Ibong Adarna, also known as The Adarna Bird, is an early 19th-century Filipino epic poem that centers around a magical bird of the same name. During the Spanish era, the longer form of the story's title was Korido at Buhay na Pinagdaanan ng Tatlong Prinsipeng Magkakapatid na anak ni Haring Fernando at ni Reyna Valeriana sa Kahariang Berbanya ("Corrido and Life Lived by the Three Princes, children of King Fernando and Queen Valeriana in the Kingdom of Berbania"). Some researchers suggest that the tale may have been influenced by similar European stories.

The narrative focuses on the lives of King Fernando, Queen Valeriana, and their three sons: Don Pedro, Diego, and Juan. Upon learning of their father's incurable illness, the three princes embark on a quest to find the legendary Adarna bird, whose healing powers can save their father. The prince who successfully brings back the bird will inherit the throne.

While the story is commonly attributed to the Tagalog poet José de la Cruz or "Huseng Sisiw," the actual authorship remains unproven. Contrary to popular belief perpetuated on online platforms such as Facebook and Wikipedia, Ibong Adarna was not brought to the Philippines by Miguel López de Legazpi, as was the case with other European stories. According to Eulogio Balan Rodriguez, Assistant Director of the National Library in 1893, the tale is of Pre-Spanish origin and represents indigenous Philippine literature. However, it does bear some influences from 19th-century European romances, which infuse it with a medieval chivalry atmosphere. It holds a comparable status, or possibly even parallels, with the world-renowned Arabian Nights' Entertainments, a book included in the reading materials of both public and private schools.

Ibong Adarna is included in the curriculum for Junior High School students and Grade 7 students in the Philippines.

Plot
King Fernando and Queen Valeriana of the Kingdom of Berbania have three sons: Don Pedro, Don Diego, and Don Juan. King Fernando falls ill after a dream in which he sees Don Juan being murdered. Desperate for a cure, he sends Don Pedro to find the Ibong Adarna, a magical bird known for its healing songs. Don Pedro embarks on a journey and eventually encounters the bird, but it sings seven songs that lull him to sleep, turning him into stone.

Next, Don Diego is sent on the same mission and suffers a similar fate. Three years later, Don Juan sets out on his quest and meets an old hermit who warns him about the bird's enchantments. The hermit provides him with a knife and dayap lemons to stay awake during the bird's songs. He also gives him a golden rope to capture the bird and a bucket of water to revive his petrified brothers.

Don Juan successfully captures the Ibong Adarna, restores his brothers, and heads back to the palace. However, Don Pedro and Don Diego grow envious and beat Don Juan, leaving him unconscious on the road. They deceive the king, claiming they don't know what happened to Don Juan but that the bird awaits its true captor. Don Juan eventually recovers and forgives his brothers.

As a punishment, Don Pedro and Don Diego are tasked with guarding the bird for three hours each day. Don Pedro plots revenge and convinces Don Diego to trick Don Juan into thinking the bird escaped under his watch. Don Juan sets off to find the bird before the king discovers its absence. When the truth is revealed, Don Pedro and Don Diego are banished but spared due to Don Juan's forgiveness.

Don Juan continues his journey with the Ibong Adarna and his brothers, finding refuge on Mt. Armenia. They come across a well, and while exploring it, Don Juan discovers two enchanted palaces. Inside, he rescues Princess Juana and Princess Leonora from a giant and a seven-headed serpent, respectively. However, his brothers betray him by letting go of the rope while he descends, causing him to fall to the bottom of the well.

Don Pedro marries Princess Juana, and Don Diego plans to marry Princess Leonora after a seven-year delay. Don Juan survives with the help of an enchanted ring and sets out to find his way back to the Kingdom. With the guidance of an eagle, he reaches the Kingdom of Reino de Los Cristales. There, he encounters a crystal lake where three princesses bathe. Don Juan steals a dress belonging to one of the princesses and falls in love with her. They flee the pursuing king but are separated when Don Juan leaves her to make preparations for their entry into the Berbanian Kingdom.

Back in the Berbanian Kingdom, Don Juan forgets his love for the princess from Reino de Los Cristales and becomes infatuated with Princess Leonora. However, when Doña Maria, the pilgrim princess, arrives, Don Juan realizes his mistake. Doña Maria uses her talisman to create a dance depicting their past experiences, reminding Don Juan of his betrayal. Don Juan returns Princess Leonora and the kingdom to Don Pedro and reunites with Doña Maria. They return to Reino de Los Cristales, where they are crowned as king and queen, bringing joy to the mourning kingdom.

The tale ends with Don Juan and Doña Maria's coronation, symbolizing their reunion and the restoration of happiness in Reino de Los Cristales.

Description

The Ibong Adarna is often described as the most colorful bird in Philippine folklore. It is also thought to share a resemblance to other legendary birds such as the Sarimanok and the phoenix.

Being one of the most colorful birds endemic in the Philippines, local birders associate the Philippine trogon (Harpactes ardens) to the mythical bird.

Analysis 
According to professor Damiana Eugenio, the Ibong Adarna or The Adarna Bird epic reworks and combines themes from recognizable folktales of the international Aarne-Thompson-Uther Index, namely types ATU 551, "The Sons on a Quest for a Wonderful Remedy for their Father"; ATU 301, "The Three Stolen Princesses" (hero's descent into a lower world, pit or hole to rescue kidnapped princesses), and ATU 313, "The Magical Flight" (hero meets villain's daughter and falls in love with her; her father imposes tasks on the hero; hero and villain's daughter escape together at the end of the tale).

According to Dean Fansler, the romance is very popular in the archipelago, with at least five different language printings: Tagalog, Pampango, Visayan, Ilocano and Bicol. The differences between the literary versions led Fansler to believe in a folkloric origin for the tale.

Cultural significance

In other media
The story of Ibong Adarna is known all over the Philippines and has been told in different languages and media.

Films

1940s
Narcisa “Doña Sisang” de Leon of LVN Studios produced the first two Ibong Adarna films. The first one, made in 1941, starred Mila del Sol as Prinsesa Maria, Fred Cortes as Prinsipe Juan, Ester Magalona, Vicente Oliver, Deanna Prieto, Ben Rubio and Angeles Gayoso who voiced the Ibong Adarna. It had a magical sequence that showed the singing of the bird. That used a painstakingly hand-painted process called "Varicolor", where the bird was colorized in this otherwise black and white film. LVN was able to archive copies of the film which was shown again in theaters after the war in the late 40s and 50s.

1950s
Fifteen years later, in 1956, LVN produced a second version, this time under the full direction of an older Manuel Conde, and starred Nida Blanca, Nestor de Villa, Carlos Salazar, Cecilia Lopez, Nita Javier and Jose Vergara. The 1956 film was the first Filipino commercial film shot and shown in its entirety in Eastman Color.

1970s
Roda Film Productions produced two films, Ibong Adarna (1972) and its sequel Ang Hiwaga ng Ibong Adarna (1973) starring Dolphy as the lead Prince Adolfo and comedians Panchito Alba as Prince Alfonso, Babalu as Prince Albano and Rosanna Ortiz as the Ibong Adarna.

1990s
Tagalog Pictures, Inc. produced the film Si Prinsipe Abante at ang Lihim ng Ibong Adarna in 1990 starring comedian Rene Requiestas as the lead Prinsipe Abante (), Paquito Diaz as Prinsipe Atras (), Joaquin Fajardo as Prinsipe Urong-Sulong (synonymous to atras-abante; ) and Monica Herrera as Prinsesa Luningning/the Ibong Adarna.

In 1996, Star Cinema produced the film Ang TV Movie: The Adarna Adventure. Jolina Magdangal played the Ibong Adarna/Prinsesa Adarna. The cast included Nida Blanca as Lola Binyang, Tirso Cruz III as Prinsipe Diego, Dindo Arroyo as Prinsipe Pedro, Gio Alvarez as Prinsipe Juan and Gamaliel Viray as Hari ng Berbanya along with the kids and teens of Ang TV.

Adarna: The Mythical Bird which premiered on December 25, 1997, is the first Filipino full-length theatrical animated film. It stars Jolina Magdangal — who previously played the Ibong Adarna — as the voice of Princess Carmona along with other voice casts: Marvin Agustin, Martin Nievera and Regine Velasquez. Nievera and Velasquez sung the soundtrack "Touched by Your Love" and "Nagmamahal", "Believe It" was performed by Velasquez and "Halakhak" by The Youth.

2010s
A young man sets out on a dangerous quest for a magical bird with the power to heal any ailment in "Ibong Adarna: The Pinoy Adventure". The 2014 film starred Rocco Nacino as Prinsipe Sigasig, Joel Torre as	Sultan Mabait, Angel Aquino as Sultana Mabunyi, Leo Martinez as Datu Maimbot, Benjie Paras as Sipsipayo, Ronnie Lazaro as Dulangkaw, Patricia Fernandez as Diwata, Lilia Cuntapay as Bruha, Gary Lising as Nuno ng Lipi, Miss Intercontinental 2018 Karen Gallman as Adarna and Philip "Kohol" Supnet as Higante.

2020s

MALA (Movies Adapted from Literary Arts): Ibong Adarna
“MALA” (Movies Adapted from Literary Arts), an educational puppetry film series for children directed by actor Xian Lim and written by renowned ventriloquist Ronaldo "Ony" Carcamo, is part of the Cultural Center of the Philippines' "Sining Sigla", a season-long virtual outreach program of the CCP Office of the President Arsenio “Nick” Lizaso. Lim and Carcamo used muppets, visual effects and live action with music and poetry in the dialogue on their adaptation. MALA's production designers are shadowplay and puppet designer Aina Ramolete and production designer and art director Kaye Banaag. Joined by music composer Jem Florendo and sound designer Miguel Hernandez.

New 4K Digital Scan of Ibong Adarna (1941)
In time for the 100th year of Philippine cinema, Cinema One brought the film that was scanned in a high definition 4K resolution back via cable TV on June 30, 2019.

 Ibong Adarna was the opening full-length film of the 12th Cinema Rehiyon held on February 24–28, 2020, at Naga City, Camarines Sur.

Television
In 2013, GMA Network produced Adarna, a contemporary television series adaptation starring Kylie Padilla in the title role.

In the 50th episode of season 1 of GMA's drama fantasy anthology series Daig Kayo ng Lola Ko which aired on April 22, 2018, lola Goreng (Gloria Romero) narrated the story of the Ibong Adarna. The episode starred Kyline Alcantara as Ibong Adarna, Jeric Gonzales as Juan, Lucho Ayala as Pedro, Aaron Yanga as Diego and Rey 'PJ' Abellana as Fernando.

Theater

Ballet
Ballet Manila soloist Abigail Oliveiro took on the role of Ibong Adarna with Mark Sumaylo as Don Pedro, Romeo Peralta as Don Diego and Ballet Manila's Principal dancer Rudy de Dios as Don Juan.

It featured music by Diwa de Leon, with Gia Macuja Atchison as the voice of Ibong Adarna, and script by Angela Blardony Ureta.

Ballet Manila's CEO and Artistic Director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde described the show as "a modern ballet with neo-classical and classical styles that serve as the cornerstone of the dance vocabulary." It even featured the Alitaptap () Dance and the Monkey Dance.  It made its world premiere on August 26, 2017, at the Aliw Theater stage.

Musical

REP staged an English version of the epic which featured fun, child-friendly music, and bright and colorful costumes.

Art and literature 

 Project Gutenberg also has a version of the epic in its library.

Books

National costume in beauty pageants
Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray’s preliminary gown by Mak Tumang at the Miss Universe preliminary competition was called “Adarna: Blazing Siren.” Her gown which was inspired by the Ibong Adarna and the Phoenix Mikimoto Crown was adorned with layers of embroidered gold feathers and thousands of hand-placed genuine Swarovski crystals in different shades of orange and topaz; she paired it with a nationalistic pair of dangling earrings she designed herself, Tessera Jewelry executed her vision with the Philippine sun and golden South sea pearls.

See also
 Florante at Laura
 Noli Me Tángere
 El filibusterismo

References

External links
 

Ibong Adarna
Fictional birds
Legendary birds
Filipino poems
Turin in fiction