Chapter 5:

VISAYAN LITERATURE and ENTERTAINMENT

Alphabet

 Alicina’s 1668 Historia – four missionary father recorded the letters the visayans were writing in
their day

 Ante Bisaya – Cebuano

 Ante de Lingua Bisaya hiliguaina dela Isla Panay

 Mentrida Ante – presents a curious alphabet obviously not based on any Tagalog type
font

 Historia Sacro Profana

 Chirino’s Relacion – showed characters very different from the “Letras de la Filipinos”of
Chirino’s original Rome edition of 1604.

LITERATURE

oral literature, and as such, was not recorded.

no evidence of any prose literature, but ordinary Visayan speech was itself rich with metaphor and
colorful imagery.

a high proportion of dictionary terms have both a literal and a figurative meaning

pejorative terms to apply to common objects when angry

All this poetry was generally sung or chanted rather than recited

Ambahan (different verses)- is popular among children and adult of both sexes.

siday or kandu- noblest literary form which is the most difficult of all-long, sustained, repetitious, and
heavy with metaphor and allusion.

Example of literary writings

Kabungaw and Bubung Ginbuna

EPIC
Visayan epic

 Siday or Kandu must have been the prehispanic term for folk epic

 Power and prestige was based on the control of slave labor

 Usually about Visayan heroes

 Characterized by highly repetitious plots

 A good epic has an ending with colorful and lavish wedding feasts of the protagonists.

 Example: The Kandu of Datung Sumanga and Bungbung Humasanun

FOLKLORE

Visayan folklore is replete with tales and legends about the Creation and about heroism, moral conflict,
and the triumph of good over evil. Among the oft-told tales are legends about The First Man and
Woman, The Tortoise and the Monkey, and the like.

The First Man and Woman

Why the Bat is called Stupid

THE TORTOISE AND THE MONKEY

PUSONG OF MAGTAON

Parapat

BINGI OF LAWAN

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

 8 kinds of Visayan instruments

4 quiet instruments

4 very loud instruments

Kudyapi (small lute)

Korlong (bamboo zither)

Tolali or Lantuy (nose flute)

Subing (Jew’s harp)

Bodyong (bamboo or seashell bugle)

Kalatong (tambourines)

Agong (gong)

Tibongbong

VOCAL MUSIC

Visayans were said to be always singing

Singing meant the extemporaneous composition of verses to common tunes.

Awit

Parawit

Biyaw

Mamaratbat

Bagaw or dagaw

DANCING

DANCING

All Visayan feasts sponsored by datus were accompanied by dancing and gong playing – weddings, birth
of children, planting and harvesting crops, preparations for war and victory for men.

Sayaw or sabay – general term for dancing

magsalabay for men

magkigal for women

magbabanug for a pair of dancers

magsisibay for a group dancing in two opposed lines.

Sabay

Taruk

Patad-patad

Salabay