Philippine E-Journals

Folk Epics: An Exploration of Kagan Culture

Angelo Lenard Yu

 

Abstract:

The primary aim of this study was to analyze and interpret Kagan folk epics using different theories in relation to culture. This study is beneficial to the Kagan tribe because their oral tradition would be preserved in print. Ethnographic research was used with anthropological tools to study the Kagan oral folk epics, “The Epic of Dimanlod” and “The Epic of Bontungan”. The researcher stayed in the Kagan community for almost two months as a participant-observer to carefully study the Kagan culture. The researcher further used cultural theories and literary analysis to view the cultural practices present in the folk epics. Results showed that the Kagan tribe is rich in imagination and inspiration because the community was able to produce a craft that has a cultural significance. The beliefs and values possessed by their tribesmen are deeply rooted as seen in their ancestor’s experiences which were passed orally down to the generations that came after them.