21ST CENTURY LITERATURE FROM THE PHILIPPINES AND THE WORLD

LITERARY TEXT ANALYSIS and LITERARY COLLAGE

Anonymous
Adapted by F. Landa Jocano
WESTERN VISAYAS

Submitted by:

Elijah Riley V. Montefalco

Vaughn Aguirre
Azrael Ian Montefalco III
Rozen Gaiser Elizalde
Logan Griffin Torrealba

STEM 12- St. John Leonardi

Submitted to:

Miss Kristel Jane C. Paet

Subject Teacher, LIT21C

October 2021
 Tungkung Langit and Alunsina: Love, Trust, Anger, and Regret –
A Modern Interpretation

This is one of the main texts used to piece together pre-Spanish beliefs – Tungkung Langit
and Alunsina Creation Story.

One may recall reading or having to perform a skit of the Panay-Visayan creation myth
“Tungkung Langit and Alunsina” also known as “Alamat ng Ulan” as part of one’s required reading
in high school or college. According to this myth, whenever it thunders or rains, it is Tungkung
Langit, Pillar of the Sky, calling his beloved Alunsina back home after she ran away because of his
wrath at her disobedience. Alunsina however is still yet to be found to this day. The creation of
the world as we know it, it is said, was an attempt to make the world a better place for the lost.

“Tungkung Langit and Alunsina” is special because because it teaches us that ‘not
everything that was lost is a loss. It wasn’t ours to begin with’. We know this to be true for
Tungkung Langit because separation was what led to creation, and from the beginning, Alunsina
was already called “The Unmarried One”. Tungkung Langit and Alunsina reflect traditional
conservative gender roles: active male; passive female (Lee, 2018). Throughout mythology
around the world, higher beings are often shown to possess human weaknesses in terms of their
character despite having supernatural powers. They are able to control the forces of nature at
will, yet they lose control rather than showcasing superior foresight. These supposedly idealized
characters that have served as a foundation of human belief systems also reflect human
weaknesses, and this allows us to see ourselves in these characters. Recognizing these
weaknesses may also help us understand the purpose of these characters in the story as the
relationship dynamics of certain partnerships may add depth to each other.

The story of Tungkung Langit and Alunsina does not tell us everything such as whether
Tungkung Langit’s accusation of Alunsina’s jealousy was true, or what really happened to
Alunsina, and whether it was right for her to disappear. Rather, the story allows the audience to
reflect on the possibilities themselves. But it isn’t only in the climax where we are given hints to
what we can learn from the characters’ demise. Their profiles at the beginning may already give
us clues.

This story teaches us that jealousy can destroy the relationship of two people even how
much they love each other. This story is not only suitable for couples but also for sisters, brothers,
and others who have a relationship with someone. If we will not control our emotions, our
jealousy to others might move us to do things that would cause harm to that person or even to
ourselves. It can also lead us to make decisions that we might regret in our entire life. This story
teaches us to be careful in every action that we will take because we can’t change what we have
already done. It’s difficult to take away the pain that we caused to someone. In the vice versa
versa, we should trust our love ones. If we really love them, we can trust them with all of our
heart. Trust is the most needed factor to lengthen your relationship with someone else. In long
distance relationship, trust is very important to sustain your relationship. Even how much you
love that person if you don’t have trust don’t hope that your relationship will last.

References: Fumar, 2016 and Lasquety, 2019