This theological reaction to Sr. Coronel’s very informative paper is purposely narrowed down to selected reference points discussed in the paper itself, and mainly revolved around God and nature. With some efforts we have tried intellectual bracketing as we have tried to listen to the Maranao as expressed in the Darangen.

The Maranao is a highly religious group of people in Mindanao, living around Lake Lanao. In this important religious epic (Darangen), the writer gives us some manifestations of the sacred, and in the process differentiates what she considers traditional from modern Maranao. The epic sets the locus of the Maranao world, and traces the ancestry to three brothers — the ancestors of Mala a Bayabao, Cotabato and the unknown third (probably Lanao?). Towards the end of page 4, the writer mentions some “white stone figures of people, animals, houses — even the big lamin…” found in the mountains near Karomatan, and she reports the claim that a big stone, representing the magic boat of Bembaran, can be found near the Maria Cristina Falls. Along with other places and figures — like caves, mountains, and animals — the Darangen beautifully tells us of the religious meanings attached to these, and underscores the necessary attachments of the Maranao to his word and to nature itself.

This certainly relates the Maranao to other people — both in the Philippines and elsewhere — who worship nature, and connects his experience and aspiration to something tangible and visible — mountains, caves, etc. Like other religious people, the Maranao points to an axis mundi where he would periodically return in time and space. Is the recital or singing of the Darangen a returning to the axis mundi, a going back to illud tempus for the Maranao — a rediscovering, a constant relieving of the past in order to make himself authentically Maranao? Sr. Coronel strongly suggests this, for example on page 11, where she bats for the importance of Darangen.

Of more importance to us theologically is the discussion on the cosmology of the Maranao (from page 4 to page 11, the end of the paper). This important section does not only deal with the world-view but the religion of the Maranao, as a whole, although in an outline form. Sister discusses in this section not only heaven and skyworld, not only the earth and the abode of death (allusions to hell?), but also nature spirits, religious heroes, animals, plants, etc. that are important for the Maranao religion, in his experience of the manifestation of the sacred spirit world and/or nature. It is in the latter emphasis that we can see an important contribution of the Maranao to the present-day efforts of saving the planet earth. How this could be done is certainly something to look forward to, especially in the Maranao’s efforts to save Lake Lanao.

The theological dimension of the Darangen has been defined by the writer thus,” …it is a beautiful way of looking back in order to reach our destination, gathering the jewels, the moral values, the fundamental characteristics that make up what is beautiful in a people, because what is literature but the rendering into language of what is held as true and precious to a people?” The writer stops short what the religious scholar, Mircea Eliade, calls “the constant return to illo tempore,” but emphasizes the same necessity of returning to the time of origins to discover and rediscover the essentials of a people. The Darangen, then, is close to, if not similar to, the great religious epics of the world — including those here in Asia. In itself, then, it is important religiously, for it is a record of the experience of the manifestation of the sacred before the coming of what other call “historical religions” — Islam and Christianity.

I’d like now to propose some theological questions. Considering the value of the Darangen, as forwarded by the author, how shall the individual Maranao, or the community as a whole, look upon it as a religious authority, as an authority to govern his everyday life? For example, with respect to nature and the call to return to illo tempore, as it were, how is the authority of the Darangen to be considered by the modern Maranao over the issues of deforestation, harnessing of the lake waters of Lake Lanao for the benefit of many, over against the desire and responsibility of the individual and the tribal group to progress and usher themselves into modern civilization (which would lead, for example, a few Maranaos to big commercial ventures like logging and mining?) Places side by side with other Filipino groups (whom they perceive to be more progressive), how should the Maranaos view nature — i.e. show reverence and respect for it — in the eventuality of development for the greater good (like building an ecologically acceptable hydroelectric plant on the shores of Lake Lanao?) Pursuing the ethical dimension further, how should we use the Darangen in the ideally laudable pursuit of reforestation on the Lake Lanao watershed, in the fight against pollution in Marawi and elsewhere, and other such ecologically friendly efforts in our island and country today?

These questions have to be raised because in all religions — Christianity included — there is always a discrepancy between the religious ideals and everyday realities, between theory and practice, between beliefs and actions.

The Maranao religion and culture in the Darangen can be classified as ontocratic, where life is closely tied up with nature, and where religion emphasizes worship of nature spirits of religious deities associated with nature, like tonongs, jinns, etc. With its hierarchy of religious spirits or nature deities, the early Maranao is perhaps comparatively in the same world with other animistic peoples in other parts of the world. One wonders how much adaptation, influence, and even radical changes of the original story in the Darangen occured as the Maranao came in contact with other religiously literate people (like Hindu traders, for example). Sr. Coronel herself questions the authenticity of some parts of the Darangen.

Because it is ontocraticm, in the sense of being governed by or close to nature, the Darangen was destined to be in conflict with the historical religions — primarily Islam. The lament, therefore, of Sr. Coronel that modern Maranaos have effectively set aside the Darangen is theologically inevitable. The Islamic demand of radical monotheism is a fundamental given in the religion of Islam. Thus, the Darangen, with its beautiful stories of ancestors and “national heroes”, of nature spirits, of tonongs and jinns, etc., should be left aside if one were to be a true Muslim. This is true with Christianity, another historical religion, as alluded to by Sr. Coronel. In fact, the struggle between nature religion (animism) or ontocratic culture, on the one hand, and faith or ethical religion, on the other, occupies prominence in the Old Testament and is most vividly expressed in the contest between the prophets of Baal and Elijah, the prophet of Yahweh. (1 Kings 18:1-40).

One important theological thrust of the Darangen is its concern for nature, the respect or reverence of the Maranao for a nature, in the words of the writer,” …that once upon a time, they were men who cared very close to nature, exercising love and care for the beautiful world given to them…” And this leads us to the familiar theological question: How much is man given dominion over creatures? How should man express love and care for the beautiful world? What is his ethical responsibility to nature itself? And to the community? And how should the Maranao resolve the conflict between the two over the use, for example, of the Lake Lanao waters? The dilemma, it seems to me, it alluded to by Sr. Coronel herself when she says at the end of the first paragraph of page 11, “But his community spirit prevailed for the greater good for all, “implying that the ethically correct reverence for nature has to be compromised somewhat because of “community spirit.” Theologically, how should the Maranao be or act as a good viceroy of Allah with a good relation to his maratabat?

I’d like to end here expressing my gratitude to the organizers of this seminar and to the writer, Sr. Delia Coronel, for this stimulating paper on the Darangen of the Maranao.