Nature in Philippine Folktales

Abstract

Nature allows human beings to become stewards and to interface with animals. By acting as the cornerstone, human beings create meanings to their existence through their experiences with animals and other elements of nature. Folktales are not only mere stories of people but are stories that are didactic in nature. Folktales seek to promote the collective knowledge as well as serve as guide in directing people improve their relationship with nature. However, scholarship on how folktales handled nature and environment in different cultures is wanting. Therefore, this study analyzed 4 folktales to determine how nature and environment were handled as well as the different concepts of nature in the different cultures. The study utilized content-analysis based qualitative research method. The findings of the study revealed that nature is a friend of the Filipino people. Through nature, people find an abode or the dwelling place of something precious like enlightenment or wisdom, as mystery but may cause suffering, as a friend and as something mysterious. The folktales express an awe of the Filipino people to nature and a reminder of what the Filipinos need to do aligned to national goals on protecting the environment. This study provides a framework of analyzing Filipino folktales and similar works in order to promote the collective knowledge of the Filipinos about nature.