BI-AG NI LAM-ANG:

AN ARCHETYPAL ANALYSIS

ANALYSIS

The Philippines is rich of epics and stories which tells our culture and belief and even those that accounts the our superstitious beliefs- one of which is "Bi-ag ni Lam-ang". 

After nine months of waiting for his father to return, Lam-ang decided he would go look for him. 

While travelling he dreamed one night of Igorots celebrating the death of his father. Lam-ang was furious and rushed to their village and killed them all, except for one whom he tortured first before releasing. Upon returning to Nalbuan in triumph, he was bathed by women in the Amburayan river. All the fish died because of the dirt and odor from Lam-ang’s body. Lam-ang fell in love with a young woman named Ines Kannnoyan. She lived in Kalanutian and he brought along his rooster and dog to visit her. On the way, Lam-ang met his enemy Sumarang, another suitor of Ines whom he fought and readily defeated. Lam-ang found the house of Ines surrounded by many suitors all of whom were trying to catch her attention. He had his rooster crow, which caused a nearby house to fall. This made Ines look out. He had his dog bark and in n instant the fallen house rose up again. The rooster expressed the love of Lam-ang. The parents agreed to a marriage if Lam-ang could equal their wealth consisting of lands and gold. Lam-ang had no problem fulfilling this condition and they were married.

SYMBOLISM IN BI-AG NI LAM-ANG

* Ines Kannoyan - symbolizes the ideal woman, the good and innocent which every man in every story desires to have as their partner.

* The river in the story symbolizes purification, such as when Lam-ang was bathed by women in order to remove the dirt and odor from his body; fertility, when he asked to dive in the water for their "married man tradition" to have a healthy married life, and; birth-death-resurrection when he was eaten by the shark and was eventually recovered and resurrected with the help of Marcos and his two magical pets. 

* The shark, or the Berkakan, symbolizes danger and death, which must be avoided in order to have a peaceful and successful life, like the couple in the story experienced and had overcome. 

* The rooster and gray dog in the story symbolizes downfall, hope and resurrection,that in every situation, you must have to experience failure in order to rise up again, and hope, to never give up, especially when you know that success will always be at the end of the story; because everything happens for a reason, and if all is not well, then it's not yet the end of the story.