Maranao
Encyclopedia
Maranao is the term used for the people of Lanao, a predominantly Muslim
region in the Philippines
island of Mindanao
. They are famous for their artwork, sophisticated weaving, wood and metal craft, and their epic literature. The word Maranao, also spelled Maranaw, means "People of the Lake," referring to the indigenous people who inhabited the lands around Lake Lanao
whose principal town is Marawi City. The Maranaos are part of the wider Moro ethnic group, who constitute the sixth largest Filipino ethnic group.
. Maranao royals have varied infusions of Arab, Indian, Malay, Javanese, as well as Chinese ancestry.
The language of the Maranao people is also called Maranao
. It is a language spoken by approximately 1,142,000 people living in areas near Lanao del Sur
and Lanao del Norte
. The language can be traced from the Southern Philippine sub-branch of the Western Austronesian language family, and is closely related to the Illanun
language spoken in Sabah and Malaysia. It is also close to Maguindanaon, the language spoken in Maguindanao, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Zamboanga del Sur provinces. They speak Cebuano
, Tagalog
, and Arabic language
, and English
as second languages. Practically, all Maranaos are Muslims. A few, especially those living in the hills around Lake Lanao
practice a version of Islam mixed with traces of pre-Islamic traditions.
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
region in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
island of Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
. They are famous for their artwork, sophisticated weaving, wood and metal craft, and their epic literature. The word Maranao, also spelled Maranaw, means "People of the Lake," referring to the indigenous people who inhabited the lands around Lake Lanao
Lake Lanao
Lake Lanao is a large lake in the Philippines, located in Lanao del Sur province in the country's southern island of Mindanao. With a surface area of 340 km²...
whose principal town is Marawi City. The Maranaos are part of the wider Moro ethnic group, who constitute the sixth largest Filipino ethnic group.
Language
- Maranao is an Austronesian languageMaranao languageMaranao is an Austronesian language spoken by the Maranao people in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur in the Philippines.-External links:*, Maranao Dictionary...
spoken by the Maranao people in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur in the Philippines.
Art
- SarimanokSarimanokThe Sarimanok is a legendary bird of the Maranao people who originate from Mindanao, a major island in the Philippines. It comes from the words "sari" and "manok." "Sari" means cloth or garment, which is generally of assorted colors...
is a legendary bird of the Maranao that has become a ubiquitous symbol of their art. It is depicted as a fowl with colorful wings and feathered tail, holding a fish on its beak or talons. The head is profusely decorated with scroll, leaf, and spiral motifs. It is said to be a symbol of good fortune. 2.
Musical Heritage
- The native Maranao have a fascinating culture that revolves around kulintangKulintangKulintang is a modern term for an ancient instrumental form of music composed on a row of small, horizontally-laid gongs that function melodically, accompanied by larger, suspended gongs and drums...
music, a specific type of gong music, found among both Muslim and non-Muslim groups of the Southern Philippines. Biyula is another Instrument for the Maranao people to use, Biyula is a string instrument. In 2005, the Darangen Epic of the Maranao people of Lake Lanao was selected by UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of HumanityMasterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of HumanityThe Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity was made by the Director-General of UNESCO starting in 2001 to raise awareness on intangible cultural heritage and encourage local communities to protect them and the local people who sustain these forms of cultural...
.
Cuisine
- Exquisite Maranao cuisine and hospitality are palpable. They are known of having a spicy taste in their foods. A condiment made of traditionally cultivated spices, locally known as Palapa is one of their distinguished cuisine symbol. It is made of stewed scallion bulbs or “sakurab” in Maranao. The thinly sliced scallion bulbs and ginger are caramelized by slow cooking and mixed with chillies and little coconut oil.
- Maranao recipes are so rich that it talks about life itself! Suffice it to say that the recipes are intertwined with the life cycle rites and rituals of all aspects of Maranao society and culture: from birth to death. In other words, food cannot be separated with daily life activities because food is life itself!
The Legend of Maranao Food
- According to a scholar, food is one of the panabi-nabian, prophet, a mercy and a gift from Allah. "When the world was created, mankind had no food to eat. The soil was asked to feed mankind but it refused because it does not have enough to feed mankind. And so one of the sons of Fatima, Asa, was buried so that Nabi Adam will also be fed and be able to move. For seven days Nabi Saopak was buried. After seven days, it grew. On the head part grew a coconut, on the heart grew the palay, on the pelvis grew cotton, and on the lower art grew a white chicken. The palay was harvested and fed to mankind."
Demographics
Maranaos number about 1,142,000. Along with the Illanun and Maguindanao, the Maranao are one of three related indigenous Muslim groups native to the island of Mindanao. In turn, these groups also share genes, linguistic and cultural ties to non-Muslim Lumad groups such as the Tiruray or SubanonSubanon
The name Subanon means "river people", which is derived from the word "suba" or river. The Subanon, also known in the Anglicized form as "Subanen," is a tribe indigenous to the Zamboanga Peninsula area, particularly living in the mountainous areas of Zamboanga del Sur and Misamis Occidental...
. Maranao royals have varied infusions of Arab, Indian, Malay, Javanese, as well as Chinese ancestry.
The language of the Maranao people is also called Maranao
Maranao language
Maranao is an Austronesian language spoken by the Maranao people in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur in the Philippines.-External links:*, Maranao Dictionary...
. It is a language spoken by approximately 1,142,000 people living in areas near Lanao del Sur
Lanao del Sur
Lanao del Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Its capital is Marawi City and borders Lanao del Norte to the north, Bukidnon to the east, and Maguindanao and Cotabato to the south. To the southwest lies Illana Bay, an arm of the Moro Gulf...
and Lanao del Norte
Lanao del Norte
Lanao del Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital is Tubod. The province borders Lanao del Sur to the southeast, Zamboanga del Sur to the west, Illana Bay to the southwest, Iligan Bay to the north, Iligan City to the northeast, and is separated...
. The language can be traced from the Southern Philippine sub-branch of the Western Austronesian language family, and is closely related to the Illanun
Illanun
The Iranun are an ethnic group of Mindanao, Philippines and the west coast of Sabah, Malaysia, in 25 villages around the Kota Belud and Lahad Datu districts; also in Kudat and Likas, Kota Kinabalu. Their current population is estimated to be around 1,000,000-1,500,000 .For centuries, the Illanun...
language spoken in Sabah and Malaysia. It is also close to Maguindanaon, the language spoken in Maguindanao, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Zamboanga del Sur provinces. They speak Cebuano
Cebuano language
Cebuano, referred to by most of its speakers as Bisaya , is an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines by about 20 million people mostly in the Central Visayas. It is the most widely spoken of the languages within the so-named Bisayan subgroup and is closely related to other Filipino...
, Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
, and Arabic language
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as second languages. Practically, all Maranaos are Muslims. A few, especially those living in the hills around Lake Lanao
Lake Lanao
Lake Lanao is a large lake in the Philippines, located in Lanao del Sur province in the country's southern island of Mindanao. With a surface area of 340 km²...
practice a version of Islam mixed with traces of pre-Islamic traditions.
History
Previous to the occupation of the Philippines by Spanish, and later American and Japanese, the Maranaos had their own kingdom with a Sultan ruler due to the influence of Muslim missionaries.External links
- Maranaw
- Maranao Online
- Ranaw, Ranao (Lake) terms for Lanao del Sur.