compilation of precolonial and Spanish colonial texts in the Philippines

1. PRE COLONIAL AND
SPANISH COLONIAL TEXTS
(A COMPILATION)
Michelle Ann Maravello
Rosa Marie Cabilan
Rey Brian Enero

2. LITERATURE DURING PRE
COLONIAL PERIOD
 Proverbs/Epigrams/ Maxims
 Bugtong
 Chants
 Songs
 Folktales
 Fables
 Legends
 Epics
 Myths

3. PROVERBS AND BUGTONG
 Proverbs– also called Sawikain or Salawikain, are short poems customarily used
and served as laws or rules on good behaviors by our ancestors.
 Example- “ Ang matapat na kaibigan, tunay na maaasahan.”
 Bugtong/Riddles- reveals subtle resemblances between two unlike objects” and
one’s power of observation and wit are put to the test. It is made up of one or more
measured lines with rhymes and may consist of 4 to 12 syllables. Its purposes are; to
educate, entertain, titillate, curse, and depict culture.
 Example- “Isang balong malalim, punong-puno ng patalim.”
• Answer: Mouth

4. EPICS
 The Filipino word for ‘epic’ is epiko from the Spanish. Philippine epics are lengthy narrative
poems based on oral tradition. The verses were chanted or sung while being passed from generation
to generation before being written on paper. The plots of their stories revolve around supernatural
events and heroic deeds. Instead of glorifying national heroes, Philippine epics are specific to a
particular part of the country, and thus they are referred to as ethno-epics or regional epics. In fact,
the epic poems of the Philippines are in many different languages, not just the currently dominant
Tagalog.
 Example-Biag ni Lam-ang (Life of Lam-ang) of the Ilocanos narrates the adventures of the
prodigious epic hero, Lam-ang who exhibits extraordinary powers at an early age. At nine months
he is able to go to war to look for his father’s killers. Then while in search of lady love, Ines
Kannoyan, he is swallowed by a big fish, but his rooster and his friends bring him back to life.

5. CHANTS
 Chants- also known as “Bulong” . It is commonly used in witchcrafts and
enchantments.
 Example-” Tabi tabi po Ingkong, Makikiraan po lamang.”

6. TANAGA
 Tanaga- a quatrain in with seven syllables each with the same rhyme
at the end of each line.
 7-7-7-7, AABB
 Example- “Tahak ng tingin, tulak
ng sulyap, yakap, lapat
ng titig sa balikat
hatak pa, kindat, hakat.

7. MYTHS
 Myths- a sacred narrative explaining how the world and man came to be in
their present form.
-derived from Philippine folk literature, which is the traditional oral
literature of the Filipino people.
- a presence of divine deity
Examples- Story of Bathala
- The Legend of Maria Makiling

8. SONGS
 Songs -a form of folk lyric which expresses the people's hopes, aspirations,
and lifestyles
-inspired by the reaction of the people to their environment
 Example-Uyayi (lullaby)
Kumintang (war song)
Kundiman (melancholic love song)
Harana (serenade)

9. FABLES
 Fable- is a short allegorical tale emphasizing on a moral or any principle of
behaviour. The characters of fables are usually animals that portray like human
beings, though they keep their animal traits intact. The moral of these fables is
highlighted towards the end of the story in the form of a proverb and is
generally enacted.
 Example- Si Pagong at si Matsing
- Ang Kalabaw at ang Suso

10. FOLKTALES
 Folktale- a story originating in popular culture, typically passed on
by word of mouth. Usually is fictitious and imaginative.
 Example- The Boy Who Turned To Stone
- The Flood Story

11. LEGENDS
 Legends- a story explaining how various objects, flowers, plants, and even
places have come to be. They’re entertaining since they could amuse, inspire and
sometimes scare; but mainly, they impart lessons on how to live well with other
people.
 Examples- Legend of the Guava
- Legend of the Pineapple

12. SPANISH COLONIAL
LITERATURE

13.  The existing literature of the Philippine ethnic groups at the time of
conquest and conversion into Christianity was mainly oral, consisting of epics,
legends, songs, riddles, and proverbs. The conquistador, especially its ecclesiastical
arm, destroyed whatever written literature he could find, and hence rendered the
system of writing (e.g., the Tagalog syllabary) inoperable.

14.  This development marked the beginning of Indio literacy and thus spurred
the creation of the first written literary native text by the native. These writers,
called ladinos because of their fluency in both Spanish and Tagalog published
their work, mainly devotional poetry, in the first decade of the 17th century.
Among the earliest writers of note were Francisco de San Jose and Francisco
Bagongbanta . But by far the most gifted of these native poet-translators was
Gaspar Aquino de Belen (Lumbera, p.14). Mahal Na Pasion ni Jesu Christo, a
Tagalog poem based on Christ’s passion, was published in 1704.

15.  In the 18th century, secular literature from Spain in the form of medieval ballads
inspired the native poetic-drama form called the komedya, later to be called moro-moro
because these often dealt with the theme of Christians triumphing over Moslems .
 Until the 19th century, the printing presses were owned and managed by the
religious orders . Thus, religious themes dominated the culture of the Christianized
majority. But the native oral literature, whether secular or mythico-religious continued.
Even among the Christianized ethnic groups, the oral tradition persisted in such forms
as legends, sayings, wedding songs such as the balayan and parlor theater such as the
duplo .

16. SOME TEXTS IN SPANISH
COLONIAL LITERATURE

17. RELIGIOUS DRAMA
 Religious Drama- sets forth events recorded in the Bible or moral lessons to
be drawn from religious teaching, is distinctively medieval in character, and in
origin is closely connected with the services of the Church.
 Example- Panunuluyan (Tagalog for "asking for lodgings")is a Philippine
Christmas dramatic ritual narrating the Holy Family’s search for a place to stay in
Bethlehem for Jesus Christ’s birth through song.
- Cenakulo- dramatization of Christ’s passion and death

18. ZARZUELA
 The father of drama, a musical comedy or melodrama three acts which death
with men’s passion and emotions like love, hate, revenge, cruelty , avarice or some
political problem.

19. MORO-MORO
 Like the Cenaculo, the Moro-Moro is presented also on a special stage. This is
performed during town fiestas to entertain the people and to remind them of
their Christian religion. It often deals with the theme of the triumph of
Christians over Muslims.
 Example: “Prinsipe Rodante”

20. DUPLO AND BALAGTASAN
 poetic joust in speaking and reasoning
 a contest of skills in debate on a particular topic or issue.

21. AWIT
 Awit- is usually in dodecasyllabic verse.
 are fabricated stories from writers’ imagination although the setting and
characters are European.
 refers to chanting.
 Example: Florante at Laura by Francisco Balagtas

22. KORIDO
 Korido –is usually in octosyllabic verse.
 were usually on legends or stories from European countries like France, Spain,
Italy and Greece.
 refers to narration.
 Example: Ibong Adarna by Jose de la Cruz

23. POETRY
 Poetry is an imaginative awareness of experience expressed through meaning,
sound, and rhythmic language choices so as to evoke an emotional response.
Poetry has been known to employ meter and rhyme, but this is by no means
necessary. The very nature of poetry as an authentic and individual mode of
expression makes it nearly impossible to define.
 Example- Florante at Laura by Francisco Baltazar

24. END
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