MARY ANN P.

ALETIN
Instructor

Lesson Two
Pre-Colonial Literature

By the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

identify and describe the different types of literature in the pre-colonial period

Engage

A literary work is a product of its time. It is as old as its country’s history. It

provides a context of background such as the social conditions, political developments,
religious ideas, and practices necessary for a reader to understand how literary work
reflect ideas and attitudes of the time in which the work was written.
Philippine literature has gone through definable periods. Philippines was
colonized by the Spaniards (1565-1898) for about 333 years, by the Americans (1899-
1902) for 48 years. Later, World War II broke out and the Japanese (1942-1945)
occupied the Philippines for three years.

Explore

Pre-colonial Period
(BC-1564)

Pre-colonial Literature in the Philippines

by one means or another gave us an
illustration from the past. It underscores on
how our literature began in the country which
is the Philippines.
Filipinos often lose sight of the fact that
the first period of the Philippine literary history
is the longest. Certain events from the nation’s
history had forced lowland Filipinos to begin
counting the years of history from 1521, the first time written records by Westerners
referred to the archipelago later to be called “Las Islas Filipinas”. However, the
discovery of the “Tabon Man” in a cave in Palawan in 1962, has allowed us to stretch
our prehistory as far as 50,000 years back. The stages of that prehistory show how the
early Filipinos grew in control over their environment. Through the researches and
writings about Philippine history, much can be reliably inferred about precolonial
Philippine literature from an analysis of collected oral lore of Filipinos whose ancestors
were able to preserve their indigenous culture by living beyond the reach of Spanish
colonial administrators.
The evolution of Philippine literature depended on the influences of colonization
and the spirit of the age. But before the change was done, indigenous Philippine
literature was based on the given traditions and customs of a particular area of the
country. Of course, Philippines is an archipelago country, consisting of several islands,
7,107 to be exact. And each of those islands has their specifications of cultures and
traditions, bearing different set of native literature.
Even before Spaniards invaded our country, Filipinos already had a firm and
unique way of expressing themselves through words and texts. Philippine history is rich
with fascinating stories. It presents the lives and belief systems of our ancestors that are
reflected on their arts and literatures.
Pre–colonial writing systems. During the early period almost everyone in the
society-male or female knows how to read and write. They have their own method of
writing in which they use sharp-pointed tools,
leaves, bamboo and trunk’s skin. They write
from top to bottom and read it from left to right.
Accordingly, they have their Alibata which
script is different from China, Japan and India.
This account was told by one of the first
Spanish missionaries who came in the
Philippines, Fr. Pedro Chirino.
Alibata is an ancient writing system that was used in what is now the Philippines.
Although it was all but extinguished by Western colonization, variants of it are still used
in parts of Mindoro and Palawan, and it is also increasingly used by Filipino youth as a
way to express their identity. (http://fatoprofugus.net/alibata/index.html)
Based on an article on Steemit, the alibata is what our Filipino ancestors use
before the Spaniards came to colonize the Philippines. The Filipino people before got
their own language and alphabet. With regards to the composition of the said old
alphabet of the Philippines, it contains seventeen letters (17). Fourteen (14) of it are
consonants and three (3) are vowels. (https://philnews.ph/2019/08/13/alibata-the-old-
alphabet-of-the-philippines-letters/)
Indigenous Philippine literature was born in the ethnic community from people’s
needs and customs.
LITERARY FORMS
1. Oral Literature
A broad term which may include ritual texts, curative chants, epic poems, musical
genres, folk tales, creation tales, songs, myths, spells, legends, proverbs, riddles,
tongue twisters, word games, recitations, life histories or historical narratives. It refers,
most simply, to any form of verbal art of traditional cultures which is transmitted orally or
delivered by word of mouth (Finnegan, 1970). Meaning to say that most literary works
during the pre-colonial period were passed down through word of mouth or what we call
the oral language.
Ancient Philippine literature mirrors the simple and social life experiences,
religious beliefs, customs, and wisdom of the early Filipinos. Early tribal literatures were
used for religious rites and entertainment.
The natives expressed their lives through oral
literature which has been passed down from
generation to generation. Often used in
religious ceremonies and recited to music,
oral literature records the past and teaches
traditions and values. Myths, legends, epics,
fables, songs, riddles, proverbs, and poems
are all forms of oral literature. These oral
literary forms were short, consisted of a single episode. The episode was invariably the
common experiences of the people constituting a region. The natives chanted and
danced during the solemn and religious observances like celebrating birth, ministering
the sick, and atoning for sins. Songs and rituals were accompanied by mimetic dances.
They were the precursor of the drama form.
The ancient Filipinos used a syllabary before the Spaniards introduced the
Roman alphabet from Europe. The early tribal ancestors inscribed their written
literatures on scrolls of dried leaves, bamboo cylinders, and tree barks. Only a few of
these writings have come down to the present because the manuscripts were recorded
in fragile materials.
a. The most appreciated riddles (bugtong) of ancient Philippines are those that
are rhymed and having equal number of syllables in each line, making them
classifiable under the early poetry of this country. Riddles were existent in all
languages and dialects of the ancestors of the Filipinos and cover practically
all of the experiences of life in these times. It is a question, a puzzle, a
phrase, or a statement devised to get unexpected or clever answers.
Filipino English
Heto na si Kaka, Here comes Kaka,
Bubuka-bukaka walking with an open
 leg
Answer: Frog

b. Proverbs on the other hand, are short statements that teach good conduct
and lessons. In Tagalog it is better known as the salawikain.
Filipino English
Matibay ang walis, A broom is sturdy
palibhasa’ y magkabigkis because its strands are
tightly bound

Hangga’ t makitid ang While the blanket is

kumot, matutong short, learn how to
mamaluktot bend.

c. Tanaga, is a short poem of four lines with seven to eight syllables.

Filipino English Translation
Ang katwiran ma’ y nabaon (7) Truth, through buried
Ng sanda-sandaang taon, (8) hundreds of years,
Pag dumating ang panahon In due time, it will come out
(8) and flourish
Lilitaw din at uusbong (8)

2. Folktales, are inspiring stories of human travails ang triumphs depicting

all kinds of emotion; it is to entertain and
teach morals. Folktales also means a
characteristically anonymous, timeless, and
placeless tale circulated orally among a
people (Merriam-Webster). It is also
considered as the oldest form of literature in
the Philippines. “The Monkey and the Turtle”,
explains why monkeys don’t like to eat meat.
This tale may seem morbid to Western sensibilities but it does impart moral lessons.
This Filipino folk tale was written down in English by Mabel Cook Cole.

“The Monkey and the Turtle”

(Ilocano)

A monkey, looking very sad and dejected, was walking along the bank of the river one
day when he met a turtle.

“How are you?” asked the turtle, noticing that he looked sad.

The monkey replied, “Oh, my friend, I am very hungry. The squash of Mr. Farmer were
all taken by the other monkeys, and now I am about to die from want of food.”

“Do not be discouraged,” said the turtle; “take a bolo and follow me and we will steal
some banana plants.”

So they walked along together until they found some nice plants which they dug up, and
then they looked for a place to set them. Finally the monkey climbed a tree and planted
his in it, but as the turtle could not climb he dug a hole in the ground and set his there.
When their work was finished they went away, planning what they should do with
their crop. The monkey said:

“When my tree bears fruit, I shall sell it and have a great deal of money.”

And the turtle said: “When my tree bears fruit, I shall sell it and buy three varnas of
cloth to wear in place of this cracked shell.”

A few weeks later they went back to the place to see their plants and found that that
of the monkey was dead, for its roots had had no soil in the tree, but that of the turtle
was tall and bearing fruit.

“I will climb to the top so that we can get the fruit,” said the monkey. And he sprang
up the tree, leaving the poor turtle on the ground alone.

“Please give me some to eat,” called the turtle, but the monkey threw him only a
green one and ate all the ripe ones himself.

When he had eaten all the good bananas, the monkey stretched his arms around the
tree and went to sleep. The turtle, seeing this, was very angry and considered how he
might punish the thief. Having decided on a scheme, he gathered some sharp bamboo
which he stuck all around under the tree, and then he exclaimed:

“Crocodile is coming! Crocodile is coming!”

The monkey was so startled at the cry that he fell upon the sharp bamboo and was
killed.

Then the turtle cut the dead monkey into pieces, put salt on it, and dried it in the sun.
The next day, he went to the mountains and sold his meat to other monkeys who
gladly gave him squash in return. As he was leaving them he called back:

“Lazy fellows, you are now eating your own body; you are now eating your own body.”

Then the monkeys ran and caught him and carried him to their own home.

“Let us take a hatchet,” said one old monkey, “and cut him into very small pieces.”

But the turtle laughed and said: “That is just what I like, I have been struck with a
hatchet many times. Do you not see the black scars on my shell?”

Then one of the other monkeys said: “Let us throw him into the water.”

At this the turtle cried and begged them to spare his life, but they paid no heed to his
pleadings and threw him into the water. He sank to the bottom, but very soon came
up with a lobster. The monkeys were greatly surprised at this and begged him to tell
them how to catch lobsters.

“I tied one end of a string around my waist,” said the turtle. “To the other end of the
string I tied a stone so that I would sink.”

The monkeys immediately tied strings around themselves as the turtle said, and when
all was ready they plunged into the water never to come up again.

And to this day monkeys do not like to eat meat, because they remember the ancient
story.
 a. Legends, explains the origin of things, how they came to be and why things
came as they are.
b. Myths, a traditional story in prose concerning details of gods and demigods
and the creation of the world and its inhabitants.
c. Epics, the most significant pieces of oral literature that may safely be
presumed to have originated in prehistoric times are folk epics. Epic poems
of great proportions and lengths abounded in all regions of the islands, each
tribe usually having at least one and some tribes possessing traditionally
around five or six popular ones with minor epics of unknown number.
3. Folk Songs – are poetic in nature that illustrate historical and cultural
background of a certain group. The folk song, 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 naive as in the children’s songs or Ida-ida
(Maguindanao), tulang pambata (Tagalog) or cansiones para abbing (Ibanag).
The 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 jousts/games like the duplo is popular during
wakes.
Filipinos had a culture that linked them with the Malays in the Southeast Asia, a
culture with traces of Indian, Arabic, and, possibly Chinese influences. Their epics,
songs, short poems, tales, dances and rituals gave them a native Asian perspective
which served as a filtering device for the Western culture that the colonizers brought
over from Europe.
Source: https://esielcabrera.wordpress.com/2016/02/26/philippine-literature-during-pre-colonial-period/

Characteristics of Philippine Pre-Colonial Literature

1. It practices the art of “story telling” called oral traditions.
2. Common themes of Philippine pre-colonial literature are:
a. nature
b. supernatural events
c. bravery of heroes
d. customs and ideologies
3. Philippine pre-colonial literature was considered their truth.
 4. Philippine pre-colonial stories have plots that are generally shorter.
5. Language is full of melody and rhythm.

Activity No. 1 (individual): A. A riddle has imagery which gives a clear description of
objects. The description makes us see, feel, hear, taste, touch, and/or smell in our
imagination. In a riddle, an image usually becomes a metaphor. Metaphor is a phrase or
sentence that shows similarities between two things. A riddle is divided into syllables.
Answer the given tasks below. Deadline of submission is on March 24, 2021. Submit
your given output to canvas or to my gmail account as an alternative platform @:
[email protected] Late submissions will have 5 points deductions.

Riddle Translation Image Senses

Example: feet
Pampango: Two friends in an
Adua lang mikaluguran endless chase
tagalan nong tagalan

Add your own examples:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

B. A proverb has didactive value. It preserves a community’s beliefs and code of

behaviors.
Proverbs Translation
Write your examples:
1.

2.
3.

4.

5.

What Filipino values, traits, customs, or tradition are brought out in each proverb you
have written.
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Choose a proverb that you like most. Reflect on this proverb and write how it may
guide you in your life.

Evaluate

Activity No. 2: As we are now celebrating the month of March as “Women’s Month,”
form a group with 4 members each. Choose your own groupmates. Write a short poem
about women empowerment or about women in general. Deadline of submission is on
March 24, 2021. Submit your given output in canvas or to my gmail account @:
[email protected]
References:
Aquino, Edna C. (2013). Literary Treasures of the Philippines. Malabon City: Mutya
Publishing House, Inc.
Doria, K. & Rotor, A. ((2012). Humanities Today: An Experiential Approach. Quezon
City: C & E Publishing, Inc.
https://esielcabrera.wordpress.com/2016/02/26/philippine-literature-during-pre-colonial-
period/
https://www.slideshare.net/itsebo/pre-colonial-philippine-literature
http://fatoprofugus.net/alibata/index.html
https://www.bing.com/images/search?
q=Images+on+Pre+Colonial+Period+in+Philippine+Literature&form=HDRSC2&first=
1&tsc=ImageBasicHover