GLIT2 Ethno-Literature

2nd Semester-Prelim
Lesson 1: Introduction to Ethno-Literature

I. Notes

Philippine folk literature refers to the traditional oral literature of

the Filipino people. Thus, the scope of the field covers the ancient
folk literature of the Philippines' various ethnic groups, as well as various pieces
of folklore that have evolved since the Philippines became a single ethno-political
unit.
While the difference between Philippine folk literature and Philippine mythology is a
fine one, this article distinguishes folk literature as the source from which Philippine
mythology derives.

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While the oral, and thus changeable, aspect of folk literature is an important defining
characteristic, much of this oral tradition has been written into a print format. To point
out that folklore in a written form can still be considered folklore, Utely points out that
folklore "may appear in print, but must not freeze into print It should be pointed out
that all the examples of folk literature cited in this article are taken from print, rather
than oral sources.

The Philippine Map and ethnic groups

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Form and motifs

E. Arsenio Manuel defines heroic narratives in verse as "folk epics" or
"ethnographics" and describes common characteristics to them:

1. Narratives of sustained length

2. Based on oral tradition
3. Revolving around supernatural events or heroic deeds
4. In the form of verse
5. Which is either chanted or sung, and
6. With a certain seriousness of purpose, embodying or validating the beliefs,
customs, ideals, or life-values of the people.
Within folk epic poems, common themes can be observed.
Epic Singing and Singers
Epics are generally sung during folk festival and recreational gatherings such as weddings,
baptisms, wakes, prestige rites, peace agreements, and the like. They are sung primarily as
entertainment, to enjoy hearing of accounts of ancestors performing heroic deeds. The singing also
serves as an inspiration to the youth to emulate their heroes, and for would-be singers to become
singers themselves. Among some groups, such as the Ifugao people, certain types
of Hudhud songs are prescribed for certain occasions, such as during the death of a prominent
person, or when ancestral bones are dug out to be blessed, or during harvest. The Hudhud hi
Aliguyon is a hudhud of the third type. The Palawan Kudaman is also sung on special occasions -
as an offering to the Lord of the chase when they are able to catch a wild boar, or to welcome a
guest in their rurungan.
The epic singer could be male or female and learn their story from older relatives, or from well-
known singers in the community. The singing of epics usually takes place in the evening and is
dictated by the singer's preference; there is quieter in the evening and it allows for deeper
concentration on the singer, who sometimes sings for two to four hours as a time. Virgilio Resma
reports that Perena, a female singer, sang The Tale of Sandayo from 9 PM to 3 AM for seven
nights in 1980. Among the Ifugaos, the hudhud may sung during daytime as a harvest song.
Adventures of the Hero
Philippine folk epics are essentially the adventures of the hero and can be classified into two
groups: epics of romance, in which the main adventures consist in the hero's courting of specific
women, or in search of beautiful ladies he can marry; and epics in which the hero undertakes

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adventures mainly in the service of his family, his country, his people, and for others. Epics which
prove the hero's valor and worth as a man also belong to the second group. These two groups are
not mutually exclusive, and epics that are predominantly romantic also contain adventures of the
other kind and vice-versa.[1]:xiv
Primary examples of epics in the first group are Lam-Ang, the Ulalim, Labaw
Donggon, Bantugan, Lumalindaw, and Kudaman. Some of these epics, however, are not
exclusively of the first group. For example, Lam-Ang's first adventure was his quest for his father
who had gone to fight the Igorots and never came back.
In the second group of epics, examples include the Agyu cycle of epics, The Maiden of the Buhong
Sky, Tulalang, the Hudhud hi Aliguyon, the three Subanon epics, Ibalon, Tuwaang Attends a
Wedding, Maharadia Lawana, and Tudbulul.
Characteristics of the Hero
The Philippine epic hero, like counterparts in other countries, are strong and brave, of great fighting
prowess, and possess a restless, adventurous spirit, great determination, and endurance.
Philippine epic heroes are also endowed with supernatural or magic powers and possess magic
objects and/or animals and even guardians or friendly spirits, sometimes voices,that advise them in
moments of need.
The life of a Philippine epic hero usually follows a pattern, similar to the Hero's journey:

1. He is born of unusual circumstances

2. He undergoes miraculous growth into manhood and is possessed of a restlessness to set
out on adventures
3. He lives a life of action and adventure, in the course of which he displays his heroic
qualities
4. He is victorious in all his adventures, warlike or amorous
5. If he dies, he is brought back to life and lives happily ever after.
The Philippine epic hero is usually depicted as having an impressive physical appearance and is
usually described as such. The Subanon hero, Sandayo, is described as:
A handsome datu
Radiant and resplendent
As if he stood not
On earthly ground
Straight as a tree
Like a son of Diwata
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Like some rare flower
Beautiful to behold
Philippine epic heroes are also described as having loud voices which make men tremble.
Lumalindaw was said to have a voice so strong that when he shouts at a crow, it falls in front of
him; when he shouts at a coconut tree, the coconuts fall. They also stand out as acknowledged
leaders in their respective communities, such as Tuwaang, or Bantugan, who while not the king of
his realm, is described as having no rival among the lords of the kingdom.
Supernatural Powers
Lastly, one of their most distinctive characteristics are their possession of supernatural powers, or
magic animals and/or objects. The Ifugao hero, Aliguyon, is a notable exception to this rule, being
the only one with no extraordinary power beyond his natural prowess.
The range of the hero's supernatural prowess ranges from the mild to the extraordinary. Except for
their endurance, the heroes in the Ifugao hudhud are down-to-earth and benign in comparison to
other heroes. In contrast, heroes in Central and South Philippine epics cannot continue on
without mana, or some supernatural being aiding them, or without the magical properties of the
tools that they use.
Conventions
Philippine folk epics have some shared conventions that differ from other classical epics. Philippine
folk epics may or may not have formal openings. Lam-Ang, for example, opens with "Listen then
while I narrate at length the life of Lam-Ang", while Aliguyon opens without much formality:
"Aliguyon, son of Amtalao, who resided in Hannanga one early morning said, 'Where are you,
comrades of Aliguyon, do what is done in Hannanga'"
Epics belonging to the Agyu cycle vary in that they have formal openings, called
the ke`ppu`unpu`un, which is the introductory part of the entire cycle of epics. Attached to this is
the sengedurug, which represents an account of a portion of Agyu's life in Nelendangan, the earth
name of his paradise. The Tuwaan cycle also has an introductory part called the tabbayanon,
consisting of two parts: the first is subjective and speaks of the singer's love, dreams, and
frustrations. The prelude closes with a "tail", which serves to connect it to the main body of the
story.
Philippine epics narrate the adventures of the hero in chronological order, many of them beginning
with the hero's birth. None begin in medias res like in the Iliad. The epics narrate the hero's life and
adventures and end in happy endings. If the hero dies, he is brought back to life. In at least two
epics, the hero brings his people to heaven. Only Lumalindaw diverts from this with a somber

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ending, where, after giving parting advice to his children, enters the cave where the Voice that has
guided his life resides, and is seen no more.
Repetition
A common convention is the use of repetition of various kinds: repetition of a scene, repetition of
lines, of rituals, and of formulaic passages. In Labaw Donggon, the hero goes courting three times
and the same lines he speaks to his mother are repeated. Some motifs are also repeated in
accordance to the significance attached to the number. Subanon epics, for example, hold the
numbers 7 and 8 in special significance. In Ag Tobig nog Keboklagan, Taake, when seven months
old, cries for seven days and seven nights; sleeps for days and seven nights; goes fishing for
seven days and seven nights; catching seven bins of fish; sleeps again for seven days and nights
and awakes a young man; travels for seven months before reaching Keboklagan; courts the Lady
of Pintawan for seven days before she accepts; the rumor of this marriage spreads for seven days
before it reaches the Datus of Keboklagan, who plan to kill him within seven days; Taake and his
companions rest in Dibaloy for seven nights; they journey back to Sirangan for seven days; and he
holds a buklog for seven days.
In both Taake and Sandayo, special attention is given to the hero's hair. Their hair is oiled,
combed, and arranged to eight folds. Sandayo has his hair oiled and combed eight times, and
wound eight times. When he sleeps, eight tiers of mosquito nets are placed over him. When he
drinks wine, he empties eight wine jars. His robe has eight folds.
Otherworldly Journeys
Philippine folk epics sometimes extend to the realm of heavenly regions and the underworld.
In Labaw Donggon, the hero courts his wives across three worlds. Similarly, the Gaddang hero
Lumalindaw seeks his fourth wife, Caligayan, in the Underworld, in a place called Nadaguingan,
guarded by dwarfs. In Tuwaang Attends a Wedding, Tuwaang descends to the Underworld during
his fight with the Young Man of Sakadna. In the Tale of Sandayo, Bolak Sonday searches for
Sandayo in the Underworld when he dies. When Bolak Sonday dies, Mendepesa is sento to look
for her soul.

Developments
When Islamic missionaries came to Mindanao and converted the Moros to become Muslims, some
changes were adapted for the Mindanaoan epics to conform to this change of faith, thus, there are
more epics from mostly Visayas and Mindanao that did survive. In the epic of Maranao, Darangen,
for instance, they have made Muslim prophet Muhammad as the forefather of the hero, Bantugen.
Today, there are twenty-one epics that survived from Visayas and Mindanao.

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Some of the epics however, especially in Luzon, perceived to center on pagan beliefs and rituals,
were burned and destroyed by Spanish friars during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines
islands in the 16th century. There are only two folk epics that survived from Luzon.
Truly, there were substantial writings by early natives that Jesuit historian Fr. Pedro
Chirino noted: "All of the islanders are much given to reading and writing. And there is hardly a
man, much less a woman who did not read and write." (Relacion de las isles Filipinas-1604).
Established epic poems of notable quality and length blossomed. And early historians like Padre
Colin, Joaquín Martínez de Zúñiga and Antonio Pigafetta have all attested to the existence of these
epics. There were even reports of a dramatic play given by natives at the arrival of Don Miguel
López de Legazpi in 1565.
Epic poems and songs about the exploits of enchanted folk heroes were performed during
festivities and proper occasions. Most often, these epic poems (folk epics or ethno-epics) were
titled after the names of the hero involved, except for some which carry traditional titles like
the Kalinga Ullalim; the Sulod Hinilawod; the Maranao Darangen; or the Bicol Ibalon.
Stories about folk heroes of long ago were described as "Old Time History" because; they can be
used to study the lifestyle and beliefs of the people who produced them. They were also referred to
as "Lost", because they were soon forgotten by natives influenced heavily by Spanish and
"western" colonization.
There are two epic poems coming from among Christian Filipinos in Luzon. They are Biag ni Lam-
ang or The Life of Lam-ang and the Ibalon, from the Bicol region.
The epics coming from the non-Christian Filipinos in Luzon meanwhile are The Hudhud and the
Alim of the Ifugaos, The Ulalim of the Kalingas and The Epic of Lumalindaw of the Gaddangs.
The epics from the Visayas are The Hinilawod of the Sulod people of Central Panay Island and
The Kudaman of Palawan,
while the epics from Mindanao are The Maiden of the Buhong Sky, the Tuwaang Attends A
Wedding, Agyu, The Tulelangan of the Ilianon Manoboc, The Darangen of the Maranaos, Guman
of Dumalinao, Ag Tubig Nog Keboklagan (The Kingdom of Keboklagan), Keg Sumba Neg Sandayo
(The Tale of Sandayo) and The Tudbulul of the T'boli of South Cotabato.
From the Bicol Region comes the Ibalong. The Ibalong relates the mystical origins of the first man
and the first woman of Aslon and Ibalong, which are current provinces of Camarines, Albay,
Sorsogon, Catanduanes and Masbate. Handiong, one of the heroes of Ibalong (The others are
Baltog and Bantong ) was a great leader of warriors. He won over the seductive serpent Oriol
before starting a village. His Village prospered and soon, other friends of Handiong went to help
him in leading the village. The system of writing was introduced by Surat. Dinahong Pandak taught
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them how to make jars, utensils in cooking, plough, harrow and other farming implements.
Weaving cloth was known with the help of Hablon. Lastly, Ginantong taught them to make boats,
blades, knives and things used in a house. Events in this epic also had a flood story similar to that
of the Biblical Genesis. This epic has the story in how the Mayon Volcano was made.
The Darangen tells of the sentimental and romantic adventures of noble warriors, one of them, is
about a warrior-prince called Bantugan. Prince Bantugen was the brother of the chieftain of a
village called Bumbaran. Bantugen owned a magic shield, was protected by divine spirits called
"Tonongs" and was capable of rising from the dead. Once his enemies attacked Bumbaran,
thinking he was dead. In the nick of time, Bantugan's soul was recovered and he saved the village.
There is also an episode, where Prince Bantugen was on a quest and fought his enemies with his
magic Kampilan(Native sword). Soon, he got tired and fell onto the water. A crocodile delivered him
to his enemies, but he regained his strength, escaped his captors, and commands an oar less ship
and won the battle.
There were also "Darangen epic poetries that relates stories of wars about abducted princesses.
Just like the chronicles of the Trojan War.
The Darangen is one of the oldest and longest Philippine epic poetries. Several nights were
needed to recite the twenty five beautiful chapters. The Darangen, sung in its original, possessed a
sustained beauty and dignity, it might be studied for its esthetic values alone.
There were Philippine epic poems written and published much later. The Ibong Adarna, whose
author is unknown, was written in Tagalog and published in the 18th century, while Florante at
Laura, also in Tagalog, authored by Francisco Balagtas, was published in the 19th century.
In 1961, Ricaredo Demetillo published Barter in Panay, claimed to be the first literary epic of the
Philippines. It was written in English. Other contemporary epics were authored by Dr. Cirilo
Bautista, whose epic was written in three decades and placed at 9,872 lines in length, The Trilogy
of Saint Lazarus, comprises The Archipelago (1970), The Telex Moon (1975) and Sunlight On
Broken Stones (1999) and Edwin Cordevilla's Ten Thousand Lines Project For World Peace
(2013), which as the title suggests, is 10,000 lines long. Both epics were written in English.
There are multiple epic texts that can be found in the Philippines, owing to its diverse cultural
background. To date, over twenty have been collected, transcribed, and published by academic
scholars.

 Epics from Luzon

o From Christian Filipinos:

o Biag ni Lam-Ang from the Ilocos region

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o Ibalon, from the Bicol region

o From non-Christian groups:

o Hudhud and Alim of the Ifugao people

o The Ulalim cycle of the Kalinga people
o The Epic of Lumalindaw of the Gaddang people

 Epics from Visayas

1. The Hinilawod of the Suludnon in Panay
 Hinilawod I: The Epic of Labaw Donggon
 Hinilawod II: Epic of Humadapnen
2. The Kudaman of Palawan

 Epics from Mindanao

1. The Maiden of the Buhong Sky
2. Tuwaang Attends a Wedding
3. The Agyu Cycle:
 Agyu: The Ilianon Epic of Mindanao
 Ulahigan
 The Capture of Nalandangan
 The Epic of Nalandangan
 Olaging: The Battle of Nalandangan
4. The Tulelangan of the Ilianon Manobos
5. The Darangen of the Maranao people
6. Gumao of Dumalinao
7. Ag Tubig Nog Keboklagan (The Kingdom of Keboklagan)
8. Keg Sumba Neg Sandayo (The Tale of Sandayo)
9. The Tudbulul of the Tboli people

II. Written Activity

Read 3 epics originating from each island in the Philippines: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
Make a summary for each epic in 5-10 sentences only.

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Write your output on your Journal notebook.

References:

1. Eugenio, Damiana L. Philippine folk literature. The epics. University of the Philippines
Press. ISBN 9789715422949.
2. Revel, Nicole (2005). Literature of Voice: Epics in the Philippines. Quezon City: Ateneo
de Manila University Press. pp. 13–14. ISBN 9719229675.
3. Manuel, E. Arsenio (1963). "A Survey of Filipino Folk Epics". Asian Folklore Studies. 22:
1–76. doi:10.2307/1177562.
4. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15640768-barter-in-panay
5. https://www.academia.edu/6194944/
National_Content_and_Transnational_Form_in_Cirilo_F._Bautista_s_The_Trilogy_of_Sai
nt_Lazarus
6. http://www.feu.edu.ph/manila/index.php/feu-outstanding-alumnus-launches-epic-poetry-
book-set/
7. Eugenio, Damiana (2004). Philippine Folk Literature: The Epics. University of the
Philippines Press. ISBN 971-542-294-2.

Do not be anxious about anything but, in everything, by prayer and petition,

present your requests to God.
Philipp
ians 4:6

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