When the Spaniards arrived, there was an immediate shift in the focus of literature. It became centered on the Christian faith, and stories about natural phenomena suddenly focused on the lives of saints and other religious hymns. Slowly, Philippine literature began to emulate the traditional Spanish themes and forms, including repetitive plots and clear-cut characters. Despite these changes, Filipinos found a way to make Spanish literature their own, as seen through these common types:
Corridos
Corridos are legendary religious narratives that typically detail the lives of saints or the history of a tradition.
Awit is a chivalric poem about a hero, often a saint. It is usually sung and used in religious processions.
Pasyon is a narrative poem about the life of Jesus Christ, covering his birth up to his death. It is typically sung during the Lenten season. In the past, many women were trained to perform the Pasyon. Today, seasoned performers sing it in churches nationwide.
Cenaculo
Cenaculo is the dramatization of the passion of Christ, highlighting the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. It is also performed during the Lenten season. A notable example is the San Pedro Cutud Lenten Rites in San Fernando, Pampanga, where devout Catholics volunteer to be nailed to the cross to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering.
Moro-moro or Comedia de Capa y Espada
Moro-moro or Comedia de Capa y Espada is a melodrama that depicts the conflict between Christians and Muslims, typically involving battles to the death and demonstrations of faith.
Carillo
Carillo is a play that uses shadows as its main spectacle, created by animating cardboard figures projected onto a white screen.
Tibag
Tibag is the dramatic reenactment of St. Helena’s search for the Holy Cross. St. Helena, the mother of Constantine, is often credited with influencing her son to become the great Christian leader he is known as today. She is also known to have traveled to Syria to search for the relics of Jesus Christ’s cross, which she is believed to have found in that region.
Duplo or Karagatan
Duplo or Karagatan are native dramas connected to Catholic mourning rituals and harvest celebrations.
Zarzuela
Zarzuela is perhaps one of the most famous forms of entertainment from the Spanish era. Zarzuelas are musical comedies or melodramas that explore the elemental passions of human beings. A zarzuela follows a certain plot, often providing a satirical look at society or a portrayal of a life filled with struggles.
These types of Spanish colonial literature demonstrate how receptive Filipino ancestors were to the Catholic faith. Many were glad to be baptized and quickly embraced Catholic traditions and teachings. This faith and belief endure to this day, as the Philippines is the third-largest Catholic nation globally (after Brazil and Mexico). Simultaneously, these forms of literature helped shape today’s literature, influencing not only faith but also values, societal norms, and life realizations.
Despite colonization, many Filipinos continued to cherish the old myths and folklore of their ancestors. One such individual was Jose Rizal. Though an ilustrado (a Filipino educated abroad), he championed precolonial Philippine literature and spent time researching it. Here is his retelling of a famous mysterious maiden who once lived in the mountains of his hometown.
