PREHISPANIC

LITERATURE

WHAT IS

LITERATURE?

Literature, in its broadest

sense, is any written work;
etymologically the term derives
from Latin literatura/litteratura
"writing formed with letters",
although some definitions
include spoken or sung texts.

Historical
Background

Folk Narratives

Historical
Background

Folk Narratives

Historical
Background

Folk Narratives

HISTORICAL
BACKGROUND

Historical Background

Longtimebeforethe
Spaniards and other
foreigners landed on
Philippine shores, our
forefathers already had their
own literature stamped in
the history of our race.

Historical Background

Our ancient literature

showsour customs and
traditions ineveryday life
as traced in our folk
stories, old plays and short
stories.

Historical Background

A literate culture
particularly developed
among the costal and
low land communities
of archipelago.

Historical Background

Doctrina christiana en
lengua espanola y
tagala was the first
book printed in the
Philippines.

Historical Background

the use of this syllabary

which indicates its
widespread use at the
time of Spanish
conquest.

Historical Background

The early Filipinos wrote on

clay, barks of trees, leaves,
and bamboo tubes, using
knives and other pointed
instruments for pens, and
the sap of certain trees and
sooth for ink.

Historical Background

Fr. Pedro Chirino

- a Jesuit historian reported in
1604 that so accustomed are
all these islanders to writing and
reading that there is scarcely a
man, and much less a woman,
who cannot read and write.

Historical Background

The Spaniards who came to the

Philippines tried to prove that
our ancestors were really fond of
poetry, songs, stories, riddles
and proverbs which we still
enjoy today and which serve to
show to generations the true
culture of our people.

FOLK

NARRATIVES

Myths
Legends
Fables
Epic
Folk
tales

Myths
Legends
Fables
Epic
Folk
tales

Myths
Legends
Fables
Epic
Folk
tales

Myths
Legends
Fables
Epic
Folk
tales

Myths
Legends
Fables
Epic
Folk
tales

Myths
Legends
Fables
Epic
Folk
tales

Myths

Myth
- a traditional or legendary story,
usually concerning some being or hero
or event, with or without a
determinable basis of fact or a natural
explanation, especially one that is
concerned with deities or demigods
and explains some practice, rite, or
phenomenon of nature.

Myths

A myth is "a sacred

narrative explaining how
the world and man came to
be in their present form"
(Dundes, 1984: 1).

Legends

Legends
- are forms of prose, the common
themeof which is about the origin
ofa thing, place, location or name.
The events are imaginary, devoid
of truth and unbelievable. Its aim
is to entertain.

Fables

Fables
- are a literary genre: a succinct
fictional story, inproseorverse,
that features animals,mythical
creatures, plants, inanimate
objects, or forces of nature that
are anthropomorphized.

Epic

Epic
- are long narrative poems
in whicha series of heroic
achievements orevents,
usually ofa hero, are dealt
with at length.

Folk tales

Folk tales
- made up of stories about
life, adventure, love, horror
and humor where one can
derive lessons about life.

GROUP 6
Mark Jason Saguisa
Xuxa Felisse Temblique
Reymark De Guzman
Zyra Balanquit
Rexie Pascual