UNDERSTANDING

OUR TRADITIONAL
LITERATURE
GROUP 4:
SUMPOK, SATURNINO - BANQUIL, ROMEL
BORNEA, REGIE – ALIGWAY, JOHN KEVIN
BATOCTOY, MERRICHIEL – CABUGNASON, JECILLE
COQUILLA, LEONAR MAE
 Definition and Description of Traditional Literature(Romel)
 Traditional Literature – is the body of ancient stories and poems that grew out of the
human quest.
 Through time by the oral tradition of storytelling.
 These stories and poems are attributed to entire groups of people or cultures.
 Some traditional stories may have been told as Truths, or
 May have been thought to contain elements of Truth.
 Today we consider them to be mostly or wholly fantasy.
 Traditional literature includes several different types of stories, they have many features
in common such as the ff:
1. PLOT are generally shorter than any other genres of literature.
2. ACTION, in turn, is concentrated, which kept audiences alert and interested.
3. CHARACTERS in traditional literature tend to have only one outstanding quality,
which made them easy to identify.
4. SETTINGS are unimportant and are described and referred to in the vaguest of
terms.
Definition and Description of Traditional Literature(Saturn)

5. THE LANGUAGE, though full of rhythm and melody, is sparse.

6. STYLE is characterized by story beginnings and endings, motifs of recurrent features,
and repetition of refrains or chants.
7. THEMES that are most common in the stories are good versus evil, the power of
perseverance.
8. The ENDING usually have a happy ending.
 Folklore is still being created particularly in some remote areas of the country where
the oral tradition remains the chief means of communication.
 Elsewhere in the country(including the Metropolis) legends(white lady, aswang,
kapre, tiyanak, multo, barang, mangkukulam, tikbalang, demonyo) perhaps will be a
part of our Pinoy lifestyle.
Evaluation and Selection of Traditional Literature(Regie)

 A traditional tale, even though written down, should preserve the narrative, or
storytelling style and should sound as thought it is being told.
 Retold versions of traditional tales must preserve the essential content that made the
stories vital to people.
 A traditional tale should preserve the flavor of the culture or country or its origin
(Kabikulan, Kapampangan, Kaigorotan, Katagalugan, Kabisayaan) through the use of
colloquialism.
 In illustrated versions of traditional literature, text and illustration must be of high
quality. Not all illustrations are skillful as writers.
 Though simple in other respects, traditional tales employs a rich literary styles.
Types of Traditional Literature(Aligway)

1. Myths – are stories that recount and explain the origins of the world and the
phenomena of nature. They are sometimes referred to as creation stories.
Ex.
Types of Traditional Literature(Aligway)
2. Epics – are long stories of human adventures and heroism recounted in many episodes.
• their characters can be both human and divine.
• setting is earthly but not always realistic.
Types of Traditional Literature(Jecille)

3. Legends and Tall Tales

Legends – are stories based on their real or supposedly real individuals and their
marvelous deeds.
Types of Traditional Literature(Jecille)
Tall Tales – are highly exaggerated accounts of the exploits of persons, both real and
imagined, so they may be considered a subcategory of legends, albeit of much more recent origin.

4. Folktales – are stories that grew of the lives and imaginations of the people, or folk.
• Some people use the terms folktale and fairy tale interchangeably.
• We categorize fairy tales under magic tales, a kind of folktale having magic characters such as
fairies.
Types of Traditional Literature(Chiel)
 The following is list of the most prevalent kinds of folktales. Note that some folktales have
characteristics of two or more folktale categories:
a. CUMULATIVE - cumulative tale uses repetition, accumulation, and rhythm to make an
entertaining story out of the barest of plots.
 Ex. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwR9F952CcM
b. HUMOROUS - humorous tale revolves around a character's incredibly stupid and funny
mistakes, known as sillies, and numbskulls.
 Ex. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO5s-AdkT6k
c. BEAST – beast tales feature talking animals and overstated action.
 Ex. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ0ODCMC6xs
d. MAGIC – magic tales, also known as wonder tales or fairy tales, contain elements of magic
or enchantment in characters, plot, or settings.
 Ex. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqhqqvmRcj0
e. POURQUOI – explain phenomena of nature. The word pourquoi is French for why and these
tales can be understood as primitive explanations for many “why” questions early humans
asked.
 Ex. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA5QbOZzDFM
f. REALISTIC – realistic tales are those whose characters, plot, and setting could conceivably
have occurred. such as falling in love, marriage, finding a job, divorce, alcoholism, etc.
Types of Traditional Literature(Leah)
5. FABLES – is a simple story that incorporates characters typically animals whose actions teach a
moral lesson or universal truth.
Types of Traditional Literature(Leah)
6. RELIGIOUS STORIES - Stories based on religious writings or taken intact from religious
manuscripts are considered to be religious stories.
• These stories may recount milestone in the development of religion and its leadership.
Traditional Literature Style Folklore Myths Legends Folktales
Cumulative Magic Fables Religious Stories

1. is the body of ancient stories and poems that grew out of the human
quest.
2. is still being created particularly in some remote areas of the country
where the oral tradition remains the chief means of communication.
3. are stories that recount and explain the origins of the world and the
phenomena of nature.
4. also known as wonder tales or fairy tales.
5. These stories may recount milestone in the development of religion and
its leadership.
6. is a simple story that incorporates characters typically animals whose
actions teach a moral lesson or universal truth.
7. uses repetition, accumulation, and rhythm to make an entertaining
story out of the barest of plots.
Traditional Literature Style Folklore Myths Legends Folktales
Cumulative Magic Fables Religious Stories

8. are stories that grew of the lives and imaginations of the people, or folk.
9. is characterized by story beginnings and endings, motifs of recurrent
features, and repetition of refrains or chants.
10. are stories based on their real or supposedly real individuals and their
marvelous deeds.

11 -15) Enumerate the Types of Traditional Literature.

16 – 20) What are the Features of Traditional Literature.

21 – 25) What is Traditional Literature? In your own.

26 – 30) Give at least 5 Examples of Fables Story.