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Philippine Literature During Pre Colonial Period
Philippine Literature During Pre Colonial Period
Pre-colonial Period
PRE-COLONIAL PERIOD (before the
arrival of Spaniards)
✔ Philippine literature during the pre-colonial era is mostly based on oral traditions passed
down from generation to generation.
✔ The language used pertains to daily life.
✔ Common forms of oral literature are riddles, proverbs, and songs to express a thought or
emotion.
✔ Epic was considered as the most exciting poetic and narrative form of literature in which the
ASEAN-sponsored study of Filipino asserted that there are more than 100 epics discovered
where majority came from Palawan (as cited by Quindoza-Santiago, n.d.).
✔ Majority of proverbs, epigrams, and proverbs collected by
researchers come from Tagalog, Cebuano, and Ilocano dialects.
✔ The ancient pre-Spanish form of writing called Baybayin which
was often cited in the work of Pedro Chirino during the 1500s, was
later on approved as the National Writing System of the Philippines
through House Bill No. 1022.
✔ The experiences of the people during pre-colonial period such as food
hunting, work at home, caring for the children, and creatures or objects of
nature served as the common subject in oral literature.
✔ Anyone who knew the language and the convention and forms could be a
poet, singer, or storyteller.
✔ All important events such as rites and ceremonies reflect religious
observance where people commonly recite, sing, or utter a chant.
Types of Pre-colonial Literature