Saragnayan

Saragnayan (Buyong Saragnayan), the 'Lord of Darkness' and 'Keeper of Light', is the great antagonist of the Hinilawod, the Sulod epic of Central Panay recorded by F. Landa Jocano. A demigod said to be born of primordial chaos and a mortal woman, he rules the eternally dark land of Gadlum, keeps charge of the course of the sun, and is the husband of the enchantress Nagmalitong Yawa. When Labaw Donggon comes to claim her, Saragnayan defeats him with his pamlang (amulet) and imprisons him; he cannot be drowned because his life is hidden in the heart of a wild boar, and he is finally killed only when Labaw Donggon's sons Asu Mangga and Buyung Baranugon destroy the boar and pierce his eyes with poisoned arrows.

Domains

• darkness
• sun

Powers

• could not be killed because his life was hidden outside his body
• overpowered Labaw Donggon in single combat by the power of his amulet
• kept charge of the course of the sun as Keeper of Light

Epithets

• Buyong Saragnayan

Relations

• spouse: Nagmalitong Yawa
• enemy: Labaw Donggon
• enemy: Buyung Baranugon

Sources

• F. Landa Jocano, Hinilawod (Sulod/Suludnon epic of Central Panay); collected from the chanter Hugan-an
• Wikipedia 'Hinilawod'; The Aswang Project, 'Three Brothers of Panay' (excerpt of the Suludnon epic)