Ancient Filipino Tales

Literature (from Latin litterae (plural); letter) is the art of written work. The word literature literally means "things made from letters." Literature is commonly classified as having two major forms—fiction & non-fiction—and two major techniques—poetry and prose.

Literature may consist of texts based on factual information (journalistic or non-fiction), a category that may also include polemical works, biography, and reflective essays, or it may consist of texts based on imagination (such as fiction, poetry, or drama). Literature written in poetry emphasizes the aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language—such as sound, symbolism, and metre—to evoke meanings in addition to, or in place of, ordinary meanings, while literature written in prose applies ordinary grammatical structure and the natural flow of speech. Literature can also be classified according to historical periods, genres, and political influences. While the concept of genre has broadened over the centuries, in general, a genre consists of artistic works that fall within a certain central theme; examples of genre include romance, mystery, crime, fantasy, erotica, and adventure, among others.

PHILIPPINE LITERATURE

ANCIENT FILIPINO TALES

THREE TYPES OF ANCIENT FILIPINO TALES:

1. Legend
2. Fables
3. Myths

LEGEND (Latin, legenda, "things to be read") - is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude. Legend, for its active and passive participants includes no happenings that are outside the realm of "possibility", defined by a highly flexible set of parameters, which may include miracles that are perceived as actually having happened, within the specific tradition of indoctrination where the legend arises, and within which it may be transformed over time, in order to keep it fresh and vital, and realistic. A majority of legends operate within the realm of uncertainty, never being entirely believed by the participants, but also never being resolutely doubted.

Title: 
The Legend of Landas de Diablo

Characters: 
Marikina 
Kabanalan
Devil

Setting: 
Malanday, Marikina in Central Luzon

Values: 
It is not right to ask or demand things that beyond our capacity  or impossible to perform or to achieved   to fulfill our wish

Traditions:

Form courtship of man & woman in early times.

STORY:

The Legend of "Landas de Diablo"

In Malanday, Marikina, in Central Luzon, where rice fields flourish, there is a very straight path of stone leading from the side of the road to the center of a harvest realm. The denizens call it "Landas de Diablo" and regard it with superstitious fear. There is a story behind that marvelous work, they say, which makes it warrant their fear. It is a tale involving two young lovers and the Devil himself. 

A long time ago, there was a jewel of a girl named Marikita, who lived in the middle of a rice field. Her home was very far away from the main road, yet flocks of wooers braved the narrow bridges of land marking the rice paddies just to see her and sigh. She was lovely. Every young man in the village was beguiled by her – even Kabanalan, the handsome heir to an enormous fortune.

After one glance at the fair maid, Kabanalan could say that he regarded her with more worth than any priceless trinket in his father’s home. He never wanted to have anything in his possession as badly as he did Marikita. He was gentle and kind, and he won Marikita’s attention instantly.

He promised Marikita that if she would only agree to marry him, he would give her anything she wanted – anything at all!

In truth Marikita liked the young man Kabanalan, and she felt it safe to jest with him. She said, "If you would give me anything, I have this simple boon of you: make me a stone path that would span the length of the rice paddies that separate my father’s humble hut from the main road. I tire of the land bridges. But make me this path before the night is done, for tomorrow is Sunday and I would not want to make my feet hurt one more time, before they reach the church!

"Make me that bridge by tomorrow, and tomorrow we shall wed."

Dazzled by her charm, Kabanalan promised her this. He would build her this impossibility, even if he would do it with his own two hands! Marikita only laughed. She liked the young man Kabanalan.

But Kabanalan took her boon for earnest. When he and Marikita parted, a shadow fell across his face. "I know that even with all my wealth I could not fulfill her wish," he thought sadly. "I would rather kill myself than disappoint her, all the same!"

Despaired, he stumbled into a grove where a solitary mango tree stood, and from the deep shade a handsome stranger emerged.

"I see how heavy your heart weighs by the look in your eyes," the stranger said mysteriously. "Tell me what is wrong, perhaps I can help." 

Kabanalan shook his head. "No. No one can help." He sighed forlornly. "I had promised the most beautiful woman in the world an impossible wish."

"What is that wish?" the stranger asked.

Kabanalan told him of the stone path above the rice paddies that Marikita had asked for, and to his surprise, the stranger laughed.

"Is that all!" he cried heartily. "I can do it. I can build that stone road for you overnight."

"Do not jest, I beg of you," Kabanalan said stonily. "She will marry me if I will only grant her this one wish."

"I have no doubt of it," said the wry stranger. "I can build that stone road for you overnight."

"Will you give me your soul?" the stranger demanded.

Kabanalan did not give it a second thought. "Yes, I will," he declared. "If only to please the fair Marikita."

The stranger brought out a piece of paper on which they scrawled their pact. Afterward Kabanalan signed his name at the bottom of the page with his own blood.

The very next morning, Marikita was no less than shocked! She was stepping out, when she saw this sturdy stone path leading from her doorstep to the main road, where a carriage and a handsome young man waited, ready to take her to church. The young man was Kabanalan. Upon seeing his love’s blank bewilderment shift into an astonished smile, his own features brightened. Marikita rushed across the stone path toward him, arms outstretched. He was the happiest man on Earth!

But as Marikita drew near, the mysterious stranger from the shadows of the lone grove appeared in a whirl of dust between her and her bridegroom. Everyone who saw him knew him at once. It was the Devil!

"I come to claim my wage!" he cried, and seized Kabanalan. With this prize in tow, the Devil disappeared. Marikita was left alone, staring after the void the builder of the stone path had left behind. 

There were some witnesses, who had risen early for Mass, and had gathered on the main road near the end of the long stone path which they knew had not been there the night before. They saw Marikita turn deathly pale as she came to realize what her lover had done for her sake. She stood still for a long time. Then when her friends from town tried to approach her, she turned and ran back into her house, and slammed the door shut. She let no one speak to her, and even her own parents could not come near her.

Marikita was found dead soon after that, floating in the river by which she and Kabanalan used to take long walks. It was said that she had killed herself, but no one was quite so sure.

"Landas de Diablo", the Devil’s Road, still stands, proof of this ancient story of a doomed love.

FABLES - is a literary genre. A fable is a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, mythical creatures, plants, inanimate objects or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized (given human qualities such as verbal communication), and that illustrates or leads to an interpretation of a moral lesson (a "moral"), which may at the end be added explicitly in a pithy maxim.

Title: 
The Rabbit and the Turtle

Characters: 
Rabbit and Turtle

Moral Lesson: 
Never underestimate the weakest opponent.

STORY:

The Rabbit and the Turtle

One day a rabbit was boasting about how fast he could run. He was laughing at the turtle for being so slow. Much to the rabbit’s surprise, the turtle challenged him to a race. The rabbit thought this was a good joke and accepted the challenge. The fox was to be the umpire of the race. As the race began, the rabbit raced way ahead of the turtle, just like everyone thought. The rabbit got to the halfway point and could not see the turtle anywhere. He was hot and tired and decided to stop and take a short nap. Even if the turtle passed him, he would be able to race to the finish line ahead of him. All this time the turtle kept walking step by step by step. He never quit no matter how hot or tired he got. He just kept going.

However, the rabbit slept longer than he had thought and woke up. He could not see the turtle anywhere! He went at full-speed to the finish line but found the turtle there waiting for him.

MYTH - is a story that may or may not be true. Myths are generally very old. This means there are no records or other proof that they happened. We know about them from older people telling them to younger people. Some myths may have started as 'true' stories but as people told and re-told them, they may have changed some parts, so they are less 'true'. They may have changed them by mistake, or to make them more interesting. All cultures have myths. Stories about the Greek and Roman gods and goddesses are myths.

Title:

The Myth of Pan

Characters:

Pan 
Pheidippides

Athenians

STORY:

The Myth of Pan(God of Shepherds)

Pan was not one of the great gods of Mount Olympus. He lived upon the earth, and was the god of the fields and forests and wild mountain sides. Therefore the Greeks thought that he was the protector of herdsmen and hunters, who were obliged to wander far away from the cities and settled parts of the country. 

Pan was not beautiful, like most of the gods; indeed, he was a very strange looking figure He had legs and hoofs like a goat, and little horns upon his forehead, so that he seemed half man and half animal. He was a noisy fellow, with a great, deep voice which was so terrible that when he shouted the bravest men would run away in fear. 

The people were usually afraid of Pan, and dreaded meeting him when they were obliged to pass through lonely parts of the country. But there was no reason for this; for in spite of his strange shape and his noisiness, Pan was a very gentle and good-natured old fellow. He loved music, and was fond of playing upon a kind of pipe which he made out of the reeds that grow by the rivers. The wood-nymphs and wood-spirits would often gather around, and dance to his music when he played. 

Pan was worshiped especially by the country people. But there was one city called Athens where he was honored as much as anywhere else in Greece, and this is the way it came about. Athens was once threatened by a great army, which was coming to destroy the city, and kill or make slaves of its people. The Athenians were afraid that they would not be able to defend themselves alone, and so determined to send to another city called Sparta for aid. For this purpose they chose their swiftest runner, whose name was Pheidippides; and he set out, alone and on foot, for Sparta 

The way lay through a rough, mountainous country, where the road became only a rocky path, winding over the mountains and down into the valleys. Pheidippides traveled with all speed, running most of the way, and scarcely stopping for rest or food. After two days and two nights, he entered the city of Sparta, and breathlessly begged them for help. But the Spartans received him coldly, and would give him no promise of aid. Then, without waiting for rest, Pheidippides was off again for Athens, to tell the Athenians that they must fight alone; but his heart was heavy as he thought how easily they might be conquered by so great an army. 

As he was racing along the way back to Athens, he suddenly came upon a strange figure standing by the roadside. It was the god Pan, with his smiling eyes, curling beard, and great goat-legs. Pheidippides stood still in fear; but the god called to him kindly and said: - 

"Why is it, Pheidippides, that they do not worship me, and ask me for help, at Athens? I have helped them many times before this, and they may be sure that I will help them now." 

Then the god disappeared, and Pheidippides’ fear was changed to joy. He sprang forward upon the road, running faster than ever to carry the good news. When he reached Athens, the people were comforted by the promise which the god had given him, and they marched bravely out to battle with as large an army as they could gather. Their enemies had ten soldiers for every one that Athens had; but the thought of the god gave them courage, and they fought so well that they won the victory, and the city was saved. Many of the Athenians used to tell afterward how they saw the great god Pan fighting on their side that day, and overthrowing the enemy by hundreds. Perhaps they only imagined it, but at least they believed it very earnestly; and after that battle the Athenians always worshiped and honored Pan more than did any other people in Greece.