ethnic tradition,which comprises oral lore identifiably precolonial in provenance and works

thatcirculate within contemporary communities of tribal Filipinos, or among lowlandFilipinos

that have maintained their links with the culture of their non-Islamic or non-Christian ancestors

The precolonial literature of the aPhilippines was marked by our ancestors' daily observations
about life, explanations for natural observations about life, explanations for natural phenomena,
and the beginnings of rituals.

Literary forms classified into three groups:

folk speech, folk songs, and folk narratives

FOLK SPEECH
a. Riddle
-a puzzle in which an object to be guessed is described interms of another unrelated object, the
riddle relies on talinghaga
or metaphor.
-It demand an answer and used to test the wits of those who are listening to them.
-It is used in a battle of wits, where locals young man and joij or watch to see who is the
smartest.

Example:
Heto na si Kaka, bubuka-bukaka. (Here comes Kaka, walking with an open leg)

Sa araw ay bubong, sa gabi ay dahon. (Roll in the morning, leaf in the afternoon)

b. Proverbs
-are practicalobeservations and philopsphy of everyday life that are written usually in a rhyming
scheme.
-prverbs are short, pithy sayings, which encapsulateand preserve a community’s beliefs, norms,
and codes of behavior.
-It obviously meant to entertain while teaching basic skills in surviving local life.
In Filipino, these are called salawikain which instill values and teah lessons.

Example:

Kung ao ang puno, siya ang bunga.

(Whatever the tree, so is the fruit.)

Kung walang tiyaga, walang nilaga.

(f you don't presevere, you can expect no reward.)

FOLK SONG
-this are beautiful songs that are informal expressions of our ancestors' experinces in life.
- among the different forms of folk lyrics arelullabyes, love songs, drinking songs, religious
songs, and death songs.

A. Lullabyes
- are sung to put children to sleep
- lullabyes are often repetitive andsonorous. -Many lullabyes are didactic; some are plaintive,
expressing thehardships of life; a few express hope in the future

Tagalog-oyayi
Ilonggo- ili-ili
Ilocano-duayya
Pamoango- tumaila
Isinay and Ilongot-baliwayway
Aeta-andang
Example:

Ilocano:
Maturog, duduayya
Maturog kad tay bunga,
Tay lalaki nga napigsa
Ta inton dumakkel tay bunga,
Isunto aya tay mammati
Tay amon a ibaga mi.

Many children’s songs may be sung and danced to. Sometimes senseless, always playful and
light, they reflect the child’s carefree world. A popular children’s song is “Pen pen de sarapen,”
which issung while the child’s fingers are spread and counted.

Go to sleep, dear little one

Will my child please sleep
This strong boy
So when the child grows big
He will obey
Everything that we say.
B. Love Songs
-When it comes to the affair of the heart, the Filipino has his own peculiar way of expressing
himself . To succeed, the lover must exaggerate his woes and his determination to overcome all
obstacles in his pursuit of the loved one.
-Rules for the women's conduct after marriage are set down in detail. This is evident in
"Mangmang na babae't Salawahang Lalaki" and "Paalam sa pagkadalaga".

-Love, coutship, and marriage have given rise to perhaps the greater number of these simple
songs
Bridal Songs, virtue and clean living are religiously emphasized.
inspired by the reaction of the people to the environment

C. Drinking Songs
-Drinking songs are sung during carousals. Often brief, always merry, almost hedonistic, many
of them originated in the Bicol area, where they are called tigsik. In Cebuano and Waray, they
are called tagay. In the tagay, everyone drinks from the same cup and partakes of the hors
d’oeuvre

D. Religious Songs
There are lyrics for more solemn affairs, such as religious rites and deaths. They have a prayer of
thanksgiving called ambaamba and an exorcism chant called bugyaw. The Kalinga have
entreaties called tubag; the Aeta, magablon. A good harvest is requested in the dag-unan; and
blessings are asked for in the Cebuano

E. Death Songs
-Deaths occasion the singing of dirges or lamentations, in which the deeds of the
dead are recounted. Dirges are called dung-aw among the Ilocano, kanogon
Among the Cebuano, annako among the Bontoc, and ibi among the Kalinga.

FOLK NARRATIVES
Folk narratives include folk tales and epics. Folk tales, generally called kuwentong bayan
among the Tagalog, are of different kinds: myths, legends, fables, and trickster tales.

A, Myth
-Myths often regarded as sacred, explain the origin and the goal of the cosmos. They
usually involve divinities and spirits who interact with humans.
-From among the pantheon of gods and goddesses, one is regarded as supreme called
Bathala among the Tagalog, Mangetchay among the Pampango, Gugurang among the
Bicol, Kabunian among the Bontoc, and Laon among the Visaya. The gods live in the
skyworld, sometimes depicted as having several layers.
-Other myths are associated with geographical features like waterfalls, volcanoes, and
mountains, or with flora and fauna, like the dama de noche.

B, Legends
Legends are believed to be about more recent events and, like myths, they explain the origin of
things. They are also used to teach lessons in life.
Legends are called alamat in Tagalog, osipon in Bicol, sarita in Ilocano, istorya in Pangasinan,
gintunan in Kinaray-a and Ilongo. Many supernatural beings figure in legends, such as the
aswang (witch), the engkanto (fairy), and the sirena (mermaid).
A popular engkantada (fairy/enchantress) is Mariang Makiling. Beautiful and generous, she is
said to dwell in Mount Makiling, assisting the people and rewarding the good folk

C, Fables
-Fables are short tales that usually involve animals which teach a moral lesson.
-It usually, a comparison between two animals is made to highlight the moral.
-In “The Monkey and the Turtle,” for example, the slow-moving but quick-witted
turtle contrasts sharply with the lithe but dull-witted monkey.
-A similar fable is “The Carabao and the Shell,” in which a carabao learns never to judge
anything by its size. The huge carabao challenges the little shell to a race. Ever and again, the
carabao calls out to his opponent, unaware, however, that he is responded to by a different shell
lying along the way. Thinking that the shell is quicker than he is, the carabao runs faster, only to
die of exhaustion.
D. Epic
-Epic poetry is considered the highest point of growth in Filipino folk literature, including
narratives recounting the stories of tribal heroes.

-A popular Philippine epic is the Ilocano Lam-ang. The hero Lam-ang dreams that his
father is being killed by the Igorot, the traditional enemies of the Ilocano, and awakes to
slaughter a group of Igorot.He returns to his hometown, where the women bathe him. The
dirt from his hair pollutes the river and kills all the fish. Lam-ang’s prowess is
demonstrated anew when he slays a fearful crocodile. He then courts and marries Ines
Kannoyan, besting his rivals with his magical powers. When Lam-ang hunts the rarang, a
giant clam, a fish swallows him. Lam-ang’s pet rooster, however, restores him after his
bones are recovered.