kuwentongbayan

Kuwentong-bayan is the Filipino term for traditional folk stories that are transmitted orally within Philippine communities. It encompasses myths, legends, fairy tales, fables, and other narratives that explain origins, natural phenomena, customs, or social values. The genre serves as a repository of collective memory and cultural identity.

These stories are passed down through generations by storytellers, elders, or family members. They vary by language and region, reflecting local landscapes, heroes, deities, and supernatural beings. Common motifs include engkanto or engkantos (enchanted beings), aswang (monsters), duende, tikbalang, and nuno sa punso; tales often feature a human protagonist who encounters a mysterious world and returns with a lesson.

Content and forms: Kuwentong-bayan can be mythic origin tales, legends about places or heroes, or cautionary tales. They often blend history and superstition and historically served to explain natural phenomena, justify customs, or teach communal norms. Some stories emphasize humor and cleverness, as in Juan Tamad, while others emphasize moral virtue or reverence for the supernatural.

Significance: As part of the Philippines’ intangible cultural heritage, kuwento-bayan has played a central role in language development, education, and entertainment. They continue to be preserved in oral tradition and are increasingly recorded in written form, in school curricula, literature, radio, television, and digital media, where they are adapted to reflect contemporary values while preserving traditional storytelling.