Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: Monkeys are commonly found in the folklore of Filipinos and this is also true of the Sama. These stories under the surface give us insight into Sama self-perception as well as their perception of the more dominant groups around them. In this paper two Sama folktales are analyzed, i.e. “The Battle of the Monkeys and the Butterflies”, and “The Battle of the Monkeys and the Sea Cucumbers”. These stories give us an insight into how the Sama interact with neighbouring groups in Sulu. They also affirm, especially to children, character and cultural traits that the Sama perceive as morally upright. Through these stories the storyteller is expressing to his listeners that the Sama are industrious contributors to society and they are also brave and willing to stand up for themselves when necessary. Meanwhile other more dominant seeming groups are depicted as the monkey: brash, angry, and thieves. Also contained in these stories are lessons a child can learn about the environment and science that he needs to know for the context that he grows up in. Keywords: folktales, indigenous literature, children’s literature, animal tales, monkey stories
Source: Borneo Research Journal
Author: Luke Schroeder
Institution: Dallas International University
Language: English
Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W2943761338