21st spanish colonial literature

• Spanish influences on Philippine literature:

  • Baybayin, the first Filipino alphabet, was replaced by the Roman alphabet
  • Christian Doctrine played a significant role
  • Spanish language became the literary language
  • European legends and traditions influenced the literature
  • Ancient literature was collected and translated to Tagalog
  • Grammar books were printed in Filipino
  • Religious tone was prevalent
• The Christian Doctrine (Ang Doctrina Cristiana):

  • First book printed in the Philippines in 1593 in xylography
  • Written in Tagalog, Spanish, and Chinese
  • Contains religious content like the Pater Noster, Ave Maria, the Ten Commandments, and the Catechism
  • Xylography is the art of carving designs or text onto a block of wood to print onto paper or fabric
• Nuestra Señora del Rosario:

  • Second book printed in the Philippines
  • Written by Fr. Blancas de San Jose in 1602
  • Contains biographies of saints, novenas, and questions and answers on religion
• Libro de los Cuatro Postprimeras de Hombre:

  • In Spanish and Tagalog
• Typography printing, also known as letterpress printing, is the art of creating printed impressions by physically pressing raised metal or wooden letters onto a surface, typically paper or fabric
• The invention of movable type by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid-15th century revolutionized printing
• Ang Barlaan at Josephat:

  • A Biblical story printed in the Philippines and translated to Tagalog from Greek by Fr. Antonio de Borja
  • Believed to be the first Tagalog novel published in the Philippines
  • The printed translation has only 556 pages
  • The Ilocano translation in poetry was done by Fr. Agustin Mejia
• The Pasión (Pasyón) is a Philippine epic narrative of the life of Jesus Christ, focused on his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, and is read only during Lent
• The Pasión (Pasyón) was first written down by Gaspar Aquino de Belén and has different versions by various authors
• Urbana at Felisa, penned by Modesto de Castro, consists of letters between two sisters and has greatly influenced the behavior of people in society
• Psalms for Mary (Ang mga Dalit kay Maria) is a collection of songs praising the Virgin Mary, written by Fr. Mariano Sevilla, a Filipino priest in 1865, and is popular during the Maytime "Flores de Mayo" festival