INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPINE LITERATURE
Philippine literature before 1940 can be divided into three periods: the Legendary and Epic Age (Pre-Spanish), the Period of the Spanish Occupation, and the Period of the American Occupation.
A.
The Legendary Legendary and Epic Age
The literature of the legendary age was oral and was handed down from the elders. Very little of this early literature remains, but from what is left, one can conclude that the literature of this period consisted of magical incantations, myths, legends, and folktales. The early ancestors believed in sun and moon worship, tree worship, and worship of other forms of nature. They also believed in environmental spirits, good or bad. The mountain groups and even some of the barrio folk today still believe in these spirits. The myths and legends explained the origin of the universe and of land regions, the origin of the first man and woman, and of the human race. The epic age produced a wealth of literature. Scholars estimate that Filipinos have no fewer than twenty-four epics from different regions of the archipelago; they are written in the different Filipino languages. The ones which are better known all over the islands are the following: Lam-ang (from the Ilocos) 1. Biag ni Lam-ang (from Alim (from the Ifugaos) 2. Hudhud and Alim (from Maragtas (from Panay) 3. Maragtas (from Bantugan (from Maranaw) 4. Bantugan (from Bidasari (adapted by the Muslims of Sulu) 5. Bidasari (adapted Sulayman (from Maranaw) 6. Indarapatra and Sulayman (from
B.
The Spanish Occupation
The Spaniards introduced Christianity to the Philippines. Consequently much of the literature produced during this period was religious in nature. Among the early books to be written was the Pasyon , a story of the life of Christ, beginning with the Annunciation and ending with the Crucifixion. moro-moro was an extremely popular type of drama. Its subject matter was always a The moro-moro was conflict between the Christians and the Moros (the Mohammedan Moors), with Christianity triumphing at the end. The corrido and the awit were popular forms of poetry during the latter part of the Spanish rule and early in the American regime. The corrido was a long narrative in verse telling 1|Page
of the deeds of a legendary hero. Although the setting was foreign and some of the incidents absurd and fantastic, still the corrido provided reading material for the masses. It always began with a religious invocation. The priest favoured it because of its religious nature. The Filipino poets patterned some of their works on the corrido, the most notable of which is Florante at Laura by Francisco Baltazar (Balagtas), now considered a classic in Filipino. Other works include the Life of Don Juan Teñoso , Siete Infantes de Lara sa Kaharian ng España , and Doce Pares ng Pransya . The awit also dealt with the adventures of knights but in a light romantic tone. Early in the nineteenth century, with the opening of the Suez Canal and a change in government administration, many young Filipinos went to Europe to study. The contact with the outside world made these Filipinos move for reforms. Filipinos wrote impassioned nationalistic poetry in Spanish, imitative of European models. Prose was much used as a medium for reform. Antonio Luna founded the newspaper La Independencia , and Jose Rizal wrote his masterpieces, the Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) and its sequel, El Filibusterismo (The Subversive or The Reign of Greed). The two novels were banned by the Spanish colonial government because they revealed the abuses of the church and the state in the Philippines. On the whole, the literature of the period was propaganda written by the leaders of the movement against Spain.
C.
The American Occupation
The coming of the Americans introduced the English language which Filipinos began using as a literary medium. Thus began Philippine literature written in English. English as a literary vehicle for Filipino writers is a choice forced by history. With the coming of the Americans, a new system of education was begun and English was made the medium of instruction in schools. The Filipino writers began, haltingly at first, producing unimaginative verse patterned after American and European models, but soon progressed to produce a body of literature for the world to notice.
Source:
Serrano, Josephine B., et al. 2001. Philippines – Pearl of the Orient Seas. In English Communication Arts & Skills Through Afro-Asian Literature . Fifth ed. 151-153.
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