Hinilawod

The tradition & historical record

Hinilawod is an epic poem orally transmitted from early inhabitants of a place called Sulod in central Panay, Philippines. The term "Hinilawod" generally translates to "Tales from the Mouth of the Halawod River". The epic must have been commonly known to the Visayans of Panay before the Spanish colonial period, since its main protagonists, like Labaw Donggon, were noted in early Spanish accounts of the local beliefs. One of these accounts says the adventures of the ancient hero of Panay were recounted during weddings and in songs. It was noted that there were still native mundos of Dingle, Iloilo who worshipped Labaw Donggon even until the last years of Spanish rule in the late nineteenth century. These worshippers would stealthily enter a certain cave in Dingle on the evening of a certain day of the year, in order to render homage and to offer poultry, doves, rice, bananas, and pigs to the ancient Visayan god. The Hinilawod Epic Chant Recordings, housed at the Henry Luce III Library of Central Philippine University, have been inscribed in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. This marks Iloilo City's second UNESCO recognition, following its designation as the first Creative City of Gastronomy in the Philippines, and is the first documentary heritage outside Manila to receive this honor. ¹

Hinilawod was first discovered "by accident" in 1955, when Filipino anthropologist F. Landa Jocano became interested in native folklore. He journeyed through the remote areas of his native island of Panay with two colleagues, gathering traditional folk songs, stories, and riddles. It was during one of those trips to upland barrios in the towns of Lambunao, Maasin, Janiuay, and Calinog in Iloilo that he was informed of a long and popular tale called Hinilawod. Portions of the story were performed to him and his colleague by an old man called Ulang Udig. Returning the following year with a radio technician from Central Philippine University, Jocano recorded a portion of the story on tape in 1956. However, when he returned to make a complete recording in 1957, Ulang Udig could only chant the Epic of Labaw Donggon, but could no longer narrate the much longer Epic of Humadapnon. Weeks later, Ulang Udig introduced Jocano to his aunt, an old babaylan named Udungan. However, she could only chant bits of the Humadapnon portion. Jocano was later introduced to Hugan-an, the niece of Udungan and a mountain singer. After being persuaded for some time, she agreed to have herself recorded while sharing her personal story and recounting the epic Hinilawod. It took three weeks to complete the recording of the 30-hour epic poem. ¹

Hinilawod recounts the story of the exploits of three Suludnon demigod brothers: Labaw Donggon, Humadapnon and Dumalapdap of ancient Panay. ¹

Kaptan, king of the Gods, decreed that the beautiful Alunsina (also called Laun Sina, "Unmarried One") be wed upon reaching maidenhood. Although unmarried gods from different parts of the universe sought to marry her, she ultimately chose Datu Paubari, a mortal who ruled over Halawod, as her husband. Upset by Alunsina’s choice, her rejected suitors joined forces to plot against the newly married couple. Maklium-sa-t'wan, the god of the plains, called a council of the gods. The deities decided to destroy the Halawod by flood. Fortunately for Alunsina and her husband, her sister Suklang Malayon, the goddess and guardian of happy homes, discovered the evil plot and warned them of it. Before the flood, the couple sought refuge on higher ground and escaped the gods' wrath undetected. They returned to the plains and settled near the mouth of the Halawod after the floods subsided and lived in secrecy. After several months, Alunsina was pregnant with triplets. The couple were ecstatic, and Datu Paubari prepared the things needed for childbirth including the siklot. When the triplets were born, the couple named them Labaw Donggon, Humadapnon, and Dumalapdap. Immediately after birthing her sons, Alunsina summoned the high priest Bungot-Banwa to perform rites on Mount Madya-as to ensure good health for the triplets. Bungot-Banwa burned some alanghiran fronds along with a pinch of kamangyan (incense) on an altar that he had built. He opened the windows of the north side of the room after the ceremony, and in came a cold wind that transformed the infants into strong, mighty, and handsome young men. ¹

When he reached adulthood, Labaw Donggon, the eldest of the triplets, decided to go on a quest to find himself a wife. He heard of the beauty of Anggoy Ginbitinan of Handug and wanted her for a wife. He asked his mother to prepare the things he will need for the journey—a magic cape, hat, belt, and kampilan (a large, two-handed sword). The journey to Handug took several days through plains, valleys, and mountains. When Labaw Donggon finally arrived, he asked for an audience with Anggoy Ginbitinan's mother and asked for her hand in marriage. The marriage was finalized when Labaw Donggon's parents met and discussed with Anggoy Ginbitinan's parents. Using his pamlang (magical charm), Labaw Donggon effortlessly conjured a giant house with ten rooftops and a hundred doors. After their wedding, Labaw Donggon and his new bride started on their journey back to his lands. Upon reaching home, Labaw Donggon asked his mother to care for his new wife and announced his intent on another quest, this time to the Rugal sa Idalom (the netherworld) and vie for the hand of the beautiful Anggoy Doronoon. Labaw Donggon won the hand of the Anggoy Doronoon with little difficulty, and also took her home to his mother. Thereafter, the demigod went on third quest to the Eastern Sky. This time the object of his desire is Malitong Yawa Sinagmaling Diwata, the young bride of Saragnayan, the Lord of Darkness. Aboard his biday nga inagta (black boat), Labaw Donggon sailed across many seas and flew across the region of the clouds and the Land of Stones before he found himself at the shores of the Eastern Sky and the fortress of Saragnayan. Upon setting foot on the shore, Saragnayan asked who he was and what was his business. ¹

Meanwhile, the defeat of Labaw Donggon at the hands of Saragnayan and his subsequent imprisonment angered his brothers Humadapnon and Dumalapdap. Humadapnon swore by the gods of Madya-as that he would seek revenge on all of Saragnayan's kinsmen and followers. He then embarked on a journey to the Eastern Sky, taking with him Buyong Matanayon of Mount Matiula, a man known for his exceptional swordsmanship. Together, they travelled the same path that Labaw Donggon had taken. Along the journey, the two met sorceress Piganun, who had taken the form of a beautiful woman and enchanted Humadapnon to the point that he did not wish to leave. After seven months in Tarambang Buriraw, Buyong Matanayon recalled that they brought some ginger with them. He thought of a plan to break Piganun's spell over his friend. ¹

The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Hinilawod”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. ¹

Hinilawod is poem, according to the structured record cited below. This entry was generated automatically from that record and has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition. ²

The source record links this tradition to 1 external register, which can be verified through the citation. ²