Continuation of Pre-

Colonization
LESSON 2
FOLK NARRATIVE
• Folk narratives consist of myths, legends and folktales. Myths are prose narratives explaining how the
world and people came to be in their form. These were the first tools man used to define his world. The
origin of the surrounding world has always been the object of interest of prehistoric Filipinos.
PROVERBS
The proverbs or aphorisms express norms or codes of behavior, community beliefs or they instill values by
offering nuggets of wisdom in short, rhyming verse.
The extended form, Tanaga, a mono-riming heptasyllabic quatrain expressing insights and lessons on life is
“more emotionally charged than the terse proverb and thus has affinities with the folk lyric.” Some examples
are the basahanon or extended didactic sayings from bukidnon and the daraida and daragilon from Panay.
Filipino proverbs or tagalog proverbs or salawikain, echo the values of the Philippines. Though they have been
retold and passed down from one generation to another, and the values and lessons they impart to us still hold
true to this day.
Example: if you plant, you harvest.
kung may tinanim, may aanihin.
It means that your future will be the result of your actions today. Plan ahead.
FOLKSONGS
The folk songs, a form of folk lyric which expresses the hopes and aspirations, the people’s lifestyles as well as
their loves. These are often repetitive and sonorous, didactic and naïve as in the children’s songs or Idaida
(Maguindanao), tulang pambata (tagalog) or cansiones para abbing (ibanag).
A few examples are the lullabyes or ili-ili (Ilongo); love songs like the panawagon and balitao (Ilongo); harana or
serenade (Cebuano); the bayok (Maranao); the seven syllable per line poem, ambahan of the mangyans that are
about human relationships, social entertainment and also serve as a tool for teaching the young; work songs that
depict the livelihood of the people often sung to go with the movement of workers such as the kalusan (ivatan),
soliranin (tagalog rowing song) or the mambayu. A kalinga rice pounding song; the verbal joust/games like the
duplo popular during wakes.
EPICS
Epics in the Philippines during the pre-colonization are considered ethno-epics because they are histories of
various ethnic groups. The epics come in various names: Guman (Subanon); Darangen (Maranao); Hudhud
(Ifugao); and Ulahingan (Manobo). These epics resolve around supernatural events or heroic deeds and they
embody or validate the beliefs and customs and ideals of a community. These are sung or chanted to the
accompaniment of indigenous musical instruments and dancing performed during harvests, weddings or funerals
by chanters. The chanters who were taught by their ancestors are considered “treasures” and/or repositories of
wisdom in their communities.
Examples of these epics are the Lam-ang (Ilocano); Hinilawod (Sulod); Kudaman (Palawan); Darangen
(Maranao); Ulahigan (Livunganen Arumanen Manobo); Mangovayt Buhong na langit ( The Maiden of the
Buhong Sky from Tuwaang—Manobo); Ag Tobig neg Keboklagan (Subanon); and tudbulol (T’boli).
Prose Fiction presents a story that is invented and not literally “true”. It is written to
be read rather than acted or performed and the events depicted are told to us by a
narrator, not enacted or dramatized. One example of this is a myth.

Myth is often a story or origins, how the world and everything in it came to be. It
may explain a practice, belief or natural occurrence.
An example of a myth is the story of “Tungkung Langit and Alunsina” as adapted by F. Landa Jocano. Read the
story below and answer the questions that follows.
One of the stories about the creation of the world, which the old people of Panay, especially those living near
the mountains, do not tire relating, tells that in the beginning there was no sky or earth? Only a bottomless deep
and a world of mist. Everything was shapeless and formless? The earth, the sky and the sea were almost mixed
up. In a word, there was confusion. Then, from the depths of this formless void, there appeared two gods,
Tungkung Langit (“Pillar of the sky”) and Alunsina (“The Unmarried One”). Just where these two deities came
from, it was not known. However, it was related that Tungkung Langit had fallen in love with Alunsina; and
after so many years of courtship they got married and had their abode in the highest realm of ethereal space,
where the water was constantly warm and the breeze was constantly cool. It was in this place where order and
regularity first took place. Tungkung Langit was an industrious, loving and kind god whose chief concern was
how to impose order over the whole confused set-up of things. He assumed responsibility for the regular
cosmic movement. On the other hand, Alunsina was a lazy, jealous and selfish goddess whose only work was to
sit by the window of their heavenly home and amuse herself with her pointless thoughts. Sometimes, she would
go down the house, sit down by a pool near the doorstep, and comb her long jet-black hair all day long. One
day, Tungkung Langit told his wife that he would be away from home for some time to put an end to the chaotic
disturbances in the flow of time and the position of things. However, despite this purpose, Alunsina sent the
breeze to spy on Tungkung Langit. This made the latter very angry upon knowing about it. Immediately after
his return from his trip, he called this act to her attention,
Saying that it as ungodly of her to be jealous, there being no other creature in the world except the two of them.
This reproach was resented by Alunsina and a quarrel between them followed. Tungkung Langit lost his temper.
In his rage he divested his wife of powers and drove her away. He did not know where Alunsina went; she merely
disappeared. Several days after Alunsina had left, Tungkung Langit felt very lonely. He realized what he had
done. Somehow, it was too late even to be sorry about the whole matter. The whole place, one vibrant with
Alunsina’s sweet voice, suddenly became cold and desolate. In the morning when he woke up, he would find
himself alone; and in the afternoon when he came home, he would feel the same loneliness creeping deep in his
heart because there was no one to meet him at the doorstep or soothe the aching muscles of his arms. For months,
Tungkung Langit was in utter desolation. He could not find Alunsina, try hard as he would. And so, in
desperation, he decided to do something in order to forget his sorrows. For months and months he thought. His
mind seemed pointless; his heart weary and sick. But he must do something about his lonely world. One day,
while he was sailing across the regions of the clouds. A thought came to him. He would make the sea and the
earth, and lo! The earth and the sea suddenly appeared. However, the somber sight of the lonely sea and the barren
land irritated him. So he came down to earth and planted the ground with tress and flowers. Then he took his
wife’s treasured jewels and scattered them in the sky, hoping that when Alunsina.
would see them she might be inducted to return home. The goddess’s necklace became the stars, her comb the
moon and her crown the sun. however, despite all these Alunsina did not come back. Up to this time, the old folk
say Tungkung Langit lives alone his palace in the skies. Sometimes, he would cry out his pent-up emotion and his
tears would fall down upon the earth. The people in Panay today say the rain is Tungkung Langit’s tears.
Incidentially, when it thunders hard, the old folk also say that it is Tungkung Langit sobbing, calling for his
beloved Alunsina to come back, entreating her so hard that his voice reverberates across the fields and the
countryside.