TRADITIONAL

LITERATURE
by: Shyla Mae P. Del Rosario
Traditional Literature encompasses
books rendered from oral tradition--
stories that have been passed down for
ages (Kiefer, 2007)--and as a result are
commonly shared throughout the world.
This literature includes folktales, myths,
fables, and legends.
FABLES are form of traditional literature.
They are short stories written in prose or
verse. The main characters are most often
anthropomorphized animals whose
behaviors demonstrate moral lessons.
Aesop was an ancient Greek storyteller born around 620 BC as a slave.
He collected stories of animals acting , or fables, have lessons, or morals,
and were retold to children during Aesop's life and to people in every
generation.
AESOP’S FABLES

Written by a former Greek slave, in the late to mid-

6th century BCE, Aesop's Fables are the world's
best known collection of morality tales. The fables,
numbering 725, were originally told from person-
to-person as much for entertainment purposes but
largely as a means for relaying or teaching a moral
or lesson.
"The Tortoise and the Hare" is one of
Aesop's Fables and is numbered 226
in the Perry Index. The account of a
race between unequal partners has
attracted conflicting interpretations.
The fable itself is a variant of a
common folktale theme in which
ingenuity and trickery are employed
to overcome a stronger opponent.
A fox, after crossing a river, got its
tail entangled in a bush, and couldn’t
move. A number of mosquitoes, upon
seeing the fox trapped, settled upon
him and enjoyed a good meal,
feasting upon the fox’s blood, the fox
unable to swish them away with his
trapped tail. A hedgehog that was
strolling by took pity on the fox and
went up to him.
From the Aesop's fable The Goose
that Laid the Golden Eggs, in which
a married couple own a goose that
lays one golden egg every day. For
greed, they decide to kill the goose
to obtain all the gold they suppose
to be inside.
 OTHER EXAMPLES:

The Frogs & the Ox

Belling the Cat
The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse
The Fox & the Grapes
The Wolf & the Crane
The Lion & the Mouse
The Gnat & the Bull
The Plane Tree
The Owl & the Grasshopper
The Oak & the Reeds
The Crow & the Pitcher
ANDERSEN’S
FAIRYTALES
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author.
Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues,
novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his
literary fairy tales.
ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES
Andersen’s collection brought the fairy tale into the modern idiom and he can arguably be seen
as the father of the modern fairy tale. The first original tale, ‘Little Ida’s Flowers,’ is an elaborate
combination of the ordinary and the fantastic, ‘The Steadfast Tin Soldier,’ animates the realm of
toys – everyday items in children’s bedrooms and playrooms. Several stories include everyday
items as actual characters – items such as a collar, a silver penny, a darning needle etc. They are
the forerunners of the stories that animate a child’s surroundings, and with which children are so
familiar, as they read their modern books and watch children’s films today. Some of the most
popular children’s writers, like Enid Blyton, and the most popular films, such as ‘Toy Story’ with
its immortal toy protagonist, Buzz Lightyear, routinely animate toys and other household objects.
That is one of Andersen’s major innovations and has had that huge influence.
The impact of this collection of stories on children’s literature is
incalculable. The tales are translated into scores of languages
and the most famous characters in them, such as the Little
Mermaid, the Little Match Girl, the Tin Soldier and the Ugly
Duckling, are well-known around the world. There are picture
books, films, plays and operas, and Andersen has himself been
portrayed in theatre and film. Children’s writers have paid
tribute to the tales, which still stand as great models and the
source of inspiration for them.
 THE GRIMM
BROTHERS’ FAIRY
TALES
Grimms' Fairy Tales, originally known as the
Children's and Household Tales, is a German
collection of fairy tales by the Grimm
brothers or "Brothers Grimm", Jacob and
Wilhelm, first published on 20 December
1812.
The Brothers Grimm, otherwise known as Jacob
Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, were German
librarians who also specialized in philology,
which is the study of language in historical texts.
During the early 19th century, they became
interested in cultural research and began to
collect and publish local folklore.
FILIPINO FOLK
TALES
Filipino folktales are stories that form part of the
oral tradition in the Philippines. They have been
passed on generation to generation by word of
mouth rather than by writing, and thus the stories
have been modified by successive retellings before
they were written down and recorded.
Folklore is kaalamang-bayan
(traditional knowledge of the
people).
EXAMPLES OF FILIPINO FOLKTALES
Ilocanos have The Monkey and the Turtle, The Poor
Fisherman and His Wife, and The White Squash. Visayan
folktales have The Battle of the Crabs, The Spider and the
Fly, The Virtue of the Coconut, and The Hawk and the
Hen among many others. Famous Mindanao folk tales
include: How the Angels Built Lake Lanao and Eclipses.
Filipinos also enjoy reading about mythical beings and
animals and some even believe in their existence like
that of an Aswang or monster, Manananggal or a self
segmenter, Witches, Nuno sa Punso or goblins, Multo or
ghosts, Sirena or mermaids, Duwende or dwarfs,
Tikbalang or demon horses and Tiyanaks or demon
infants.
Most of these Philippine folktales and Philippine folklore also
serve as an inspiration to the country’s pop-culture. Most of the
aforementioned mythical creatures are used as a staple of story
lines for a Filipino made horror movies and television shows.
Mythical heroes and deities also have their fair share of movie
and television exposure. The characters exposure to related
media ensures the continuity of the fanciful tales and legends of
a distinctive Filipino folk literature.
FILIPINO
LEGENDS
Philippine legend is a traditional story
that describes the origin of things and
the world. This also explains the
supernatural events, mysteries and
cultural tradition.
EXAMPLES OF FILIPINO LEGENDS

Among her suitors, Juana chose a

young man with brawny arms and
fingers to be her fiancé. But one of her
spurned suitors became envious and
made a drastic move — the reason why
the banana came about.
 OTHERS:
THE LEGEND OF WATERMELON
THE LEGEND OF SPIDER
THE LEGEND OF TAMARIND
THE LEGEND OF GARLIC
THE LEGEND OF DURIAN
In the Philippines, several unique cultures and traditions exists within
the confines of its many islands. As an archipelago, the Philippines is
home to several ethnic tales and legends passed on from generation to
generation.

These stories and legends have since then become a part of our
tradition and culture. As such, we need to respect, care for, and give
importance to these stories. With this in mind, the best thing we could
do to preserve these stories is to pass them on to future generations.
THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING!