Maranao, also spelled as Meranao and Meranau, is the term used officially by the Philippine
government in reference to the southern tribe who are now the people of the lake called
Ranao in the Iranaon language, a predominantly Muslim region in the Philippines island of
Mindanao.
They are famous for their artwork, sophisticated weaving, wood and metal crafts, and their
epic literature, Darangen.
The word Maranao, also spelled Meranau is a misnomer as it does not have a sense in
reference to nouns such as people, place or thing.
The prefix MA- means 'to be', i.e., Maranao means to be lake.
The real term is Iranon which when pronounced fluently is Iranon meaning "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 Moro
ethnic group.
The life of the Maranaos is centered on Lake Lanao, the largest in Mindanao, and the second
largest and deepest lake in the Philippines.
This breathtakingly beautiful lake is surrounded with myths and legends, it is the main source
of fisheries, and the main source of a hydroelectric plant installed on it; and the Agus River
system that 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.
Etymology The ancient people in Mainland Mindanao were
called Iranun, also spelled Iranon, of the coastal area of Illana Bay and Iranaon of
the people in Bembaran/ Bumbaran or Bukidnon and Kiaranda Area, a ragat or ranao, a lake,
in local language.
The Iranon is the people of the constant flow of rivers and creeks from the mountains to
the coastal areas.
A volcanic eruption developed a flat land surface little-by-little.
In modern science describes and illustrates this process as results of sedimentary formation
and residual remains that forms the low and flat land surface in the coastal areas.
This land is rich and suitable to crops.
The Maranao vernacular called it “ira” which means remains.
Thus, the name of the people in the coastal area of Illana Bay was derived from the root
word “ira” plus “ranao” forms the word Iranaon which means people living the
residual remains in the coastal areas.
In present days, the Maranao refers the word Iranaon “tao sa ragat” or the people of
Lanao who migrated to sea area [others believed that the word Maranao is a combination of
two words "Malay" and "Lanao" or the Ancient Lake Lanao thus making it "Maranao" that mean
People living around lake lanao] while the Maranaos are people who dwelled around the
lake of Lanao.
These peoples belong to same genealogy, lineages, culture and history.
They are called Maranao in general term.
weak 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.
leo gonzales the king Art
Sarimanok Garuda 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.
Musical Heritage
The native Maranao have a fascinating culture that revolves around kulintang 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 UNESCO
as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
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, 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 part 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
Moro 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 Subanon.
Maranao royals have varied infusions of Arab, Indian, Malay, Japanese, 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, most of 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.
History Same as other Moro and Mindanao Lumads, the
very nominal occupation of the Philippines by Spanish, and later American and Japanese
in Mindanao, the Maranaos had their own kingdom with a Sultan ruler due to the influence of
Muslim missionaries.
Notes and references
External links Maranao
Maranao Online Ranao, Ranao terms for Lanao del Sur.