Misplaced Pages

#861138

63-594: While the difference between Philippine folk literature and Philippine mythology is a fine one, this article distinguishes folk literature as the source from which Philippine mythology derives. It is a subset of Philippine folklore, a larger field which also includes other aspects of culture including folk beliefs, customary law, material culture, among others This aims to revive the Spanish language and its influence in Filipino writing. Another proponent of Philippine literature

126-705: A 92-page graphic novel in which a giant frog, mutated by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan, arrives and threatens the Philippines. Alanguilan wrote the story, and did the inks and colors for the cover. Alanguilan also created several other titles which were published in various Filipino publications, such as Johnny Balbona for Mango Comics' humor publication "Mwahaha", and Humanis Rex! in Fudge Magazine. He collaborated with architect Arlan Esmeña to publish

189-496: A character, can stand to be interpreted differently to allow her to remain appealing and relevant to a new audience. I hope 'Darna Lives' can push for this kind of change. I think Filipinos, as we have seen, are open too it, and comics creators and filmmakers do not need to keep relying on old tricks and gimmicks that have worked before. I hope it can push our storytellers in other media, especially TV and movies to be bolder. 'Di mage-gets ng masa yan' ('The masses won't understand that')

252-464: A draftsman and construction supervisor. I thought comics and I were done. But if comics is in your blood there’s no discouragement strong enough to keep you from drawing. And I eventually went back." Alanguilan studied to become an architect, but turned his hobby of comic book illustration into a career to be with his then-girlfriend. At first, much of Alanguilan's work in comics was on conventional American superhero titles. His first self-written comic

315-471: A few towns, while others span provinces. Buddhism and Hinduism in the Philippines is influential. Pre-colonial Luzon was split among Hindu-Buddhist, Muslim , and animist worshippers. Pre-colonial Visayas were influenced by Hindu-Buddhist and Animism . The Spaniards described some of the people who lived there as p intados , Pre-colonial Mindanao (around 900AD) was influenced by Hindu-Buddhist, Indonesian , and Malaysian beliefs and culture. By

378-738: A full-length film featuring notable Filipino comics artists who worked broke into the US mainstream. He also played the role of a human trafficker in Tin-tin,15 , a short film created in 2010 to increase awareness of child trafficking in the Philippines. Alanguilan died on 21 December 2019, at the age of 51 in San Pablo City, Laguna, Philippines. In the weeks leading up to his death, he wrote posts on his blog about his struggles with participating in conventions and living with disability. Despite this, he continued to work on his comics until his death. Alanguilan

441-500: A life of obscurity and poverty, until fate intervenes to bring back. Although short, it was notable for its significantly different portrayal of the character, since it was the first time the Narda alter-ego was portrayed as anything but a demure young woman. Commenting on the work in a Philippine Daily Inquirer interview, Alanguilan explained his motivations for coming out with the story: "I think Arnold and I were able to show that Darna, as

504-543: A long sabbatical from mainstream comics, Alanguilan, partnered again with Leinil Yu in 2012 on the art for Mark Millar 's Supercrooks . In 2006, Alanguilan self-published a four-issue miniseries titled "Elmer," depicting a world in which chickens suddenly gain intelligence and the ability to speak like humans. It was collected and released as a trade paperback in 2009. In 2010, it was published in France by Editions Ca Et La and North America by Slave Labor Graphics. It eventually won

567-573: A major US comics publishing house was with Image Comics, for whose Wildstorm imprint he began inking several titles – including Wetworks , Hazard, and Grifter – in 1996. Alanguilan then got his first opportunity to work for Marvel Comics in 1997, inking Leinil Francis Yu 's pencils on Wolverine Volume 2 No. 121, written by Warren Ellis . Alanguilan's first work for DC Comics was when he inked Superman: Birthright , whose first issue came out in September 2003, with Mark Waid and Leinil Yu. After

630-426: A nomination as 2009 comic book series of the year at the 2009 Komikon Awards. In 2011 Alanguilan partnered with Arnold Arre to write a 9-page concept piece called "Darna Lives!", which reimagined the life of the iconic Philippine Komiks character Darna . Alanguilan wrote the story and Arre providing the art for the piece, which portrayed Darna's alter-ego Narda having forgotten her superhero identity and moved on to

693-505: A papyrus, and fashioned into scrolls or books. Some were also written on bamboos. Juan de Plasencia wrote the Relacion de las Costumbres de Los Tagalos in 1589, documenting the traditions of the Tagalog people . Miguel de Loarca wrote Relacion de las Yslas Filipinas and Pedro Chirino added Relacion de las Yslas Filipinas (1604). Anitism books have been published by universities throughout

SECTION 10

#1733094306862

756-567: A subset of the folklore of peninsular Southeast Asia, which includes the folklore of Malaysia , Indonesia , and Brunei . This would be distinct from the folk literature of continental Southeast Asia, which includes Vietnam , Thailand , Myanmar , Cambodia , and others. The distinction roots from the geographical influence on the cultures arising from these countries. Like all of Southeast Asia, however, whether peninsular or continental, Philippine folk literature shows strong cultural influences from India . A major difference however, arises from

819-418: A unified narrative. Each story has multiple versions. In many cases, stories vary from place to place even within a single ethnic group. The 7,000 Philippines islands divide into three main regions: Luzon , Visayas , and Mindanao (which is subdivided into North and South). The difference in mythologies and belief systems is by ethnic group rather than geography. Some ethnic groups have influence in only

882-662: A variety of belief systems. Around 900 CE, Chinese influence spread in some areas, adding Sinified and Buddhist belief systems. The most prominent was belief in ghosts . By 1300 CE, Muslim traders arrived in the southern Philippines, bringing with them Islamic myth and belief systems. Many in the southern and western Philippines converted to Islam. In the middle of the 16th century, the Spanish arrived from Latin America and brought with them Ibero-American Christian myth (for example, veneration to Our Lady of Guadalupe ). Some inhabitants were receptive to these myths, but most were not as

945-654: Is Valeriano Hernandez Peña, the Father of the Tagalog Novel ( Ama ng Nobelang Tagalog ). He authored the Magkaibigang Nena at Neneng in 1905. While the oral , and thus changeable , aspect of folk literature is an important defining characteristic, much of this oral tradition has been written into a print format. To point out that folklore in a written form can still be considered folklore, Utley points out that folklore "may appear in print, but must not freeze into print." All

1008-593: Is a stupid, cowardly statement that ensures nothing but stagnancy." In 2014, Alanguilan collaborated with Arnold Arre again to release the graphic novel Rodski Patotski: Ang Dalagang Baby. Written by Alanguilan and illustrated by Arre, the Philippines' National Book Development Board awarded Rodski Patotskiwith that year's National Book Award under the category of Best Book of Graphic Literature in English. In 2017, Alanguilan and Kevin Ray Valentino published Bakokak ,

1071-582: Is itself the Tagalog name of Cananga odorata , a flowering tree now better known by the Spanish variant of its name, "Ylang-ylang." As a child, he owned a chicken named Solano, which would later become the inspiration for his graphic novel Elmer . Alanguilan entered the University of Santo Tomas in 1984, earning a Bachelor of Science in architecture from the College of Architecture and Fine Arts in 1989 and passing

1134-535: Is not a simple categorization, however, for two important reasons. First, Southeast Asia as a distinct cultural region was not recognized until the political environment after the Second World War. Second, even as the idea of a Southeast Asia was being conceived, the inclusion of the Philippines in the region was consistently in debate because of its very different cultural makeup. Setting those two objections aside, Philippine folk literature would be considered

1197-469: Is rooted in the many indigenous Philippine folk religions . Philippine mythology exhibits influence from Hindu , Muslim , Buddhist , and Christian traditions. Philippine mythology includes concepts akin to those in other belief systems, such as the notions of heaven ( kaluwalhatian , kalangitan , kamurawayan ), hell ( kasamaan , sulad ), and the human soul ( kaluluwa , kaulolan , makatu , ginoand kud ,...). The primary use of Philippine mythology

1260-504: Is seldom taught in school. Most mythologies currently taught and approved by the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education are Western mythologies, such as Greek , Roman , and Norse . Most entities that promote Philippine mythology for education are artists, scholars, television networks, publishers, and non-profit organizations. Certain stories from Anitism, notably

1323-489: Is to explain the nature of the world , human existence, and life's mysteries. Myths include narratives of heroes, deities ( anito , Diwata ), and mythological creatures . These myths were transmitted through oral tradition, handed down through generations guided by spiritual leaders or shamans , ( babaylan , katalonan , mumbaki , baglan , machanitu , walian , mangubat , bahasa ,...), and community elders. The traditional belief systems and indigenous religions of

SECTION 20

#1733094306862

1386-477: The bugtong (riddle) and the salawikain (proverbs). Folk songs can be sub-classified into those that tell a story (folk ballads), which are rare in Philippine folk literature, and those that do not, which form the bulk of the Philippines' rich heritage of folk songs. Since it comes from a Southeast Asian nation, Philippine folk literature can be counted as a representative of Southeast Asian folklore . This

1449-408: The 14th century, Islam was well established in most northern islands of Mindanao. Cosmogony or creation myths tell how the world was created, and how people came into existence. Each ethnic group has its own creation myth . In some cases, a single ethnic group has multiple versions of its creation myth, depending on locality and sub-culture. Examples: Like most myths (or religions) in the world,

1512-405: The 21st century due to interest among the youth , coupled with literary works, television, radio, and social media. Spanish chroniclers have claimed that the indigenous population of the Philippines did not have written religious literature. However, scholars agree that statements of denial likely reflected a desire by the colonizers to deny the existence of what they did not approve. For example,

1575-631: The French ACBD Prix Asie (Asia Prize for Criticism) Award and the Prix Quai des Bulles Award in 2011. It was also nominated for the 2011 Best New Graphic Album Eisner Award . In 2020, It was listed 100 in the top 100 of the best graphic novel of the XXIst century by The Angoulême BD Festival. From 2007 to 2009, Alanguilan's adventure graphic novel TIMAWA was serialized in Buzz Magazine, earning

1638-621: The Hanunoo Mangyan, Buhid Mangyan, Tagbanwa, and Palaw'an peoples), with the inclusion of Ambahan poetry, are in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register , in a single entry. The José Maceda Collection in the Memory of the World Register contains an array of traditional music from the Philippines containing stories from ethnic mythologies. Asteroid 1982 XB was named 3757 Anagolay , after

1701-614: The Laguna Artists Group, which was soon renamed as the Komikero Artists Group. This group began simply as a group that would meet on the shores of Sampaloc lake to discuss komiks, but would later organize the San Pablo City Comics Festivals, which became a precursor of many later comics conventions in the Philippines. The influential group include Jonas Diego and Johnny Danganan, who would later serve as

1764-581: The Philippines are termed Anito and Anitism . Alternate designations include Anitismo , (Hispano-Filipino translation of the concept), and Anitería, a term with derogatory connotations frequently used by the Spanish clergy during the colonial era. Scholarly attention has been directed towards Anito . However, many of its stories and traditions have not yet been systematically documented. The two significant sources of Philippine mythologies are oral and written literature. Oral literature (also known as folk literature) consists of stories are passed down

1827-545: The Philippines by his alias Komikero , was a Filipino comic book artist , writer, and architect from San Pablo, Laguna . He was an important figure in the Philippine comics renaissance of the 1990s and early 2000s, and is known internationally for his graphic novels Wasted and Elmer , and for his inking on American superhero comics such as Wetworks , X-Men , Superman: Birthright , Wolverine , and Fantastic Four . Many of Alanguilan's titles take place in

1890-452: The Philippines or feature Filipino characters, such as Elmer , Johnny Balbona , Humanis Rex! , and Timawa . He incorporated elements of social commentary in his work, especially Elmer , which satirizes racism. The protagonist of Whilce Portacio and Brian Haberlin 's comic series Stone , Gerry Alan, is named for him. Gerry Alanguilan was born in the city of San Pablo, Laguna in the Philippines. According to family lore, their surname

1953-409: The Philippines, continuing to other islands. The Austronesians are believed to have brought animist beliefs incorporating shamanism , ancestor worship , totemism , and tattoos . Beliefs in benevolent and malevolent spirits was established by their arrival. By 200 to 300 CE, Hindu mythologies arrived in the Philippines through trade routes and migration. Hinduism brought Indianized traditions to

Philippine folk literature - Misplaced Pages Continue

2016-581: The Philippines, including indigenous epics such as Ibalong , Siday , and Hinilawod , folk stories, and superstitions that blended with indigenous polytheisims . The concept of good and bad demons , prevalent in Indian societies, became widespread in the archipelago. These demons were viewed as both evil and good. Indigenous religions were not replaced by Hinduism, rather, the former absorbed traditions and beliefs from it. Gender-variant deities and shamans became widespread. Humanoid mythical creatures emerged alongside

2079-683: The San Pablo City Comics Festival marked the first time such a convention happened outside Manila. It also became the precursor to the annual Komikon Comics Convention, which had its first run in the Bahay ng Alumni in UP Diliman a year later, in 2004. Alanguilan played an active role in organizing the second San Pablo City Comics Festival, which took place at the San Pablo City Lion's Club along Sampalok Lake in 2009. The third run of

2142-429: The Spanish chronicler Chirino claimed that the natives had no religious writings, but on the same account narrated that a native possessed an indigenous poetic book. The book was utilized by the natives to express a "deliberate pact" with what the Spanish called with prejudice as "the devil", which contextually was an indigenous god and not a demon. The book was burned by order of the Spanish. The scholar Beyer also noted of

2205-428: The Spanish wanted to conquer the islands, instead of just injecting traditions. The Spanish began a three-century purge against indigenous religions, suppressing and mocking indigenous cultures. Monotheism generally replaced indigenous polytheistic beliefs. Existing myth and folklore were retrofitted accordingly. However, indigenous belief systems survived–despite Spanish threats and killings. The Philippine revolution

2268-575: The Tagalog goddess of lost things, Anagolay. The Philippine Registry of Cultural Property (PReCUP) is the national registry that consolidates in one record all cultural property deemed important to the nation's cultural heritage, tangible and intangible. The registry safeguards Philippine heritage elements, including oral literature, music, dances, ethnographic materials, and sacred grounds. The National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Law protects certain Anitist sacred grounds. Philippine mythology

2331-422: The board exams to become a Licensed Architect by 1990. Alanguilan has cited Barry Windsor-Smith , Alfredo Alcala , Frank Miller , Katsuhiro Otomo and Alan Moore as creative influences, in particular Moore's 1980s reinterpretation of Marvelman . Alanguilan first made submissions to Marvel Comics around 1986, while he was still in school. While these early submissions were met with rejections, Alanguilan

2394-435: The case of Marcos, scholars have extensivey documented methods by which propaganda methods were used to fashion a cult of personality designed to perpetuate Marcos' authoritarian rule , and to perpetuate Marcos myths to help his family return to political prominence in the Philippines after his death. The popularity of Philippine Komiks in the mid-20th century, and its revival in the 21st century, has also brought about

2457-575: The colonial influences in the development of Southeast Asian folk literature. The Philippines' 300 years of Spanish rule sets it apart from other Southeast Asian nations. While folklore is often associated with ancient times, newer recordings of Philippine folk literature have made in modern times. Quite aside from urban legends, modern legends attributing superhuman powers to powerful and charismatic leaders such as former presidents Ramon Magsaysay and Ferdinand Marcos have been documented and accepted as full-fledged examples of Philippine folk literature. In

2520-450: The concept of realms focuses on Earth, heaven, and hell. These concepts are present in Philippine myth. The Philippine concept of heaven may locate it in the underworld, while hell may be located in the skyworld. These differences stem from cultural diffusion and cultural parallelism . Examples: Each ethnic group has its own pantheon of deities. Some ethnic groups have a supreme deity, while others revere ancestor spirits and/or spirits of

2583-557: The country, such as Mindanao State University , University of San Carlos , University of the Philippines , Ateneo Universities , Silliman University , and University of the Cordilleras , as well as other publishers such as Anvil Publishing . The publications spanned the 16th to the 21st centuries. Printed but unpublished sources include college and graduate school theses. Written literature does not provide definitive accounts of particular stories, which vary from town to town, even within

Philippine folk literature - Misplaced Pages Continue

2646-522: The ethnic group. The concept of diwata and anito are similar to the Japanese kami . However, during the colonial era, the Spanish intentionally modified the meaning of both words because they were not in line with Christian monotheism. This modification was supported by the Americans in the early 20th century. The meaning of diwata was transformed to "fairy" or "enchantress", while the meaning of anito

2709-416: The examples of folk literature cited in this article are taken from print, rather than oral sources. Eugenio classifies Philippine Folk Literature into three major groups: Folk narratives, folk speech, and folk songs. Folk narratives can either be in prose - the alamat (folklore), the legend , and the kuwentong bayan (folktale) - or in verse, as in the case of the folk narrative . Folk speech includes

2772-648: The festival saw the Komikero Artists Group collaborating with the UPLB Graphic Literature Guild and holding the festival at the Ultimart Shopping Center, which is at the center of San Pablo City. The Fourth San Pablo City Comics Festival was held on 20 January 2019 – less than a year before Alanguilan died. In 2016, Alanguilan founded the Komikero Komiks Museum, a brick-and-mortar museum in his hometown of San Pablo City, which he said

2835-619: The generations by speech or song. All Philippine mythologies originated as oral literature. Stories naturally change and proliferate. Despite many recording projects, the majority have yet to be properly documented. These traditions were intentionally interfered with by the Spanish through the 16th century introduction of Christian mythology. Examples include the Biag ni Lam-ang and the Tale of Bernardo Carpio , where certain characters were imposed with Spanish names and influence. Interest in oral literature grew in

2898-537: The graphic novel Where Bold Stars go to Die . He also contributed to local landmark anthologies Siglo: Freedom , Siglo: Passion and Filipino Komiks . In 2007, he created an autobiographical slice-of-life webcomic called Crest Hut Butt Shop , based on an earlier minicomic of the same name. His self-created titles attracted fans including comic creators Neil Gaiman and Warren Ellis. Alanguilan worked hard to promote Komiks as an art form appreciated by Filipinos, notably playing an important part in re-familiarizing

2961-606: The mythical creatures of Philippine mythology are: A variety of known mythical objects appear in oral literature, notably in epics and stories concerning the deities, heroes, and mythical creatures. Examples: At least two oral literatures, the Hudhud and the Darangen , and one indigenous game, Punnuk , appear in UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists . Additionally, four Philippine paleographs (still used by

3024-664: The mythical creatures, are promoted globally in book bazaars, films, art galleries, online games, and educational courses. Both the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) support the promotion of Philippine mythology. [REDACTED] Media related to Mythology of the Philippines at Wikimedia Commons Gerry Alanguilan Doroteo Gerardo N. Alanguilan Jr. (20 January 1968 – 21 December 2019), also known in

3087-606: The natural world. The usage of the term " diwata " is mostly found in the central and southern Philippines while the usage of " anito " is found in the northern Philippines. In a buffer zone area both terms are used. Diwata may originate from the Sanskrit word devata ( deity), anito may have derived from the proto-Malayo-Polynesian word qanitu and the proto-Austronesian qanicu , both meaning ancestral spirits. Both diwata and anito are gender-neutral terms. They translate into deities, ancestral spirits, and/or guardians, depending on

3150-603: The past. Among these heroes: In Anitism numerous human figures, either full humans or demigods that may be mortal or immortal, have been attributed as actors or helpers in various events, and their actions supplement explanations of how things came to be. A few of these figures are: Some figures in Anitism are not human. Many are monsters, while others are deities, demigods, or humans that took non-human forms or were originally non-human in form. Some beings are essentially non-human messengers, divine familiars, or animal humanoids. Among

3213-543: The public with the work of Francisco Coching , leading to Coching's posthumous elevation to National Artist of the Philippines in 2014. He was also one of the leading voices in the protest against the conferment of the award to Carlo J. Caparas in 2009, which was finally voided by the Philippine Supreme court in 2013 . In 2002, Alanguilan organized an informal group of artists based in Laguna Province to create

SECTION 50

#1733094306862

3276-421: The reinterpretation of Philippine folk literature in graphic form, with the increasing popularity of artists such as Gerry Alanguilan , Arnold Arre , Budjette Tan , Kajo Baldisimo , and the rise of fan communities through comic book conventions such as komikon resulting in crossover success in other media, including feature films and streaming media. Philippine mythology Philippine mythology

3339-482: The same ethnic group. Examples include Bakunawa and the Seven Moons and The Tambanokano , whose specifics depend on the locality, ethnicity, story origin, and cultural progression. The indigenous religions of the Philippines developed through a variety of migrations and trade routes. Scholars theorized that Austronesians arrived through the "Out-of-Taiwan model", crossing from mainland Asia to Taiwan, and later

3402-616: The time when a Spanish priest boasted about burning indigenous religious writings, specifically "more than three hundred scrolls written in the native character". Even Chinese sources maintain the existence of indigenous religious texts from the Philippines. In 1349, the Chinese Wang Ta-yuan recorded that widows of important leaders spent the rest of their lives poring over religious texts. Spanish sources note that native writings were written on native reeds and leaves using iron points and other local pens, similar to how things are written on

3465-521: The visual inspiration for the titular character in Alanguilan's Johnny Balbona. In 2003, the Komikero Artists Group organized the San Pablo City Comics Festival, at the Mariño Residence along Sampalok Lake in San Pablo City, with the aim of showcasing original komiks art works past and present. Alanguilan noted that "mini-comics conventions" had been happening in the Philippines as early as 1994. But

3528-787: Was Wasted , originally intended for only his friends to read, and was later embarrassed by the large amounts of violence and profanity in it. He published Wasted in the Philippines from July 1994 through July 1996, and from there its popularity spread to the United States, where it was praised by Warren Ellis, and established him as an independent comics creator. In the mid-1990s, Alanguilan began to be known as an inker for American comic book titles like Wetworks , X-Men , Superman: Birthright , Wolverine , High Roads , Fantastic Four , and Silent Dragon , sometimes working alongside fellow Filipino comic book creators Leinil Francis Yu and Whilce Portacio . His first break in

3591-484: Was accompanied by attempts to revitalize the indigenous Philippine folk religions and establish them as the state religion. However, the proposals were sidelined over conflicts with the Americans, which led to war. In the late 19th century, the US occupied the country leading more people to convert to Christianity. Filipino mythologies from different ethnic groups have similarities such as: The deities, heroes, and creatures are different from each other, and do not form

3654-470: Was also a popular meme in Indonesia, known as Ayo sini sama om ("come here to uncle"), usually used for comedic effect combined with other memes. As of 2019, the video had been viewed over 6 million times. Alanguilan co-produced the 2012 documentary Illustrated By: Filipino Invasion of US Comics . The project began as a short film featuring Gerry Alanguilan's career and passion for comics. It evolved into

3717-464: Was featured on 25 January 2011 episode of American television show Tosh.0 . Clips from the video were used in several episodes of Russell Howard's Good News , often in response to the host asking questions like "What kind of creepy weirdo would come up with that?" In October 2010, Alanguilan was declared "The Greatest Man on the Internet" by video blogger Ray William Johnson . His creepy smiling face

3780-562: Was meant "to show our countrymen our rich history in the medium as well as to showcase the talent that we have." It featured original art from early Philippine comic book industry leaders including Alfredo Alcala , Francisco Coching , Alex Niño, Steve Gan , Nestor Redondo , Tony Velasquez, and Hal Santiago. Alanguilan curated the museum until his death in 2019. In 2009, he made a one-minute video titled "Hey, Baby", which consists mainly of him making comically lecherous facial expressions at his webcam. This video became popular on YouTube, and

3843-548: Was nevertheless encouraged by the fact that the rejection letters showed that at the very least, the executives at Marvel knew him and his work. This early period of sending submissions and receiving rejection letters lasted about seven years, during which Alanguilan sent submissions both to Marvel and DC Comics. Alanguilan temporarily gave up on comics from 1993 to 1994. In his own blogpost, as reported by GMA News Online's Victor Rosero, he recounted: "From 1993 to 1994 I never drew anything. I went back to Architecture and worked as

SECTION 60

#1733094306862

3906-489: Was originally San Gabriel and they trace their origins to the barrio/barangay of Sta. Catalina, now part of San Pablo City and known as "Sandig" before the Spanish conquest. Their surname was changed supposedly because a witch placed a curse that would make them destitute for seven generations. Alanguilan would later use this tale as the basis for his story San Dig 1944 in the Siglo: Freedom anthology. The word "alanguilan"

3969-559: Was transformed to "ancestors and spirits". In areas not colonized by Spain, the meanings were not changed. Each ethnic group has stories depicting mythical heroes, notably through oral traditions such as epic poems . Spanish and American colonisation led some stories to be retrofitted with minor changes, notably to heroes' names. For the native people, many of these heroes are understood to be actual humans who lived centuries ago rather than mythical beings, analogous to Christian and Muslim beliefs that their prophets/saints were people from

#861138