I.

INTRODUCTION

As with other Indigenous and Mindanao Lumads, during the nominal occupation of the
Philippines by the Spanish, and later the American and the Japanese, the Maranaos had tribal
leaders whom they called Datu. In the 14th century, upon the arrival of Islam, they developed
into a kingdom with a Sultan due to the influence of Muslim missionaries.

These groups share genes, linguistic and cultural ties to non-Muslim Lumad groups such as the
Tiruray or Subanon. Maranao royals have varied infusions of Arab, Indian, Malay, and Chinese
ancestry.

The culture of the Maranaos is centered on Lake Lanao, the largest in Mindanao, and the
second-largest and deepest lake in the Philippines. This lake is the subject of various myths and
legends. It supports a major fishery, and powers the hydroelectric plant installed on it; the Agus
River system generates 70% of the electricity used by the people of Mindanao. A commanding
view of the lake is offered by Marawi City, the provincial capital.

Maranaos are superstitious. They believe in the hidden powers of the ANTING-ANTING amulets.
These Items which they wear on their necks, arms or legs believed to bring them good luck.

Courting a Maranao lady could be difficult. A suitor should be the most hardworking and patient
bachelor in town. A go-between who will mediate for the contracting parties of the groom
needed. The parents of the groom contact the parents of the bride regarding the desire of their
son marry. The woman's family announces the dowry. When all is settled, the wedding
celebration takes place In fun and merriment.

THE MARANAOS

The Maranaos are the biggest group of Muslims living in the region. They are dwellers of lake
Lanao.

THEIR MATERIAL CULTURE ABOUT THEIR CLOTHES

Maranao women wear special kinds of clothes which are distinctly their own. The malong is one
kind of dress material which can be used in many ways. Women wear it as skirt, a dress, a
blouse or a gown. The rest of the family use it either as hammock, a fruit basket, a sleeping bag,
a bathrobe, a baby carriage or a simple market bag.

The name "Maranao" (also spelled "Meranao" or "Meranaw") means "people of the lake"
(lanaw or ranaw, archaic danaw, means "lake" in the Maranao language). This is in reference to
Lake Lanao, the ancestral homelands of the Maranao people.[3]
The original endonym of the ancestral Maranao is believed to be "Iranun" or "Iranaoan".[4][5]
This group later diverged, resulting in the modern Maguindanao and the Iranun people (whose
names can also be translated to "people of the lake"),[6] while the ancestral Iranuns who stayed
in Lake Lanao became known as the Maranao. These two ethnic groups, Iranun and Maranao,
are still related to each other, share similar cultures and both speak a one language, they either
call it Maranao or Iranun language which belongs to Danao languages.

There are at least 10 ethnic subgroups among the MuslimFilipinos who are all descended from
the same prehistoricAustronesian migrations that populated the rest of thePhilippines and
Maritime Southeast Asia; these could be

identied on the basis of language (http://en.wikipedia.

org/wiki/Moro_people#_note_1. Wikipedia, The FreeEncyclopedia, February 20, 2008).

Three of these groups make up the majority of the Muslims

in Mindanao: (1) the Maguindanaoans of North and SouthCotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and
Maguindanao provinces: (2)the Tausugs of the Sulu Archipelago: and (3) the Maranaosfrom the
provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur.