Académique Documents
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Culture Documents
I. Historical Background
The variety and abundance of Philippine literature evolved even before the colonial periods. Folk tales,
epics, poems and marathon chants existed in most ethno linguistic groups that were passed on from
generation to generation through word of mouth. Tales associated with the Spanish conquest also took
part in the countrys rich cultural heritage. Some of these pre-colonial literary pieces showcased in
traditional narratives, speeches and songs are tigmo in Cebuano, bugtong in Tagalog, patototdon is Bicol
and paktakon in Ilongo. Philippine epics and folk tales are varied and filled with magical characters. They
are either narratives of mostly mythical objects, persons or certain places, or epics telling supernatural
events and bravery of heroes, customs and ideologies of a community.
Below are examples of ethno-epics popularized by different ethnic groups in the country:
Biag ni Lam-ang (Life of Lam-ang) of the Ilocanos narrates the adventures of the prodigious epic hero,
Lam-ang who exhibits extraordinary powers at an early age. At nine months he is able to go to war to
look for his fathers killers. Then while in search of lady love, Ines Kannoyan, he is swallowed by a big
fish, but his rooster and his friends bring him back to life.
The Agyu or Olahing of the Manobos is a three part epic that starts with the pahmara (invocation) then
the kepuunpuun ( a narration of the past) and the sengedurog (an episode complete in itself). All three
parts narrate the exploits of the hero as he leads his people who have been driven out of their land to
Nalandangan, a land of utopia where there are no landgrabbers and oppressors.
Sandayo, of the Subanon tells of the story of the hero with the same name, who is born through
extraordinary circumstances as he fell out of the hair of his mother while she was combing it on the ninth
stroke. Thence, he leads his people in the fight against invaders of their land and waterways.
Aliguyon or the Hudhud of the Ifugaos tells of the adventures of Aliguyon as he battles his arch enemy,
Pambukhayon among rice fields and terraces and instructs his people to be steadfast and learn the wisdom
of warfare and of peacemaking during harvest seasons.
Labaw Donggon is about the passionate exploits of the son of a goddess Alunsina, by a mortal, Datu
Paubari. The polygamous hero battles the huge monster Manaluntad for the hand of Abyang Ginbitinan;
then he fights Sikay Padalogdog, the giant with a hundred arms to win Abyang Doronoon and confronts
the lord of darkness, Saragnayan, to win Nagmalitong Yawa Sinagmaling Diwata.
Other epics known to most Filipinos are the Ibalon of Bikol, Darangan which is a Muslim epic, the
Kudaman of Palawan, the Alim of the Ifugao, Bantugan of the Maranao, the Hinilawod of Panay, and the
Tuwaang of Manobos. The Tagalogs pride their Myth of Bernardo Carpio, a folk hero said to hold the
mountains of San Mateo apart with his powerful arms to prevent them from colliding.
There are shorter narratives that tell the origins of the people, the stars, the sky and the seas. A famous
story that tells of the origin of man and woman is that of Malakas (man) and Maganda (woman) who
came out of a bamboo after being pecked by a bird. This and other stories of equal birthing of man and
woman throughout the archipelago assert a womans equal position with a man within the tribal systems.
then rose and covered the trees. There rose a vast body of water until only the highest part of the
mountain could be seen. It looked like a back of a turtle from a distance. This was the spot where Abra
lived.
On the seventh day, Abra heard a cry. He also heard a most sorrowful song. Abra dried his tears and
looked around, but he saw no one. He was determined to find Maria Makiling, his grandchild. He did not
find her, for the cries of the baby stopped.
The search for the baby lasted three full moons but to no avail, and the poor old man returned to his home
very sad. He lost all hope; his wits were gone. At that time Maria Makiling was under the care of the
fierce dog, Lobo, who was under a god of the Underworld. He had been punished by the other gods, and
that is why he looked like a fierce dog. He was sent down to do charity.
b. Ibanag
Why There is High Tide during a Full Moon
Long, long ago only gods lived in this world, the earth, seas, and sky were ruled by three different
powerful gods.The sun god, who ruled the sky, had a very beautiful daughter, Luna, the moon. Luna
enjoyed going around the heavens in her golden chariot. One day she found herself taking another path
which led her outside her kingdom. She wandered on until she reached the place where the sky met the
sea. Beautiful and unusual sights greeted her eyes. As she was admiring the beautiful things around, a
voice startled her. It asked, "Where has thou come from, most beautiful one?"
Turning around she saw a young man who looked much like her father though fairer. She wanted to run
away, but when she looked at him again, she saw that he was smiling at her. Taking courage she
answered, "I am Luna, daughter of the sun god."
The young man smiled at her and answered, "I am Mar, the son of the sea god. Welcome to our kingdom."
Soon the two became good friends. They had many interesting stories to tell each other. When it was time
for Luna to go, they promised to see each other as often as they could, for they have many more tales to
tell. They continued meeting at the same spot until they realized that they were in love with each other.
One day after one of their secret meetings, Luna went back to the heavens full of joy. She was so happy
that she told her secret to one of her cousins. The cousin, jealous of her beauty and her happiness,
reported the affair to the sun god. The sun god was angered at his daughter's disobedience to the immortal
laws. He shut her in their garden and did not allow her to get out. Then he sent a messenger to the sea god
informing him that his son Mar disobeyed the immortal law. The sea god, who was also angered by his
son's disobedience, imprisoned him in one of his sea caves.
Luna stayed in the garden for some time. She was very sad at not being able to see Mar. She longed to be
with him again. Feeling very restless one day, she escaped from the garden. She took her golden chariot
and rushed to their meeting place. Mar, who was imprisoned in the sea cave, saw her reflection on the
water. He wanted to get out to meet her. He tried hard to get out of his cave causing unrest in the sea.
Luna waited for Mar to appear, but he did not come. Then she went back home very sad. Each time she
remembered Mar, she would rush out in the golden chariot to the meeting place in hopes of seeing him
again.
The fishermen out in the sea believe that each time Luna, the moon, appears, the sea gets troubled. "It is
Mar trying to escape from his cave," they say.
c. Ifugao
Why the Dead Come Back No More
A very long time ago, there lived a very kind woman with her three little children. She loved her children
so much that she worked hard to be able to feed them.
One day she fell ill, and in a short time she died. Her spirit went to Kadungayan, of course, as she lived a
good life, but one night she thought of her poor little children whom she left on earth. She imagined that
no one cared for them and that they must be hungry and cold. She pitied them so much that she decided to
go back to earth.
When she reached their house, she called her eldest child to open the door for her. The children
recognized their mother's voice and opened the door at once. She went in and spoke to them, but they
could not see her because it was so very dark and their fire had gone out. The children had not built a fire
since their mother died. The children were too small, and they did not know how to build one.
So the woman sent her eldest child to beg for fire from the neighbors as she felt very cold. The poor child
went to the first house, but when she told them that she wanted fire for her mother who had come back
home, the people just laughed at her. They did not give her fire. She went to the next house, but the same
thing happened. Thus, she went to the next house, from house to house, but no one believed that her
mother had come back. They thought the poor child had gone out of her mind. So the poor child went
home without fire. The woman was very angry with all the unkind people. She said, "Am I to die a second
death because men are so selfish? Come, my children, let us all go to that better place where I came from
- Kandungayan. There are no selfish people there."
She took a jar of water and went outside in the yard. She shouted to all the people, "Ah, what selfish
people you all are. From this time on all people will follow my example. No man will ever come back
again to earth after death." With these words she smashed the jar on a big stone. This made a horrible
sound. All the people became silent with fear.
The next morning the people came out to see what had caused the great voice. They saw the bits of
broken jar and they found the three children dead. They now knew that the woman had really come back
home that night and that in her anger at their selfishness had taken her three children with her. The people
were so sorry for not having given fire to the little girl.
Since then no dead person has ever come back to earth.
d. Tagalog
Mag-asawang Tubig
In the olden days, there was a small town in which few farmers' families lived. Among them was the
couple known as Ba Imo and Ba Sinta. They were well liked and respected in that place, for although they
were well off, they were humble and generous.
One day Bathala put them to the test. A beggar in tattered clothes came to their house and asked for
lodgings. The couple very hospitably welcomed their guest and even joined him for a meal at their table.
To the great amazement of the couple, although they had been eating for some time, the food at the table
did not decrease. Realizing that their guest was God, the couple knelt before him and prayed. The old man
blessed them. In their prayer, the couple asked that they may die at the same time, so that neither of them
would experience grief and loneliness which would surely happen if one of them died first.
God granted the wish of the couple. They died at the same time and were buried in adjoining graves. Not
long afterwards, a brook sprang from their graves. This later grew and grew until it became a river, which
was named Mag-asawang Tubig in memory of the loving couple.
e. Bukidnon (Mindanao)
How the Moon and the Stars Came to Be
One day in the times when the sky was close to the ground a spinster went out to pound rice. Before she
began her work, she took off the beads from around her neck and the comb from her hair, and hung them
on the sky, which at that time looked like coral rock.
Then she began working, and each time that she raised her pestle into the air it struck the sky. For some
time she pounded the rice, and then she raised the pestle so high that it struck the sky very hard.
Immediately the sky began to rise, and it went up so far that she lost her ornaments. Never did they come
down, for the comb became the moon and the beads are the stars that are scattered about.
B. Legend (story) - traditional narrative or collection of related narratives, popularly regarded as
historically factual but actually a mixture of fact and fiction. The medieval Latin word legenda means
things for reading. During certain services of the early Christian Church, legenda, or lives of the saints,
were read aloud. A legend is set in a specific place at a specific time; the subject is often a heroic
historical personage. A legend differs from a myth by portraying a human hero rather than one who is a
god. Legends, originally oral, have been developed into literary masterpieces. Legends are stories about
real people who are famous for doing something brave or extraordinary. Every time the story was told, it
became more exaggerated and so it is now difficult to tell how much of the story is really true.
World Literature: One of the greatest legendary figures in Britain is King Arthur. He was the son of
King Uther Pendragon, a Celtic King. King Uther gave his child to Merlin the wizard. Merlin taught
Arthur everything he knew so that he could become a great king. When King Uther died, Merlin stuck a
sword into a rock and said, This sword is in the stone by magic. Only the true king will be able to pull it
out. Many men tried but none succeeded. When Arthur tried, the sword slipped out easily. Arthur was
made king. He went on to found the Round Table, an order to knights who became famous for fighting
the wicked and helping the poor.
Once inside the house, as dictated by tradition, Dongdongan handed Banna a bowl of water. It was an old
tradition that once a stranger is accepted into a house, it is also understood that he will be protected and
kept safe by the host family. As a symbol of this unwritten agreement, the stranger would be given a drink
of water. This is called "paniyao". If a stranger is not given one, then it denotes an existing hostility which
may result to a deadly fight if the stranger does not leave immediately.
The second phase of the ritual continued. Dongdongan offered Banna the "buyo" - a bland, powder which
when chewed with certain leaves would produce red tinged saliva. This concoction is called "moma".
Ullalim was the official means of communication then so they sang as they talked. Banna too had a
strong, masculine voice and it was apparent he could sing well.
In his ullalim Banna revealed his search for a wife. Dongdongan introduced him to her daughter,
Edonsan, who readily accepted Banna's handshake.
Banna, then and there proposed to Edonsan. Edonsan in turn, accepted the proposal and there was a flurry
of activity, as all the village folk were invited to a meeting and then a "canao" (festivities with dancing
and singing). Banna and Edonsan dance the "salidsid" (courtship dance) to the tempo of the gongs, while
the community participated in the "tadok" (dance for all). The celebration lasted the whole day, with
everyone in the village participating. No one had gone to the fields and to the kaingin as people usually
did. The village people were the witnesses to the exchange of vows between the two. There were no
officiating priests or Judges, no official documents to sign, but the vows were always kept and were
considered sacred by everyone in the village.
Tradition also dictated that Banna had to stay with Edonsan's family for 7 days to prove his sincerity and
purity of intention. Banna and Edonsan had their honeymoon along the slope of the Patokan Mountain
picking guavas and wild strawberries, making love and dropping by the river to catch fish for supper.
In the evening of each day for the seven days that Banna was there, Edonsan took Banna to each of her
relative's house. It is considered good luck to do so, as it is believed that the blessings and approval of
relatives are vital to the happiness of the couple.
At the end of the 7th day, the couple prepared to leave for Banna's village where they will establish
residence. The parents of Edonsan and the village people prepared native cakes and tobacco as gifts for
the departure of the newly married couple.
As dawn broke, the village people came together to see them off. The two left happily, with their hands
entwined against each other. The trail was adorned with guavas and strawberries and they had a handful
as they trek towards the summit of Patokan. It took them 8 arduous hours to get to the top.
As soon as they reached the top, they heard unusual noises coming from Banna's village which was a few
miles below them.
Banna had a premonition that it was something dangerous so he instructed Edonsan to stay put and wait
for him. He was going down to his village to investigate the cause of the ruckus.
Banna ran all the way down to the village. As soon as he was seen by the village people, a cheer
reverberated in the air. He was informed hastily that their village was under siege and that his leadership
was needed to drive the trespassers away.
The bloody, face to face encounter of the two warring tribes went on for hours, spears and bolos clashed
against each other as more bodies piled up in between the cluster of the nipa huts. The great number of
the invading tribe slowly weakened Banna's men. One by one they fell, bloodied, to the ground. He could
not possibly go back to Edonsan, Banna thought. He would fight up to his very last breath - but he had to
make sure Edonsan does not come down to the village.
Hastily, he instructed one of his men to warn Edonsan, but the man never made it far. He and Banna were
simultaneously wounded and fell bleeding to the ground. Banna died with his spear in his hand and his
last vision was the face of Edonsan .
Edonsan, on the other hand, waited and waited...and waited. But there was no Banna to take her home.
She was weak from weariness and heartache. She had no desire to live without her Banna.
When it was evident, Banna was not coming for her, she slowly crumpled to the grassy- matted forest and
wept uncontrollably. Tears flowed down from her cheeks as she grew weaker and weaker and the tears
flowed more and more copiously.
Night came and Banna had not returned yet...and Edonsan had grown weak with grief and fatigue, her
breath slowly coming out in gasps... until she closed her eyes and breathed her last.
On the spot where her body was laid to rest, sprang two waterfalls which are believed to be the tears of
Edonsan.
In Tinglayan, one can clearly see from a distance, the beautifully, shaped body of a reclining woman.
And that is the legend of "The Sleeping Beauty" folks, as handed down orally, from one generation to
another.
As the story is passed on, additions and omissions are done by each set of generation. What is important
is that the undying love of Banna and Edonsan will always be remembered by the people of Kalinga.
But nothing could stir the lovely young woman's heart. Bulan-hari blind with anger and fear of the dark
future finally drew his sword. Clang! the steel of his sword's blade rang in the silence of the big palace. It
hit the star on Alitaptap's lovely forehead!
The star burst! Darkness was everywhere! Until a thousand chips of glitter and light flew around the hall.
Only the shattered pieces of the star on Alitaptap's forehead lighted the great hall, flickering as though
they were stars with tiny wings.
Alitaptap, the lovely daughter from the heavens lay dead.
And soon, Balo-na's prediction had come true. Riding in stamping wild horses, the warriors of La-ut came
like the rumble and clashes of lightning and thunder. They killed the people of Pinak, ruined crops, and
poisoned the lake. They spread sorrow and destruction everywhere.
When it all ended, the beautiful, peaceful valley of Pinak had turned into an empty and shallow swamp.
At night, there was nothing but darkness. But soon, tiny sparkles of light would flicker and lend glimmers
of brightness in the starless night.
And so, the fireflies came about. Once, a long time ago, they were fragments from the star on the
forehead of Bulan-hari's daughter, the beautiful Alitaptap.