Philippine Pre-colonial & Spanish Colonial Literature

The word literature is derived
from the Latin term Litera which
means letter.
It has been defined by various
writers.

Because literature deals
with ideas, thoughts and
emotions of man, literature
can be said to be the story of
man.
Man’s loves, grieves,
thoughts, dreams, and
aspirations coached in a
beautiful language is
Literature.

• In order to know the history of a
nation’s spirit, one must read its
literature.
• Brother Azurin defines Literature that it
expresses the feelings of people to
society, to the government, to his
surroundings, to his Fellowmen and
to his Divine Creator.

• Webster defines literature
as anything that is printed,
as long as it is related to the
ideas and feelings of people,
whether it is true, or just a
product of one’s
imagination.

Philippine
Pre-Colonial
and Spanish
Literature
Prepared by: Ms. Irish Verone M. Polidario
21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the

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.

Some of these pre-colonial literary pieces
showcased in traditional narratives, speeches and songs
are Tigmo in Cebuano, Bugtong in Tagalog, Patototdon
in Bicol and Paktakon in Ilonggo.
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.

Owing to the works of our own archaeologists,
ethnologists and anthropologists, we are able to know
more and better judge information about our pre-
colonial times set against a bulk of material about early
Filipinos as recorded by Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and
other chroniclers of the past.
Pre-colonial inhabitants of our islands showcase a
rich past through their folk speeches, folk songs, folk
narratives and indigenous rituals and mimetic dances
that affirm our ties with our Southeast Asian neighbors.

EPIC
Epic is a long poem, typically one derived
from ancient oral tradition, narrating the
deeds and adventures of heroic or
legendary figures or the history of a
nation.

Examples of ethno-epics
popularized by different
ethnic groups in the
country.

1. 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 father’s 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

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 woman’s
equal position with a man within
the tribal systems.

LITERARY
FORMS DURING
THE
PRE-COLONIAL
PERIOD

MYTH
Myth is a narrative that describes and
portrays in symbolic language the origin
of the basic elements and assumptions of
a culture. Mythic narrative relates, for
example, how the world began, how
humans and animals were created, and
how certain customs, gestures, or forms
of human activities originated. Almost
all cultures possess or at one time
possessed and lived in terms of myths.

Myths are traditional stories occurring in a
timeless past. They involve supernatural
elements and are beyond the frontiers of
logic. Long ago, when our ancestors heard the
sound of thunder and saw lightning, they were
frightened because they could not understand why
these things happened. In order to understand
these and other natural events, they created stories.
The stories were handed down from generation to
generation all over the country. Although myths
are not based on objective truth, they reflect both
universal worries and the worries of specific
cultures.

WORLD LITERATURE:
In the cold northern countries, where
the sun disappears almost completely during
the winter season, great fires were lit in the
midwinter to help the sun to be reborn. The
ancient Greeks tell a myth in which
Prometheus stole fire from Zeus, the chief
god, and gave it to humans so that they could
keep themselves warm. To punish him, Zeus
chained Prometheus to a rock where his liver
was eaten by an eagle every day but grew
again every night.

Myths from the Different Regions of
the Philippines
a. The Gods and Goddesses (Ilocos)
b. Why There is a High Tide during a Full
Moon (Ibanag)
c. Why the Dead Come Back No More
(Ifugao)
d. Mag-asawang Tubig (Tagalog)
e. How the Moon and the Stars Came to Be
(Bukidnon – Mindanao)

How the Moon and the Stars Came to
Be (An Epic from Bukidnon)

How the Moon and the Stars Came to
Be (An Epic from Bukidnon)
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.

LEGENDS
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.

Legends from the Philippines
a.The Legend of the Sleeping
Beauty (Kalinga)
b.Legend of the Dama de Noche
c.Legend of the Banana Plant
d.Legend of the Firefly

RIDDLES OR BUGTONG
 Made up of one or more measured lines with rhymes
and may consist of 4 to 12 syllables
 Showcase the Filipino wit, literary talent, and keen
observation of the surroundings
 Involves reference to one or two images that symbolize
the characteristics of an unknown object that is to be
guessed

Examples of Riddles
1. Nagtago si Pedro, labas ang ulo. (Pedro hides but
you can still see his head. )
2.Hindi pari, hindi hari, nagdadamit ng sari-sari.
(Not a priest, not a king but wears different kinds
of clothes.)
3.Bugtong-pala-bugtong, kadenang umuugong.
(Riddle me, riddle me, here comes a roaring
chain).
4.Heto na si Kaka, bubuka-bukaka. (Here comes
Kaka, walking with an open leg.)

4.Buhok ni Adan, hindi mabilang. (Adam's hair, you can't count.)
5.Buhok ni Adan, hindi mabilang. (Adam's hair, you can't count.)
6.Sa araw ay bungbong, sa gabi ay dahon. (Roll in the morning,
leaf in the afternoon).
8.Iisa ang pasukan, tatlo ang labasan. (It has one entrance, but
has three exits. )

Answers:
1.Pako -(Nails)
2. Sampayan -(Clothesline)
3.Tren -(Train)
4.Gunting -(Scissors)
5. Ulan -(Rain)
6. Tubig -(Water)
7. Banig -(Mat)
8. Damit/Baro -(Dress)

PROVERBS OR SALAWIKAIN
• A proverb is a simple and concrete saying,
popularly known and repeated, that expresses a
truth based on common sense or experience. They
are often metaphorical.
• A proverb that describes a basic rule of conduct
may also be known as a maxim.
• These have been customarily used and served as
laws or rules on good behavior by our ancestors.
To others, these are like allegories or parables that
impart lessons for the young.

Examples of Proverbs
1. A broom is sturdy because its strands are tightly
bound.
(Matibay ang walis, palibhasa'y magkabigkis)
• People gain strength by standing together.
2. It is hard to wake up someone who is pretending to
be asleep.
(Mahirap gisingin ang nagtutulog-tulugan)
• While it is easy to tell people something they do not
know, it is much harder if they are willfully choosing
not to see what is before them.

3.If you persevere, you will reap the fruits of
your labor. (Pag may tiyaga, may nilaga)
• They don't call them the fruits of labor for
nothing. Hard work and perseverance are needed
to reach your goals. But if you keep trying, one
day you will enjoy the results of your efforts.
4.New king, new character. (Bagong hari,
bagong ugali)
• New leadership always brings new ways.

CHANTS OR BULONG
• Chants are used in witchcraft and enchantments.
• Our ancestors also believe in unseen spirits or
elemental spirits like dwarfs. They give respect, ask for
permission, and excuse or apology to these spirits in order
to deliver them from trouble and danger.

Example of Chants
• Tabi, tabi po, Ingkong, makikiraan po lamang.
• Bari-bari Apo, umisbo lang ti tao. (Ilokano)

SAYINGS OR KASABIHAN
Sayings are used in teasing or to comment on a persons’
actuations.
Example of sayings
• Nahulog ang kutsara; Ikaw na sana, sinta.

TANAGA
A quatrain with seven syllables each with the same rhyme at the
end of each line
Example of tanaga
• “Tahak ng tingin, tulak
• ng sulyap, yakap, lapat
• ng titig sa balikat,
• hatak pa, kindat, hakat.”

FOLK SONGS
 A form of folk lyric which expresses the people’s hopes,
aspirations and lifestyles.
 Repetitive and sonorous, didactic and naïve.
 Traditional songs and melodies.
 Inspired by the reaction of the people to their environment.

Examples of folk songs
• Uyayi – lullaby
• Komintang – war song
• Kundiman – melancholic love song
• Harana – serenade
• Tagay – drinking song
• Mambayu – Kalinga rice-pounding song
• Subli – dance ritual song of courtship or marriage
• Tagulaylay – songs of the dead

LITERARY
FORMS DURING
THE
SPANISH
COLONIAL
PERIOD

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
 Spanish colonization in the Philippines started in 1565 during the time of
Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the first Spanish governor-general in the
Philippines.
 Literature started to flourish during his time.
 The Spaniards colonized the Philippines for more than three centuries.
 The Spanish colonizers wanted to undermine the native oral tradition by
substituting for it the story of the Passion of Christ. However, the native
tradition survived and even flourished in areas inaccessible to the
Spaniards.
 The church authorities adopted a policy of spreading the Church doctrines
by communicating to the natives in their own language.

Doctrina Christiana (1593)
• The first book to be printed in the Philippines, was a prayer
book written in Spanish with an accompanying Tagalog
translation.
• The task of translating religious instructional materials forced
the Spanish missionaries to employ native as translators.
• Eventually, these natives learned to read and write both in
Spanish and in their native tongue.

Ladinos – bilingual natives; they published their works, mainly
devotional poetry, in the first decade of the 17th
century.
Gaspar Aquino De Belen – the most gifted among the ladinos.
He wrote the Mahal na Pasion ni Jesu Christo, a Tagalog poem
based on Christ’s passion, was published in 1704.

Influence of the Spanish on the Philippine
Literature
1. The first Filipino alphabet called ALIBATA was replaced by
the Roman alphabet.
2. The teaching of the Christian Doctrine became the basis of
religious practices.
3. The Spanish language which became the literary language
during this time lent many of its words to our language.

4. The periodicals during these times gained a religious tone.
5. Many grammar books were printed in Filipino, like Tagalog,
Ilocano, and Visayan.
6. European legends and traditions brought here became
assimilated in our songs, corridos and moro- moros.
7. Ancient literature was collected and translated to Tagalog and
other dialects.
8. Until the 19th century, the printing presses that published
literary works were owned and managed by religious order.
Thus, religious themes dominated the literature of the time.

Religion and institutions that represented European civilization
enriched the languages in the lowlands, introduced theater
which we would come to known as komedya, the sinakulo, the
sarswela, the playlets and the drama.
Spain also brought to the country, though at a much later time,
liberal ideas and an internationalism that influenced our own
Filipino intellectuals and writers for them to understand the
meanings of “liberty and freedom.”

Literature in this period may be classified as religious prose
and poetry and secular prose and poetry.
Religious lyrics written by ladino poets or those versed in both
Spanish and Tagalog were included in early catechism and were
used to teach Filipinos the Spanish language.

Fernando Bagonbanta’s “Salamat nang walang hanga/gracias
de sin sempiternas” (Unending thanks) is a fine example that is
found in the Memorial de la vida cristiana en lengua tagala
(Guidelines for the Christian life in the Tagalog language)
published in 1605.
Another form of religious lyrics are the meditative verses like the
dalit appended to novenas and catechisms. It has no fixed meter
nor rime scheme although a number are written in octosyllabic
quatrains and have a solemn tone and spiritual subject matter.

But among the religious poetry of the day, it is the pasyon in
octosyllabic quintillas that became entrenched in the Filipino’s
commemoration of Christ’s agony and resurrection at Calvary.
Gaspar Aquino de Belen’s “Ang Mahal na Passion ni Jesu
Christong Panginoon natin na tola” (Holy Passion of Our Lord
Jesus Christ in Verse) put out in 1704 is the country’s earliest
known pasyon.

SOME OF THE BOOKS PUBLISHED
 NUESTRA SENORA DEL ROSARIO
It contains the biographies of saints, novenas, and questions and
answers on religion.
 LIBRO DE LOS CUATRO POSTRIMERIAS DEL HOMBRE
First written book in typography.
 ANG BARLAAN AT JOSEPHAT
Biblical Story printed in the Philippines and the first Tagalog novel
printed in the Philippines even though it is only a translation.

 THE PASION
This is the book about the life and sufferings of Jesus Christ.
 URBANAAT FELISA by Modesto de Castro, Father of
Classical Prose in Tagalog
Influenced greatly the behavior of the people in the society.
 ANG MGA DALIT KAY MARIA (Psalms of Mary)
Collection of songs praising the Virgin Mary.

LITERARY COMPOSITIONS
1. Arte y Reglas de la Lengua Tagala (Art and Rules of the Tagalog Language)
Translated to Tagalog by Tomas Pinpin in 1610 Written by Fr. Blancas de San Jose
2. Compendio de la Lengua Tagala (Understanding the Tagalog Language)
Written by Fr. Gaspar de San Agustin in 1703 Vocabulario de la Lengua Tagala (Tagalog
vocabulary) First Tagalog dictionary written by Fr. Pedro de San Bueneventura in 1613.
3. Vocabulario de la Lengua Pampanga (Pampanga vocabulary)
The first book written in Pampango written by Fr. Diego in 1732
4. Vocabulario de la Lengua Bisaya (Bisayan Vocabulary)
Best Visayan language book. Written by Mataeo Sanchez in 1711
5. Arte de la Lengua Ilokana (The Art of the Ilocano Language)
First Ilocano grammar book by Francisco Lopez
6. Arte de la Lengua Bicolana (The Art of the Bicol Language)
First book in the Bicol Language by Fr. Marcos Libson in 1754

FILIPINO WORKS DURING SPANISH TIME
• Mi Ultimo Adios, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo by
Jose Rizal
• Dasal at Tocsohan by Marcelo H. del Pilar
• Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa by Andres Bonifacio
• Ninay by Pedro Paterno
• Florante at Laura by Francisco Baltazar
• Ibong Adarna by Jose dela Cruz

FOLK SONGS
Folk songs became widespread in the Philippines. Each
region had its national song from the lowlands to the
mountains of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Examples of Folk Songs
Leron-Leron Sinta – this song depicts humbleness. It’s the story of a man who
tries to show what he got to win the heart of his beloved one.
Pamulinawen – a song about a man courting and pledging his love to a
beautiful girl named Pamulinawen.
Dandansoy – a farewell song; the title is the name of the boy to whom the
singer is saying goodbye.
Atin cu pung sing-sing – the song is a request from a lady who lost her ring
given by her mother. She will give her heart to a man who can find the
beloved ring.

RECREATIONAL PLAYS
There were many recreational plays performed by
Filipinos during the Spanish times. Almost all of them
were in poetic form.

1. Tibag – the word tibag means to excavate. This ritual was brought here by the Spaniard
to remind the people about the search of St. Helena for the Cross on which Jesus died
through a dramatic performance.
2. Lagaylay – this is a special occasion for the Pilareños of Sorsogon during Maytime to
get together. This also shows praise, respect and offering love to the Blessed Cross by
St. Helena and the mound she dug in.
3. The Cenaculo – this is a dramatic performance to commemorate the passion and death
of Jesus Christ.
4. Panunuluyan – this is presented before 12:00 on Christmas Eve. This is a presentation
of the search of the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph for an inn wherein to deliver the baby
Jesus.
5. Salubong – an Easter play that dramatizes the meeting of the Risen Christ and his
Mother.

6. Carillo (Shadow Play) – this is a form of dramatic entertainment performed on a
moonless night during a town fiesta or on dark nights after a harvest. This shadow
play is made by projecting cardboard figures before a lamp against a white sheet.
The figures are moved like marionettes whose dialogues are produced by some
experts.
7. The Zarzuela – considered the father of the drama; it is a musical comedy or
melodrama three acts which dealt with man’s passions and emotions like love, hate,
revenge, cruelty, avarice or some social or political problem.
8. Sainete – a short musical comedy that were exaggerated and shown between long
plays.
9. The Moro-Moro – a play that depicts a Christian princess who is captured by the
Mohammedans. The father organizes a rescue party where fighting between the
Moros and Christians ensues.

10. Awit – fabricated stories from writer’s imagination although the setting
and characters are European; refers to chanting.
11. Corrido – were usually on legends or stories from European countries
like France, Spain, Italy, and Greece; refers to narration.
12. Karagatan – this is a poetic vehicle of a socio- religious nature
celebrated during the death of a person.
13. Duplo – this replaced the Karagatan; this is just a poetic joust in
speaking and reasoning.
14. Balagtasan – a poetic joust or a contest of skills in debate on a particular
topic or issue.
15. Dung-aw – a chant in free verse by a bereaved person or his
representative beside the corpse of the dead.

Philippine Pre-colonial & Spanish Colonial Literature

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