Ama-ron

Last updated
Amaron
Member of Philippine folk hero
GenderMale
Region Philippines

Ama-Ron or Amaron is a character in Philippine mythology of whom little is known. His story is more common in the southern parts of Luzon, figuring mostly in folk songs.[ citation needed ] Like most male Filipino mythological heroes, he is described as an attractive, well-built man who exemplifies great strength.[ citation needed ] Ama-ron is unique, however, due to his apparent lack of an origin myth.[ citation needed ]

Philippine mythology

Anitism, simply referred as Philippine mythology or indigenous Philippine ancestral religions, is a body of myths, tales, and superstitions held by Filipinos, mostly originating from beliefs held during the pre-Hispanic era. Some of these beliefs stem from pre-Christian religions that were especially influenced by Hinduism and were regarded by the Spanish as "myths" and "superstitions" in an effort to de-legitimize legitimate precolonial beliefs by forcefully replacing those native beliefs with colonial Christian myths and superstitions. Today, some of these precolonial beliefs are still held by many Filipinos, both in urban and rural areas.

Luzon largest island of the Philippines

Luzon is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. It is ranked 15th largest in the world by land area. Located in the northern region of the archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as well as Quezon City, the country's most populous city. With a population of 53 million as of 2015, it is the fourth most populous island in the world, containing 52.5% of the country's total population.

Etymology and possible history

The name Ama-ron is believed to have come from the Tagalog words Ama (Father) and Roon (There) therefore Ama roon (Father is there).[ citation needed ] The basic unit of settlement on 14th century Philippines is called a Barangay led by a Datu. [1] The title Datu is reserved for ancient tribal chieftains and monarchs in pre-Hispanic Philippines. Ama-ron is believed to be a Datu of a similar-sounding name.[ citation needed ] Songs and poems may have been created telling of Ama-ron to strengthen their barangay's image and stature among nearby tribes.[ citation needed ]

Tagalog language Austronesian language

Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a quarter of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by the majority. Its standardized form, officially named Filipino, is the national language of the Philippines, and is one of two official languages alongside English.

Barangay administrative division in the Philippines

A barangay or baranggay, formerly referred to as barrio, is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward. In metropolitan areas, the term often refers to an inner city neighbourhood, a suburb or a suburban neighborhood. The word barangay originated from balangay, a kind of boat used by a group of Austronesian peoples when they migrated to the Philippines.

Datu Noble title in the pre-Spanish Philippines

Datu is a title which denotes the rulers of numerous indigenous peoples throughout the Philippine archipelago. The title is still used today, especially in Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan, but it was used much more extensively in early Philippine history, particularly in the regions of Central and Southern Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

The accent and phonology on which Ama-ron is pronounced is more similar to that of the earliest Batangueño dialect which can also be heard on folk songs of Ama-ron.[ citation needed ] The Batangan dialect, being closer to Old Tagalog than any other, shows that the root of Ama-ron's mythological history is older than what people believed since Southern Tagalog and Visayan Regions were the first areas of settlements. [2]

Batangas Tagalog is a dialect of the Tagalog language that is spoken primarily in the province of Batangas and in portions of Quezon, Laguna and on the island of Mindoro. It is characterized by a strong accent and a vocabulary and grammar that is closely related to Old Tagalog. It is not customary, in colloquial Batangan, to speak Taglish.

Old Tagalog is the earliest form of the Tagalog language and was the language of Central and Southern Luzon during the Classical period in Luzon. It is the language of Tondo, Namayan, state of Ma-i, Rajahnate of Maynila, and other regions of the northern Philippines. The language originated from the Proto-Philippine language and evolved to Classical Tagalog, which was the basis for Modern Tagalog.

Southern Tagalog

Southern Tagalog, designated as Region IV, was an administrative region in the Philippines that comprised the current regions of Calabarzon and Mimaropa, plus Aurora of Central Luzon.

In modern culture

The lack of knowledge on the Ama-ron legend can be traced to the medium of its transmission. His legend is mostly preserved through oral tradition as a children's bedtime tale and story, known as hele – a custom gradually waning in popularity.

Related Research Articles

Bathala deity

According to the indigenous religious beliefs of the Tagalog people, Bathala is the all-mighty deity who created the universe. A descriptive honorific is often attached to his name, describing him as the Bathalang Maylicha and as the Bathalang Maycapal.

Manananggal

The Manananggal is a vampire-like mythical creature of the Philippines, a malevolent, man-eating and blood-sucking monster or witch.

Tikbalang Philippine mythical creature

The Tikbalang (/ˈtikbaˌlaŋ/) is a creature of Philippine folklore said to lurk in the mountains and forests of the Philippines. It is a tall, bony humanoid creature with the head and hooves of a horse and disproportionately long limbs, to the point that its knees reach above its head when it squats down. In some versions it is a transformation of an aborted fetus sent to earth from limbo.

Tigbauan Municipality of the Philippines in the province of Iloilo

Tigbauan, officially the Municipality of Tigbauan,, is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Iloilo, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 62,706 people.

Lakan Dula was the regnal name of the last Lakan of the pre-colonial Tondo when the Spaniards first conquered the lands of the Pasig River delta in the Philippines in the 1570s.

Bay, Laguna Municipality in Calabarzon, Philippines

Bay,, officially the Municipality of Bay,, is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 62,143 people.

Pinabacdao, Samar Municipality in Eastern Visayas, Philippines

Pinabacdao, officially the Municipality of Pinabacdao, is a 4th class municipality in the province of Samar, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 18,252 people.

Jomalig Municipality in Calabarzon, Philippines

Jomalig, officially the Municipality of Jomalig,, is a 5th class municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 7,417 people.

Tala, based on Hindu godess Tara, is the name of the goddess of the morning and evening star in Tagalog mythology. Her origins are varied depending on region. Golden Tara, the Majapahit -era gold statue of Hindu deity Tara or Tagalog adoption Tala was found in 1918 in Agusan. The legend of Tala has very close parallels to legends among non-Filipino cultures such as the India tribes of Bihar, Savara and Bhuiya, as well as the Indianized Semang.

Tagalog people ethnic group

The Tagalog people are a major ethnolingustic group in the Philippines. They have a well developed society due to their cultural heartland, Manila, being the capital city of the Philippines. Most of them inhabit and form a majority in the Metro Manila and Calabarzon regions of southern Luzon, as well as a plurality in the provinces of Bulacan, Bataan, Zambales, Nueva Ecija and Aurora in Central Luzon and in the islands of Marinduque and Mindoro in MIMAROPA.

The deities of Philippine mythology are the gods, goddesses and diwatas worshipped by ancient Filipinos before the Christianization of the natives after the Spanish conquest of the Philippines. These deities and stories have similar elements and characteristics when compared to other mythologies, especially in Asia and Oceania. As the majority of pre-colonial societies in the Philippines prior to Spanish colonization viewed everything in balance, many gods and goddesses of these societies were depicted to possess both female and male personifications or the personifications of an opposite gender, in line with the same gender balance personifications in many indigenous mythologies in Southeast Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. These "shared beliefs" in balancing gender personifications upholds the theory that some Southeast Asians migrated towards Oceania and later towards the Americas bringing with them portions of their culture.

Philippine folk literature

Philippine folk literature refers to the traditional oral literature of the Filipino people. Thus, the scope of the field covers the ancient folk literature of the Philippines' various ethnic groups, as well as various pieces of folklore that have evolved since the Philippines became a single ethno-political unit.

The Tiyanak is a vampiric creature in Philippine mythology that takes on the form of a toddler or baby. Although there are various types, it typically takes the form of a newborn baby and cries in the jungle to attract unwary travelers. Once it is picked up by an unfortunate passerby, it reverts to its true form and attacks the victim. The tiyanak is also depicted to take malevolent delight in leading travelers astray, or in abducting children.

Tondo (historical polity) ancient Filipino polity on the northern part of the Pasig River delta from late 9th to 16th century

In early Philippine history, the Tagalog settlement at Tondo was a major trade hub located on the northern part of the Pasig River delta, on Luzon island.

Lakan

In early Philippine history, the rank of Lakan denoted a "paramount ruler" of one of the large coastal barangays on the central and southern regions of the island of Luzon.

Damiana Ligon Eugenio was a Filipino female author and professor who was known as the Mother of Philippine Folklore, a title she received in 1986. Apart from teaching at the University of the Philippines, she has several publications in the field of Philippine folklore, among them a series of seven books which she compiled and edited.

Barangay state well-organized independent villages (Pre-colonial) and complex sociopolitical unit which was the dominant organizational pattern among indigenous communities in the Philippine archipelago during approximately the 14th to the 16th centuries

In early Philippine history, the barangay was a complex sociopolitical unit which scholars have historically considered the dominant organizational pattern among the various peoples of the Philippine archipelago. The term, barangay, refers to both a house on land and a boat on water; containing families, friends and dependents and is currently the basic political unit of the Philippines. The Barangic Phase of Philippine history can be noted for it's highly mobile nature, with barangays transforming from being settlements and turning into fleets and vice versa, with the wood constantly re-purposed according to the situation.

Paramount rulers in early Philippine history Aspect of Philippine history

The term Paramount Ruler, or sometimes Paramount Datu, is a term applied by historians to describe the highest ranking political authorities in the largest lowland polities or inter-polity alliance groups in early Philippine history, most notably those in Maynila, Tondo, Pangasinan, Cebu, Bohol, Butuan, Cotabato, and Sulu.

In early Philippine history, a bayan was a political entity which consisted of several social groups called barangays. The term's etymology can be traced back to the word "bahayan", meaning a "community", or literally "a place with many households." The majority of these early "bayan" were economically complex communities situated river deltas where rivers exit out into the ocean, and featured a compact community layout which distinguished them from inland communities, thus the name.

References

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Philippine History Archived 2006-08-22 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ https://www.ualberta.ca/~vmitchel/rev2.html
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.