Precolonial period

Group # 1
Names: Bautista, Alreign Joyce D.
Calibara, Mark Aaron N.
Garcia, Jasmin Meryll M.
Lomibao, Angelika Joenne V.
Mojica, Jayson Brian R.
Patawe, Kissiah Kate M.
Ramos, Joshea Nel D.
Rodriguez, Angelika C.

Section: St. Anthony De Padua

PRECOLONIAL LITERATURE IN THE PHILIPPINES (BC-1564)

PRECOLONIAL PERIOD:
 Longest period in the Philippine literature
 The literary outputs of this period cannot be called substantial because much of
it was oral (e. epics, tales, songs, riddles, and proverbs).
 It is the literature of varying human interest. Their literature were addressed to the
ears rather than the eyes.

FEATURES:
1. Crude on ideology and phraseology.

2. Based on oral tradition.

3. It is addressed to the ears rather than eyes.

4. It is close to the religious and political organizations of the ancient Filipinos.

5. Longest period of the Philippine literature.

6. Wrote on perishable materials.

7. Many are not preserved and vanished from local knowledge.

LITERARY FORMS:
1. Oral literature

 Riddles – are like proverbs but riddles demands an answer and are used to test
the wits of those who are listening.
 Proverbs – philosophy of everyday life that obviously meant to entertain while
teaching a basic skills in surviving local life.
 Tanaga – is an indigenous type of Filipino poem, that is used traditionally in the
Tagalog language.

2. Folk songs

- Hele or oyayi

- Ambahan (Mangyan)

- Kalusan (Ivatan)

- Tagay (Cebuano and Waray)

- Kanogan (Cebuano)
3. Folk tales

 Myths – explain how the world was created, how certain animal possesses
certain characteristics, why aome have waterfalls, volcanoes, mountains, flora or
fauna.
 Legends – explain the origin of things.
 Fables – used animal characteristics and allegory.
 Fantastic stories – deal with underworld characters such as tiyanak, aswang,
kapre, and others.

4. Epics – these are narratives of sustained length based on oral tradition revolving
around super natural events or heroic deeds.

- Lam-ang (Ilocano)

- Kudaman (Palawan)

- Hinilawod (Panay)

- Darangen ( Maranao)

GENRES:

1. How animals possesses certain characteristics.

2. Why places have waterfalls, volcanoes, mountains, flaura or fauna.

3. How the world was created.

4. Why there is sun in the morning and moon at night.

5. Life events.

 Riddles – are like proverbs but riddles demands an answer and are used to test
the wits of those who are listening.
Example: I have a tail, I have a head, but I have no body. I am NOT a snake.
What am I?
 Proverbs – philosophy of everyday life that obviously meant to entertain while
teaching a basic skills in surviving local life.
Example: Actions speak louder than words.
 Tanaga – is an indigenous type of Filipino poem, that is used traditionally in the
Tagalog language.
Example: Sarili nating sining
Na kilanli’y nalibing
Kaya’t akin nang hiling
Ibig dito’y maturing!