H OA 4 – P R O J E C T 1 – G R O U P 2

MARANAOTHE PEOPLE OF THE LAKE

THE PEOPLE OF THE LAKE

• The term “Maranao” is used for the people living in Lanao • Lanao was said to

be a predominantly Muslim region in the philippines. It is Located on the island of Mindanao

MARANAO

• The Maranao people are said to be the 6th largest filipino Ethnic group• The word “Maranaw”

means “people of the Lake” – It refers to the people who lives in the land around the Lake Lanao whose principal town is the Marawi City

• Lanao is divided into 2 parts : Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur.

• The Maranaos inhabits along the coastal areas of Lanao

• They are also included in the ARMM and its principal city is Marawi City.

MARANAO

• They are the descendants of the Muslim Malays that came to the Philippines• Their royalties have

various influsions of Arabic, Malayan, Indonesian as well as Chinese Blood• The Maranao Tribe are

said to be the last group to be converted to Islam

MARANAO HISTORY

• There Ancestors in mainland Mindanao are called “ Iranun” also spelled as Iranon

• In the Maranao Vernacular the word “Ira” means remains.

• The “Iranon” term on who lives in the coastal areas of Illana Bay was derived from the word “Iranaon” which means the people living in the coastal Areas

• Their houses are found in the shores, rivers or lake and roads

MARANAO CLOTHING

• Malong – a large, colorful woven cloth• Women wear it around the waist,

with folds draped over left arm• Men wrap it around the waist like

a skirt• Many uses: cape, coat, blanket,

umbrella

• Arbita – a blouse worn by women under the malong

• Kombong – a turban that is often colorful in Muslim style, otherwise it is white if the wearer has been to Mecca

MARANAO CLOTHING

• Sawal or kantyu – loose baggy pants of soft cloth• Sambra – collarless, v-neck blouse with short

sleeves for women, worn with the sawal• Sablay – long-sleeved blouse for women that

reaches the hips, worn with the sawal• Biyatawi – tight-fitting blouse that flares at the

waist and has a deep neckline• Tobao – headwear with geometric, floral or Arabic

calligraphy designs

RELIGION, RITUAL, CEREMONY

• Religion• 98% Islam – generally follow Islamic views of creation• 2% Christian

• 20% Protestant• 80% Roman Catholic

• Believe that their land was picked up by Archangel Gabriel from mainland Asia and transported to prevent world destruction and sin; a hole in the middle is believed to be the center of the Earth, and it was filled with water by the angels, resulting in Lake Lanao

• Shamans and medicine – Maranao keep to themselves regarding medical practices, but at times they do utilize modern medicine opportunities in the city when needed

• Burials – cleaning of the corpse, wrapping in white cloth and burying the deceased with soil; cement is not used on the top because of their belief in resurrection

• Pag-tamma – ceremony recognizing boy’s intellectual maturity and their reading/studying of the Qur’an

• Kalilang – celebration of a new Sultan

MARANAO RITUALSCOURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE

• Marriage is considered an alliance of families• Both side have a say on the union• The man is to court and marry a woman of the

same status• Arranged marriages are due to prestige – better

social and economic life• Bride-gifts are essential to compensate the

bride’s family for the loss of a woman-member and to reimburse the cost of her upbringing

MARANAO MUSIC

• Music for rituals is normally vocal only• Music for entertainment is vocal and instrumental• Instruments include:• Kulintang – brass gong• Kagandong – war drums• Gabbang – xylophone-like instrument• Biyula – string instrument• Kulintangan – gong and drum ensemble• Kudyapi – two-stringed lute• Kubling – Jew’s harp-like instrument made of bamboo

MARANAO SONGS

• Moro song types:• Kissa songs – tell of love of datus and princesses• Parang sibil songs – tell of heroic deeds• Kandidiagaois – melodious lament over deads

• Maranao song types:• Kambaiok – free rythmic rendering of the baiok

(improvised poetry)• Kandarangen – accompanied by gong• Kadikir – Qur’an verses and Islam topics sung in slow,

free rhythm• Kandomana – combination of kandarangen and kadikir• Kapranon – softly sung songs of private sentimentality

MARANAO DANCE

• Maranao dances are mostly related to pre-Islamic history• Males and females are not allowed to dance together• Pagipat (7 days) and pangubad (3 days) are animistic

rituals for healing• Sagaian – war dance• Singkil – solo female dance about a princess escaping

from an earthquake• Kapagasik – graceful dance of beautiful maidens• Kaganat sa darangen – song and dance showing

different ways of wearing the malong• Kapiil sa musala – handkerchief dance usually performed

by women

MARANAO LANGUAGE

• Branch of the Western Austronesian language• Mainly spoken by those in Mindanao, Lanao del

Norte and Lanao del Sur• Closely related to 1. Ilanun language spoken in

Sabah, Malaysia and 2. Maguindanaon spoken in Maguindanao, North and South Cotabato, Sultan Kuderat, and Zamboanga del Sur• Maranao alphabet: A B D AE E G H I K L M N NG O

P R S T W Y

MARANAO LITERATURE

• Popular forms of literature (written and oral):• Religious and ritual• Folk – legends, myths, epics, folktales• Symbolic speech – courtship, proverbs, riddles• Poems, songs, ballads

• Adhan – call to prayer• Salat – ritual player• Du’a – supplicatory prayer• Khutbah – sermons• Tafsir – Qur-anic exegesis• Tasawwuf – on the Prophet Mohammad• Hadis – on Muslim tradition• Darangen – epic poetry and best known poetic narrative of Maranao

about Prince Bantugan• Tarsila – written genealogy of aristocratic families from time of

Muhammad (considered source of history)

MARANAO ART

• Maranao culture is known for its excellent art forms

• Major art forms are carving, weaving and metalwork

• Their art is highly symbolic of their culture and the way that they live

• Their art forms are used widely as decorative elements in their architecture, tools, weapons, jewelry, brassware, clothweaving and matweaving

• Colors often used are green, yellow, red, violet and blue

MARANAO ART

• Okir / Okil or Ukir / Ukil• Folk motifs of geometric and

flowing designs• Elaborate leaf and vine patterns• Maranao and Muslim-influenced

art• “Okir a dato” – men• “Okir a bay” – women• “Matilak” – circle, basic element

of design representing the seed, also used for eye of Sarimanok or Naga

• “Pako rabong” – growing fern out of the matilak

MARANAO ART

• The Sarimanok• “Sari” – cloth or garment• “Manok” – chicken• Legendary bird that is the symbol of Maranao art• Colorful wings, feathered tail, fish on its beak or in its

talons, and head decorated with scroll, leaf, spiral motifs• Symbol of good fortune• Origin from the “Itotoro” – totem bird of the Maranao,

medium to the spirit world• Often found atop bamboo poles placed at the center of

Muslim villages

MARANAO ECONOMY AND FOOD

• Before aggressive farmers industrialized and commercialized the area, Lanao del Sur was virtually self-sufficient

• Economy is widely based on wet-rice agriculture

• A typical Maranao farmer owns one or two paddies at about a hectare each

• Fishing another form of income, making use of regular nets called poket and nets with sinkers called biala

• Bamboo wooden traps are also used: boo for catching shrimps and tintang for fish

MARANAO FOOD

• Known for spicy food• Their cuisine is rich and says a lot

about their culture, society and way of life

• The Legend of Maranao Food:• Panabi-nabian – the belief that food is a

prophet, a mercy and a gift from Allah• "When the world was created, mankind

had no food to eat. The soil was asked to feed mankind but it refused because it does not have enough to feed mankind. And so one of the sons of Fatima, Asa, was buried so that Nabi Adam will also be fed and be able to move. For seven days Nabi Saopak was buried. After seven days, it grew. On the head part grew a coconut, on the heart grew the palay, on the pelvis grew cotton, and on the lower art grew a white chicken. The palay was harvested and fed to mankind."

MARANAO FOOD

• Popular ingredients:• Palapa – traditionally cultivated spices• Sakurab – stewed scallion bulbs• Thinly sliced scallion bulbs and ginger caramalized by slow

cooking and mixed with chillies and coconut oil

• Popular dishes:• Kiyoning – yellow rice made by mixing rice, coconut milk and

powdered turmeric (kalawag)• Tiyateg – dessert made of rice flour, coconut oil and brown

sugar; strained, dropped in hot oil and rolled or folded• Doldol – a thick pudding made of coconut milk, rice flour and

dark sugar; cut into small pieces

• Talam or tabak – brass trays used for serving food on special occasions

MARANAO ARCHITECTURE

• Maranao arrange their houses in a line pattern along a river, road or lake shore

• Like many ordinary houses in the south, the old Maranao house is simply one big partitionless room.

• Bed spaces are created by using several carved sheets• the woven split rattan Sapiyay,or the mosquito screen, used as

dividers or headboards• Bundles of rice stalks are placed under woven mats to serve as

beds• A long pillow stuffed with dried la’ing, or banana leaves, is placed

at the head and a long mat at the foot of the bed.• Three types of houses:• Lawig – small houses• Mala-a-walai – the large houses• Torogan – datu’s home

CONSTRUCTION METHODS

• Raised on pilings from .31 to 2.21 meters above the ground• Roof, walls, flooring, doors and windows are made of

bamboo material lashed together with rattan• Usually has 9 to 12 posts depending on the size of the house• The main room(without partitions) measures about 7.86 to

18.9 meters• Windows – at front to watch neighbors pass by and at side to

check the carabao inside its corral below the house, esp. at night

• Porch – Placed in front and fenced to prevent children from falling off

• Kitchen – Built a half meter lower and is at the BACK• Roof – Steep and shaped like carabao’s horns

MATERIALS USED

• Thick cogon grass – lashed to split bamboo frame with rattan, but if there is enough bamboo, this is used for roofing instead:

• Some use wood shingles for the roof, however, this is not the traditional practice.

• Most of the houses have no ceiling.

MARANAO TOROGAN

• Torogan – the traditional Maranao home of the datu, which serves as royal headquarters, office, and residence• Style is considered Maranao’s

lasting legacy in Mindanao• Most important structure of the

community• Community issues and

ceremonies are held there

• Zamboanga and Davao international airports are based on the torogan

FEATURES OF THE TOROGAN

• Steep, high gable roof – thin at apex, flaring out to eaves

• Lifted more than 2m off the ground by 25 free-standing tree trunks

• Panolong – floor beams lengthened and decorated with intricate wooden carvings (okir)

• No partitions• Slits for windows with rich wood

panel framing• Communal kitchen is 0.5m lower

than main house and is used for cooking and eating

• Decorated with diongal, walai, okir, malongs

• Built to sway during earthquakes