BIAG NI LAMANG

(Life of Lam-ang)

Setting of the story:

• Nalbuan- somewhere in the Valley of Naguilan River in La Union where Lam-ang and his parents lived.
  

Characters of the story:

• Lam-ang- the main character of the story, the only son of Namongan and Don Juan Panganiban. He had the unusual power of speech and physical form.
• Ines Kannoyan- a beautiful maiden, daughter of the richest man of the town of Kalanutian, and a lady who loved and married by Lam-ang.
• Namongan- mother of Lam-ang who help her to match the wealth of the Kannoyans.
• Don Juan Panganiban- father of Lam-ang who go to the mountains to fight an Igorot band
• Sarindang- she tried to seduced Lam-ang.
• White rooster- acted as a spokeperson of Lam-ang.
• Parents of Ines Kannoyan- they dared Lam-ang to bring gold more than match of their wealth.
• Marcos- diver who rewarded by Lam-ang for collecting all his bones.
  Sumarang- Lam-ang’s rival.
  
  

Biag ni Lam-ang (Life of Lam-ang) is a traditional story that embodies popular beliefs having a person or thing having fictitious existence. It is an imaginative fiction or drama characterized by strange and unrealistic elements.

As Namongan gave birth with Lam-ang, it is not possible for a baby boy to ask his mother about the name he wanted to. And, how can a nine-month old baby look for his father who goes to fight the Igorots. (It was not discussed why did his father fight them and how Don Juan Panganiban killed by the Igorots.)

Upon returning home, why is it so that there were ninety-nine maidens during his bath, and how can he burned so much straw that the communities near the river were alarmed by the smoke. Aside from that, the water turned black and all the fish on the river died.

Lam-ang heared about a beautiful maiden, Ines Kannoyan, he decided to go to Kalanutian to court her. Reaching Kalanutian, he did something different to impressed everyone. He made his white rooster crow mightily and immediately the small house in the neighborhood collapsed. As Ines kannoyan, looked out of her window, Lam-ang made his dog growl and the house that collapsed erected again as if nothing had happened. Duly impressed, Ines and her parents came down and invited Lam-ang. Then, how can a rooster served as a spokeperson of Lam-ang.

The Parents of Ines told that they will bestow the hands of Ines ifLam-ang could equal their wealth consisting of lands and gold. But, how could he do that knowing that Ines was a daughter of the richest man in the town of Kannoyan. Then again, he made it simply amazing.

After sometime, Lam-ang complied with a tradition to catch rarang. Just as he dreamt so, He was swallowed by a giant fish. Ines became very sad and lonely but Lam-ang’s pet friend told that if his bones could be recovered, he might be revived. Surprisingly, with the help of Marcos, all the bones of Lam-ang were collected. Unbelievable… But that was what happened in the story. Then Lam-ang and Ines lived happily ever after with their pet friends.

The story of Lam-ang shows courage and determination. His love for Ines Kannoyan also shows that the true love can even move mountains. But the most important thing that Lam-ang implies to everyone was to have faith in God because He is always there to guide and save us.