Bantugen
Maranao · mortal · Maranao traditional religion; continuing · Recorded classification
Bantugen is the foremost hero of the Darangen, the great Maranao epic cycle set in the sultanate of Bembaran (Bumbaran). Celebrated for his beauty, martial prowess, and success in courtship, he provokes the jealousy of his elder brother, the reigning sultan, who forbids the court to speak with him. Wandering off in grief, Bantugen falls mortally ill and dies at the gate of a rival kingdom; his soul is borne up to the sky-world, and his kinsmen wage war and mount an expedition to retrieve it, whereupon he is restored to life. His exploits of courtship, abduction, and battle range across the island sultanates that make up the world of the epic.
Domains
- heroism
- war
Powers
- return from death
- rout entire armies single-handed
Epithets
- Bantogen a Datu sa Bembaran — Bantugen, lord of BembaranDarangen (MSU, 1986-1988). (primary)
Relations
- sibling: MadaliYounger brother to the reigning sultan of Bembaran.Darangen, 'Kambantogen' cycle (MSU, 1986-1988). (primary)
- ally: MabaningKinsman and fellow warrior who joins the expedition to recover his soul.Eugenio, Philippine Folk Literature: The Epics (2001). (secondary)
Sources
- Bantugen is the foremost hero of the Darangen and the central figure of its most beloved cycle.: UNESCO, 'Darangen Epic of the Maranao People of Lake Lanao,' Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (proclaimed 2005, inscribed 2008). (secondary); E. Arsenio Manuel, 'A Survey of Philippine Folk Epics,' Asian Folklore Studies 22 (1963): 1-76. (secondary)