 Our forebears had their own literature, which
manifested itself in their rituals and traditions. Even
before they colonized, they had an alphabet. The
Spanish friars believed that by burning their
alphabet, they would be able to achieve
enlightenment. They were either devilish works or
were written on flimsy materials. Tree barks, dried
leaves, and bamboo cylinders have all died. Even if
attempts were taken to preserve them, they could
not have remained firm. We are wealthy because of
our unique geographic location
PRE-SPANISH LITERATURE
- is characterized by:
LEGENDS
Legends are a form of prose the common
theme of which is about the origin of a thing,
place, location or name. The events are
imaginary, devoid of truth and unbelievable.
Old Filipino customs are reflected in these
legends. Its aim is to entertain. Here is an
example of a legend is THE LEGEND OF THE
TAGALOGS.
PRE-SPANISH LITERATURE
- is characterized by:
FOLK TALES
made up of stories about life, adventure,
love, horror and humor where one can derive
lessons about life. These are useful to us because
they help us appreciate our environment,
evaluate our personalities and improve our
perspectives in life.
PRE-SPANISH LITERATURE
- is characterized by:
 LEGENDS
Are forms of prose, the common theme of which is about the
origin of a thing, place, location or name. The events are imaginary,
devoid of truth and unbelievable. Its aim is to entertain.
FOLK TALES
made up of stories about life, adventure, love, horror and humor
where one can derive lessons about life. These are useful to us because
they help us appreciate our environment, evaluate our personalities
and improve our perspectives in life.
EPIC
are long narrative poems in which a series of heroic achievements
or events, usually of a hero, are dealt with at length. Nobody can
determine which epics are the oldest because in their translations from
other languages, even in English and Spanish.
 FOLK SONGS
folk songs are one of the oldest forms of Philippine
literature that emerged In the Pre-Spanish period. These songs
mirrored the early forms of culture. Many of these have 12
syllables.
EPIGRAMS
(Salawikain)these have been customarily used and served
as laws or rules ongood behavior by our ancestors. To others,
these are like allegoriesor parables that impart lessons for the
young.
RIDDLES
(Bugtong or Palaisipan)These are made up of one or more
measured lines with rhyme and may consist of 4 to 12 syllabes.