Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Abstract— Literature in its various narrative forms (e.g. Keywords— Filipino literary genres, medicinal plants,
novel, legend etc.) reflects human society and culture, of cultural tradition.
which the latter comprising a whole complex of human
behavior learned by people, can and is inherited across I. INTRODUCTION
generations. One of these cultural traditions is the use of Literature is a social product that reflects human society
medicinal plants as cure for sicknesses which finds and culture. It represents the consciousness of the society
documentation in literary works among early Filipinos and the spirit of age. Voices from the past as well as
and carry the belief up to the present time. Using the four those of the present time are heard through literature.
narratives consisting of three full -length novels and a History, people’s customs and traditions, beliefs and
legend as literary sources, the study determined the types practices are learned through reading literature. It allows
of plants traditionally used to cure various sicknesses one to see varied experiences of people that give wisdom
among Filipino communities, identified the kind of about life and relate those experiences to one’s own life
sickness cured by the plants, and presented insights and emotions and find meaning in it through one’s
gleaned from such exposition. The different medicinal reflections. As literature portrays real events in life, the
plants mentioned in the narratives include the alugbati or readers experience life as they get involved in reading
Malabar nightshade or spinach ( Basella alba/Basella literatures created and produced by people based on the
rubra), Atis or Custard apple (Annona squamosa), actual accounts of their daily lives. Taine (1886)
Dampimbanal or holytouch (Hierochloe emphasized that literature is a collective expression of
borealis/Hierochloe odorata), Banaba (Lagerstroemia society embodying the spirit of the age; and race, milieu
speciosa) and tamarind fruit (Tamarindus indica). In the and moment are the formative factors behind the
novels, Alugbati leaves together with tamarind juice was emergence of this expression [1]. The interaction of this
mentioned as remedy for psychosomatic symptoms triad produces a speculative mental structure which leads
associated with adolescent’s stress from the onset of to the development of general ideas that find expression
manhood. Custard apple leaves was mentioned as cure in great art and literature.
for body aches and pains, while Dampimbanal or Literature is sometimes interpreted as a medium for
holytouch was used as a relief for fractured bones. The reflecting norms and values, as revealing the ethos of
plant parts of Banaba were mentioned to help address culture, the processes of class struggle and certain types
different internal disorders, like an ailing kidney, and of social facts [2]. Society’s existence is contingent with
problems related to the urinary tract and the stomach. In the presence of culture as it is the center of a society.
the legend, tamarind was mentioned to be a cure for People’s ways and methods including behavior which
colds. Some of the insights gleaned from this study are the comprise their social life are all part of culture which in
renewed appreciation and valuation of the knowledge turn can be inherited from generation to generation. These
gained in the use of medicinal plants as cure for various behaviors and actions of people in the society are inherent
illnesses among Filipinos in the context of conservation of in the environment of culture. The British Anthropologist
cultural tradition, biodiversity and community health care and founder of cultural anthropology, Edward Tylor
and drug development, the awakening of the awareness stated that culture is “that complex whole including
and interest of the younger generation on the usefulness beliefs, art, religion, values, norms, ideas, laws, thoughts,
of medicinal plants as cure of sickness and their knowledge, customs and other capabilities acquired by
subsequent motivation, and the appreciation of respect man as a member of a society” [3]. It is the totality of
for other peoples’ traditions, knowledge gained on human experience acquired during transmission of
various medicinal plants and their uses which could have heritage from one generation to another and to learn the
direct value in addressing ailments in their own homes. ways of learning, eating, drinking, behaving, walking,