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    Module 1: Brief History of Philippine Literature

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    Earl Cecilio
    The document provides a brief history of Philippine literature from pre-colonial to contemporary times. It discusses pre-colonial oral literature such as proverbs, riddles, tales, and epics. During the Spanish colonial period, written literature developed and focused on Christian themes through forms like corridos, awits, pasyons, and cenaculos. The document examines how Spanish colonization influenced Philippine literature and culture while Filipinos incorporated Spanish influences into their own traditions.

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    Module 1: Brief History of Philippine Literature

    Uploaded by

    Earl Cecilio
    150 views7 pages
    The document provides a brief history of Philippine literature from pre-colonial to contemporary times. It discusses pre-colonial oral literature such as proverbs, riddles, tales, and epics. During the Spanish colonial period, written literature developed and focused on Christian themes through forms like corridos, awits, pasyons, and cenaculos. The document examines how Spanish colonization influenced Philippine literature and culture while Filipinos incorporated Spanish influences into their own traditions.

    Original Title

    BRIEF-HISTORY-OF-PHILIPPINE-LITERATURE

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    The document provides a brief history of Philippine literature from pre-colonial to contemporary times. It discusses pre-colonial oral literature such as proverbs, riddles, tales, and epics. During the Spanish colonial period, written literature developed and focused on Christian themes through forms like corridos, awits, pasyons, and cenaculos. The document examines how Spanish colonization influenced Philippine literature and culture while Filipinos incorporated Spanish influences into their own traditions.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    150 views7 pages

    Module 1: Brief History of Philippine Literature

    Uploaded by

    Earl Cecilio
    The document provides a brief history of Philippine literature from pre-colonial to contemporary times. It discusses pre-colonial oral literature such as proverbs, riddles, tales, and epics. During the Spanish colonial period, written literature developed and focused on Christian themes through forms like corridos, awits, pasyons, and cenaculos. The document examines how Spanish colonization influenced Philippine literature and culture while Filipinos incorporated Spanish influences into their own traditions.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 7

    MODULE 1: BRIEF HISTORY OF PHILIPPINE LITERATURE

    Learning Objectives: At the end of this module, you are expected to:
    1. define what constitutes literature
    2. identify the geographic, linguistic, and ethnic dimensions of Philippine literary
    history from pre-colonial to the contemporary

    Defining Literature

    One way we can define what constitutes literature is by identifying what is definitely not
    literature. McRae, in his book Creative Reading and Literature with a small “l”, introduced the
    concept of Big “L” Literature and small “l” literature.

    L vs l according to the Oxford English Dictionary

    Literature- "written work valued for superior or lasting artistic merit”


    literature - "a printed matter of any kind; esp. leaflets, brochures, etc., used to advertise
    products or provide information and advice"

    Why study Literature?

    Literature is enjoyable to read, and it does have a great deal to teach us about what it
    means to be human and to live in this world. Literature teaches and it delights and these
    functions are related.

    Because Literature deals with ideas, thoughts, and emotions of man, literature can be said
    to be the story of man. In Panitikang Pilipino (1984), Atienza et.al stated that “true literature is a
    piece of written work which is undying. It expresses the feelings and emotions of people in
    response to his everyday efforts to live to be happy in his environment and, after struggles, to
    reach his Creator.”

    The study of literature is under Humanities. Humanities are, generally, defined as the
    branches of learning that have a cultural character. So, if you are in STEM, or ABM, or TVL,
    why do you need to study 21st Century Literature? In his book, Literature, the Humanities, and
    Humanity, Dr. Theodore L. Steinberg stated: "at a time when we see an increasing
    dehumanization in society, a greater focus on economics, more reliance on technology, and ever
    more attachment to material goods, the humanities are increasingly vital to our individual and
    collective well-being (2013)." The humanities can help us learn how to manage and properly use
    the 21st-century skills that you learn today for the betterment of humanity.

    Brief History of Philippine Literature

    Before the Philippines was colonized, it was already brimming with a rich tradition of
    oral literature. Early Filipinos weaved together countless myths and legends to explain certain
    phenomena in life. However, because the paper was not invented yet, many of these tales were
    not preserved and have vanished from local knowledge. Most of what has been transcribed now
    is taken from oral literature, which means that these stories have been passed on from one
    generation to another.

    Pre-colonial Literature

    Proverbs. These are practical observations and philosophies of everyday life that are
    written usually in a rhyming scheme. it is obviously meant to entertain while teaching basic skills
    in

    surviving local life. In Tagalog, these are called salawikain, basahonon in Bukidnon,


    and daraida and daragilon in Panay.

    Riddles. Riddles are like proverbs with one main difference: they demand an answer and
    are used to test the wits of those who are listening to them. They are generally poetic in form and
    use one or more images to refer to an object to be guessed. These riddles are called tigmo in
    Cebuano, bugtong in Tagalog, paktakon in Ilongo, and patototdon  Bicol.
    Tales. These narratives consist of myths, legends,

    and

    folktales
    that

    usually tell stories of origin for certain places and names. They also explain certain events or
    phenomena in our ancestors' lives that cannot be explained by the limited practical kind of
    science they knew back then.

    Folksongs. These are songs that are informal expressions of our ancestors' experiences in
    life. These range from courtship to lullabies, harvests, funerals, and others.
    These are often repetitive and sonorous, didactic, and naive as in children's songs
    or idaida (Maguindanao), tulang pambata  (Tagalog), or cansiones para abbing (Ibanag).

    Ili-ili or lullabies in Ilongo; love songs like

    the panawagon and balitao  (Ilongo); harana or serenade in Cebuano; the bayok in


    Maranao; ambahan of Mangyans are examples of different folk songs from the regions.

    Epics. Epics during pre-colonization are considered ethno-epics because they are
    histories of various ethnic groups. These are
    long-winded poems about a hero and his
    adventures or misadventures. It
    usually tells of a male hero who is
    born with all the pleasing qualities
    that our ancestors like in a person
    and who also has superhuman
    abilities.

    Spanish Colonial Period


    (Mid 1600's to late 1900's)

    When the Spaniards came in 1521, it paved the way for the use of paper and so written
    literature in the Philippines was born. There was also an immediate shift in the focus of
    literature. Christian faith, lives of saints, and religious hymns became the center. Because of the
    many years of Spanish colonization, the remnants of the Spanish regime still run in our veins.
    Despite the changes, Filipinos still found a way to make Spanish literature their own as shown
    through these common kinds:

    Corrido is a legendary religious narrative form that usually details the lives of saints or
    the history of a tradition.
    Virgeng Ináng mariquit
    Emperadora sa Langit,
    tulungan po yaring isip
    matutong macapagsulit.
    - Ibong Adarna

    Awit is a chivalric poem about a hero, usually about a saint. It is also usually sung and
    used in religious processions.

    O pag sintang labis nang capangyarihan


    sampong mag aamá,i, iyong nasasaclao!
    pag icao ang nasoc sa púsò ninoman
    hahamaquing lahat masunód ca lamang!
    - Florante at Laura

    Pasyon is a narrative poem about the life of Jesus Christ, beginning from his birth and up
    to his death. This is usually sung during the Lenten season. Many women were trained before
    performing the Pasyon. 

    Cenaculo is the dramatization of the passion of Christ. It highlights the sufferings and
    death of Jesus Christ, and it is also done during the Lenten season. A good example is the San
    Pedro Cutud Lenten Rites in San Fernando, Pampanga, where fervent Catholics volunteer
    themselves to be actually nailed to the cross.

    Moro-moro or Comedia de Capa y Espada is a blood-and-thunder melodrama depicting


    the conflict of Christians and Muslims. It is usually about battles to the death and the proofs of
    faith.

    Carillo is a play that uses shadows as its main spectacle. This is created by animating
    figures made from cardboard, which are projected onto a white screen.
    These kinds of Spanish colonial literature show how welcoming our Filipino ancestors
    were to the Catholic faith. Most of them were happy to be baptized and immediately began to
    follow Catholicism's traditions and teachings. At the same time, these kinds of literature also
    helped shape the literature that we have today, not only in terms of faith, but also in terms of
    values system, societal norms, and realizations about life.

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