Studeo: Biag ni Lam-Ang

Title/Atuhor: Story of the Life of Lam-Ang, Spouse of Dona Ines

Kannoyan / Gerardo Blanco (1889)

Genre: Poetry

Type: Epic

Function: To entertain

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Ingredients:

1. Subject

   1. Description: The epic is about a supernatural human named Lam-ang from his birth until his marriage with Dona Ines Kannoyan.

   2. Generalization: The piece is about the bravery and tenacity of Lam-ang who killed his father's perpetrators, the Igorots, on his own at the early age of nine months old and defeated Sumarang, one of his future wife's suitors. It is also about the supernatural favor given to Lam-ang especially when he was killed by a shark-like fish called berkakang, and after seven days when his bones colledted was resurrected by the flapping of his rooster's wings.

   3. Themes: The themes found in the epic are revenge, good versus evil, help from otherworldly powers, perseverance, and love.

2. Form

   1. The epic is divided between two quests - quest for the father and quest for the wife. Within each quest contains preparation, obstacle, triumph, and return from home. It has Christian and Hindu references as well as comedic elements.

3. Point of View:

   1. Third Person point of view

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Literary Standards/Quality of Great Literature

1. Artistry: The beauty of the story lies in Lam-ang's child-like tenacity to conquer quests and the wonder of his extraordinary strength and his magical companions.

2. Intellectual Value: Lam-ang exemplifies a man with a clear vision for his father and his fiance. He never makes excuses yet he also never heeds to warnings. He knows he can do it and does it with his might but never takes himself too seriously.

3. Suggestiveness: The two quests capture Lam-ang's emotional call to action grabbing his innermost desires by force and turning sorrow and disruptions to victory and joy.

4. Spiritual Value: The moral lesson of the story is to achieve goals no matter the price to pay and how rough the journey is.

5. Permanence: The epic displays the brevity of life. Lam-ang was only nine-months old at the start of his adventure and was skilled after his marriage. It also talks about taking advantage of the time on earth.

6. Style: The author transcribed the same ancient poem recited centuries by the early Ilocanos in their weddings and baptismal festivities.

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• In what way that this literary work can be best studied?

The literary work can be best studied in a cultural way.

• In what way literature instructs and entertains?

The literary work instructs through the moral lesson - achieving goals no matter what price to pay and how rough the journey is. It entertains by the telling of extraordinary feats of the protagonist and his companion dog and rooster.