Week 1 - Dimensions of Philippine Literary History

• Literature is the written picture of life
• Literature mirrors our lives and helps us embrace our origin, culture, and tradition
• Studying literature helps us understand people, events, and society
• Literature is a reproduction of our experiences and information of a particular subject
• Geographic, linguistic, and ethnic dimensions of Philippine literary history from pre-colonial to contemporary include: folklore, legends, fables, myths, epics, proverbs, riddles, and poetry
• Literature started with chants, hums, and songs, evolving through different generations into oral and written traditions
• Colonization influenced the development of Filipino literary writings, leading to the development of oral literature such as riddles, proverbs, and various forms of poetry
• Oral literature like myths, folk tales, and narratives promote cultural heritage and real-life practices
• Literature presents history, ideas, and feelings of the people, manifesting aspirations and dreams of the nation or individuals
• Pre-Colonial Literature (Early Times – 1564):

  • Rooted in ancestors' heritage, beliefs, and culture
  • Marked by the arrival of the Philippines Archipelago's first inhabitants
  • Overflowing with authentic oral literature, including folktales, myths, and legends
  • Reflects daily observations about life and experiences
• Forms of Pre-Colonial Literature:

  • Proverbs (salawikain): simple sayings that give wisdom
  • Riddles (bugtong): playful statements with obscure meanings
  • Folksongs: traditional songs passed down through generations
  • Tales: creative stories about the origin of things
  • Epics: long-narrative poems about heroic deeds
• Spanish-Colonial Literature (1565-1898):

  • Focused on Christianity and religion
  • Spanish language became the literary language
  • Kinds of literature: Cenaculo, Pasyon, Awit, Zarzuela, Corrido, Moro-moro, Carillo, Tibag, Duplo or Karagatan
• American-Colonial Literature (1899-1945):

  • Filipino writers enjoyed freedom and independence
  • Literary genres: poetry, short story, novel
  • Introduction of English language in education
  • Nationalistic plays flourished
• Contemporary Period (1946-Present):

  • New literary publications and skilled writers
  • Filipino writers continue to produce stories, poetry, essays, novels
  • Equipped with knowledge and skills of the present era
  • Various literary awards motivate writers
• Filipino writers in the Contemporary Period:

  • More efficient in their art and skills
  • Equipped with workshops and technology
  • Literary awards motivate writers to sustain Philippine Literature
• Literature illumines life and grows on people's visions, behavior, and optimistic experiences beyond the personal environment
• Literature means writings having excellence of form or expression
• Literature reflects the traditions and culture of the society, the origin and life experiences of the author, and allows us to navigate the truths and realities embedded in the beauty of the language
• Oral Literature:

  • Developed because of colonization
  • Includes riddles, proverbs, and other forms of poetry, different stories like myths, folk tales, and narratives that tell about real-life practices aiding to be their language of life and a way of promoting their cultural heritage
• 21st Century Literature:

  • All literary works written and published at the latter part of the 21st century (from 2001 onwards)
  • Often characterized as gender-sensitive, technologically alluding, culturally pluralistic, operating on extreme reality or extreme fiction, and questioning conventions and supposed absolute norms
• Literary Genre:

  • A category of literary composition
  • Genres may be determined by literary technique, tone, content, or even length
• Literary History:

  • Historical development of writings in prose or poetry that attempts to provide entertainment, enlightenment, or instruction to the reader/hearer/observer, as well as the development of the literary techniques used in the communication of these pieces
• History:

  • Has a very significant role in literature, presenting facts with beautiful language and presenting the ideas and feelings of the people
  • Literature presents history and manifests the aspirations and dreams of the people
  • Literature in history evolves as a certain place had gone through a lot of changes and stood the many tests of time
• Forms of Literature that continue to exist:

  1. Proverbs:

  • "Hurubaton" in Hiligaynon
  • Simple and traditional sayings that give nuggets of wisdom
  • In Filipino, these are called salawikain
  • Deliver significant truths about life in a form of little entertainment
  • Example: "Matibay ang walis, palibhasa'y magkabigkis"

  2. Riddles:

  • Playful statements intended to be answered or solved
  • The statement may sound humorous but has a deeper meaning
  • In Filipino, these are called bugtong and paktakon in Hiligaynon
  • Example: "Hinila ko ang tadyang, lumapad ang tiyan." ANSWER: PAYONG
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  3. Folksongs:

  • Traditional songs of our ancestors passed down from one generation to another
  • These local songs are considered part of the rich culture of the Filipinos
  • It may be in the form of courtship song or harana, harvest songs, war songs, lullabies, and the likes

  4. Tales:

  • Creative stories that generally talk about how one thing came to be; also called myths and legends
  • Speaks of the origin of a particular thing

  5. Epics:

  • Long-narrative poems about the heroic deeds, adventures, and even misfortunes of a hero
• Spanish-Colonial Literature 1565-1898:

  • There was a great change in the form of literature during the Spanish regime
  • Focused on Christianity and religion
  • Happenings in the environment were set aside and it is now pointed to Catholic faith reflecting the society, culture, and tradition
  • Friars as church head authorities spread the doctrines of the church trying to relate them to the native
  • Spanish language became the literary language during this time
• Kinds of Philippine Literature during the Spanish-Colonial Period:

  • Cenaculo: a play depicting the life and sufferings of Jesus Christ
  • Pasyon: a narrative poem about the life of Jesus Christ which is usually sung during Lenten season
  • Awit: a form of Filipino poetry about a hero, that is a bit closer to a narrative
  • Zarzuela: a form of musical comedy that is usually comic and presents a sarcastic look at society
  • Corrido: a narrative song which is often about oppression, history, and other topics about society
• • Moro-moro (Comedia de Capa y Espada): a blood-and-thunder melodrama depicting the conflict of Christians and Muslims, usually about battles to the death and the proofs of faith
  • Carillo: a play using shadows to project the animated figures made from cardboards
  • Tibag: a drama that reenacts the search of St. Helena for the Holy Cross
  • Duplo or Karagatan: a drama that is connected to mourning rituals of the Catholics and harvest celebrations.
• Filipinos enjoyed freedom and independence in writing literary pieces during the American-Colonial Literature period (1899-1945)
• Public school was created during the American Colonial period
• Thomasites were a group of 600 American teachers who traveled from the United States to the newly occupied territory of the Philippines on the transport ship USS Thomas
• Thomasites were American soldiers who came to the Philippines to become teachers and introduced free public instruction for all children of school age
• From the Japanese Colonization to the present, the Contemporary Period (1946-Present) provided an avenue for new literary publications and incomparable writers equipped with knowledge and skills of the present era
• Francisco Baltazar:

  • A prominent Filipino poet
  • Born on April 2, 1788 in Barrio Panginay, Bigaa, Bulacan as the youngest of the four children of Juan Baltazar, a blacksmith, and Juana de la Cruz
  • Learned to write poetry from José de la Cruz (Huseng Sisiw), one of the most famous poets of Tondo
  • Balagtasan: a popular Filipino debate form named after Francisco Balagtas
  • Won an award during his schooldays and graduated valedictorian in Madrid
  • Recognized by the Pahayagang Kastilyano (Spanish Declaration) and became the front cover for two weeks
• Important details about Florante at Laura:

  • Considered an "awit" or a song
  • Written in poetic form that has 4 lines per stanza and 12 syllables per line
  • Florante, from Albania, loves his father
  • Aladin, from Persia, hates his father
  • Florante at Laura has come to be read consequently as a stirring piece of patriotism — a depiction of the sufferings of the Filipino people under the oppressive Spanish colonial regime
  • Florante at Laura is an allegory for the state of the Philippines under Spanish colonialism
• The Philippines was subdivided into seventeen regions:

  • Eight in Luzon
  • Three in the Visayas
  • Six in Mindanao
• Hinilawod:

  • Accidentally discovered by Felipe Landa Jocano with the help of Prof. Magos from CPU
  • Known as the "Epic of Panay", an epic poem orally transmitted from early inhabitants of a place called Sulod in central Panay, Philippines
  • The setting is in Halawod (Mount of the River), the main source of water in panay for farmers
  • Translates to "Tales From The Mouth of The Halawod River"
• The story "Hinilawod" is about the three brothers in search of their wives:

  • Labaw Donggon (shortest story)
  • Humadapnon
  • Dumalapdap
• Binukot refers to a well-kept maiden, a very select group of women who existed in indigenous Philippine society. These women are daughters of datus who were kept hidden and were not allowed to be seen by any man.
• Doctrina Christiana means "The Teachings of Christianity" and was the first book printed in the Philippines in 1593