Iluko LiteratureCP “Naimbag a bigatyo.” “Good morning.” “Awan lalaki nga natured wenno nabaneg no ti babai ti sanguanan agsainnek.” “No man is brave in the presence of a crying woman.” Introduction • When the Spanish first encountered them in 1572. the inhabitants of Ilocos (then called "Samtoy") were living in large villages at sheltered coves or rivermouths and were trading with the Chinese and Japanese. . the most famous of these was that led by Diego and Gabriela Silang during the British occupation of Manila in 1762–63. the colonial period was marked by frequent revolts. .• Although massive churches in a distinctive style give evidence of Spanish-Ilocano collaboration. . . • Ilocanos were prominent in the nationalist movement. The greatest of these Ilocano "success stories" (as far as it went) was President Ferdinand Marcos. who ruled from 1965 to 1986. and many rose to high office in the central government. . dunes devoid of vegetation.Location and Language • Ilocano homeland has four provinces: Ilocos Norte. In places. . Ilokos Norte. from San Fernando.these characterize the region. swift and impassable rivers. Ilocos Sur. • Ilocano people speak a Western Austronesian language of the northern Philippine group whose closest relatives are the languages of neighboring mountain peoples. frequent and destructive typhoons . and landlocked Abra. • The original home of the Iloko-speaking people is a narrow strip of land running along the west coast of northern Luzon. Rugged hills. La Union. to Bangui. the land is a desolate stretch of sand. jagged mountains of bare rock. La Union. The soil is generally poor. . the Visayan does. the Tagalog in terms of aesthetic beauty and the Ilocano in terms of usefulness. and the Ilocano a utility man. the Visayan is harder to transplant. religious and energetic workers.” .• Ilocanos are said to be spendthrift. The Ilocano is a man of action. the Tagalog a poet.” • “While the Ilocano does not care where he goes. the Visayan a creature of emotion. • “The Visayan is essentially a troubadour. while the Ilocano can feel at home anywhere. the Tagalog a person of intellect. The Visayan interprets life in terms of emotion. The woman resumes her housework only after she has rested and taken a full bath. the husband manages the household. this is said to relieve the mother’s pains and reposition the displaced uterus. .Ilocano’s Folk Beliefs: On pregnancy and childbirth • The mother and child are made to rest in a specially inclined bed called balitang (bamboo bed). Called sidor. During the mother's fifteen to twenty-day rest also called the dalagan. • Ilocano mothers go through a process of inhaling smoke from medicinal incense while a bowl of hot coals warms her wounds. The boy sends love letters to the girl regularly as constant reminders and declarations of a willingness to continue the amorous pursuit. Sex education comes in the form of stories read and told by older folk. on a moonlit night. The girl is expected to remain modest and chaste. The boy asks a group of friends to join him. The harana (serenade) is also one way of expressing love. Tradition strongly requires that the woman maintain her virginity until marriage. Otherwise. Long courtships are expected to give both parties a chance to be sure about their own feelings for each other.On courtship • Courtship begins with a series of casual conversations and visits to the girl's home where the boy gets to know the girl and her family. is carried out with utmost discretion. . once formalized. • The relationship. she will have to face such grave consequences as being ostracized by the community or disowned by her family. in waking up his beloved maiden with love songs. . or by communicating through the billeta.On marriage • Panagasawa or marriage to the Ilocano is but a reaffirmation of the man and woman's gasat (fate). It is considered a sacred partnership which lasts until the death of either partner. • Once the couple decide to marry. the boy informs the girl's parents about their plans. This announcement is known as the panagpudno. The response is also sent through the same messenger. a letter sent from the boy to the girl by a messenger. Approval is sought from the boy's parents since they usually spend for the wedding and provide for the dowry. When both families agree. the date of the wedding is set either by consulting the planetano(an almanac which lists all good or bad days for all activities). The theme of the dal-lot is the ups and downs as well as the do's and don’ts of married life. Care should be taken to have these candles lighted when being carried to the altar inside the house otherwise. • A day after the wedding. he becomes ander di saya (henpecked). an offering given to the spirits of the departed kinsmen and posing and mangatogangan whereby the groom turns over his personal belongings to the bride. Reaching the top flight first symbolized authority in the family. • After the wedding ceremony. Groom is beaten in this race. when the bride and bridegroom arrive at the latter's house. The parents of the newlyweds secretly advice their respective son or daughter to go up the stairs ahead of the other. These are the atang. one of the couple will die young. . three rites are held. an old maid waiting at the foot of the stairs hands them lighted candles.• The last ritual for the wedding day is the mangik-ikamen in which an old man and an old woman present the dallot (wedding song). . Death to them means the fulfillment of destiny. to spirits that could either be the aswang (witch) or the mannamay (sorcerer). gasat (fate) determines their life on earth. It is because of this Ilocano view of death that they are better able to bear the passing away of their loved ones with courage and fortitude. • The Ilocanos have traditionally believed that most of man's illnesses are caused by spirits.On death and burial • To the Ilocanos. the inevitable. Even accidents have often been attributed to the supernatural. for a relative might be possessed by the dead man's soul. the coffin is brought out of the house. After the mano. These are reopened only after the funeral party returns from the cemetery. . • Before the coffin is taken out of the house. is beheaded and thrown out into the yard opposite the stairs. The coffin bearers also guard against tarrying on the stairs. the dead man's kin perform the mano (kissing of the hand).• Before the funeral. The pallbearers are cautioned against having the coffin touch any part of the house lest another death occur in the family. Each family member pays his last respects by kissing the dead man's hand or by lifting the hand briefly to his forehead. The sacrificial animal precedes the dead in the beyond. depending upon the sex of the deceased. ensuring his safe passage and announcing his arrival. a rooster or a hen. Rice is strewn all over the coffin for good luck. After this. The doors and windows of the house are shut after the coffin is brought out to prevent the soul from disturbing those whom he left behind. the women cover their faces and heads with black veils. These play an important role in keeping family relationship as well as community relationship intact. that is. • In spite of the influence of modernization. traditional beliefs still persist among the Ilocanos. and tobacco. basi. This is followed by the offering of niniogan (a kind of rice cake). they wash their faces and upper limbs with a basin of basi in which some coins were immersed to ward off the spell of the evil spirit.• After the funeral. immediate relatives have the golgol (hair shampoo) in the river to wash away any power of the spirit of the dead. buyo. The following day. members of the family and relatives go through the diram-os. . who died unbaptized who in turn victimize newborns • Karkarma.the souls of living persons. or a strange draft of wind. in the form of the scent of perfume. the odor of a burning candle. leave the body at death but linger in the house until after the post-funerary offerings of food are made to the deceased. they are believed to visit relatives who have failed to come to the sickbed of the deceased .Ilocanos also believe in supernatural beings such as: • Katawtaw-an -the spirits of infants. or in the form (at night) of a grunting pig. These signs remind the living to pray to God for the forgiveness of the deceased's sins (otherwise. appear at their human doubles' death as the groaning of the dying. and the banging of doors.• Al-alia. the cracking of glass. the al-alia may visit misfortunes upon them) . or a crowing chicken. the rattling of beds.the spirit doubles of humans. howling dog. Pre-Hispanic Period . Ilocano literature is one of the richest and most highly developed literature in the Philippines. its inhabitants have been able to preserve much of the oral literature. has not been as easily accessible as the Tagalog territory to foreign influences. social customs. and beliefs of preSpanish times.• According to scholars. . • Since the Ilokos. by geographical position. moon. . Under their light. The bamboo washed up on the shore of the Ilocos region. The giants found the world they had created windswept and desolate. Angalo spat on the earth.Folktales Ex: There was a giant named Aran who built the sky and hung the sun. could see the land. and from this couple came the Ilocano people. and stars in it. which he then molded into mountains and valleys. Aran's companion. the giant Angalo. He placed them in a bamboo tube that he tossed into the sea. and from his spit emerged the first man and woman. ” (“It's better to be dead and forgotten than to live in shame.) . awan ti nasayaat a banagna.”) • “Ti ubing nga matungpal amin a kayatna.” (“A child that is given everything will rarely succeed in life.“ (“Where there's no patience there's no food. Ex: • "No awan ti anos awan ti lamot.Proverbs(Pagsasao).”) • “Naim-imbag ti matay ta malipatanen ngem ti agbiag a maibabain.illustrate their beliefs about life. Ex: • "No baro narn'kop.) -Pot on burning stove- • "Amenok a kagzrguranak.“ (I know you hate me.) -Carabao Manure• “Agtugtugaw maditsdusa. no daan nalagda. ngem no mapataynak angotennak. and entertaining because they are usually couched in striking language or because their meanings denote or connote something humorous or witty.Riddles (Burburtia). but when you have killed me you still smell me.” (It is being punished while sitting.both informative and entertaining: informative because they inform and edify. when old it is strong.“ (When new it is weak.) -Bed Bug- . or a feast • badeng.love song sung in a serenade ▫ Ex: Pamulinawen • dung-aw or death chant– an extemporized song chanting the praises of the dead Dances (Sala) • kinnotan or ant’s dance • kinnallogong or hat dance .an extemporized song with an ancient air and with a dramatic element sung during baptismal party. wedding.Songs (Kankanta) • dallot. an epic poem about the adventures of the epic hero Lam-ang .Also one of the most wellknown literary works from Iluko literature .written by Pedro Bucaneg .Bucaneg is the first known Ilocano poet and was called as the “Father of Ilokano Poetry and Literature”.Biag ni Lam-ang . . He was born from a noble Ilocano family. He then embarked in a journey to win Ines Cannoyan’s affection with his dog and rooster. almost-mythical Ilocano warrior named Lam-ang. He was also eaten by a river monster (Berkakan) and was reborn from his retrieved bones through the help of his magical pets. His head was displayed at the center of the village as a prize. Nine months before Lam-ang’s birth. Namongan was surprised to learn that her son could talk immediately after birth. Don Juan was beheaded. his father Don Juan left for the mountains to defeat an evil tribe of Igorots.The epic tells about the heroism of a brave. Unfortunately. Lam-ang chose his own name and asked for his father’s presence. . He was barely 9 months old when Lam-ang fought against the headhunters who killed his father. Spanish Period . • When the Spaniards arrived in Ilocos Norte in 1572. During the Spanish era. it took a toll on Ilocano literature. Ilocano poetry was heavily influenced by Spanish poetry. . • The earliest known written Ilocano poems were the romances translated from Spanish by Francisco Lopez. Lopez was an Augustinian friar who published his Iloko translation of the Doctrina Cristiana (first book published in the Philippines by Cardinal Bellarmine) in 1621. Fr. Vincent Ferrer’s sermon. which is an Iloco translation of St.• The Christian missionaries started using religious and secular literature to advance their mission of converting the Ilocanos to Christianity during the 18th century. In 1845. Fr. Jacinto Rivera published the Sumario de las Indulgencias. In 1719. . Antonio Meija published The Pasion. Francisco Sionil-Jose (F. Contemporary Ilocano writers are also known to bag numerous major awards in the most prestigious Philippine literature award giving body.• Today. Pangasinan. . the Palanca Awards. He is a pure blood Ilocano born in Rosales. Ilocano writers are known to have published their works in foreign countries. Sionil Jose) is the most internationally translated Filipino author. FIN . edu/Tagalog/Folk_Beliefs/il ocano_folk_beliefs.html • http://quod.htm .001?rgn=main.ucla.com/literature.Source: • • • • • http://dingras.com/wc/Norway-toRussia/Ilocanos.0 001.everyculture.seasite.wikipedia.umich.niu.edu/Discourse/Proverbs/Ilocan o.wikipedia.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilokano_literature http://en.org/wiki/Ilocano_people http://cogweb.lib.html http://en.view=fulltext • http://www.edu/p/philamer/ADL4452.html#b • http://www.org/wiki/Ilokano_language http://en.