Philippine Epics: Ulahingan, Darangen, Hudhud, Ullalim

• Epics serve as sources of Philippine prehistory
• "A Survey of Philippine Epics" by E. Arsenio Manuel
• "The Philippine Epic" by Rosario Cruz Lucero

Epic in Philippine Languages

• Epics have different names due to regional variations
• Ulahingan and Olaging are terms used by two Manobo groups in the south
• Darangen is used by the Maranao people
• Hudhud is a term by the Ifugao
• Ullalim is used by the Kalinga

Common Features of Epics

• Length and style characteristics
• Incidents recounted with grandeur
• Heroes embody religious, cultural, and ethnic ideals.
• Recited through song or chanting by gifted individuals
• Conventions of epics worldwide, such as invoking a muse for guidance, are present in Philippine epics
• Hyperbole accounts for much epic grandeur
• Describe the hero's magnificent fortress, dramatize action in battle, speed of movement or travel, or emphasizes the length of time when something does or does not happen
• Hyperbole can also be used for comic effect.

Philippine Epics and the Spanish Arrival

• The Spanish showed a lack of appreciation and provided meager information about the pagan creations of the people.
• The first epic recorded was Biag ni Lam-ang, published in El Ilocano from 1889-1890.
• Credit for first epic recorded goes to Fr. Gerardo Blanco (Bangar)
  • He send the text to Isabelo de los Reyes who translated it into Spanish.
  • It was published in El Folk-lore Filipino (1890) second volume
• Followed by the Bicol epic Handiong, recorded and translated into Spanish by Fr. Jose Castaño.
  • Published by Wenceslao Retana in his Archivo del Bibliofilo Filipino.
• Biag ni Lam-ang and Handiong were the only folk epics recorded during the Spanish period

Philippine Epics during the American Occupation

• Interest in folkloristic studies emerged in the following century
• Henry O. Beyer initiated studies in 1914 in his anthropology courses
  • Resulting in a collection of around 150 volumes of ethnographic materials
• Beyer's work paved the way for more systematic collection

Folk Epics Among Christian People

• Manila and nearbyKapampangan did not preserve any epics
• Epic poetry is primarily found among pagan groups and the Moros, free from external pressures.

Folk Epics Among Pagan Groups

• Pagan peoples have found refuge in mountainous regions of Luzon, Palawan, Visayas, and Mindanao
• Folk Epics were recorded from certain groups
• Luzon epics are simple, while Mindanao epics are complex
• The people of the mountain province are excellent epic singers in Luzon
  • They favor old traditions and customs
  • They have lived sedentarily and permanently based on customary law.
• The Negritos and Ilonggots don't possess epic poems because they mostly hunt and gather food
• Some ethnic groups in the Mountain Province might not be able to combine in their culture, like the Tingguians
• It is thought that there were more folk epics from other Visayan Islands
  • The Panay epic (Hinilawod of Sulod people) is the only remaining example from the central Philippines
  • Hinilawod is the longest and most coherent folk epic recorded.
• The Spanish never went beyond the central areas, which helped societies resist acculturation.
• Geographical factors assisted in maintaining independence for a long period.
• It's not surprising that Mindanao people can protect their culture and have rich folklore and mythology
• Both pagan and Muslim folk epics are partly unknown
• American workers hardly recognized them at all, Porter was unaware that he was recording a folk epic

Folk Epic Among Muslim Filipinos

• Frank Laubach, a missionary and literacy advocate, brought attention to the wealth of Maranaw folk literature, particularly the Darangen epic
• Two main types of epics exist in Maranaw
  • Darangen (ancient tradition)
  • Daramoke-a-babay recounts exploits of Moro warriors against the Spanish military last century as well as against the American soldiers.

Definition Considerations

• Length of epic in terms of lines, hours, or complexity
• Some epics can be finished in one sitting, others in multiple
• Suitable parts of an epic may be chosen for particular occasions while others are complete

Folkloricity

• All epics belong in the past despite a lack of ancient records
• Lack of written evidence doesn't hinder folkloricity, which can be established in several ways
• Singers can explain how they learned the songs
  • Bogobo has has produced 3 generations of singers
• Variant stories can tell a story
  • The sole exception is the Bikol epic, which has been unheard of since Fr. Castaño recorded it

Supernaturalism or Heroism

• Local personalities or tribal heroes
• Supernatural powers may be mild to extraordinarily powerful
• Heroes of Hudhud appear down to earth beings than supermen except their endurance
• Use of magic is not remarkable in other epics but in Central and Southern Philippine epic
  • Heroes cannot continue in their adventures without mana or magic properties in the tools they use in fighting
• Ifugao heroes are more like human beings, Sulod Bagobo heroes use extra-earthy techniques
• Tuwaang of Bagobo can revive dead followers

Chanting or Singing

• Both singing and chanting involve musical notes
• Chanting is simpler and monotonous than singing
• Intonation, chant, and song are common forms, with the latter being the most complex
• Chanting-monotony, song-combination and sequence of notes, are more varied

Epic in Verse

• There is no term in Philippine language, the nearest approach being the Maranaw term darangen or epic sung
• Ulahing among Bukidnon and Bagobo
• Hudhud song of long narrative
• Since all of them are chanted or sung, there is no way of telling whether they are in verse until they are reduced to writing
• Verse appears after recording

Motivation

• Reflect deep-seated life ways and values, expression of religious beliefs and ideals
• During wake or harvest, women sing as a rule
• Occasions call for songs that are suitable for certain settings
• Functions in culture, to shape the future of the family for who the song is chanted