PRE-SPANISH

PHILIPPINE LITERATURE

By: Aisah Mae T. Ilaya

 DESIRED LEARNING OUTCOME

After completing this lesson, you are expected

to:

Analyze folklores in terms of their literary,

historical, cultural, and social significance.
 Learning Contents and Tasks

1. What do you know about these heroes? Describe

each of them.

2. What are the similarities between the two

characters?

3. Do they play significant roles in our culture? Why?

Why not?
 A long poem, typically one derived from ancient oral
tradition, narrating the deeds and adventures of
heroic or legendary figures or the history of a nation.

 These epics are transmitted through oral tradition

using a select group of singers and chanters.
 A study revealed that the Philippine folk epics, like those
found in Asia, are often about a quest for a wife as well as
the various ordeals linked to the founding of a family,
hamlet, tribe or a kingdom.

 The narratives would include voyages - on earth, sea,

sky, and the underworld - to allow the hero or heroine to
overcome the challenges faced.
 Arsenio Manuel defines heroic narratives in verse
as "folk epics" or "ethnographics" and describes
their common characteristics:

1.Narratives of sustained length

2. Based on oral tradition

3. Revolving around supernatural events or heroic deeds

4. In the form of verse

5. Either chanted or sung

6. With a certain seriousness of purpose, embodying or

validating the beliefs, customs, ideas, or values of the
people within folk epic poems, common themes can be
observed.
 Epics are generally sung during folk festivals and
recreational gatherings such as weddings, baptisms,
wakes, prestige rites, peace agreements, and the
like. They are sung primarily as entertainment, but can
also serve to inspire the youth to emulate their heroes.
 Among some groups, such as the Ifugao people,
certain types of Hudhud songs are prescribed for
certain occasions, such as during the death of a
prominent person, when ancestral bones are dug out to
be blessed, or during harvest, like the Hudhud ni
Aliguyon.
 The Palawan Kudaman is also sung on special occasions
- as an offering to the lord of the chase when they can
catch a wild boar, or to welcome a guest in
their rurungan.[1]

The epic singer can be male or female, often learning the

epics from older relatives or well-known singers in the
community.
 The singing of epics usually takes place in the evening
and is dictated by the singer's preference; the evening is
quieter and it allows for deeper concentration on the
singer, who sometimes sings for two to four hours as a
time.
 Adventures of the Hero

 Philippine folk epics describe the adventures of the hero

and can be classified into two groups:

◦ Epics of romance - in ◦ Epics in which the hero

which the main undertakes adventures mainly in
adventures consist of the service of his family, his
the hero's courting of country, his people, and for
specific women or his others - Epics that prove the
search for beautiful hero's valor and worth as a man
women he can marry. also belong to the second group
 Characteristics of the Hero

 The Philippine epic hero, like counterparts in other countries, are

strong and brave, of great fighting prowess, and possess a restless,
adventurous spirit, great determination, and endurance. Philippine
epic heroes are also endowed with supernatural or magic powers
and possess magic objects and/or animals and even guardians or
friendly spirits, sometimes voices, that advise them in moments of
need.
 The life of a Philippine epic hero usually follows a pattern, similar to
the Hero's journey:

 He is born of unusual circumstances.

 He undergoes miraculous growth into manhood and is possessed

of a restlessness to set out on adventures.

 He lives a life of action and adventure, in the course of which he

displays his heroic qualities.

 He is victorious in all his adventures, warlike or amorous.

 If he dies, he is brought back to life and lives happily ever after.

 Two epic poems originated among Christian Filipinos in Luzon. They are Biag ni Lam-
ang or The Life of Lam-ang and the Ibalon, from the Bicol region. Many more epics
came from the non-Christian Filipinos in Luzon, such as The Hudhud and the Alim of the
Ifugaos, The Ulalim of the Kalingas, and The Epic of Lumalindaw of the Giddings. The
epics from the Visayas are The Hinilawod of the Sulod people of Central Panay Island
and The Kudaman of Palawan, while the epics from Mindanao are The Maiden of the
Bushong Sky, the Tuwaang Attends A Wedding, Agyu, The Tulelangan of the Ilianon
Manoboc, The Darangen of the Maranaos, Guman of Dumalinao, Ag Tubig Nog
Keboklagan (The Kingdom of Keboklagan), Keg Sumba Neg Sandayo (The Tale of
Sandayo) and The Tudbulul of the T'boli of South Cotabato.
 Panay Bukidnon

 The Panay Bukidnon are the tumandok, the native or Indigenous dwellers
of the more interior portions of Panay Island, covering the interior
barangays of the four provinces of Aklan, Antique, Iloilo, and Capiz.

 They speak the same Kinaray-a language with very few semantical
differences, and are similar in their farming and hunting practices, in their
spiritual beliefs and binabaylan (shamanistic) practices, in their having
a binukot (kept maiden) tradition, and in their tradition of epic chanting
 Every activity, whether in agriculture, fishing, hunting, and so on, is
influenced by the environmental spirits and
deified umalagad (souls) of the departed ancestors.

 Their economic life is largely dependent on ka'ingin agriculture,

supplemented with hunting and fishing. They also make bolos with
elaborately carved handles, knives, and spears and weave
baskets, mats, and headwear - items which they exchange for
lowland goods such as cloth, salt, and other household necessities
brought into the mountains by Christian traders with whom they
carry on seasonal commercial relations.
 In the 13th Century during the height of the Sri-Vishayan
Empire's power, a group of Borneans headed by Datu Puti
escaped the tyrannical rule of Sultan Makatunaw and
sailed northward until they reached Panay. The group was
composed of ten chieftains, their wives, and some slaves,
and they are collectively known in historic documents as
“the ten datus of Borneo.
 " They were Datu Puti and his wife, Pinangpangan;
 Datu Bangkaya and his wife, Katarung;
 Datu Paiburong and his wife, Pabulanon;
 Datu Sumakwel and his wife, Kapinangan;
 Datu Paduhinog and his wife, Ribongsapaw;
 Datu Dumangsol and his wife, Kahiling;
 Datu Lubay,
 Datu Dumangsil,
 Datu Dumalogdog, and
 Datu Balensuela.
 The Atis, under the rulership of King Marikudo and Queen
Maniwangtiwang, obliged to the trade of their flatlands for
a saduk (golden hat), a manangyad (long golden necklace), and
other assorted items.

 The Panay Bukidnon are descendants of those datus. We know that

they were once coastal dwellers by the relative similarity of their
social organization with that of the lowland dwellers and by the
general theme of their folk stories - especially their epic, the
Sugidanon - which deal largely with the sea rather than the
mountains.
 In Panay Bukidnon society, all members tend to care deeply about
the welfare of one's community.

 Community gathering strengthens group integration by requiring

intensive participation of non-family members in drinkfests,
weddings, religious celebrations, etc., where interaction involves
patterned socio-ritualistic formalities as in the offering of food to the
spirits before starting the feast, and in having the older men drink or
eat first.
 During such social gatherings, wine jars become the focus of
interacting subgroups of competitive drinkers which are structured
by sex and age, not by family affiliation.

 The most striking feature of Panay Bukidnon culture is the persistence

of ceremonies in every facet of life. These ceremonies are
associated with the belief that the relationships between the living
and the spirits of the dead continue, and that environmental spirits
have influence over daily affairs.
The world is not only inhabited by humans, but also by
deities and ancestors who inhabit the upper layer of the
world above us, the langitnon, and the world below
called idalmunon. They believe in an hierarchy of good
and evil spirits called diwata with whom communication
is held through the mediation of the baylan or medium.
Sacrifices are given to the spirits for their good graces.
 Panay Bukidnon culture is a warrior society, which we can
find evidence of in their epic story, in which men are
always considered handsomely attired when adorned
with weapons such as a sinaha (long, shard-bladed
knife), kalasag (shield) and bangkaw (lance) and with
their body wrapped around down to the ankles to be
well protected in a fight - and even their panubok
embroidery motifs, such as kalasag (shield), bangkaw
(spears) and iwot pula (bolo handle).
 Historically, tattooing used to be a widespread practice
and the prevalence of "skin-painting" led early Spanish
chroniclers to describe the Visayans as "Pintados." The
tattoos are called batek, and they are pricked into the
skin with a needle or any pointed iron instrument dipped
in an ink made from the juice of the ripe fruit of the
vine langi'ngi (Cayratia trifolia, Linn.) and powdered
charcoal, or soot scraped from the bottom of pots or
cooking cans.
 Hinilawod
 Hinilawod is an epic poem written by the early inhabitants of a
place called Sulod in central Panay.

 The word means tales from the mouth of the Halawod River.

 Hinilawod is not just a literary piece but also a source of information

about culture, religion and rituals of the ancient people of Sulod;
showing us that ancient Filipinos believed in the “sacred,” in the
importance of family honor and in personal courage and dignity.
 This 8,340-verse epic is chanted when performed and would take
about three days when performed in its original form, making it one
of the longest epics known.

 Hinilawod is one of the many pieces of oral literature passed from

one generation to the next, changed and morphed by
the mananalaysay (storyteller) to one degree or another as he told
it to his audience.
 Hinilawod was first discovered “by accident” in 1955, when F. Landa
Jocano, Filipino anthropologist became interested in native folklore.
He traveled the hinterlands of his home province, Panay, with two
colleagues collecting folk songs, stories, and riddles. It was during
one of those trips to the upland barrios of Lambunao, Maasin,
Janiuay, and Calinog in Iloilo that his attention was called to a long
and popular tale called Hinilawod. Portions of the story were sung to
him and his colleague by an old man called Ulang Udig.
 Returning the following year, together with a radio technician from
Central Philippine University, he then recorded a portion of the
story on tape in 1956.

 However, when he returned, in 1957 to make a recording of the

complete story, Ulang Udig refused to cooperate . Weeks later, he
was introduced to a mountain singer named Hugan-an, who, after
much cajoling, allowed herself to be tape recorded as she
recounted both her story and the Hinilawod story. It took three
weeks to complete the recording of the 30 hour epic poem.
 A concise version of the story of Hinilawod can be found in the
book, Philippine Mythology, authored by the Filipino anthropologist,
Dr. F. Landa Jocano.

 Returning the following year, together with a radio technician from

Central Philippine University, he then recorded a portion of the story
on tape in 1956.
 However, when he returned, in 1957 to make a recording of the
complete story, Ulang Udig refused to cooperate . Weeks later, he
was introduced to a mountain singer named Hugan-an, who, after
much cajoling, allowed herself to be tape recorded as she
recounted both her story and the Hinilawod story. It took three
weeks to complete the recording of the 30 hour epic poem.

 A concise version of the story of Hinilawod can be found in the

book, Philippine Mythology, authored by the Filipino
anthropologist, Dr. F. Landa Jocano.