IRANUN

 The Illanun, called Iranun and Ilianon as well, are closely related culturally and
linguistically to the Maranao and Maguindanaon. The Illanun language is part of the
Austronesian family that is most closely related to Maranao.
 The Malay term meaning “pirate,” is appropriate for the people of this ethnic group, who
were once regarded as the fiercest pirates in the Malay area.
 The majority of Illanun live along the coastline in the of the towns of Nulingi, Parang,
Matanog, and Barira in Maguindanao Province, Mindanao; along the Iliana Bay coast,
north of the mouth of the Pulangi River; and all the way to Sibugay Bay in Zamboanga
del Sur and even the western coastal plain of Borneo.
 The society of the Iranun was a muslim. Its social class was classified into:
 Uripin (slave),
 Kadaklan (Dumato)
 Pendatu (Ruling class).
 Source of Living and Livelihood
 The ancient Iranun were good farmers and fishermen. They were living in the fertile vast
land and sea. They supplement farming and fishing by hunting deers and other wild
animals for their daily needs and consumption. Other source of livelihood was black and
gold smith industry. Ancient Iranun were good blacksmith and gold smith. For women,
Iranun were good waver of mats and malong. The ancient Iranun used barter trading
(among themselves and intervillages). The fishermen exchanged fish to rice/corn/ube
and other agriculture products/crops for their daily consumption. The farmer did the
same. Therefore, their medium of exchange in the absence of money was bartering to
acquire a property or anything for them to survive.
 ARTS
The ancient Iranun has its own arts.
 The most popular one until the present time is the ukir ( engraving naga). The ukir is
used almost furnitures and fixtures of the Iranun including houses.
 The bawor (cabinet or apparador now a days) has an ukir differrent forms and patterned.
 Sarimanok is another type of ukir during the ancient Iranun which was passed
generation to generation. Most of the museums and libraries now a days have these arts
displayed.
 HOUSE
 The traditional Iranun house is called the Turogan. It consists of three storeys.
  First is the basement space or tunnel called Kuta or Bag’r or Pacsol. Historically, this
was the portion of the house where residents hid when feuds or wars happened.

 Second is the main space for kitchen and living spaces where the residents sleep and
do domestic chores.
 Lastly, the tower is called gibbon, or bilik or lamin or the princess room. This is where the
princess stays.

 WRITING
The ancient alphabets of the Iranun were patterned in India. The system of writing was
one of the good achievements of the Iranun during its foreign contacts with the Indian
people. Although it was primitive, the Iranun have their own system of writing. This
system of writing was influenced and gradually changed to the present system patterned
from the Arabs. They called it kirim. The kirim was looked like sometimes a bird, a tree, a

roof, and cloud-shape.

 CLOTHES

The mogah, a traditional hand-woven cotton sarong made by Iranun and Bajau women, has
distinctive bands patterned with supplementary weft stylized floral motifs.
 Wedding Fiest/Ceremony
During the ancient Iranun, wedding fiest/ceremony was a long process. Parental
system was the usual practice. Iranun usually practice maharlika system. The man
who belonged to the ruling family of the village marries the daughter of the ruling
family of other village (Prince is for Princess Principle).

Iranun wedding process undergoes four stages. These stages were: panunuriman
(observation), pangingidong (Whispering) from the kakamaman side (groom side),
sarangguni (actual negotiation of the two parties facilitiated by other group, usually
the Council of Elders of the bride family), and gurangna (wedding ceremony). In
some cases, sarangguni and gurangna were fused into one. It depends on the
negotiation.

During the ancient Iranun, dowry (sunggodan/btang/btad sa adat) was term of

material not money, for example: land/lot, bulawan (gold), and other valuable
materials (animals). In some cases, uripin (slaves were accepted as dowry or even
the entire sovereign of the groom father served as dowry in case of a single child).
After signing of contract between the two parties, the groom was granted to court
and talked/'invite the bride to occasion with one chaperon. The groom was granted to
sleep in the house of the bride. Wedding ceremony among maharlika (ruling family)
was full of decors (pandara). There was activity (siapa sa manggis, kulintang contest,
and other wedding activities were observed) to give honor and respect to the royal
wedding.

The common class (kadakelan) used only sambulayang with no flag and pamanay.
The uripin has no wedding ceremony. The ruling family used the complete set of
pandara (pasandalan, sambulayang with flag at the top of the pole, ubor-ubor, and
pamanay). Usually bright colors were used (red,green and yellow). Among the
ancient Iranun red means bravery, green means sovereign, and yellow means ruling
family. These colors were only used and attributed to the ruling family.

 Music, Musical Instrument and Plays

Darangen as a song was the most popular name or title of a song during the Darangan Period.
Darangen as a title of a song described the entire civilization. Man and woman knew very well to
perform/sing darangen. Darangen as a song was usually sang at night. Bayok was another
name of a song which usually performed by two or three performers. The Mranaw sometimes
called Kambayoka. The performers were called Unur. Mamayog was another name of a song,
performed by one gentleman and one lady. The mamayog described the loyalty and
courteousness of a husband to his wife during the ancient Iranun (Darangen Period). Some
Iranun folks identified another song entitled Darangen a Babay (Most Beloved and Adored
Lady) was commonly sang/ performed in the Slangan Principality. Princess Tinabon was the
star who was being described in the song.
The kulintang, agong, gandingan, pamindira, and dibakan were usually and commonly used as
musical instrument. It was called in the Iranun as Lima A mamagenesupa (Lima Ka Daragia in
Ranaw). These musical instruments were usually used during fiest day or durangna (wedding
ceremony). During the ancient time, Lima Ka Mamagenesupa was used also during rituals.
Kutyapi (Kudyapi in some version), palendag, suling, kubing were among the musical
instruments during the ancient time in the Iranun civilization. Generally, all the person who reach
the maturity stage of human development knew to use and play these instruments. Sagayan
was a stage play which usually performed by young man describing the skill and bravery of the
Iranun warriors. The sagayan was usually performed during rituals. Sagayan was usually
performed by two young men. Minors can do it. In some Iranun wedding fiest/ceremony,
sagayan was being performed in the kakuyog sa damak (damak is a cooked sweet foods deliver
to the house of the bride from groom house) and in the procession ( kuyog) of the groom. It was
usually put ahead of the parade. Sagayan during wedding ceremony is accompanied by an unta
(it is look like a camel played and manipulated by a youngman to move). Kulintang (Lima A
Mamagenesupa) was being play as a music of the procession. Sinulog was a kulintang tune
usually used as a music in the procession.