Biag ni Lam-ang

Biag ni Lam-ang
An illustration depicting the protagonist Lam-ang
CountryPhilippines (Ilocos)

Biag ni Lam-ang (lit. 'The Life of Lam-ang') is an epic story of the Ilocano people from the Ilocos region of the Philippines. It is notable for being the first Philippine folk epic to be recorded in written form, and was one of only two folk epics documented during the Philippines' Spanish Colonial period, along with the Bicolano epic of Handiong.[1]: 6  It is also noted for being a folk epic from a "Christianized" lowland people group (the Ilocano people),[2] with elements incorporated into the storytelling.[1]: 6 

As oral literature, the poem is believed to have originated in pre-colonial times, evolving as it is passed on from poet to poet and generation to generation.[1]: 3  The poem's first transcription is sometimes attributed to the blind Ilocano poet-preacher Pedro Bucaneg, but historian E. Arsenio Manuel instead attributes its first written documentation to Fr. Blanco of Narvacan, working with the publicist and folklorist Isabelo de los Reyes.[1]: 11 

  1. ^ a b c d Manuel, E. Arsenio (1963). "A Survey of Philippine Folk Epics" (PDF). Asian Folklore Studies. 22: 1–76. doi:10.2307/1177562. JSTOR 1177562.
  2. ^ Lopez, Mellie Leandicho (2006). A Handbook of Philippine Folklore. Diliman, Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press. ISBN 9789715425148.