The Maranao people (Maranao: ['mәranaw]; Filipino: Maranaw[2]), also spelled Meranao, Maranaw, and Mëranaw, is a predominantly MuslimFilipinoethnic group native to the region around Lanao Lake in the island of Mindanao. They are known for their artwork, weaving, wood, plastic and metal crafts and epic literature, the Darangen. They are ethnically and culturally closely related to the Iranun, and Maguindanaon, all three groups being denoted as speaking Danao languages and giving name to the island of Mindanao. They are grouped with other Moro people due to their shared religion.
The name "Maranao" (also spelled "Mëranaw", or "Maranaw") means "people of the lake" (lanaworranaw, archaicdanaw, means "lake" in the Maranao language). This is in reference to Lake Lanao, the predominant geographic feature of the ancestral homeland of the Maranao people.[3]
The original endonym of the ancestral Maranao is believed to be "Iranaoan".[4][5] This group later diverged, resulting in the modern Maguindanaon and the Iranun people (whose names can also be translated to "people of the lake"),[6] while the ancestral Iranaoan who stayed in Lake Lanao became known as the Maranao. These three ethnic groups are still related to each other, share similar cultures and speak languages belonging to the Danao language family.[4][5]
Map of the Confederate States of Lanao (1616-1904), with the State of Unayan colored in yellow, the State of Masiu in red, the State of Bayabao in pink, and the State of Baloi in blue.
The Maranao were the last of the Muslims of the Southern Philippines undergoing Islamization, primarily under the influence of the Maguindanao Sultanate.
Like neighboring Moros and the Lumads, during the nominal occupation of the Philippines by the Spanish, and later the American and the Japanese, the Maranao had tribal leaders called datu. In the 16th century, upon the arrival of Islam, they developed into kingdoms with sultans due to the influence of Muslim missionaries.
Culture
[edit]The shores of Lake Lanao is the center of Maranao society.Maranao "Man of War"
Tabo, a drum used in mosques to call worshippers to prayer[8]
Maranao culture is centered around Lake Lanao, the largest lake in Mindanao, and second-largest and deepest lake in the Philippines. Lanao is the subject of various myths and legends. It supports a major fishery, and powers the hydroelectric plant installed on it; the Agus River system generates 70% of the electricity used by the people of Mindanao. A commanding view of the lake is offered by Marawi City, the provincial capital.
Sarimanok, Papanok a "Məra"or"Marapatik" is a legendary bird of the Maranao that is a ubiquitous symbol of their art. It is depicted as a Hoodhud (Arabic) with colorful wings and feathered tail, holding a fish on its beak or talons. The head of Sarimanok is like the head of a Hoopoe (Balalatoc in maranaw) and is profusely decorated with scroll, leaf and spiral motifs (okir). It is a symbol of good fortune.[9][10]
The Maranao have also developed their own adaptation of the Ramayana epic, the Maharadia Lawana. They also have a traditional dance, the Singkil, which was based on another local Ramayana adaptation, the Darangən.
Traditional Maranao architecture, like elsewhere in the Philippines and at large maritime Southeast Asia, follows the Austronesian framework of wooden structures on piles, divided in three tiers pertaining to social class: torogan of royalty, mala a walay of lesser nobility, and the common lawig analogous to the bahay kubo.
Maranao kulintang music is a type of a gong music. Sarunaay is also found among both Muslim and non-Muslim groups of the Southern Philippines. Kobbing is a Maranao instrument and Biyula is another popular Instrument. Biyula is a string instrument. In 2005, the Darangen Epic of the Maranao people of Lake Lanao was selected by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
Maranao cuisine is spicier compared to most regions elsewhere in the Philippines, a trait largely shared with much of Mindanao. Traditionally cultivated spices, locally known as palapa (Bontang, native product of Gandamatu) are a common condiment.[11] It is made of stewed sakurab scallion bulbs, ginger, and chilliesincoconut oil.[12]
Dishes are intertwined with important cultural rituals across all aspects of Maranao culture: from birth to death.[13]
Traditionally, Maranao society is divided into two strata. Namely, mapiyatao (pure) and kasilidan (mixed blood). kasilidan is further subdivided into categories which are as follows; sarowang (non-Maranao), balbal (beast), dagamot (Sorcerer/Sorceress) and bisaya (Slave). The mapiyatao are natives entitled to ascend to thrones by pure royal bloodline. On the other hand, the kasilidan are natives suspected of mixed bloodline. However, due to the changes brought by time, these social strata are beginning to decline due to the rise of wealth of each and every Maranao families.
Prior to mass conversion to Islam, the Maranao people were primarily animist-polytheists like all the other ethnic groups in the Philippines. Some continue to adhere to their original religion and belief systems. The following are some of the deities, spirits, and other figures in the indigenous religion of the Maranao.
Tohan: the supreme deity who is perfect, having no defect; can cause and stop earthquakes and pestilence; later also called as Allah by Muslim converts[14]
Sun Deity: divine being depicted in an anthropomorphic form as a flaming young man; angels serve as his charioteers[14]
Moon Deity: divine being depicted in an anthropomorphic form as a beautiful young woman; angels serve as her charioteers[14]
Jinn: beings who live in the atmosphere which serves as a buffer zone between the skyworld and the earth, called Oraonan a Lantoy, known for possessing a garden of flowers and vegetables[14]
Walain sa Letingan: the princess-goddess living in a skyworld region called Magoyeda a Selegen[15]
Papanok sa Aras: children who died prematurely and were transformed into birds of paradise living in the skyworld region called Sorga[14]
Houris: heavenly maidens blessed with eternal beauty and perpetual virginity[16]
Lumpong: a large animal who carries the earth; accompanied by a small shrimp that sometimes claws on the earth-holder from time to time, causing the phenomena of earthquakes[17]
Sakar: a monster in the underworld where disrespectful children are trapped in its belly[14]
Walain Katolosan: the goddess who owns the amulet Sikag a Makaombaw[14]
Tonong: divine spirits who often aid heroes; often lives in nonok trees, seas, lakes, and the sky realm[14]
Apo: benign tornado and waterspout spirits; a classification of tonong; they are the ancestral spirits tasked to kill or drive away evil spirits[14]
Sakit: maligant harmful spirits responsible for diseases; a classification of tonong[14]
Saitan: malignant possessing spirits; a classification of tonong[14]
Inikadowa: the benign spirit double or guardian of a person, who is with the person when the baby is born; a classification of tonong; the placenta is their manifestation[14]
Tolos: a class of tonong who inhabit the sky realms; prayed to, especially in times of battle and protection for quests; referred to as gods[14]
Pinatola’ a Tonong: the ancestor of all unseen benevolent spirits; a tonong who takes the form of a gigantic crocodile at sea, a garuda in air, and a giant on land; a guardian spirit of Diwata Ndaw Gibon[14]
Pinatoli i Kilid: a tonong who takes the form of a gigantic crocodile; the guardian spirit of the king of Bemberan, Diwata Ndaw Gibon; clashed with Ladalad a Madali, grandson of Gibon; later gave valuable information to Madali; during the battle of Madali and Pirimbingan, Madali was aided by Pinatoli i Kilid against Pirimbingan's spirit guardian, Magolaing sa Ragat[14]
Magolaing sa Ragat: a tonong of the enchantress Walain Pirimbangan; took the form of a gigantic crocodile[14]
Sikag a Makaombaw: the intelligent and independent tonong (spirit) living within the Sikag a Makaombaw amulet, regarded as the most powerful amulet of all due to its ability to grant its wielder authority over all tonong[14]
Salindagaw Masingir: a tonong of the hero Awilawil o Ndaw; acts as the guardian-spirit of the kingdom of Kaibat a Kadaan[14]
Walain sa Lekepen: a goddess courted by the hero Bantogen[14]
Diwata ko sa Magaw: spirit of destruction; a tolos or deity[14]
Mino’aw a Minepen: powerful spirit of the sky; a tolos or deity[14]
Naga: dragons who repel evil spirits; a specific huge Naga is said to encircle the world[14]
Arimaonga: a giant lion who causes lunar eclipses[14]
Gabriel: an angel who reported to the supreme deity the overpopulation of the kingdom of Mantapoli, which resulted in its transfer and the creation of Lake Lanao[14]
Malakal Maut: the angel of death; takes the souls of someone after three to seven days from the falling of the person's leaf from the sacred Sadiarathul Montaha tree in the realm called Sorga. Appears either a handsome prince or a grotesque monster, depending if the soul he is getting came from a sinner or a virtuous person. Punishes the souls of sinners until final judgment, while lifting up the souls of the good into heaven[14]
Tonong of Lake Lanao: there are many tonong of Lake Lanao, who are invoked during certain rituals such as the kashawing rice ritual[14]
Aya Diwata Mokom sa Kaadiong a Lopa: father of the three rulers of the three kingdoms from the Darangen; a half-tonong and a half-human[14]
Daromoyod an Olan: mother of the three rulers of the three kingdoms from the Darangen; a half-jinn and a half-human[14]
Rulers of the Three Main Kingdoms from the Darangen: all three are siblings[14]
Diwata Ndaw Gibon: a semi-divine hero who ruled the kingdom of Iliyan a Bembaran, which was a favord abode of the tonong; had two sons with his head-wife Aya Panganay Bai, and a total of five daughters from five other wives[14]
Awilawil o Ndaw: a semi-divine hero who ruled the kingdom of Kaibat a Kadaan[14]
Dalondong a Mimbantas: a semi-divine hero ruled the kingdom of Gindolongan Marogong, which possessed the enchanted river Pagayawan that refuses to flow without the presence of thunder[14]
Aya Panganay Bai: married to Diwata Ndaw Gibon, who she has two sons; came from a place known as Minango’aw a Ronong[14]
Tominaman sa Rogong: firstborn son of Diwata Ndaw Gibon and Aya Panganay Bai; succeeded his father as ruler of Iliyan a Bembaran[14]
Magondaya’ Boisan: secondborn son Diwata Ndaw Gibon and Aya Panganay Bai; expanded the kingdom of Bembaran together with his brother-king, Tominaman sa Rogong[14]
Pasandalan a Rogong: son of Tominaman sa Rogong[14]
Bantogen: son of Tominaman sa Rogong; he courted the goddess Walain sa Lekepen, and was assumed missing by his people, leading to a search journey; returned with Madali to their kingdom[14]
Ladalad a Madali: son of Magondaya’ Boisan; went into a journey to rescue his cousin Bantugen, and all those who first came to find Bantugen; can become invisible with the aided of his guardian spirits; aided by his grandfather's guardian spirit Pinatoli i Kilid who clashed with the Walain Pirimbangan's guardian spirit; shapeshifted into a woman to take the amulet of the goddess Walain Katolosan, foiling the plan of Pirimbangan[14]
Walain Pirimbangan: an enchantress from Danalima’ a Rogong who imprisoned Bantugen and all the leaders of Bembaran who rescued him; aided by her guardian spirit, Magolaing sa Ragat[14]
Maharadia Lawana: a man with eight heads who was banished for his bad mouth; tried to kill himself, but failed upon the intervention of the angel Gabriel[14]
Kapmadali: a hero who battled Pinatola’ a Tonong[14]
Pilandok: a cunning man who tricked various people from a blind man to a kingdom's ruler[18]
Rajah Indarapatra: ancestor of both tonong and the Maranao; a child of heaven who chose to be reincarnated as a mortal son of the ruler Nabi Bakaramat;[14] brother of Rajah Solaiman; before Rajah Solaiman went into a journey, Rajah Indarapatra planted a kilala sapling whose vitality is interpreted as Rajah Solaiman's life; when the plant died, Rajah Solaiman avenged his brother's death and slayed Omakaan without cutting the monster[18]
Rajah Solaiman: went into a journey to slay Omakaan, but was killed by Omakaan[18]
Laughing Woman: a woman who told Rajah Indarapatra what not to do to kill Omakaan[18]
Omakaan: a man-eating monster who multiplies when cut into pieces[18]
Kalalanagan: also called Princess Condor; all her previous husbands except Inodang died because she is the source of mosquitoes, which come from her nose[18]
Inodang: the last husband of Kalalanagan; burned Kalalanagan to prevent more deaths, but some of Kalalanagan's mosquitoes escaped, which means Kalalanagan still lives[18]
Turtle and Snake: friends who went into a race, where the patient turtle won[18]
Lapindig: husband of Orak and Odang; upon finding his wives' death, he tightened his waist to stave off hunger and became the wasp[18]
Orak: wife of Lapindig, killed herself after Odang's death[18]
Odang: wife of Lapindig, accidentally died due to a quarrel with Orak about cooking and transporting food for Lapindig[18]
Semsem sa Alongan: a magician; husband of Anak[18]
Anak: wife of Semsem sa Alongan and youngest daughter of Sultan sa Agamaniyog; died due to a plan of Potre Bunso, where Anak was grounded by stone doors due to her failure to ask permission from Ring of Fire, Sharp and Pointed Metals, and Flowing River; her long hair became the leaves of the sapinit[18]
Potre Bunso: jealous sister of Anak's good fortune[18]
[edit]The Maranao people are shown in chocolate brown in this map.
Maranaos number 1,354,542 in 2010, representing 1.47% of the population.[19] Along with the Iranun and Maguindanao, the Maranao are one of three, related, indigenous groups native to Mindanao. These groups share genes, linguistic and cultural ties to non-Muslim Lumad groups such as the TirurayorSubanon. Maranao royals have varied infusions of Arab, Indian, Malay, and Chinese ancestry.
Maranao is an Austronesian language spoken by the Maranao people in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur.[20] Because of the mass influx of Cebuano migrants to Mindanao, many Maranaos are also fluent in Cebuano. Tagalog is the most used language by the Maranaos, which ranks second among its native language. English is also a language recognized by its citizens.
The Mëranaw Jawi kirim script and Arabic script languages
Arabic, a Central Semitic language, is spoken by the Moro people, as it is the liturgical languageofIslam. Some of the Maranaos are studied in the Middle east so they shared it in their area although it also spread throughout the Archipelago. The city of Marawi is known as the center of Islamic faith and cultures and Arabic studies in the Philippines because of its influence when it comes to Arabic learning. Even so, the Maranaos did not leave the importance of Arabic education because it is part of the research of knowledge about the Islam religion. Both Jawi script and Arabic script are also a part of the recognition of the Maranaos or all the Bangsamoro people in the Philippines.
Sultan Topaan Disomimba is a traditional leader, the chairman of the 16 Royal Houses of Lanao and a long time Mayor in the town of Tamparan, Lanao del Sur.
Japar Dimaampao is a present Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
Mamintal A.J. Tamano was a Filipino statesman and a former Senator of the Philippines.
Adel Tamano is a Filipino educator, lawyer and former politician.
Domocao Alonto is a former Filipino politician and senator of the Philippines. In 1988, he was awarded the prestigious King Faisal Prize for Service to Islam.
Dimasangcay Pundato is a former Moro revolutionary leader and current undersecretary of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process. He served as the Secretary of the now defunct Office on Muslim affairs (NCMF) for 2 straight administrations.
Samira Gutoc-Tomawis is a Filipino civic leader, journalist, environment and women's rights advocate, and legislator[1] who has served as member of the Regional Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission which was tasked to draft the Bangsamoro Basic Law.
Moh Saaduddin was a journalist, peace advocate, and provincial information officer of the province of Maguindanao.
^Hamilton, Roy W. (1998). From the rainbow's varied hue: textiles of the southern Philippines. UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History. p. 135. ISBN9780930741648.
^ abLobel, Jason William; Riwarung, Labi Hadji Sarip (2009). "Maranao Revisited: An Overlooked Consonant Contrast and its Implications for Lexicography and Grammar". Oceanic Linguistics. 48 (2): 403–438. doi:10.1353/ol.0.0040. JSTOR40783537. S2CID145549504.
Philippines
Media related to Maranao people at Wikimedia Commons
