Philippine Folk Literature: The Epics

Philippine Folk Literature Series #8

by Damiana L. Eugenio (Editor)

"Philippine Folk Literature: The Epics" presents 23 folk epics collected from some 14 ethnolinguistic groups in the country. This is the eighth volume being added to the original 7-volume Philippine Folk Literature Series.

Folk epics are long heroic narratives in verse which recount the adventures of tribal heroes and in the process express the customs, beliefs, and ideals of the people who sing them. The introductory essay, "The Philippine Folk Epic," give a detailed discussion of the features and characteristics of Philippine folk epics--their geographic distribution; epic singing and singers; the epic hero, his adventures and his outstanding qualities; epic conventions; dominant motifs; and the customs, beliefs, and values expressed in them.

The epics are arranged in geographic order from north to south, starting with Lam-ang (Northern Luzon), then to Labaw-Donggon (Visayas), and on to Mindanao, where the greatest number of our folk epics come from (Tuwaang, Agyu, Bantugan, etc.). A distinctive feature of Philippine epic literature is that while other countries have one national epic hero, e.g. England's Beowulf, Spain's El Cid, etc., the Philippines has no national epic hero but more than a dozen tribal epic heroes.

This volume thus gives the reader an opportunity to get acquainted with these folk epic heroes and the values and ideals they stand for. As in other volumes in the Philippine Folk Literature Series, the selections are given in English translation, but a sampling of the text in the original language is given at the beginning of each selection.

Genres: Mythology

659 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Damiana L. Eugenio was Professor Emeritus in the Department of English, University of the Philippines, and Vice President for External Affairs of the Philippine Folklore Society. She has received several awards for her works, among them: Ina ng Folklor ng Pilipinas, from the U.P. Folklorists, Inc. and the U.P. Folklore Studies Program (1986); Professional Achievement Award in the Humanities (Folklore Studies), from the U.P. Alumni Association (1987); National Book Award for Literary History, for Awit at Corrido, from the Manila Critics Circle (1988); Achievement Award in the Humanities, from the Philippine National Science Society (1989); Catholic Mass Media Award, Best Book in English, for Philippine Folk Literature: The Folktales (1990); 1991 Philippine Board on Books for Young People Life Achievement Award; Gawad CCP Para sa Sining (Cultural Research) (1992); Gawad ng Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas, from the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (1993); and a citation for Philippine Folk Literature Series, from the Manila Critics Circle (1995).

Reviews

[ebag · Rating 4 out of 5]

read specifically Hudhud hi Aliguyon — beautiful in its motifs and spherical structure.

[waks · Rating 5 out of 5]

NICE

[Ardyth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome compilation of grand-scale, archetypal stories. Eugenio has done for the Philippines what Afanasiev did for Russia.

Niche title, but if it's your niche then you'll love it.