21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World

2nd Quarter

SOUTHEAST ASIAN LITERATURE

- Are oral and written literatures in the Southeast Asian Countries.

- Show the literary imagination and linguistic inventiveness of Asian writers as they convey their varied cultural
identities.

Indonesian Literature

- Refer to oral and written literature that is produced in the Indonesian Archipelago (consist of many islands).
- “Indonesia is not a nation. It’s an imagination.” Meaning to say summarizing the literature of Indonesia will
be very insulting because every story from each island is diverse and have their own great imaginations.
- Are usually written as poems and other literary works that are orally being delivered.
- There has been a long tradition of impromptu, interactive, verbal composition of poetry referred to as the
“pantun” (orally expressed poems).
- Indonesia’s literary legacy includes writings in centuries old palm, bamboo, and other fiber manuscripts made
by only few literate people.
- The “I La Galigo”, an epic creation myth made by the indigenous Bugis People in South Sulawesi, depicting
the adventures of Sawerigading, a native, and the origins of their community.

Philippine Literature

1. Pre-Spanish Period
- Common written literary works are written/carved in bamboos, woods, rocks, gold, or vases
and in their own skin as a tattoo (or batuk).
- Common oral literature are riddles or bugtong, poems, chants and serenade songs.
- Filipinos use their Myths and belief systems to teach, love and treat nature and all living things
with utmost respect as their norms (traditions)
 Skyworld (Heavens)
Udtohanon – angelic beings at the peak of the upper-world, far from men: There are three types of
Udtohanon:
Ibabawnon – heavenly angelic beings who accept offers and sacrifices in the heavens
Langitnon – angelic beings who dwell above the clouds
Awan-awan – angelic beings that dwell between the clouds and the earth and where the spirit of the
wind, rain, rainbow, typhoons, lighting, and whirlwinds occur.
Biraddali is an example of an Awan-awan. These are Sky maidens that brings the shine of the rainbow
lights as they move in and visit earth. Therefore, whenever a rainbow is seen, the biraddali are usually
enjoying a pleasant bath in the rivers.
 Middle Earth
Dutan-on or those who dwell among the mortal men – which are further divided into:
Talunanon (forest dwellers) that cause blood vomiting. (ex.) Mangmangkik/Mangmangkit – The
Mangmangkit is a forest spirit that guards trees in the woods. It is a spirit that protects trees from
being chopped down.
Malignu and tamawu, which are wicked dwellers, beautiful, tiny beings who commonly resides in
trees, hillsides and rice fields that steal infants from people’s yards.
 Underworld
Idadalmonon from the underworld which are known as the death bringers. Example of Idadalmonons
are:
Nuno/Duwende – are dwarfs that live under termite mounds, and since these mounds are thought to
be the gateway of dwarfs into their underground realm, the folk keep away from them.
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Dalakitnon – are six-foot tall elves or taller that dwell in Dalakit trees. People imagine that the dalakit
and kalumpang are trees but these are elf mansions and some have heard the clink of elf plates in elf
kitchens and dining tables in these trees.
 Other examples are stories about Philippine Mythological Creatures:
Tiktik (and the black chick, saliva)
Bungisngis (the laughing cyclops)
Kubot (hairs used as mode of killing)
Bakunawa (eel-like serpent, her love for the moon god Bulan)
Binangunan – is a huge horse with a flaming mane from its head down to its back and tail.
Tulung – somehow similar with Tikbalangs but has monstrous features like clawed feet instead of
hooves, a long mane and large testicles.

2. Spanish Period
- Lots of literary works about discomfort and distress were published. Maltreatment, corruption
and discrimination were the topics of poetry, essays, short stories and novels. But appreciation
to art and writing has been in demand.
- Writers who arisen from this period are:
- Jose Rizal – writer of El Filibusterismo and Noli Me Tangere.
- Marcelo H. del Pilar – a writer who has the same courage with Rizal, who distributes his
satirical writings in front churches for his anger for Friars
- Dasalan at Tocsoan - A Collection of Writings and his Depiction of Friars by Marcelo H. del
Pilar

3. American Period Literature

- Many Filipinos started writing again and many leveled-up to the forms of literature such as:
news, reporting, poetry, stories, plays, essays, and novels.
- The highlight of their writings depicted their love for the country, and their longing for
independence.
- This period for literature was also known as the period of imitation.

4. Japanese Period Literature

- Philippine Literature written in English texts were banned. During this time, there was no freedom
of speech and of the press (media). And also, with strict censorship of topics, only few literary
works were printed.
- There was a weekly newspaper in Filipino (since the Japanese encourage the use of Filipino rather
than any Foreign Language) called LIWAYWAY but strictly managed and in surveillance by a
Japanese named “Ishiwara”
- In this period, there has been a rise for Theatre plays and many Filipino Playwriters.
- English Films were banned from movie houses, so movie houses were used as venues for Filipino
plays instead.
- Francisco Soc Rodrigo – “Sa PULA, Sa PUTI”

5. Period of Independence
- During this period, the Philippines gained back their freedom from its colonizers. In this period,
contemporary writing of every genre and literature became rampant.

Thailand Literature

- The most imaginative Thai Literary works were made before the 19th Century, and were composed of poems.
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- Poems were reserved for historical records, chronicles, and legal documents.

- Sunthorn Phu is a widely regarded as Thailand’s greatest poet. Also known as “The Poet of Four Regions” and
“Thailand’s Shakespeare”. He is best known for his romantic adventure story entitled “Phra Aphai Mani”.

- Phra Aphai Mani also known as The Bard of Rattanakosin is a 48,700 line epic poem, and considered as the
longest Thai poem. Sunthorn Phu started working on this epic fantasy from, 1822 to 1844.

- Thai literature was heavily influenced by the Indian culture and Buddhist-Hindu ideology since the time it
first appeared in the 13th century.

- Thailand's national epic is a version of the Ramayana called the Ramakien, translated from Sanskrit and
rearranged into Siamese verses.

- The importance of the Ramayana epic in Thailand is due to the Thai's adoption of the Hindu religio-political
ideology of kingship, as embodied by the Lord Rama.

Vietnamese Literature

- are literature both oral and written, created largely by Vietnamese-speaking people.

- Since Vietnam is dominated by China in the early periods, the early written literary works in Vietnam were
written in Classical Chinese.

- Unlike written literary works, early oral literature (poems, chants) were still in Vietnamese language and is
still accessible to Vietnamese today.

 Vietnamese Literature has been divided into three (3):

 Hidden – only retained in the memory of folk authors

 Fixed – are seen in written literary works.

 Shown – are performed literatures.

Indian Literature

- Literature produced on the Indian subcontinent until 1947 and the Republic of India thereafter.

- The earliest works of Indian Literature were orally transmitted.

- Sanskrit literature (Language of Ancient India) begins with the oral literature of the Rig Veda (1500-1200
BCE), a collection of sacred hymns.

- Sanskrit Epics of the famous RAMAYANA and MAHABHARATA appeared towards the end of the 2nd
Millennium BCE.

- Ramayana is an epic poem involving hosts/characters of different human, animal, and supernatural
characters engaged in conflicts mainly over love and power.

- Mahabharata is an ancient indian epic having 100,000 verses (the longest epic poem ever written) where
the main story revolves around two branches of a family – the Pandavas and Kauravas – who in the Kurukshetra War,
battle for the throne of Hastinapura. Interwoven into this narrative are smaller stories about people who died and
those who remains, and many philosophical discourses or principles in life.
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- Kama Sutra is an Ancient Indian Sanskrit text on emotional fulfillment in life.

- serves as a guide to the “art-of-loving” well, the nature of love, finding a life partner, maintaining one’s
lovelife, and other aspects to satisfaction oriented capabilities of the human life.

- Kama Sutra is also known for its content about sexual desires, eroticism and also serves as a sex manual on
sex positions.

Burmese Literature (Myanmar)

- Date from the Bagan Dynasty. They include proses recording ecclesiastical merit acts and poetic works.

- literary culture in Burma expanded to the masses during this period, with the arrival of printing presses and
publishers, such as the Hanthawaddy Press,( a major publisher of Burmese and Buddhist works established by
Phillip Ripley).

- Burmese literature developed further to adopt and assimilate Western styles of writing.

- Bi-lingual edition of poetry is regarded as the first anthology of modern Burmese poetry in the West.

Laos Literature

- The rich oral tradition of poetry and folk tales possessed by the Lao-speaking people predates their written
literature and maintains a wide popularity to the present day.

- The official national epic of Laos and retells the Lao version of the Ramayana - Phra Lak Phra Lam

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21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World

2nd Quarter