Myths, Legends and Folktales; The Environment in Guimaras Folklore

Abstract

This study focused on the collection and analysis of the different myths, legends, and folktales in the island province of Guimaras. The study involved qualitative research, with a narrative description of data and narrative description of procedure and logical analysis. In this study, mostly collected materials in the form of documents were analyzed using a qualitative approach.

The findings of the study disclosed that among the different myths, legends, and folktales in Guimaras, embedded were the natural and environmental endowments of their places such as sea, islands/islets, mountains, fish, trees/forests, flowers, spring, waterfalls, lowland, and others. For the setting, the places where the events occurred mentioned the present names of the places. However, there were stories where the places were not specified. There were no specific dates mentioned as to the time of the occurrence of the events.

The dominating motifs may be occurring in pairs such as “good and evil,” “power and strength,” “love and fear,” and “love and war.” The characters were not individuals. They were generalized and stereotyped as either “good or bad.” As the story progresses, no development of character was evident.

The plot varied in terms of length and structural arrangements of events. Some were short; some were the statements of the event that occurred. Those, however, with longer narration showed cause-and-effect relation of incidents in the narration. The symbols were the common objects and situations that were related to the daily activities of the characters.

Many of the legends of Guimaras Island narrated the heroic deeds of some people, stressing lessons one should learn in life. Historical facts may be gleaned from the myths, legends, and folktales of Guimaras Island. Some of the characters were actual persons who had existed and whose heroic deeds and contributions to the place were being honored and valued by the people.

Legends and myths of Guimaras Island were perceived to be true, describing the daily activities of the people that occur in socio-cultural context. Thus, values were manifested in the different legends that were collected.