MODULE: 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World
LESSON 1: PRE-COLONIAL PERIOD OF PHILIPPINE
LITERATURE
I. Introduction This lesson presents the different forms of literature during the Pre-Colonial Philippines which serves as the foundation of our Contemporary Literature. These forms manifest our country’s diverse culture and history.
II. Objectives
1. Identify the geographic, linguistic, and ethnic dimensions of Philippine Literary History from the Pre-colonial Period; 2. Understand and appreciate classic literary forms; and 3. Compose a time capsule letter, addressed to the ancient Filipino people.
III. Discussion
man’s vehicle for self
a form of catharsis/relief came from the Latin word expression Littera which means letter
primordial aim is to entertain preserver of culture of a
LITERATURE nation
tool for cultural transmission
showcase people’s national upheavals
About the Pre-Colonial Period of the Philippines
The first settlers of the Philippines arrived through land bridges around 15,000 – 30, 000 BC. Those first settlers (the Aetas) were excellent hunters and food gatherers. In 2500 BC, two types of Malays came and influenced our ancestors. The Proto- Malays introduced knowledge in seafaring, farming, building houses from trees, and creation of fire for cooking. The Deutero- Malays (Indian, Chinese, Siamese, Arabic) shared their own systems of writing, knowledge and skills in agriculture, metallurgy, jewelry- making, and boat- building. MODULE: 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World
Beliefs
Ancient Filipinos were animistic (worships nature). They believed in Anitos, Diwatas, good spirits, and bad spirits. The name/ term for God varies from region to region; same with the belief on how the world came to be. o BATHALA (Tagalog) o LAON or ABBA (Bisaya) o IKASI, ZAMBAL, or GUGURANG (Bicolano) o KABUNIAN (Ilocano and Ifugao)
Way of Writing
According to a Spanish Historian named Father Pedro Chirino , Filipinos already have their way of writing even before the Spaniards came. There were at least 16 Different ancient writing systems used during the pre-colonial period. o Badlit (Visayas) o Hanunu’o (Mindoro) o Basahan (Bicol) o Buhid (Mindoro) o Eskayan (Bohol) o Kirim (Maguindanao) o Jawi (Sulu) o Kulitan (Kapampangan) o Baybayin (Tagalog) o Kur-itan (Ilocos) o Tagbanua (Palawan) o Palaw-an/ Ibalnan (Palawan)
Philippine Literature
Pre-colonial Nature Forms Period
Oral and Written Traditions Traditional Verses
Folk Wisdom Riddles, Proverbs, and Short Poems
Communal or Collective Folk Songs Language of Daily Life Ritualistic Chants and Spells Functional Folk Narratives Transmission of Beliefs and Epics, Myths Morals Values, Ideals, and Customs Legends, Fables Entertainment Folktales, Fantastic Stories MODULE: 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World
Oral and Written Traditions
RIDDLES (BUGTONG) – used to test wit, ingenuity, and imagination; usually a rhyming couplet, each having a regular syllabic count, varying from four syllables to as many as 14 syllables. Nang bata pa’y paru-paro Nang tumanda na’y latigo
PROVERBS (SALAWIKAIN) – terse statements of practical wisdom based on long experience and observations about life. Stated in figurative language and are usually rendered in rhyming couplets.
Ex: 1. Ang naglalakad ng matulin, 2. Kung ano ang puno,
Kung matinik ay malalim. Ay siya ring bunga.
IDIOMS (SAWIKAIN) – a phrase or a fixed expression that has a figurative, or sometimes literal, meaning.
Ex: 1. Kumukulo ang dugo 5. Pusong Mamon
2. Makati ang dila 6. Bahag ang buntot 3. Balat- sibuyas 7. Basang sisiw 4. Bungang araw 8. Nagmumurang kamatis
Communal or Collective
SONGS – are of great variety, expressive of a gamut of human experiences and feelings. They are sung at almost every occasion: work, worship, wedding, and war, with the accompaniment of musical instruments, mostly percussive and stringed. They include lullabies, street songs, work songs, game songs, victory songs, love songs, and funeral dirges.
o TYPES OF SONGS Uyayi – lullaby Komintang – war song Kundiman – melancholic love song Harana – courtship song Tagay – drinking song Mambayu – Kalinga rice- pounding song Subli – dance ritual song of courtship/ marriage Tagulaylay – songs of the dead
Chants – used in witchcraft or enchantments
Examples: o “Tabi tabi po, makikiraan lamang po” o “Mag-iingat ka palagi” o “Pagaling ka, mahirap ang may karamdaman” o “Dagang malaki, dagang maliit, ayto ang ngipin kong sira na’t pangit. Sana ay bigyan mo ng kapalit” MODULE: 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World
Functional
Folk Epics – are lengthy narrative poems revolving around supernatural events, heroic deeds, or folk heroes. They were either chanted or sung with a certain seriousness of purpose. They were recited in communal gatherings as a way of strengthening tribal pride and unity.
Myths – fictional stories that try to explain how things came to be through the intervention of supernatural beings; usually answers “why?” and “how?”
o EXAMPLES OF MYTHS: The Creation Myth (Tagalog) Bakit Maliwanag ang Araw kaysa Buwan? Bakit Kumukulog at Kumikidlat? Si Malakas at si Maganda Ang pinagmulan ng mga lahi Bakit pango ang ilong ng mga Pilipino?
Legends – deals mainly with the origin of local phenomena or happenings, origin of places, plants, animals, things, and names.
Fables – deals with animals and inanimate beings made to speak and act like rational beings and teaching morals
Fantastic Stories – deals with the unseen world or the underworld, and with odd, whimsical, or grotesque characters.
Folktales – deals with humorous or heroic stories about native culture heroes, village idiots, tricksters, tramps, and other stock characters. MODULE: 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World
IV. Activities
A. Individual Activity 1. Write a time capsule letter addressed to the Ancient Filipino People by using 10 sentences or more. FORMAT: Short Bond Paper, HAND WRITTEN. Enclose the letter in a white envelope. WRITE LEGIBLY. 2. Transcribe your first name using the Modern Baybayin Writing System. FORMAT: Bookmark (You can use any art material) Front Side: Your first name in Baybayin Back Side: Your name, grade and Section MODULE: 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World
LESSON 2: PHILIPPINE MYTHOLOGY
I. Introduction Just like the Greeks, Filipinos also have a number of deities who represents our culture. In this lesson, you will be introduced to the various residents of Kaluwalhatian (Skyworld) and Kasamaan (Underworld).
II. Objectives
1. Identify the different Gods and Goddesses of Philippine Mythology;
2. Reflect on how animism shape the lifestyle and literature of the Pre-colonial period; and 3. Plan and execute a photo shoot depicting Ancient Filipino Gods and Goddesses.
III. Discussion
Philippine Mythology is a collection of stories and superstitions about magical beings a.k.a. deities whom our ancestors believed controlled everything. Myths are believed to have taken place in the “remote past,” meaning a period when the world as we know it today wasn’t fully formed yet. Philippine mythology gave our ancestors a sense of direction and helped them explain everything. For them, it was not just a belief in invisible higher beings. Philippine mythology defined who they were and what they’re supposed to do. Filipinos didn’t stick to a single version of creation story nor did they give uniform names to their deities.
Good Tagalog Deities in Ancient Philippine Mythology
the residents of Kaluwalhatian (the Ancient Tagalog Skyworld)
▣ Bathala - The supreme god of being; creator of man and earth and addressed sometimes as Bathalang Maykapal. dwells in Kaluwalhatian ▣ Amanikable - God of hunters ▣ Idiyanale - The goddess of labor and good deeds. ▣ Lakapati - The goddess of fertility and the most understanding and kind of all the deities. Also known as Ikapati ▣ Mapulon - The god of seasons ▣ Mayari - The goddess of the moon, war, and revolution ▣ Tala - The goddess of the stars ▣ Hanan - The goddess of morning ▣ Anitun Tabu - The fickle-minded goddess of wind and rain ▣ Anagolay - The goddess of lost things and the only offspring of Lakapati and Mapulon. MODULE: 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World
Harmful Tagalog Deities in Ancient Philippine Mythology
Resides in Kasamaan (Ancient Tagalog Underworld)
▣ Sitan - The guardian of Kasamaan and the keeper of all souls therein, the counterpart of Satan. He had four agents whose task was to lead man to sin and destruction. ▣ Manggagaway - She was the first agent of Sitan and was primarily blamed as the cause of diseases. ▣ Manisilat - The second agent of Sitan, she was tasked to destroy and break every happy and united family that she could find. ▣ Mangkukulam - The only male agent of Sitan, he was to emit fire at night and when there was bad weather. ▣ Hukluban - The last agent of Sitan. Could change herself into any form she desired. She could kill someone by simply raising her hand and could heal without any difficulty as she wished.
Ancient Bikolano Deities in Philippine Mythology
▣ Gugurang – The supreme god who dwells inside of Mount Mayon where he guards and protects the sacred fire in which Aswang, his brother was trying to steal. ▣ Asuang – The harmful god who always try to steal the sacred fire of Mount Mayon from his brother, Gugurang. ▣ Bulan – The God of the Pale Moon; depicted as a pubescent boy. It was said that he was so handsome that he could tame wild beasts and make everyone treat him kindly.
▣ Magindang – The God of Sea and all its creatures; Pursued the lunar God Bulan.
▣ Bakunawa – A gigantic sea serpent deity who is often considered as the cause of eclipses. As the devourer of the sun and the moon, this serpent became an adversary of Haliya. ▣ Haliya – The masked goddess of the moon and the arch-enemy of Bakunawa
Ancient Visayan Deities in Philippine Mythology
▣ Kaptan – Supreme Ruler of the heavens
▣ Magwayen – Supreme Goddess of the Seas and the underworld ▣ Adlaw/Apolaki – God of the Sun ▣ Alunsina – She was the virgin goddess of the eastern skies. ▣ Bangun Bangun – God of time and cosmic movements. ▣ Barangaw – He is the god of the rainbow. ▣ Bulalakaw – Bird god, causer of illness. ▣ Dalikmata – The many-eyed goddess, cures eye illnesses. ▣ Nagmalitong Yawa – Diwata the goddess of lust, ▣ Ribung Linti – God of lightning and thunder, seduction and demons MODULE: 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World
Other Tagalog Deities in Ancient Philippine Mythology
▣ Balitok (Ifugao) – son of Bugan and a mortal man; He was split in half. The upper half became a celestial being and the lower became various species of animals ▣ Melu (Bilaan) – he was so large that he could not be compared w/ any known thing. He had gold teeth and was so obsessed with cleanliness. From the dead skin which he rubbed off his body to keep himself clean he created the earth. ▣ Bungisngis (Batangas) – is described as “a large strong man who is always laughing”. He also has an upper lip so large that when it is thrown back, it completely covers his face. ▣ Batibat (Bicol) – popular among the Tagalogs as “Bangungot”. She is described as a fat, old witch and her preferred way of killing her victims is by sitting on their chest while they sleep. ▣ Tikbalang (Tagalog) – is a tall, bony humanoid creature with the head and hooves of a horse and disproportionately long limbs, to the point that its knees reach above its head when it squats down. In some versions it is a transformation of an aborted fetus sent to earth from limbo. Tikbalangs are generally associated with dark, sparsely populated, foliage-overgrown areas. To tame a Tikbalang, one must successfully pluck 3 golden hairs from its mane. Once done, a Tikbalang will serve you until it dies. ▣ Biaonganan (Palawan) – is described as a small human with black skin, kinky dark hair, and feet pointing backwards. They can sometimes be found climbing through the tallest trees. It can transform into a human or a pig, where it will use this guise to sneak into a village and steal a pig or a human for its consumption. When villagers detect a rotting smell, they know a Biangonan is near. To ward of a Biaonganan, one must light a torch and wave it to the monster.
IV. Activities
A. Individual Activity ▣ If you could be a Filipino God/Goddess for a day, who would you want to be and why? Elaborate in 10 sentences and write on a Short Bond Paper.
FORMAT OF THE INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY: Short Bond Paper, Hand written.
B. Group Activity Plan and execute a photo shoot depicting Ancient Filipino Gods and Goddesses.
FORMAT OF GROUP ACTIVITY:
▣ Compile your photos as a pdf file. ▣ The title of your file is your Strand and Section. ▣ Do not forget to include a list of names of your members. Everyone should participate! ▣ NO NUDITY OR DARING PICTURES! ▣ DEADLINE: AUGUST 3, 2019
