Literature – any written or oral work.

It came from the Latin word litera which means letters of the alphabet. Literature
is a form of expression. It is also a form entertainment and allows people to use their imagination to visualize the story
within their own mind.

Functions of Literature

 Pleasure
 Analysis & interpretation
 appreciation

Studying literature enables one to better understand social situations, history, one’s own emotions, and various cultural
practices.

Literature is one way for us to hear the voices of the past and work with the present. It is a way for the present to the
possible future.

Literature unlocks the culture of the time period, in a way can give wisdom to the modern society about life. Literature
allows us to interpret our own life and emotions and find ways to relate to the story so we in turn can reflect.

PRE-COLONIAL LITERATURE

- before the Spaniards came to the Philippines.

- Based on traditions

Literary Forms
A. Oral Literature
Riddles(bugtong) – battle of wits among participants
o showcase the Filipino wit, literary talent, and keen observation of the surroundings.
o Involves reference to one or two images that symbolize the characteristics of an unknown object that is
to be guessed
Proverbs (salawikain) – wise sayings
Tanaga - expresses insights and lessons on life

B. Folk Songs It is a form of folk lyric which expresses the hopes and aspirations, the people's lifestyles, as well
as their loved ones. These are often repetitive and sonorous, didactic and naïve.
uyayi – lullaby  komintang – war song  kundiman – melancholic love song
C. Folk Tales are prose narratives primarily told for amusement and individual entertainment and instructional
value, dealing with events set in an indefinite time and space.
a. Myths – explain how the world was created, how certain animals possess certain characteristics,
why some places have waterfalls, volcanoes, mountains, flora or fauna
b. Legends – explain the origin of things. “Why the Pineapple Has Eyes” “The Legend of Maria
Makiling”
c. Fables – used animal characters which gives a lesson to the readers
d. Fantastic stories – deal with underworld characters such as “tiyanak”,“aswang”, “kapre”, etc.
D. Epic - they feature supernatural characters and reflect the society where they originated.

Summary
The pre-colonial literature of the Philippines includes all literature produced before the Spanish colonization. It
includes chants, proverbs, songs, spells, and different folk narratives like folk tales, fables, legends, myths, and
epics that were all passed down from generation to generation through the word of mouth.