Pre-colonial literature

Intended learning outcomes (ILO)

 A- retain the nature of oral tradition by doing research

and note-taking on the preserved oral tradition
 S - formulate solutions on how to preserve the oral
tradition
 K- cite the nature of oral tradition during the pre-colonial
period by creating table with descriptions
Source

Casocot, I. R. (2010). A literature 21 reader and

workbook: A critical survey of Philippine literature (3rd
ed.).
Introduction

Indigenous Philippine literature was born in the ethnic

community, growing out of a people’s needs and customs. In
the villages along river banks and sea coasts, in farms and
forests, riddles (bugtong) were used to entertain. Around a
fire, after a meal, parents and children would exchange
riddles as an affectionate game as well as a learning process.
Riddle

Riddle has an element of metaphor or talinghaga, linking

two unrelated images.

The riddle not only sharpened children’s observation of

their environment, but also taught them about the
surrounding world and its imaginative relationships.
Riddle

Examples

Ate mo, Ate ko, Ate ng lahat ng Usa ka prinsesa pero daghan og
tao. mata.

Atis Pinya
Salawikain and Sawikain

Epigrams/maxims/proverbs

Short poems that have been customarily been used and

served as laws or rules on good behavior, speaks of values,
of strength in pain

Often expressing a single idea, that is usually satirical and

had a witty ending
Salawikain and Sawikain

Examples

Kung walang tiyaga, walang nilaga.

Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa.
Kung ano ang itatanim ay siya ring aanihin.
Huwag gawin sa iba ang ayaw mong gawin sa iyo.
Magbiro ka sa lasing, huwag lang sa bagong gising.
Ambahan

Traditional poetry of the Hanunoo Mangyans of Oriental

Mindoro which is normally inscribed on bamboo using pre-
Colonial syllabic writing system called the Surat Mangyan.
Ambahan
Duplo

Verbal jousts/games played at funeral wakes

Duplo

Mga binibini at mga ginoo

Matatanda’t batang ngayo’y naririto,
Malugod na bati ang tanging handog ko
sa pagsisimula nitong larong duplo.
Ang duplo ay laro ng magkakapatid,
patama ng dila’y huwag ikagalit;
ang lakas at diin ng taglay na tinig
ay simbuyo lamang sa pagmamatuwid.

From A. Fernandez, “Busog ni Kupido”, 1910 (Gener: 1949)

Bayok

Speaks of love
Tanaga

- A quatrain with seven syllables each with the same rhyme

at the end of each line

Example: “Tahak ng tingin, tulak

ng sulyap, yakap, lapat
ng titig sa balikat.
Hatak pa, kindat, hakat”
Myths

Myths are traditional stories occurring in a timeless past.

They involve supernatural elements and are beyond the
frontiers of logic.
Long ago, when our ancestors heard the sound of thunder
and saw lightning, they were frightened because they could
not understand why these things happened. In order to
understand these and other natural events, they created
stories.
 Myths
Examples:
Legends

Legends are a form of prose the common theme of which

is about the origin of a thing, place, location or name. The
events are imaginary, devoid of truth and unbelievable.
Legends

Examples:

Si Maganda at Malakas
Legend of Mariang Makiling
Legend of Nusa
Epics

Epics like Tuwaang, 1958, Lam-ang, Hinilawod and

Bantugan, 1930, linked tribal man and his gods, his physical
exploits and his spiritual strength, his real and supernatural
worlds. Epics are long narrative poems in which a series of
heroic achievements or events, usually of a hero, are dealt
with at length.
Assignment

 Research work:
Research on the nature of oral tradition. Take down
important ideas. Present the ideas using graphic organizer.

Criteria Points
Content 50
Organization 30
Creativity 20
Total 100
Assignment

 Research work:
Formulate five (5) solutions on how to preserve the oral
tradition. (50 points)
Sources

https://www.slideshare.net/itsebo/pre-colonial-philippine-literature
https://
www.slideshare.net/AttheaJaneLepiten/philippine-literature-and-texts-precolonial-times-and-s
panish-colonizations-77510710
End