Verbal Arts in

Philippine
Indigenous
Communities
EPB
Introduction
Many folklorists and anthropologists
have pointed out, the performance of
verbal art is situated in social context.
Folklore- artistic communication in a
small group (Ben-Amos 1972 13)
social interaction that enables verbal
art performance to transform, not simply
reflect social life ( Bauman and Briiggs
1990, 63, 69)
Introduction
The power of the spoken word lies as much in
the social identities of its speakers as it does in
its dynamic artistry.
Aesthetic practices-proverbs, riddles, ritual
boasts, chants, myths, epics and other forms of
verbal art can be viewed as modes of social
action
it involves representing, negotiating, reworking,
affirming and at times denying the historical
forces that shape a community. (george 1996b)
Introduction
Tradition is the creation of the future
out of the past ( Henry Glassie 1995)
Contrary to the popular view of history
as a factual narrative of prior events, it