Innem A Dung-aw ni Maria: Vanishing Ilocano Lenten Traditions

rrandy33 · Sudario

rrandy33 · Leccio

    In the Christian calendar, Lent begins before Easter and lasts for 40 days. It is a time of preparation and thought before the Easter celebration. Lent concludes on April 10, 2022, the day before Easter Sunday. On Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays during the season of Lent. Catholics aged 14 and over are not permitted to consume meat such as chicken, cattle, hog, ham, and a variety of other meats. However, other foods like as vegetables, fruits, eggs, milk, fish, and grains are permitted to be consumed during Lent. Some claim that injuries and wounds are more difficult to heal during the Lenten season, and that if the road is bleeding, there is a greater possibility of an accident. The late great historian Isabelo delos Reyes which is the son of Leona Florentino noted in the 1890s that the people of Ilocos Sur were among the most pious in the country especially during Holy Week. And during the Lenten season a mournful Ilocano chant singing the "Dung-aw ni Apo Santa Maria" which means the lament of  the Blessed Mother on the death her son can be heard played over the radio stations.

   The Ilocano Pasyon is claimed to be a translation of the Tagalog Pasyon Genesis, or Pasyong Mahal, which is a lyrical recounting of the important events of the scripture from Creation to Resurrection. Nowadays, the Ilocano Pasyon is rarely recited. The Sudario literally means "handkerchief" in Latin; see also Santa Veronica's sudario, an adaptation of the dung-aw, the pre-colonial Ilocano lament, is composed of five lines of eight syllables each. Each section comprises ten stanzas, with the tenth being a two-line poem summoning a personified Jerusalem. It's sung with soul—a there's "drawl," which is a lengthening of a vowel sound like "ah" to make thee sorrow even more strong and melancholy. Unlike the Tagalog Pasyon, whose musical setting has been adapted to modern music, the original melody of the Sudario has remained and continues to be sung throughout the Lenten season, particularly on Good Friday before the Santo Entierro, which is the picture of the dead Christ in supine posture.

   Once a year, whenever "Holy Week" arrives, I always see my late grandmother extract oil from coconut on Good Friday and my mother would bring it during Good Friday procession to have it blessed. It was thought that the holy oil and water from this mass could cure disease and "spiritual ailments." This practice was observed by devoted Catholics throughout the Lenten season and should be cooked with wood through a "ulingan" and derived from coconut oil. This culinary ritual grew important not just in Philippine food, but also among conservative Catholics, particularly those living in rural areas or the provinces. 

   However, my grandma died 3 years ago, after that the family ritual came to an end. It was heartbreaking since they were the ones who raised me from preschool to elementary school. You might say that I am unmistakably a lola's boy. Whenever I cried, my mother would say, "Mana ka talaga sa lola mo," referring to me and my late grandmother as the only sensitive and soft-hearted members of the family. Holy Week makes me think of her weeping in the living room, her head on the table. My mother would switch off the radio and explain that everytime she heard Sudario ken Lectio, my grandmother remembered her deceased parents. I'm the one that gets sad when I hear Sudario ken Lectios now that she's gone. 

My Late Grandmother, Florencia Agueran Aguimbag 

     

After the tradition died, A new tradition was born, and it was already carried out for two years in a row. It was organized by me to honor and remember my late grandmother. It represents my unspoken sadness at my grandmother's abrupt passing in 8th grade, because school was still in session and I didn't have time to mourn and express my love and respect during her funeral viewing. Because her death was so unexpected, my emotions were unable to settle until her burial. I'd still hear her heavy footsteps outside for weeks after her burial and expect her to return with pasalubong someday. This piece would be titled "Innem a Dung-aw ni Maria," which translates as "The Six Lament of Mary." It not only depicts Holy Week, but it also represents my artistry, creativity, and, most significantly, my artistic evolution. I would draw a portrait of  Our Lady of  7 Sorrows, also known as Mater Dolorosa, and Our Lady of Dolours yearly during the month of March to April. It depicts Mother Mary's sadness and sorrow upon the loss of her son, with her heart appearing with seven swords sliced through it, representing her seven sorrows.

 The Seven Sorrows are:

1. The Prophecy of Simeon 
2. The Flight into Egypt 
3. The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem
4. Mary's meeting Jesus on the Via Dolorosa, the Fourth station of the Cross
5. The Crucifixion of Jesus on Mount Calvary
6. Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross
7. The Burial of Jesus by Joseph of Arimathea

2020

2021

   (I will update this blog for the 2022 one 😉)

 Every time I do this practice, it reminds me that another year has passed and we are still in the grip of a pandemic. Church attendance is restricted for Christians as a result of the Covid-19. Some people exclusively attend church mass online. Social distance must be followed since it is one method of preventing viral spread. However, as long as you believe in God and do not harm other people, you are still considered a good Christian. These Lenten festivities are one of the things Christians conduct as a result of their beliefs and faith.

References:

✞ BLESSED COCONUT OIL by Sukito Spoon 

 Retrieved on Febraury 27, 2022 https://tinyurl.com/holy-oil

✞ The Ilocano Pasyon: Sudario and Lectio Posted by Fr. Randolf C. Flores, SVD at 9:52 AM 

Retrieved on Febraury 27, 2022  https://tinyurl.com/sudario-ken-lectio

✞ Palm Sunday Procession by My Religious Journey 

Retrieved on Febraury 27, 2022 https://tinyurl.com/semana-ti-Vigan