Pre-Spanish Period

Pre-Spanish Literature is characterized by:

Legends Folk Tales Epic Folk Songs Epigram/Riddles/Chants Proverbs Sayings

Legends
Origin of a thing, place, location or name Imaginary, devoid of truth and unbelievable Aims to entertain Example: Legends of the Tagalogs

Folk Tales
Passed on by word of mouth Made up of stories about life, adventure, love horror and lessons about life. These are useful to us because they help us appreciate our environment, evaluate our personalities and improve our perspectives in life.

The Epic Age

Long narrative poems Heroic achievements/events Hudhod and the Alim of Ifugaos (stone age/unknown) Margatas (period of Christ)

Epics that can be read and studied like:

Bidasari Moro Epic Biag ni Lam-ang Ilocano Epic Maragtas Visayan Epic Kumintang Tagalog Epic Dagoy at Sudsod- Tagnabua epic Tatuaang Bagabo epic Indarapata at Sulayman Bantugan

Folk Songs
One of the oldest forms of Philippine Literature Songs mirrored the early forms of culture Many of these have 12 syllables Examples:
Kundiman (Awit ng Pag-ibig) Kumintang o Tagumpay (War Song) Ang Dalit O Imno (Song of the Gods of the Visayans Ang Oyayi o Hele (Lullaby) Diana (Wedding Song) Soliraning (Song of the Laborer) Talindaw (Boatmans Song)

Other Forms of Pre-Spanish Poetry

Epigrams (Salawikain) Used and served as laws and rules on good behavior by our ancestors. Aanhin pa ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo Riddles (Bugtong) made up of one or more lines with rhyme May consists of four to 12 syllables - Bungbong kung liwanag - Kung gabi ay dagat

Chant (Bulong) Used in witchcraft or enchantment Ikaw ang nagnanakaw ng bigas ko Lumuwa sana ang mga mata mo Mamaga sana ang katawan mo Patayin ka sana ng mga anito

 Maxims some are rhyming couplets with verses of 5, 6 or 8 syllables Pag hindi uukol Hindi Bubukol Sayings (Kasabihan) used in teasing or to comment on a persons actuations Putak putak Batang duwag Matapang kat Nasa pugad Sawikain - sayings with no hidden meaning Nasa Diyos ang awa Nasa tao ang gawa