Literary Forms during the Pre-colonial Period

1. Myths are traditional stories occurring in a timeless past. They involve supernatural elements and are beyond
the frontiers of logic. Long ago, when our ancestors heard the sound of thunder and saw lightning, they were
frightened because they could not understand why these things happened. In order to understand these and
other natural events, they created stories. The stories were handed down from generation to generation all over
the country. Although myths are not based on objective truth, they reflect both universal worries and the worries
of specific cultures.
Myths from the Different Regions of the Philippines

a. Iloko (The Gods and the Goddesses)

b. Ibanag (Why There is High Tide during a Full Moon)
c. c. Ifugao (Why the Dead Come Back No More)
d. Tagalog (Mag-asawang Tubig)
e. Bukidnon (Mindanao) How the Moon and the Stars Came to Be

2. Legend (story) traditional narrative or collection of related narratives, popularly regarded as historically factual
but actually a mixture of fact and fiction. Legends are stories about real people who are famous for doing
something brave or extraordinary. Every time the story was told, it became more exaggerated and so it is now
difficult to tell how much of the story is really true.

Legends from the Philippines

a. The Legend of the Sleeping Beauty (Kalinga)
b. Legend of the Dama de Noche
c. Legend of the Banana Plant
d. Legend of the Firefly

Proverb is a short sentence or expression. A proverb often gives advice or expresses a common life experience.
Common example
1. CURIOUSITY KILLED THE CAT.
LITERAL MEANING-A CAT PUTS ITSELF IN DANGER WHEN IT IS TOO CURIOUS.
REAL MEANING-IT IS BAD TO BE TOO CURIOUS ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE’S AFFAIRS OR BUSINESS.