradition
and belief of the Ilocano people of
the Philippines
Recited and written in its original
Iloko, the poem is believed to be a
composite work of various poets who
passed it on through the generations
It is originally written in the Ilocano
language but as time goes it has
been translated to different
languages
 Pedro Bukaneg
Pedro Bukaneg(March 1592
1630) was aFilipino poet.
Blind since birth, he is the
acknowledged author of the
Ilokano epic Biag ni Lam-
ang(Life of Lam-ang).
He is considered the "Father
ofIlokano Literature ."
 His surname is lent to
theBukanegan,the Ilocano
equivalent of theBalagtasan of the
tagalog.

 Main Characters of the story
Biag ni Lam-ang
Don Juan father
Namongan mother
Lam-ang son
Ines Kannoyan love affection of Lam-
ang
Marcos diver
White Rooster friend of Lam-ang
Gray Dog friend of Lam-ang
Bercacan- monster fish
 THEME
Bravery, when
displayed
positively, makes
one honorable.
 Setting
NALBUAN (now part
of in the northern part
of the Philippines.)
 Origins of the place
The term Ilocano was derived from the
words i-(from) and looc (cove or bay),
which when combined means People of the
bay
The Ilocanos are the third largest
ethnolinguistic group in the Philippines
The Ilocano dialect is related to the
languages Indonesian, Malay, Fijian, Maori,
Hawaiian, Malagasy, Samoan, Tahitian,
Chamorro, Tetum and Paiwan
Today, the Ilocano dialect is the third most
spoken language in the Philippines
 Life of Lam-ang
(Summary)
Don Juan an his wife Namongan lived in
Nalbuan. 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 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 challege
but she was sad to let him go. During his
exhausting journey, he decided torest
for awhile. He fell asleep and a dream
about his fathers 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-angs greatness.
Upon returning to Nalbuan in
truimph, he was bathed by women in
the Amburayan river. All the fish died
because of the dirt and odor from
Lam-angs 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 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 girls
parents witnessed this and love of
Lam- ang. The parents agreed to a
marriage with their daughter if Lam-
ang would give them a dowry valued
at double theirs 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, rooster crowed and his
dog barked and slowly the bones
started to move. Back alive, Lam- ang
and his wife lived happy ever after
with his white rooster and gray dog.
 Prepared by:
Crispe, Mary Grace
De la cruz, Helen
Duran, Colleen Faith
BEED2- A