The Maranao people (
Maranao:
mәranaw Filipino: ''Maranaw''), also spelled Meranao, Maranaw, and Mëranaw, is the term used by the Philippine government to refer to the southern
indigenous people
Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
who are the "people of the lake", a predominantly-
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
Lanao province region of the
Philippine
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
island of
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
. 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
Maguindanao
Maguindanao (, Maguindanaon: ''Prubinsya nu Magindanaw''; Iranun'': Perobinsia a Magindanao''; tl, Lalawigan ng Maguindanao) was a province of the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). From 2014 ...
, all three groups being denoted as speaking
Danao languages and giving name to the island of
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
.
Etymology
The name "Maranao" (also spelled "Meranao", "Meranaw", or "Maranaw") means "people of the lake" (''lanaw'' or ''ranaw'',
archaic ''danaw'', means "lake" in the
Maranao language
Maranao ( fil, Mëranaw) is an Austronesian language spoken by the Maranao people in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur in the Philippines, and in Sabah, Malaysia.
Iranun was once considered a dialect of Maranao.
Uniq ...
). 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
Maguindanao
Maguindanao (, Maguindanaon: ''Prubinsya nu Magindanaw''; Iranun'': Perobinsia a Magindanao''; tl, Lalawigan ng Maguindanao) was a province of the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). From 2014 ...
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.
History
The Maranao were the last of the Muslims of the Southern Philippines undergoing
islamicization
Islamization, Islamicization, or Islamification ( ar, أسلمة, translit=aslamāh), refers to the process through which a society shifts towards the religion of Islam and becomes largely Muslim. Societal Islamization has historically occurre ...
, primarily under the influence of the
Maguindanao Sultanate
The Sultanate of Maguindanao ( Maguindanaon: ''Kasultanan nu Magindanaw''; Old Maguindanaon: كاسولتانن نو ماڬينداناو; Jawi: کسلطانن ماڬيندناو; Iranun: ''Kesultanan a Magindanao''; ms, Kesultanan Magindana ...
.
Like neighboring
Moros and
Lumadnon, 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
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
, they developed into a kingdom with a
Sultan
Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it c ...
due to the influence of Muslim missionaries.
Culture
Maranao culture can be characterized by:
*
Lake Lanao
*
Sarimanok (''Papanoka a Məra'' or
''Marapatik'')
*
Torogan, Maranao royal houses, where the architecture used is the most aesthetic in the Philippines
*Darangən, an epic
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
Intangible cultural heritage
*Kirim, pre-Hispanic handwriting based from
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
letters with 19 consonants and 7 vowels
*
Singkil, a Philippine dance based on a scene from the ''Darangən''
*
Okir wood and metal carvings
*Kapmorod and Kakhalilang with
Sambolayang and Pasandalan a Morog and Marigay for Kazipa sa Manggis
*Kaplagod (racing horses)
*Tabo, a drum used in mosques to call worshippers to prayer
Maranao culture is centered around Lake Lanao, the largest
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
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.
Visual arts
File:Mindanao Bangsamoro Islamic Art - 24556180573.jpg, alt=, Woodcarving of the Sarimanok with ''okir'' motifs
File:Food jar (gadur), Mindanao, Maranao, brass with silver inlay, Honolulu Academy of Arts.JPG, alt=, ''Gadur'' jar with silver inlay
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.
The Maranao have also developed their own adaptation of the ''
Ramayana
The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th to 4th centuries BCE, and later stages ...
'' epic, the ''
Maharadia Lawana''. They also have a traditional dance, the
Singkil, which was based on another local Ramayana adaptation, the ''Darangən''.
Architecture
Traditional Maranao architecture, like elsewhere in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
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''.
Music and performing arts
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
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
as a
Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity
The 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 of intangible cultural heritage and encourage local communities to protect them and th ...
.
Cuisine
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. It is made of stewed ''
sakurab'' scallion bulbs,
ginger, and
chillies
Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for t ...
in
coconut oil.
Dishes are intertwined with important cultural rituals across all aspects of Maranao culture: from birth to death.
Social structure
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.
Demographics
Maranaos number 1,354,542 in 2010, representing 1.47% of the population.
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
Tiruray or
Subanon. Maranao royals have varied infusions of Arab, Indian, Malay, and Chinese ancestry.
Language
Maranao is an
Austronesian language spoken by the Maranao people in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur.
Because of the mass influx of
Cebuano migrants to Mindanao, many Maranaos are also fluent in Cebuano.
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
, a
Central Semitic language, is spoken by a minority of the Moro people, as it is the
liturgical language of
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
. Most Maranaos, however, do not know Arabic beyond its religious use.
Notable Maranaos
*
Sultan Topaan Ditual Disomimba was a long-time politician, and the Chairman of the 16 Royal Houses of Lanao, the Sultan of Masiu.
*
Abdullah Dimaporo
Abdullah may refer to:
* Abdullah (name), a list of people with the given name or surname
* Abdullah, Kargı, Turkey, a village
* ''Abdullah'' (film), a 1980 Bollywood film directed by Sanjay Khan
* '' Abdullah: The Final Witness'', a 2015 Pakis ...
is a politician, a former representative and former governor of Lanao Del Norte.
*
Domocao Alonto
Ahmad Domocao "Domie" Alangadi Alonto (August 1, 1914 – December 11, 2002) was a Muslim-Filipino lawyer, educator, author, traditional leader, and Islamic figure from Lanao del Sur.
He served as a Senator of the Philippines and was elected as a ...
is a former Filipino politician and a former senator of the Philippines. In 1988, he was awarded the prestigious King Faisal Prize for Service to Islam.
*
Mamintal A.J. Tamano was a Filipino statesman and a former Senator of the Philippines.
*
Adel Tamano
Adel Fadel Abbas Tamano is a Filipino educator, lawyer and former politician. He is currently serving as the Vice President for Public Affairs and Communications of Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines, and the Vice President for Corporate Affairs of Udenn ...
is a Filipino educator, lawyer and former politician.
*
Abdullah D. Mama-o is a lawyer, former Presidential Adviser on OFW and first Secretary of Department of Migrant Workers.
*
Mamintal M. Adiong Sr. was a long-time Filipino politician, serving as Governor of Lanao del Sur from 2001 until his death from cardiac arrest.
*
Mamintal Alonto Adiong Jr. is the present governor of the Province of Lanao del Sur.
*
Abul Khayr Alonto is a Filipino businessman and lawyer and a former Moro freedom fighter. He once became the chairman of Moro National Lebaration Front.
*
Dimasangcay Pundato is a former Moro freedom fighter and revolutionary leader. He served as Secretary of the NCMF, then the Office on Muslim Affairs for three administrations (Corazon Aquino, Fidel Ramos, and Joseph Estrada) and as Undersecretary of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to Benigno Aquino III).
*
Samira Gutoc-Tomawis
Samira Ali Gutoc (born 19 December 1974) is a Filipina civic leader, journalist, environmentalist, women's rights advocate and politician. She served as a member of the Regional Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao a ...
is a Filipino civic leader, journalist, environment and women's rights advocate, and legislator
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.
*
Japar Dimaampao is a present Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
* Guiling "Gene" A. Mamondiong is a lawyer and former Secretary and Director General of
TESDA
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA ; fil, Pangasiwaan sa Edukasyong Teknikal at Pagpapaunlad ng Kasanayan) serves as the Philippines' Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) authority. As a government a ...
.
*
Moh Saaduddin
Mohammad Ibrahim Saaduddin, better known as Moh Saaduddin, was a peace activist and a Maranao journalist who wrote for ''The Manila Times'' and the ''Mindanao Examiner'' in the Philippines. He wrote about current events and positive developments ...
was a journalist, peace advocates, and served as a provincial information officer of the province of Maguindanao.
Notes and references
External links
MaranaoMaranao OnlineRanao Ranao (Lake) terms for Lanao del Sur.
{{Authority control
Ethnic groups in Mindanao
Islam in the Philippines
Muslim communities of the Philippines
Moro ethnic groups