Ancient Philippine


Literature
Pre-colonial Period
Objectives

 Describe the ancient
Philippine literature
 Identify literary form during
the pre-Spanish colonialism.
 Understand myths and
Philippine Mythology
 Know the different
influences of Philippine
myths.
 Appreciate the nature of
Philippine myths
Map of Ancient
Southeast Asia

The map is an
interpretation of the
ancient Southeast
Asia by an artist.
Meaning, this image
is representative of
the people’s
understanding of
Southeast Asia.
 Ancient Philippine Literature

 A literature of a formative past
possessed by the various groups of
people who once inhabited the
Archipelago.
 A literature of varying human
interest..
 A literature which language was
describe through its ancient Philippine
script known as Badlit in Visayan or
Baybayin in Tagalog.
 Stories, and verses were addressed to
the ears rather than the eyes.
Badlit
 It is an Ancient pre-Filipino writing system, it's member

of the Brahmic family and closely related to other writing
system in Southeast Asia.
 It is an Abugida or an alpha-syllabary writing system,
like most writing system used in Southeast Asia, where
any consonants is pronounced with a vowel and using a
diacritical marks to express other vowels.
 It is written from left to right and requires no spaces
between words, space is use only after end of a sentence
or punctuation,
 

Philippine Mythology
It is the body of myths, tales, and
superstitious held by Filipinos,
mostly originating from beliefs
held during the pre-Hispanic era.
 Creation
Myths


Myths
Mythologica
l Creatures

Heroic
Narratives
Mythology
Folklore Folk Tales

Legends
 Understanding Myths

 A story that is usually of unknown origin and at least
partially traditional that ostensibly relates historical events
usually of such description as to serve to explain some
particular event, institution, or natural phenomenon.
(Webster definition)
Theoretical Understanding of
Myths

• The rational myth theory • According to structural
states that myths were
made to better understand
natural events and forces
that occurred in the
everyday lives of people.
• myths represent an early
form of logical thinking:
they all, have a logical
base.
theory, a myth is the
sum of all stories of a
particular type within a
cultural system;
furthermore the meaning
and interpretation of the
myth is only clear when
one views how it relates
to the other myths in the
same system.
• Functional theory postulates • Freudian Psychology
that myths were used to teach postulates that myths are
morality and social based on human emotion


behaviour and/or to justify
social norms and institutions.
• this theory draws attention to
the function that a story or
myth serves within a society.
and that they come from
the human subconscious
mind.
• Myths reflect strong
fears and desires that are
taboo.

• Jungian psychology believed that myths and dreams were

expressions of the collective unconscious, in that they
express core ideas that are part of the human species as a
whole.
• myths express wisdom that has been encoded in all humans,
perhaps by means of evolution or through some spiritual
process.
 Philippine Myths

 A myth is "a sacred narrative explaining how
the world and man came to be in their present
form" .
The countless myths circulating throughout the
Filipino countryside contain a large variety of
mythical creatures.
It also includes narratives of tribal heroes and
their adventure.
Philippine Mythological
Influences

Animism
Indianized Kingdoms
Chinese Influence
Muslim Influence
 Animism
the belief in innumerable spiritual beings

concerned with human affairs and capable of
helping or harming human interests.
Negritos in the Philippines believes in no gods
and goddesses, but a series of spirits, called
Talunanon which they placate to ensure an
easy existence.
Animism evolved through time into believing
ancestor worship and deities who can be
communicated through lower spirits.
 Indian Influences

 According to Dr. Pardo de Tavera ,Indians came to the
region and settled.  This brought the influence of India from
trade and settlers.
Some of Indian influences

Bathahala was apparently derived from Sanskrit “bhattara”

(noble lord) or “batara” in the southern
Philippines and Borneo.

Diwata From Indian beliefs of Devata beings.

Tikbalang Its image is from the indian god Hayagriva.

The 7 layered worlds Based from Hindu Purunas’ 17 layered universe.

 Chinese Influence

 Chinese folklore
features a rich variety
of ghosts, monsters,
and other supernatural
creatures.

Ghost
 Muslim Influence

 The Moro’s belief in “bagih” (destiny determined only by
Allah), made them formidable opponents in battle.


END