Visayan Literature

Introduction to Visayan Literature

• Visayan literature originates from the Visayas region of the Philippines.
• Main islands: Bohol, Cebu, Panay, Samar, Negros, Leyte, Masbate.
• Includes languages: Waray, Hiligaynon, Cebuano, Kinaray-a, Akeano.
• Covers genres: oral traditions (epics, folktales), written forms (poetry, fiction, drama).
• Spans periods: pre-colonial, colonial, modern.

Literary Forms and Their Names

• Poems: Binalaybay.
• Stories: Asoy or Sugilanon.
• Riddles: Paktakon.
• Proverbs: Hurubaton (two lines, rhymed).
• Lullabies: Ili-ili.
• Ambahan: Long song by soloist and chorus.
• Siday: Poetic battle for marriage.
• Balitaw: Love song in debate form.

Examples of Visayan Literature

Western Visayas

• Hinilawod: Old epic of Panay, tells the story of Alunsina and Datu Paubari.
• The Fall of Polobulac: Tale about seven deadly sins.

Eastern Visayas

• Bowaon and Totoon: Waray folktale about friendship, known as "Falsehood and Truth".
• Si Amomongo at Si Iput-iput: Fable teaching not to belittle the small.

Central Visayas

• Catalina of Dumaguete: Legend of a girl with mysterious powers who saves Dumaguete.

Ilonggo Literature

• Hiligaynon Literature: Dominant in Western Visayas.
• Famous writers: Delfin Gumban, Flavio Zaragoza Cano, Angel Magahum, Ramon Muzones, Magdalena Jalandoni.
• Notable movements: emergence of Kinaray-a, Aklanon, and multilingual writing post-Cory Revolution.

Oral Tradition in Hiligaynon Literature

• Binalaybay: Traditional poem with rhythmic structure, vivid imagery.
• Paktakon: Riddles or puzzles, often performed with wit and humor.
• Hurubaton: Proverbs guiding behaviour and resolving conflicts.
• Luwa: Poetic contest with improvisation during wakes.
• Asoy: Epics about heroes battling supernatural forces.

Hinilawod Epic

• Origin: Panay Island.
• Story: Adventures of three demi-gods, Labaw Donggon, Humadapnon, and Dumalapdap.
• First transcribed in 1955.

Golden Age of Hiligaynon Literature

• Arrival of Americans ushered in notable writers and publishers.
• Famous publications: Makinaugalingon Press, Hiligaynon magazine.

Modern Hiligaynon Fiction

• Short stories gained prominence in the 1960s.
• Notable writers: Mario L. Villaret, Nilo P. Pamanog, Romeo Garganera.

Important Writers Today

• Hiligaynon: Alicia Tan-Gonzales, Peter Solis Nery.
• Kinaray-a: Ma. Milagros C. Geremia Lanchica.
• Aklanon: Melchor F. Cichon.

Focus: Aswang by Isabel Sebullen

• Author: Isabel Sebullen, M.B.A., faculty at Lyceum of the Philippines.
• Achievements: Multiple literary awards in short story and poetry contests.
• Story: Challenging traditional aswang depiction, focusing on human moral evil.

Plot Summary

• Exposition: Narrator in prison, reveals aswang ancestry.
• Rising Action: Aunt's tragedies linked to Lolo Oka.
• Climax: Narrator kills Lolo Oka.
• Falling Action: Family scatters, narrator imprisoned.
• Resolution: Defines aswang as human evil, narrator accepts fate.

Characters

1. Narrator: Grandchild of an alleged aswang, kills Lolo Oka, imprisoned.
2. Lolo Oka: Grandfather, rumored aswang, commits horrific acts.
3. Lola Salome: Narrator's grandmother, unaware of Lolo Oka's true nature.
4. Tatay Nilo: Protective father, suspicious of Lolo Oka.
5. Aunts: Each suffers a tragic fate.
6. Hermie: Narrator's sibling, escapes curse.
7. Buday: Victim of Lolo Oka's act.
8. Pre: Unnamed listener of the narrator's story.

Themes and Style

• Themes: Family secrets, cultural folklore, moral questioning.
• Writing Style: Conversational, vivid imagery, dialect-rich, foreshadowing, flashback.
• Impact: Personal, raw, culturally authentic.

Questions for Reflection

• How does the narrator's decision redefine heroism?
• The cultural significance of the aswang symbolism.
• Family secrets' impact on characters.
• Story's resolution and its emotional impact.

The story links Filipino folklore with real-life issues like abuse and family trauma, challenging readers to face hidden evils and question morality.