Mythologies of the Maranao Tribe

The Maranao tribe (Maranao: ['mәranaw]; Filipino: Maranaw), also spelled Meranao, Maranaw, and Mëranaw, is a predominantly Muslim Filipino ethnic 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" (lanaw or ranaw, archaic danaw, 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. The original endonym of the ancestral Maranao is believed to be "Iranaoan". This group later diverged, resulting in the modern Maguindanaon and the Iranun people (whose names can also be translated to "people of the lake"), 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.

The term “Maranao,” “Meranao,” or “Mranao” derives from ranao, which means “lake”; hence, “Maranao” means “people of the lake.” The traditional home of the Maranao is the area surrounding Lake Lanao, the second largest lake in the Philippine archipelago, next to Laguna de Bay in Luzon. Located in Lanao del Sur near the border of Lanao del Norte, the area is roughly triangular in shape, with a 28.8-kilometer-long base. The surface is approximately 780 to 2,300 meters above sea level. This elevation results in a temperature far more pleasant than that in the surrounding areas. On the northern tip of the lake lies Marawi City, the premier urban center of the province of Lanao del Sur. In Basa Iranon, the Maranao language, “Marawi” literally means a “place where things are inclined or centered.” The city is bisected by the Agus River, which is the only outlet of the lake to the sea to the north and which feeds the Maria Cristina Falls, now the major source of hydroelectric power throughout Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur. The Maranao language spoken in the Lanao provinces is part of a subgroup of languages called the Danao languages. The others include Ilanun, also Ilanum or Iranun, spoken by a group of sea-based people between Lanao and Maguindanao; and Maguindanao, spoken mainly in Maguindanao and North Cotabato. The Maranao population is estimated at 1,099,997, distributed as follows: 241,400 in Lanao del Norte or 22% of its total population; and 858,559 in Lanao del Sur or 78% of its total population. The Maranao comprise 36% of the population in the province of Lanao del Norte outside of Iligan City. The various Bisaya groups, including the Cebuano, comprise the dominant group in the province at 60%. In Iligan City, the Bisaya and Cebuano are the dominant group at 85% of the city population, whereas the Maranao are a mere 7%. However, in Lanao del Sur’s capital city of Marawi, the Maranao comprise 96% of the population. In the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the Maranao comprise 26.4% of the total population, making it the largest of the Islamic groups in the ARMM. Of the total population of Mindanao, they comprise 5.4%, making them the fourth largest ethnolinguistic group in the region. The largest group is the Bisaya, also known as Visayan, including the Cebuano, 44%; followed by the Ilonggo, 8%; and the Maguindanao, 6%.

The ancient Lake Lanao in North Central Mindanao has existed for two million years. Along its shores rose a people with a rich and vibrant culture who call it home. The Maranao people, whose name translates to “people of the lake,” are a southern indigenous group native to Lanao del Sur, a province that is part of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao or ARMM. The Maranao are the largest of the Islamic cultural-linguistic groups in the Philippines and have called the surrounding areas of Lake Lanao their ancestral homeland as far back as the 13th century. The name Maranao also refers to their language, which has roughly 780,000 speakers. The Maranaos are known for their exquisite folk art, colorful weaves, exotic metalwork and woodcraft, and epic literature called the Darangen. They are primarily rice farmers, but they also grow and harvest corn, sweet potato, coffee, cassava, and peanuts. They are one of the three indigenous groups in Mindanao, along with the Iranun and Maguindanao. Lake Lanao is at the beating heart of these proud people. For centuries, it helped shape their cultural and spiritual identity by being the inspiration for various myths and legends. The freshwater lake contributes to their livelihood through fishing, farm irrigation, and water supply for domestic use. It also powers a hydroelectric plant that supplies up to 70% of Mindanao’s energy.

The Muslim Maranao, the largest non-Christian ethnic group in the Philippines, have lived around Lake Lanao in western Mindanao since at least the 13th century, having separated from kindred coastal people at that time. Some Maranao maintained relations with these Ilanun, joining them in slave-raiding in the Philippine and Indonesian archipelagos. Legends, however, locate Maranao origins in Bembaran, a kingdom that sunk to the bottom of the sea because it rejected Islam. Sarip Kabongsoan of Johore (in Malaya) converted the neighboring Magindanao; his descendants went to the Lanao region and intermarried with descendants of refugees from Bembaran. In contrast to the Magindanao and Tausugs, the Maranao never established a single state but rather divided into a great number of small "sultanates" in continual warfare with each other. They, however, successfully resisted incorporation into the Spanish colonial state, and only the Americans early in the 20th century managed to subdue them. The influx of Christian Filipino settlers, particularly from the nearby Visayas, has threatened to marginalize the Maranao in much of their ancestral land. The region has been one of the hotbeds of the Muslim (Bangsa Moro) separatist movement since the 1970s. A major episode of that struggle was the 1972 MNLF attack on the Maranao city of Marawi (Dansalan before 1956). Under the Marcos' martial law regime, many traditional activities virtually ceased due to curfews strictly enforced by a government army suspicious of all Maranao gatherings. The influence of the many Maranao educated in the Middle East in recent decades has constituted an even greater challenge to Maranao customs, which often do not conform to standard Islamic practice.

The Maranao are famed for their sophisticated weaving and wood and metal craft. Maranao means "People of the Lake," after their traditional territory in the area surrounding Lake Lanao in the Bukidnon-Lanao Plateau, which is some 2,200 feet above sea level. They are one of the largest Islamic groups in the Philippines. Core areas as Marawi City, Lumba-a-bayabao, and Bayang. The Maranao are a splinter group of the Magindanao who took up Islam; all families trace their religious origin to Sharif Kabunsuan, who introduced the religion in the area. Communities are clustered around a mosque and a torogan, a royal house belonging to the leading economic household in the area. The Maranao are widely distributed and play an important role in market trade. Besides exotic textiles, metalwork, and woodcraft, the torogan building is perhaps the most spectacular example of Filipino secular architecture. The awang, or dugout boat used in Lake Lanao, is possibly the most unique and ornate of dugouts. Maranao textiles, which indicate the status of the wearer, are known for their very ornate designs and colors. The design motifs which form the basis for the okil are highly systematized. NOtable among them are the sari-manok and naga, abstract animate forms of the cock, and dragon or snake, respectively. They also utilize a unique tube skirt, the malong.

The Maranao people have lived on the Southern Philippine island of Mindanao since at least the 13th century. "Maranao" means "people of the lake" referring to Lake Lanao in the province of Lanao del Sur. While the majority of Maranao live in the area surrounding Lake Lanao, many have relocated to Manila as well as to other regions. Maranao refers not just to a people group but also to their language, spoken by people living in the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte. The Maranao people derive much of their identity and history from Lake Lanao. Within the surrounding region the primary source of livelihood is agriculture, including the production of such crops as rice, corn, sweet potatoes, peanuts, papayas, bananas, and betel nuts. Lake fishing is also a traditional source of livelihood. The Maranao have a very rich cultural heritage which they seem to enjoy sharing with those outside their culture. Textiles, metalwork, woodcraft, and architecture are all important cultural expressions. The AWANG, or dugout boat used in Lake Lanao, is possibly the most unique and ornate of dugouts. Maranao textiles, which indicate the status of the wearer, are known for their very ornate designs and colors. The predominate instrumental music of the Maranao people is the KULINTANG, performed on a unique set of eight melodious gongs. The KULINTANG musical tradition predates Islam, and is thus shared by both Muslim and non-Muslim people groups throughout Mindanao, as well as in other island nations to the south. The Maranao epic song, known as the DARANGEN, encompasses a wealth of knowledge of the Maranao people, and in 2005 was proclaimed by UNESCO as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

The Philippines as a whole has a high rate of literacy for a developing country, and this has led to a dramatic increase in literacy among the Maranao people as well. The Maranao are no longer plagued with the rampant illiteracy Dr. Frank Laubach observed there 75 years ago. On the contrary, degree holders are now so numerous that many cannot obtain employment appropriate for their education. Many of the highly educated Maranao must resort to the traditional occupations of agriculture and craftsmanship. The shortage of jobs in the Lanao provinces has probably led to the migration of some Maranao to Manila.

In the southern part of the Philippines, the Bangsamoro region has different amalgamated arts and cultures. This includes the popular tribe of Maranao people who strengthen and possess a strong faith in Islam in the country. Maranao or Meranaw is a term commonly defined as “people of the lake”, referring to Lake Lanao in the province of Lanao del Sur—hailed as one of the ancient lakes in the world. They are known for their metal crafts, architecture, colorful dances, cultural attire, tapestry, distinctive cuisine, and epic literature. They uphold these traditions despite the modernization. In fact, during the month-long celebration of the 63rd Lanao del Sur founding anniversary dubbed “Pakaradyaan O Sarimanok” in July 2022, the Maranaos showcased their rich and fascinating culture. “We are representing here, not only the different art forms, [but] we are also showcasing the deep and rich culture and way of living of Maranaos in order to attract people. We can do so by showing that we have our own dance, song, musical, and symbol that we can proudly present to the world as our own,” Lanao del Sur Representative Zia A. Adiong said.

Together with the Illanun and Maguindanao, the Maranao are one of three indigenous Muslim groups native to the island of Mindanao in the southwestern part of the Philippines, this tribal group share in a generalized Southeast Asian culture but has its own cultural identity. Almost all Maranaos are Muslims, but some groups living in the hills around Lake Lanao are commited to a version of Islam that is fused with traces of pre-Islamic traditions. The spreading of Islam in Mindanao created a differentiation between its native peoples, those those who became Muslim were named "Moro" and those who did not are called "Lumad". The Maranao, who are the first inhabitants of the shores of Lake Lanao still inhabit this region, the name Maranao means "People of the Lake" or "Lake Dwellers", referring to the indigenous people who inhabited the grounds around Lake Lanao. This lake in North Central Mindanaoand is located at an altitude of 2,300 feet above sea level and can be considered as one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in Mindanao. One Maranao folk tale describes how Lake Lanao was created. The story tells that a group of angels under the control of the Archangel Diabarail (Gabriel) moved out huge groups of people from the area named Mantapoli to prevent the world from turning upside down. The angels lifted the place very carefully and carried it through the air like a carpet, including the people with their houses, animals and crops. It was brought down at the centre of the earth, this in accordance with the command of Allah. The angels filled the hole that was left from the Sultanate with deep blue water, however the water had risen fast and threatened to flood the rest of the world. The Four Winds came to the rescue and created an outlet that was later named the Agus river, the hole became Lake Lanao. The native Maranao have a fascinating culture that revolves around kulintang music, a specific type of gong music, that can be found among both Muslim and non-Muslim groups of the Southern Philippines. The Kulintang, traditionally considered a women's instrument, is an ancient instrumental form of music composed on a row of horizontally-laid gongs and is played by striking the bosses of the gongs with two wooden beaters. When playing the Kulintang, the Maranao will always sit on chairs while other tribal groups that play this instrument commonly sit on the floor.

The Maranaos are always among us—in shopping malls, restaurants, theme parks, schools & offices. They’re the people that we easily refer to as Muslims. We clearly recognize them in their veils, tunics, skullcaps & sometimes in their distinct accents when they speak to us. You see them in Greenhills behind the strings of pearls or in front of bags, shoes, clothes & what-have-yous. Their stalls dominate the sidestreets of Quiapo & Recto. You hear them hustling incessantly. But you’ll also spot them shopping in Greenbelt & Rockwell. Many of them live in posh condos & drive sports cars. Some even go to expensive schools like Ateneo & La Salle. They’re traders & peddlers but they’re also students, doctors, lawyers, artists, engineers & congressmen.Yes, they’re Maranaos. They’re Muslims. And they’re Filipinos too. Not all Muslims are Maranaos but all Maranaos are Muslims.

Maranao (Filipino: Mëranaw; Kirim: باسا أ مراناو) is an Austronesian language spoken by the Maranao people in the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte and the cities of Marawi and Iligan City in the Philippines, as well as in Sabah, Malaysia. It is a subgroup of the Danao languages of the Moros in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Iranun was once considered a dialect of Maranao. Unique among other Danao languages, Maranao is spoken with a distinct downstep accent, as opposed to stress accent. Additionally, Maranao features aspirated "hard consonants", which also raise the quality of following vowels. Maranao is spoken in the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte and in northwestern Maguindanao, northwestern Cotabato, northwestern Bukidnon, and parts of Zamboanga del Sur all of which are located in the island of Mindanao in southern Philippines. Maranao was historically written in Arabic letters, which were known as Batang Arab. It is now written with Latin letters. Though there is no officially proclaimed standard orthography, Maranao is more or less written as influenced by contemporary Filipino conventions.

The Maranao people, also spelled Meranao, Maranaw, and Mëranaw, is the term used by the Philippine government to refer to the southern indigenous people who are the “people of the lake”, a predominantly-Muslim Lanao province region of the Philippine island of Mindanao. They are known for their artwork, weaving, wood, plastic and metal crafts and epic literature. They are ethnically and culturally closely related to the Iranun, and Maguindanao, all three groups being denoted as speaking Danao languages and giving name to the island of Mindanao. Many hundreds of years ago there lived in Pulu Bandiarmasir, a sultan and his sultaness, who had a son with seven heads. The son, who was named Maharadia Lawana, did nothing but gossip among the townspeople and because of this, many people disliked him. One of his heads would tell someone that so and so said these vile things about him and then another head would accost another person and say that this fellow had cursed him and so on. Those who were short of patience naturally became irritated or troublesome and invariably, the vexations would end in the death of someone.