Philippine folk literature
Encyclopedia
Philippine folk literature refers to the traditional oral literature
of the Filipino people
. Thus, the scope of the field covers the ancient folk literature of the Philippines' various ethnic groups, as well as various pieces of folklore that have evolved since the Philippines became a single ethno-political unit.
While the difference between Philippine folk literature and Philippine mythology
is a fine one, this article distinguishes folk literature as the source from which Philippine mythology derives.
Philippine literature is the expression of one's insights and feelings using the Filipino language.
Folk narratives can either be in prose - the alamat (myth), the legend
, and the kuwentong bayan (folktale) - or in verse, as in the case of the folk narrative.
Folk speech includes the bugtong (riddle) and the salawikain (proverbs).
Folk songs can be sub-classified into those that tell a story (folk ballads), which are rare in Philippine folk literature, and those that do not, which form the bulk of the Philippines' rich heritage of folk songs.
First, Southeast Asia
as a distinct cultural region was not recognized until the political environment after the Second World War.
Second, even as the idea of a Southeast Asia was being conceived, the inclusion of the Philippines in the region was consistently in debate because of its very different cultural makeup.
Setting those two objections aside, Philippine Folk Literature would be considered a subset of the folklore of peninsular Southeast Asia, which includes the folklore of Malaysia, Indonesia
, and Brunei
. This would be distinct from the folk literature of continental Southeast Asia, which includes Vietnam
, Thailand
, Myanmar
, Cambodia
, and others. The distinction roots from the geographical influence on the cultures arising from these countries.
Like all of Southeast Asia, however, whether peninsular or continental, Philippine Folk Literature shows strong cultural influences from India
.
A major difference however, arises from the colonial influences in the development of Southeast Asian folk literature. The Philippines' 300 years of Spanish rule makes it unique, enough to earn the title of "a piece of Latin America in Southeast Asia."
and Ferdinand Marcos
have been documented and accepted as full-fledged examples of Philippine folk Literature.
Oral literature
Oral literature corresponds in the sphere of the spoken word to literature as literature operates in the domain of the written word. It thus forms a generally more fundamental component of culture, but operates in many ways as one might expect literature to do...
of the Filipino people
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
. Thus, the scope of the field covers the ancient folk literature of the Philippines' various ethnic groups, as well as various pieces of folklore that have evolved since the Philippines became a single ethno-political unit.
While the difference between Philippine folk literature and Philippine mythology
Philippine mythology
Philippine mythology include a collection of tales and superstitions about magical creatures and entities. Some Filipinos, even though heavily westernized and Christianized, still believe on these tales...
is a fine one, this article distinguishes folk literature as the source from which Philippine mythology derives.
Philippine literature is the expression of one's insights and feelings using the Filipino language.
Philippine folk literature in oral and print formats
While the oral, and thus changeable, aspect of folk literature is an important defining characteristic, much of this oral tradition has been written into a print format. To point out that folklore in a written form can still be considered folklore, Utely points out that folklore "may appear in print, but must not freeze into print." It should be pointed out that all the examples of folk literature cited in this article are taken from print, rather than oral sources.Categories of Philippine folk literature
Eugenio classifies Philippine Folk Literature into three major groups: Folk narratives, folk speech, and folk songs.Folk narratives can either be in prose - the alamat (myth), the legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
, and the kuwentong bayan (folktale) - or in verse, as in the case of the folk narrative.
Folk speech includes the bugtong (riddle) and the salawikain (proverbs).
Folk songs can be sub-classified into those that tell a story (folk ballads), which are rare in Philippine folk literature, and those that do not, which form the bulk of the Philippines' rich heritage of folk songs.
As an example of Southeast Asian folklore
Since it comes from a Southeast Asian nation, Philippine folk literature can be counted as a representative of Southeast Asian folklore. This is not a simple categorization, however, for two important reasons.First, Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
as a distinct cultural region was not recognized until the political environment after the Second World War.
Second, even as the idea of a Southeast Asia was being conceived, the inclusion of the Philippines in the region was consistently in debate because of its very different cultural makeup.
Setting those two objections aside, Philippine Folk Literature would be considered a subset of the folklore of peninsular Southeast Asia, which includes the folklore of Malaysia, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, and Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
. This would be distinct from the folk literature of continental Southeast Asia, which includes Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, and others. The distinction roots from the geographical influence on the cultures arising from these countries.
Like all of Southeast Asia, however, whether peninsular or continental, Philippine Folk Literature shows strong cultural influences from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
A major difference however, arises from the colonial influences in the development of Southeast Asian folk literature. The Philippines' 300 years of Spanish rule makes it unique, enough to earn the title of "a piece of Latin America in Southeast Asia."
Continued evolution
While folklore is often associated with ancient times, new pieces of Philippine folk Literature have arisen in modern times. Quite aside from urban legends, modern legends attributing superhuman powers to powerful and charistmatic leaders such as former presidents Ramon MagsaysayRamon Magsaysay
Ramón del Fierro Magsaysay was the third President of the Republic of the Philippines from December 30, 1953 until his death in a plane crash in 1957. He was elected President under the banner of the Nacionalista Party.-Early life:Ramon F...
and Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
have been documented and accepted as full-fledged examples of Philippine folk Literature.