Philippine Pre Spanish Literature

The long wait is finally over for El Grana

On raking the geo-cultural legacy of Spain, the definitive aura and pre-eminence in terms of a radical and yet so distinctly Spanish notion of culture is what sets the Southern province of Andalusia apart. Known world over for its art, architecture, literature and philosophy, now the most beautiful part of Spain is ready to stamp its mark in the Liga BBVA for its footballing prowess. With Malaga’s spending spree in the market widely documented, and Sevilla representing the most consistent top flight side from the autonomous province, there is a new entrant in La Liga ready to live up to Andalusia’s superbia- the newly promoted Granada CF, making them the 4 side from the region(including fellow re-entrants Real Betis also from the Seville region)

Their stellar performance in the Segunda Division helped them finish fifth and secure a spot in the playoffs, where they beat Elche to get back into the Primera Division after an extended 35 year stay in the lower tier.

Founded in 1931 under the direction of the then President Julio Lopez, the club had a humble beginning as first tier action came in patches. They were promoted for the first time in 1941 and managed to stay afloat for four seasons on the trot. Their next stint in the top flight lasted three years, between '57 and '60. It was during this period that Granada accomplished their greatest feat as they finished runners up behind Barcelona in the Copa Del Rey in 1959. Since then they have managed 9 more seasons in La Liga, including 8 consecutive appearances during their golden age in the '70s.The club which began as Recreativo de Granada will have its 18th outing in La Liga in the coming season.

The club has enjoyed relative stability in Spain, spending a majority of their time in the Segunda Division, with the occasional promotion to the Top Division. As the 80s approached, their performances began to dip and soon El Grana found themselves deep in the abyss of the Third Division. The team could not find a way out and stayed put till 2002/03. If you thought this year marked the turnaround, it turned out quite the opposite. Financial complications pulled the team down to the Tercera Division, where they would stay till 2005/06.

Six seasons back, the club's matches were scarcely attended but the fans remained loyal. The team was never disowned by the supporters, who stood behind their fledgling side, reflecting on the glory days of the past, a peculiarly Andalusian trait itself. Now, six years down the line, every resident is extremely bullish about the team as they’ve completed a most astonishing turnaround to compete with the best in Spain, and quite sincerely, in one of the best leagues in the world. Reminiscences of that fateful away goal scored by Odion Jude Ighalo(match ended 1-1) to pull Granada through and hoist them into the elite tier will go down in the history of the club, regardless of how the underdogs fare against the big boys this season. How did it all happen?

The Many Faces of Philippine Literature

The Philippines possesses a rich literary heritage beginning from fables, legends of prehistory, and colonial legacy, and it would surely take volumes to tackle such a wide topic.  Even so, this article’s intention is to introduce the different literary texts in a nutshell in hopes of sharing a love for our own brand of literature.

Among the commonest literary texts is the “bugtong” or riddle.  A favorite in the course of Pre-Spanish time, the bugtong are expressed in rhymes presenting one or two images pertaining to a certain object that one more individual has to guess.  They are employed for amusement and mental exercises.  It takes a really observant and sharp mind to correctly answer a lot of bugtong.

Here’s an example of a bugtong: Buhok in Adan, hindi mabilang.  (Adam’s hair, you can’t count.)

Answer: Ulan (Rain)

Aside from the bugtong, our disciplined ancestors preserved and expressed their cherished values, ethics and code of behavior through proverbs and adage.  Life lessons were taught in a poetic form called tanaga such as the basahonon of Bukidnon and daraida of Panay.  The Tanaga is a short poem, consisting of four lines with seven syllables each and every with the same rhyme at the end of each line—meaning 7-7-7-7 Syllabic verse, with an AAAA rhyme scheme.

Romantically, the Ilongos sang the panawagon and balitao.  The Maranao croon the bayok whilst the Cebuano sings harana for his wife-to-be.  The harana or kundiman is a Mexican-Spanish-inspired lyrical song created common during the Spanish Period, characterized by a minor key at the beginning and shifts to a significant key in the second halve.  Its lyrics usually portray adore, passion, or sadness.

The Philippines is also rich with stories explaining the creation of the world, geographical landmarks, and several more.  Some epics revolve “around supernatural events or heroic deeds and… embody or validate the beliefs and customs and ideals of a community.”  They were chanted during harvests, weddings, funerals and unique occasions with the accompaniment of musical instruments. Examples of epics are Biag ni Lam-ang (Ilocano), Kudaman (Palawan), and Tudbulol (T’boli).

Spanish time literature “may be… religious prose and poetry and secular prose and poetry.”  This was the heyday of komedya, sinakulo, sarswela, the playlets and the drama.

Other secular poetries had been the awit and korido.  Two examples are Gonzalo de Cordoba (Gonzalo of Cordoba) and Ibong Adarna (Adarna Bird).

Readings in Philippine literature

Philippine Political and Cultural History: The Philippines since pre-Spanish times.-v. 2. The Philippines since the British invasion

Contributions of the Aklan mind to Philippine literature

Handbuch der Orientalistik. Abschn. 1 (1976)

A Survey of Filipino literature in English, from apprenticeship to contemporary : with a preview of the early stages of Filipino literature