Coming from the Maranao people who live in the Lake Lanao region of Mindanao, the Darangen is an ancient epic song that talks about a wealth of knowledge of the Maranao People. Its history dates back to before the Islamization of the Philippines in the 14th century, and is largely shared orally, with parts of the epic being recorded in manuscripts through the use of an ancient writing system based on Arabic script.

The word “Darangen” comes from the Maranoa word “darang,” which translates to “to narrate in the form of a song or chant”, which makes the Darangen mean “That which is sung or chanted.”

The epic is comprised of 17 cycles and a total of 72,000 words that celebrate the events from the Maranao history and the trials of mythical heroes. The epic also has underlying themes of life and death, courtship, love, and politics through the use of symbols, metaphors, irony, and satire. It also contains the customary laws, social standards, ethical behaviors, concepts of beauty, and social values that are specific to the Maranao people, and the elders still refer to this epic in the administration of customary law.

Performers of the epic must possess prodigious memory, improvisational skill, poetice imaginations, knowledge of customary law, genealogy, flawless and elegant vocal technique, and the ability to engage an audience during long hours of performance. Sometimes music and dance are part of the chant.

Because of its rich vocabulary and ancient grammatical form, it can only be understood by practitioners, elders, and scholars, which has led to it being performed less often.

(“Darangen Epic of the Maranao People of Lake Lanao – UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage,” n.d.)