MYTHS

• Creation myths
- explains the origin of man and the beginning of the world
• Combat myths
- about a battle between a divine being and a dragon or other monster representing chaos
Example:
- Asuang and gugurang
- The creation of the world
- Sidapa
LEGENDS
The Legend of Kolakog
Versions:
1. He is identi ed with the formation of Catanduanes Island
2. The origin of a sitio named Guira on the river Bikol near Pasacao, Camarines Sur
3. It is a kilometer-long legs which serve as bridge for his wife who plated and gathered kamotes on
the other side of the land while he slept or the extraordinary length of his arms which could reach
the bottom of the river where clams were plentiful for him to eat
4. His genitals which he o ered as bridge to save the eeing natives from Moro captivity

- In Bicol Legends, it is probably characteristics of legend that human negative reactions to the
whims or commands of nature result in the formation or origin of things.

ANIMAL STORIES
• Tricker stories
• Ungrateful animal stories
FAIRY TALES
- linked to rural folk
- Each narrative centers on one or heroine, who after a series of adventure attains his goal and lives
happily through the help of a supernatural element

Structurally, the Bikol fairy tale moves in this matter:

1. Poor boy aided by supernatural becomes rich
2. Lazy man aided by supernatural becomes rich
3. Crafty wife aided by supernatural gets a rich husband or king
4. Cruel fate aided by supernatural ends happily
5. Country wench aided by supernatural marries king
6. Man nds evil spirit, tries to kill it, but spirit implores mercy and promises to make him wealthy
7. Evil spirit falls in love with a young woman and wants to marry her but she refuses him, gets
enraged and subjects her to ts of enchantment
8. Man cuts down balete tree or eats fruit and displeases evil spirit who punishes them
9. Fairy plays a joke on a young man
10. Patron saints help people

Bikol fairies have di erent names:

1. Onglo - almost found asleep in the dark corners
2. Taong lipod - otherwise known as engkanto, takes di erent forms as animals, birds, shes and
human being in enormous sizes
3. Tambaloslos - a mischievous ugly fairy who preys on travelers

POETRY (RAWIT-DAWIT)
- Bicol term for narrative poems turned into vehicle of social criticism during the 20s and 30s
- End syllables of a four-line verse rhyme
- Also called “orog-orog” or “susuman”
• The poems abounded in criticisms of graft, corruption, false accusations, favoritism, nepotism, lazy
o cials, carabet-going leaders, heavy school contributions and cockpit frequenters

RIDDLES (PAOKOD/PATOOD)
- descriptive and poetically formulated
Two elements characterize each riddle:
1. A positive description which is metaphorical expressed in the statement
2. A negative element in the second statement which is meant to confuse the guesser

- Riddles are questions which must be answered and employs oppositional elements which meant to
confuse
- Riddles describing the abstract appear
- In other riddles, the device of inversion is confusing and the guesser misinterprets the gurative for
a literal description
- Here is the riddle in three or four lines
- The main purpose of the riddles is amusement
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- The riddles cause laughter because of its surprise element
- Names of heroes, saints and important places are often next to some insigni cant object and
because of this incongruity laughter is generated
- Some of the riddles are in rhyming couplets
- Some of the riddles are even in rhyming triplets
- Some of the riddles may tackle about bad behaviors towards other

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