Philippine Literary Period

Pre-colonial (…1564)
Spanish Period (1565-1898)
Americans (1899-1945)
Post World War II (1946-1971)
Martial Law Year (1972-1986)
Post-Edsa Revolution
Pre-colonial Literature

(…-1564)
I. How Philippine Prehistoric/Pre-colonial
Literature Got Rediscovered

Philippine pre-colonial literary history is the

longest (…-1564)

Filipinos have the misconception that

Philippine literary history began with the
coming of the Spaniards in 1521.
 With the discovery of the Tabon Man
in 1962, we learned that the history of
the Filipinos dates to as far back as
50,000 years ago, suggesting also the
possible length of existence of Philippine
literature.

This human skull cap was

discovered by Dr. Robert B.
Fox, American
anthropologist of the
National Museum, inside
Tabon Cave Palawan, on
May 28, 1962. This human
relic was called the "Tabon
Man".
According to scholar William Henry Scott,
“there is a discrepancy between what is
actually known about Philippine prehistory
and what has been written about it” many
chroniclers possessed biases towards
early Filipinos and these were reflected in
their accounts/writings.

William Henry Scott,

renowned historian
who authoried 15
books in Philippine
history including The
Discovery of the
Igorots, is dead. He
was 72 years old.
Reading for the Day: William Henry Scott on the Igorots
February 25, 2007 at 3:06 pm

They were intelligent, well-built, light-

skinned, naked save for G-strings,
and estimated to number between 18
and 20 thousand.
They were headhunters frequently at
war with their neighbors, held the
most successful collectors of these
trophies in high regard.
They worked their mines mainly by
panning gold in placers in the
streams and bartered it, at qualities
up to 22 carats, with particular trading
partners in Pangasinan for rice, pigs,
and carabaos, driving these animals
back on the hoof.
Igorot gold fields are regularly
referred to in 16th-century accounts
as the wealthiest in the archipelago.
Pre-colonial People
Today, it is easier for scholars to do an
analysis of Philippine pre-colonial literature
for a wealth of oral lore has been collected.

These indigenous literature were preserved

by Filipinos whose ancestors stayed
beyond the reach of colonial forces.
II. Characteristics of Philippine Pre-
colonial Literature

3. Communally owned
Subject matter was common
experience of a group of people (food
gathering, work in the home, caring for
children, nature…)
Common in riddles, proverbs and
songs
Riddles/Bugtong
Neither king nor priest>
Hindi hari, hindi pari But has a variety of clothes
Ang damit ay sari-sari

sampayan

It is a tree trunk but is without

May puno, walang bunga fruit
May dahon, walang sanga It has leaves but has no branches

sandok
Chavacano Riddles/ Adivinanza

Tiene un pono, ta comé de suyo

mismo cuerpo.
De negro si vivo, de colorao si
muerto.
Ya parí ya, pero no hay pa salé el
anak.
Cielo arriba, cielo abajo agua
entremedio.
Binili ko nang mahal, isinabit ko
lamang
Isang prinsesang maganda, punong-
puno ng mata.
Bawat dahong itinatapon ay lumilipas
na panahon.
Limang magkakapatid, laging kabit-
kabit.
Heto na si Kaka, bubuka-bukaka.
Maliit na bahay, puno ng mga patay.
Lumuluha walang mata, lumalakad
walang paa.
Isa ang pasukan, tatlo ang labasan.
Sa maling kalabit, may buhay na
kapalit.
Dalawang batong itim, malayo ang
nararating.
Magandang prinsesa, nakaupo sa
tasa.
Salawikain: Pinoy Proverbs
In general, a Pinoy will resort to
quoting proverbs if he wishes to
express himself eloquently, or if he
wishes to fancy himself as a sage of
wisdom.
Defined interchangeably as
"ornament to the language,“
"words of our ancestors,"
"wisdom of experience”
Salawikain are sayings that are steeped
in traditional Filipino culture and wisdom.

They are forceful expressions cloaked

in poetry, and are basically euphemistic
passages that not too infrequently enter
daily conversations.
Proverb/Salawikain
Ang hindi A person who does
lumilingon sa not remember
pinanggalingan where he/she
Hindi makararating came from Will
sa paroroonan. never reach his/her
destination.
Proverb/Salawikain
Ang lumalakad
nang mabagal,
kung matinik ay
mababaw. Ang
lumalakad nang
matulin, kung Thorns bury
matinik ay malalim. shallowly into one
who walks slowly.
Thorns bury deeply
into one who walks
fast.
Proverb/Salawikain

Ang umaayaw ay He who quits does

di nagwawagi, ang not succeed, he
nagwawagi ay di who succeeds
umaayaw. does not quit.
 Para qué el compay si muerto ya el
caballo?
El pono del cahel hende ta prutá
guayabas.
Ang puno ng suha ay hindi
magbubunga ng bayabas.
El vida del gente igual rueda, Ahora
abajo, mañana arriba.
El dalaga guapa, demonio na bolsa.
(A beautiful maiden is a devil’s pocket.)
 Maxims/Sayings
Si ta hablá vos malo con otros, malo
también vos el oí.
(If you speak evil of others, you shall hear evil
in return.)

El malo para con vos, no dale con otros. (Ang

masamá sa inyo, huwag mong gawin sa
kapwa mo.)
3. Pag makitid ang kumot, magtiis
kang mamaluktot.

2. Ang taong nagigipit, sa patalim

man ay kumakapit.
Group Activity

By group explain the chosen proverb

through a short skit.

(Using of Filipino, Chavacano, or

Visayan languages are allowed)
Criteria
The group provides a clear
example/situation that best explains
the proverb.
The presentation is smooth flowing,
at the same time entertaining.
Members play their part/role very
well.
1. May tainga ang lupa, may pakpak
ang balita.
2. Kung may isinuksok, may
madudukot.
3. Kung ano ang puno, siya rin ang
bunga.
4. Lahat ng gubat ay may ahas.
5. Kung ano ang itinanim, siya rin
ang aanihin.
6. Nasa tao ang gawa, nasa Diyos
ang awa.
Pagmakitid ang kumot, magtiis kang
mamaluktot.

Kung nakakaranas ng kakulangan sa

buhay ang isang tao ay dapat
siyang mamuhay ng naaayon sa kanyang
kakayahan. Matutong
magtipid at maging payak sa pamumuhay.
Pagkahaba-haba man ng
prusisyon, sa simbahan din ang
tuloy.

Sa tinagal-tagal man ng samahan ng

magkasintahan, sa bandang
huli ay humahantong din eto sa
kasalan.
Ang taong nagigipit, sa patalim man ay
kumakapit.

Ang taong nagigipit kung minsan ay

napipilitang gumawa ng
mapangahas na bagay na maaaring
maging dahilan upang lalu
lamang siyang magipit. Halimbawa, ang
taong may mabigat na
pangangailangan ng pera ay nagagawang
mangutang ng
patubuan, tulad ng five-six, na nagiging
dahilan upang lalu pa
siyang mangailangan ng pera.
KULALENG
Gangsa
Tongali
The tongali is a four holed nose flute (one hole in the back) from northern Philippines and

played by the Kalinga and other peoples of Luzon. The tongali is one of the few nose
flutes in the world that is still actively taught, thanks to the work of Jose Maceda
at the University of the Philippines and the ongoing effects of the music
department of UP Quezon. The tongali is one of numerous traditional
instruments that students can study at UP. There are stories from this region that
say that the nose flute was used to help rice grow when it was young, as the rice
was attracted to the soft sounds of the flute, and would grow to put its ear above

the water to hear it better .

2. Uses language of daily life
This is except for the epic, the epic
singer must have good memory and be
musically creative.

Any member of the community can be a

poet as long as he knew the language
3. Orally transmitted
It was because folk literature was orally
transmitted from one generation to
another that they exist up until now.
Conventions of oral literary form:
formulaic repetitions, stereotyping of
characters, regular rhythmic and musical
devices.
III. Ways in which Indigenious Culture
Survived

Resistance to colonial rule

Done by Maranaws, Tausugs of Mindanao
and Ifugaos and Bontocs of Mountain
Province

Bontocs Ifugaos
Maranaos
Tausugs
Isolation from colonial power
Done by Mangyans, Bilaans, Isnegs
and etc.

Their settlements were also

geographically inaccessible
IV. How Indigenous Culture
Disappeared

Filipinos became Christianized resulting

to indigenous literature being set aside.
Written literature were written on easily
perishable materials.

Indigenous literature intentionally

destroyed by Spanish missionaries for
they considered these pagan.
V. Forms of Oral Literature

3. Simple forms
Riddles and Proverbs which contained
talinhaga (metaphor)
Vocabulario de la lengua tagala by
Pedro Sanlucar and Juan de Noceda,
collection of early riddles and proverbs
directly obtained from the people
during the Spanish time.
2. Poetry
Much of pre-colonial poetry were
monoriming and heptasyllabic
Example ambahan of Hanunoo-
Mangyans
Tanaga, like a Hispanized version of
ambahan and has four lines
3. Lyric Poetry
Tagalogs have 16 species of songs for
different occasions
Ambahan
Ako mana manrigsan I would like to take a
sa may panayo pinggan bath
sa may tupas balian scoop the water with a
ako ud nakarigsan plate
wash the hair with lemon
inambing bahayawan
juice;
sinag-uli batangan
but I could not take a
bath,
because the river is
dammed
with a lot of sturdy trunks
Tanaga
Katitibay ka, tulos You may stand
Sakaling datnang sturdy
agos, But when the waters
Ako’y mumunting flow
lumot, I, the humble moss
Sa iyo’y pupulupot Can strangle you.
Functions of Songs

3. Political
- taught people of their membership to
the community
2. Religious
- used to give praise to the divinities

4. Prose Narratives
Consisted of origin myths, hero tales, fables
and legends.
Functions of Prose Narratives:
2. Explain natural phenomena, past events
and contemporary beliefs to make the
world more comprehensible and less
fearful.
2. Make idle hours less tedious.

5. Drama
Philippine drama as a literary form did not
exist yet but existed in the simplest form.
Mimetic dances imitating natural cycles
and work activities
Dances

Tinikling
Pangalay
Singkil
Most sophisticated prehistoric/pre-colonial
drama were participated in by
priest/priestess and the entire community.

To Lumbera, if no colonial interference in

the development of indigenous Philippine
drama, Philippine drama may be dance-
drama like those of other Asian countries.
6. Epics

To E. Arsenio Manuel, the Philippines

does not have a national epic but has
several ethnoepics.
Manuel listed in his study in 1962, 13 epics
from pagan Filipinos, 2 from Christian
Filipinos and 4 from Muslims.
Characteristics of Philippine ethnoepic:

3. Narratives of sustained length

2. Based on oral tradition
3. Revolving around supernatural events or
heroic deeds
4. Verse form
5. Sung or chanted
6. Certain seriousness of purpose which
embodies beliefs, customs, ideals of
people
Iliad
Odyssey
Filipino Epic
Aliguyon or the Hudhud of the Ifugaos tells of the
exploits of Aliguyon as he battles his arch enemy,
Pambukhayon among rice fields and terraces and
instructs his people to be steadfast and learn the
wisdom of warfare and of peacemaking during
harvest seasons.
Biag ni Lam-ang (Life of Lamang) tells of the
adventures of the prodigious epic hero, Lam-ang
who exhibits extraordinary powers at a very early
age. At nine months he is able to go to war to look
for his father’s killers. Then while in search of lady
love, Ines Kannoyan, he is swallowed by a big fish,
but his rooster and his friends bring him back to
life.
Labaw Donggon is about the amorous exploits of
the son of a goddess Alunsina, by a mortal, Datu
Paubari. The polygamous hero battles the huge
monster Manaluntad for the hand of Abyang
Ginbitinan; then he fights Sikay Padalogdog, the
giant with a hundred arms to win Abyang Doronoon
and confronts the lord of darkness, Saragnayan, to
win Nagmalitong Yawa Sinagmaling Diwata.

The Agyu or Olahing is a three part epic that starts

with the pahmara (invocation) then the kepu’unpuun (
a narration of the past) and the sengedurog (an
episode complete in itself). All three parts narrate the
exploits of the hero as he leads his people who have
been driven out of their land to Nalandangan, a land
of utopia where there are no landgrabbers and
oppressors.
Thank you!