Epic

The epic poem tells the story of the hero Lam-ang who could talk at birth and fought headhunters who killed his father at only 9 months old. Lam-ang later journeys to marry the beautiful Ines Kannoyan, accompanied by his pets, and uses his supernatural abilities during their wedding celebrations.

As oral literature, the poem is believed to have originated in pre-colonial times, evolving as it is passed on from poet to poet and generation to generation. The poem's first transcription is sometimes attributed to the blind Ilocano poet-preacher Pedro Bucaneg, but historian E. Arsenio Manuel instead attributes its first written documentation to Fr. Blanco of Narvacan, working with the publicist and folklorist Isabelo de los Reyes.

Biag ni Lam-ang, though dominated by action and tragedy, nonetheless contained some comedic points. A prominent example is the scene in which Lam-ang was on his way home. He passes by the Amburayan River (identified by some as the biggest river in Ilocos[who?]) and decides to bathe. The dirt and blood that fell from his body then causes the death of the river's fish, crabs, and shrimp. As he is bathing, some maidens who were present at the river gladly attend to him.