SOUTHEAST

ASIAN
LITERATURE
21 st century literature from
the Philippines and the world
 Countries
Burma
Thailand
Laos
Cambodia
Malaysia
Singapore
Brunei
Indonesia
Vietnam
Philippines
Southeast Asia

◦Describe as
“land of gold”
 Funan
Kingdom
Dvaravati
Kingdom
Srivijaya
Kingdom
 Dutch &
Portugese

British French
Spanish
◦Hinduism
◦Buddhism
◦Confucianism
Literature

◦In Southeast Asia, literature is not

bound by books.
◦Oral traditions, riddles, proverbs,
legends, and stories of
cosmologies were etched into
the minds of listeners.
invention reinvention

Literature
Early Forms of texts

Etching on Palm
Leaf and Bamboo
Early Forms of Text

Writing on
animal skin
Early Forms of Text

Etching on
hammered
sheets of metal
The Spirit of Buddhist Mainland Literature

◦Early influences on Southeast

Asian Literature in Burma,
Thailand, Cambodia, and
Laos can be traced to two
main sources: Indigenous
and Indic
◦RAMAYANA
◦ Epic Indian tale
◦ Ramayana captured the
imagination of many and
had a most pervasive
impact.
◦ The epic has been
modified and localized in
a number of Southeast
Asian countries
◦ The tale is told in shadow-
puppet performances
and acted out in dance
drama.
JATAKA TALES
◦The canon of Theravada
Buddhism traveled to the
area via India and Sri
Lanka.
◦Function in ways similar to
Aesop’s fables.
◦Also performed in annual
ceremonies.
 CHRONICLES
◦ Various forms of chronicles play a prominent role in the literature
of this region. For example:
Chronicles of Buddhist Chronicles with a
Royalty and Chronicles Prophetic Dimension
Regional Areas

Thai Phongsawadan Tamnan Phuttha-thamnai

Burmese Ya-zawin Thamaing _

Khmer _ _ Buddh
damnay
VIETNAM
 Vietnamese Literature
◦ Sino-Vietnamese was the
language of literature and
government, employing
Chinese characters.
◦ Quoc-ngu is a Romanized
script, and relatively recent
invention, becoming
established in the 19th
century.
◦ The early system of
education involved the study
of Chinese Literature.
◦ The Temple of
Literature in Hanoi,
founded in 1070
 Vietnamese Literature
◦In the early 1930s, it took a great leap
forward, which involved breaking out
of the constraints of classical Chinese
style.
◦In 1932. a movement called The New
Poetry was born.
◦French Influence
MASTERPIECE OF VIETNAMESE LITERATURE

◦The Tale of Lady Kieu

MALAYSIA
 Malaysian Literature

◦The literature of Malaysia is infused with folk

tales, Indian and Javanese influence, and
Muslim influence.
◦Localized Literary styles, which include the
Hikayat, syair and pantun.
◦The beauty of these forms is meant to be
heard.
 Malaysian Literature
◦HIKAYAT
◦Hikayat Bayan Budiman
◦Hikayat Raja-Raja Pasai
◦Sejarah Melayu
◦Hikayat Hang Tuah
◦Hikayat Abdullah
◦Hikayat Faridah Hanum – First Novel
 Malaysian Literature
◦SYAIR AND PANTUN
◦Newspapers often feature
pantun competitions.
◦Ex. Sajak-Sajak Sejarah Malayu
by Muhammad Haji Salleh
INDONESIA
 Indonesian Literature
◦“bhinneka tunggal ika” – the many
are one
◦This motto, expressed in Old Javanese,
quotes from a kakawin, a form of poetry
based on Sanskrit Kavya.
◦Nagarakeratagama is the historic 14th
century Kekawin.
 Indonesian Literature

◦Prameodya Ananta Toer

◦Writer jailed for his work.
◦His famous novel is
The Earth of Mankind