Pre-Colonial Literature

Baybayin

first system of writing that was used by our ancestors in the Philippines before the arrival of the Spaniards

Baybayin

It is a writing system that was similar to that of the Malayo-Polynesian alphabet.

works of the devil or were written on materials that easily perished

Whatever record our ancestors left were either burned by the Spanish friars in the belief that they were ________________ or __________________.

barks of trees, dried leaves and bamboo cylinders

materials where records of our ancestors were written.

• legends

• folk tales

• epics

• folk songs

early forms of literature during pre-spanish period

Oral Tradition

It is transmitted from one generation to another by word of mouth.

Legends

A form of prose with the common theme of which is about the origin of a thing, place, location or name. ex. The Legend of the Tagalog

Folk Tales

It refers to made up stories about life, adventure, love, horror and humor where one can derive lessons about life. ex. The Moon and the Sun

Folk Tales (Mga Kwentong Bayan)

useful stories that help us appreciate our environment, evaluate our personalities and improve our perspectives in life.

Epic

It is a long narrative poem in which a series of heroic achievements or events, usually of a hero, are dealt with at length.

• Bidasari-Moro

• Biag ni Lam-ang (Ilokano epic)

• Hari sa Bukid (Visayan epic)

• Kumintang (Tagalog epic)

• Indarapatra at Sulayman

A few examples of epics

Folk Songs (Awiting Bayan)

A form of folk lyric which expresses the people’s hopes, aspirations, and lifestyles

Folk Songs (Awiting Bayan)

traditional songs and melodies that are repetitive and sonorous, didactic and naïve

Folk Songs (Awiting Bayan)

are one of the oldest forms of Philippine literature that emerged in the pre-Spanish period, mirroring the early form of culture.

12 syllables

It is the common number of syllables in a a folk song

• Kundiman (love song)

• Kumintang (war song)

• Ang Dalit o HImno (hymn)

• Talindaw (boat song)

Examples of folk songs

Epigrams (Salawikain)

These have been customarily used and served as laws or rules on good behavior by our ancestors.

Idioms (Sawikain)

It is a phrase with its own meaning that cannot be deduced from the meanings of the words that make up the phrase.

Maxims (Sabi-sabi)

rhyming couplets with verses of 5, 6 or 8 syllables, each line having the same number of syllables

Riddles (Bugtong) or Palaisipan

These are made up of one or more measured lines with rhyme and may consist of four to 12 syllables.

• to entertain

• to educate

• to titillate

• to curse without cursing

• to preserve culture

purpose of riddles

Chants (Bulong)

It is used in witchcraft or enchantment. Example of this is: tabi, tabi po.

Sayings (Kasabihan)

It is used in teasing or to comment on a persons’ actuations

Tanaga.

A quatrain with seven syllables each with the same rhyme at the end of each line

Sevent syllables

Number of syllables per line in a Tanaga

Ambahan

It is a traditional poetry of the Hanunoo Mangyans of Oriental Mindoro which is normally inscribed on bamboo using a pre-Colonial syllabic writing system called the Surat Mangyan

Surat Mangyan

It is a pre-Colonial syllabic writing system wherein Hanunoo Mangyan poetry is written in.

Myths

It refers to traditional stories occurring in a timeless past involving supernatural elements and are beyond the frontiers of logic.

Philippine folk literatue

It is the traditional oral literature of the Filipino people.

Ancient Metrical Tales (Pansukat Kwento)

It is a type of narrative poem that has an absolute acquired story that is usually in the form of verse or poem.

The Legend of Daragang Magayon

Rajah Makausog

• Datu of Rawis, Bicolandia

• father of Magayon

• was tied into a tree by Pagtuga

• was threated by Pagtuga to forcing him in marrying his daughter

• killed Linog with sword

Dawani

• wife of Rajah

• gave birth to Daragang Magayon but passed away after giving birth.

Daragang Magayon

• child of Rajah Majausog and Dawani

• grew up into a beautiful woman that attracted a lot of suitors.

Pagtuga

• a greedy suitor who is willing to do everything to get the love of Daragang Magayon

• was against the marriage of Magayon and Ulap

• started the war to fight for Magayon's love

Ulap

• son of Datu Kaliraya from Katagalugan tribe

• travelled to Rawis to see Magayon's beauty

• saved her when she slipped while playing around rocks

• was stabbed in the back by Pagtuga's men, Linog.

Linog

one of Pagtuga's men that stabbed Ulap in the back

Mayon

It is a poem written by Kristian Sendon Cordero.

Kristian Sendon Cordero

He is widely described as the “enfant terrible” of Bikol writing.

Kristian Sendon Cordero

He is a well-anthologized poet with Palanca awards. He is also an educator being an assistant professor at the Ateneo de Naga University

Mayon Volcano

A renowned volcano not only in the Philippines but also around the world for it’s almost “perfect cone.”

Images

The use of figurative language to represent objects, events, actions or ideas in a way that is physically appealing.

Meter

It is the basic rhythmic structure of a line in poetry.

Allusion

It refers to another textual work, leaving the reader to figure out the connection between the current work and the work being referred to.

Expansion

It refers to the possibility of images to go beyond what they normally mean, to extend, or grow in meaning.

Figurative Language

these are words or phrases used to go beyond their literal meaning

Negative Capability

Aquality that poet John Keats said was essential to people who want to write and read poetry.

Negative Capability

It is the capability to be face to face with uncertainty and not need to grapple with what the uncertainty could mean, but be comfortable just facing the situation.