Known as the iconic bird in mythology, the sarimanok is part of the Maranao cultural heritage. Embellished by later elucidations, the iconic symbol is depicted today as a feathered friend “characterized by its colorful feathers, scroll, leaf and other motifs on its head, and the fish that it carries on its talons or in its beak.” A talon usually refers to claws belonging to birds of prey, such as an eagle, hawk, falconet, kite, buzzard, or even an owl.
Bird symbols in Philippine mythology abound and their provenance is strongly linked to ancient Hindu tradition via the Madjapahit and Srivijaya empires that once ruled south Asia.
These domains, however, evolved from a much earlier kingdom, the Cham, a name immortalized in the name of Cambodia. The Cham, which dates to the second century AD, is a civilization whose imprints are visible in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia, in the Pacific Islands, and South America, chiefly through complex infrastructures such as Borobudur and Angkor Wat.
The Philippine scripts (i.e., baybayin) and the Golden Tara, a Buddhist-inspired icon unearthed in Butuan are said to be influenced by the Cham culture.
Daniel de Guzman, in “The Role of Birds and Serpents in Philippine Mythology” of The Aswang Project, wrote of bird symbolisms that are smaller versions of eagle-like Hindu-inspired icons.
Among the Mandaya, their bird icons do not have names but possess the power of creation. To the Tagacaulo tribe, the limokon (turtledove) relates to the origin of mankind. Among the Mandaya, the same bird, when its song is heard, announces an incoming ominous event.
Recent studies propose that the Cham civilization migrated to Sulu between the 10th and 13th centuries, citing the Yakans of Sulu as among its direct descendants. Through the Champa people, via Indonesia, Sulu received civilization in its Indic form. (Champa is the old name of Vietnam.)
One of the most meaningful Cham legacies is the Hindu-inspired Garuda, an eagle-like bird. In iconography, it is either in bird form or in part-human shape with “an eagle-like nose, beak or legs, his eyes are open and big, his body is the color of emerald, and his wings are golden-yellow.”
A Garuda is a Hindu demigod depicting the mount (i.e., vahana) of the Hindu god Vishnu and is often described as the king of the birds and a kite-like figure.
Garuda icons in Philippine mythology and iconography abound. Among the Maranao people, it refers to a race of winged, eagle-like people residing beneath the sea with big teeth and huge talons that can carry six men. They transform into humans when in their dens.
In Pampanga lore, the Garuda (i.e, garula) is identified as the winged assistant of Mariang Sinukuan, represented by a giant eagle that is supposed to be a purveyor of storms. Similarly, the artifacts collected from the Tabon Caves of Palawan depict the same bird-like image.
Garuda, a Sanskrit term, is also described as “either in a zoomorphic form (a giant bird with partially open wings) or an anthropomorphic form (a man with wings and some ornithic features) … a protector with the power to swiftly travel anywhere… and an enemy of every serpent.”
To the Tagalogs, the mythical fowl is represented by a small, azure color bird known as the tigmamanukan, the Philippine fairy bluebird regarded as the chief sky lord.
The American Museum of National History describes the eagle-like icon as having many faces: “In Hinduism, Garuda is a single character, but in Buddhist stories, there are many Garudas. The Hindu Garuda carries the god Vishnu on his back, while in the Buddhist world Garuda is an agent of the faith, wrestling with Nagas [i.e., serpents] until they become Buddhist.”
Garuda, as a cultural and national symbol, is espoused by Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Suriname, Thailand, and the United States.
Davao City, for one, adopts the eagle, a spitting image of the Garuda, as one of her symbols.
