Tracing the Epic Tradition in The Fantaserye: GMA 7’s “Encantadia” As an Epic
Keywords:
epic tradition, epic conventions, fantaserye, EncantadiaAbstract
Popular culture is an emergent study compared to other disciplines. Studies on television as more than a means of entertainment are scarce. As such, this paper is an attempt to fill that dearth by looking into the fantaserye and its relationship with the traditional conventions of the epic. Through the theories on the conventions of the epic and the function of the epic hero propounded by Damiana Eugenio and Isagani Cruz respectively, the researcher looks into the possibility that the fantaserye is inspired from the traditional epic. John Fiske and John Hartley’s notion on television as today’s bard was also utilized in this study. The method used throughout the study is Content analysis. Results show that the fantaserye and the folk epics have similar attributes such as having the epic hero, their travails and adventures, and their physical and moral transformations that embody the group’s beliefs, ideals, and aspirations, although one difference is that the folk epics are either chanted orally and or performed, while the fantaserye “Encantadia” is aired through the aid of the television. And lastly, some characters were inspired from traditional Filipino folk epics and neighboring countries. To conclude, the fantaserye gets its materials and inspiration not only from mythological tales, but also from the folk epics, thus making oral literature survive in another form, but at the same time deviates from these inspirations which makes it a postmodern take of the traditional epic. This proves that the popular culture as a field of study that can be associated to other similar fields such as literary studies. Also, the folk epic did not die a natural death in the oral tradition; it adapted through a medium which is relevant and accessible to all: the television.Article Metrics
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Abrera, B. (2008). Seclusion and Veiling of Women: A Historical and Cultural Approach. Philippine Social Sciences Review, 1–2, 33-56.
Aligan, R. (1992). The Biblical and Folkloric Elements of the Pasyon. Thesis. The University of Santo Tomas.
Aranda, M. (2014). Ang Pamilya sa Loob ng mga Teleserye sa Telebisyon. DLSU Research Congress. 2014
Baldick, C. (2001). The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms. Oxford University Press.
Biclar, L. (2014). “The Socio-cultural and Political Undertones in Francisco Demetillo’s Barter in Panay: An Epic.”JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research, vol. 16, March 2014, 57-81.
Calleja-Reyes, Jose. “Ibalon: An Ancient Document Epic”. Philippine Studies, vol. 16, no.2, 1968, 318-347.
Contreras, Antonio P. “Female Warriors in GMA TV Fantasy Programs vis-à-vis the Fantasy Wars of GMA the President: Reflections on Simulated Women Engaged in Simulated Violence”. IDEYA Journal of the Humanities, vol. 9, no. 2, March 2008, 1-12.
Cruz, Isagani. “Si Lam-ang, Si Fernando Poe Jr., at si Aquino: ilang kuro-kuro tungkol sa epikong Pilipino”. Diliman Review, vol. 33, no. 1, Jan-Feb. 1985, 73-79.
Eugenio, D. (ed.) (2001). Philippine Folk Literature: The Epics (Vol VIII). U of the Philippines P.
Fernandez, D. (1981). “Philippine Popular Culture: Dimensions and Directions. The State of Research in Philippine Popular Culture”. Philippine Studies, vol. 29, no. 1, 1981, 26-44.
Fiske, J. & Hartley, J. (2003). Reading Television (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge. 2003.
Harrington, C. Lee, et al. (2015). Soap Operas and Artistic Legitimation: The Role of Critical Commentary. Communication, Culture & Critique, 8 (4), 613-631.
Hersh, A. (1993). Transgressive Intent: The Postmodern Epic and the subversion of the generic form. Thesis, The University of Michigan, 1993
Imran, M. (2001). The image of the emergent hero in J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings”. Dissertation. University of Santo Tomas, 2001.
Kumar, Priyanka. “The Fascinating World of Retellings: Retellings of the Indian Epics.” Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL),vol. 4, no.20, 2016, 793-797.
Lindas, J. (2013). Engaging with Postmodernism: An Examination of the Literary Canon. Undergraduate Honors Thesis. The University of Colorado Boulder.
Manuel, E. A. (1985). A Guide for the Study of Philippine Folklore. Philippine Folklore Society.
Mojares, R. (1998). Origins and Rise of the Filipino Novel: A Generic Study of the Novel Until 1940. U of the Philippines P, 1998.
Pianka, J. (2013). The Power of the Force: Race, Gender, and Colonialism in the Star Wars Universe. Master’s thesis: Wesleyan University. May 2013.
Reilly, B. (2013). Collecting the People: Textualizing Epics in Philippine History from the Sixteenth Century to the Twenty-First. Diss. University of California Los Angeles. 2013.
Roque, M. (1967). A Study of Philippine Oral Epics. Thesis. University of Santo Tomas, 1967.
Rosario-Braid, F., and Tuazon, R. (1999). “Communication Media in the Philippines 1521-1986.” Philippine Studies, vol 47, no 3, 1999, 291-318.
Sanchez, L.J. (2015).“Si Judy Ann Santos at ang Wika ng Teleserye”. Kritika Kultura, vol. 25, 2015, 344-378.
Santos, A. (1997). “A Tradition Behind Bars: Philippine Epics and the Evolving Philippine Literary Canon.” Journal of English and Comparative Literature, vol. 2, no. 1, 101-171.
Sauro, V. (2013). Inscribing Filipino Male Desires and Fantasies: Darna 2009 as Cultural Mythology and Political Ideology. Thesis. The University of Santo Tomas.
Sim, Stuart (ed.) (2001). The Routledge Companion to Postmodernism. United Kingdom: Routledge.
Tolentino, R. (2006). Sipat Kultura. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press.
Victoria, V. (2016). Ang Epikseryeng Filipino: Diskurso as Amaya. Scientia: The Research Journal of the College of Arts & Sciences, vol 5.1, June 2016, 92-120.
Aligan, R. (1992). The Biblical and Folkloric Elements of the Pasyon. Thesis. The University of Santo Tomas.
Aranda, M. (2014). Ang Pamilya sa Loob ng mga Teleserye sa Telebisyon. DLSU Research Congress. 2014
Baldick, C. (2001). The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms. Oxford University Press.
Biclar, L. (2014). “The Socio-cultural and Political Undertones in Francisco Demetillo’s Barter in Panay: An Epic.”JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research, vol. 16, March 2014, 57-81.
Calleja-Reyes, Jose. “Ibalon: An Ancient Document Epic”. Philippine Studies, vol. 16, no.2, 1968, 318-347.
Contreras, Antonio P. “Female Warriors in GMA TV Fantasy Programs vis-à-vis the Fantasy Wars of GMA the President: Reflections on Simulated Women Engaged in Simulated Violence”. IDEYA Journal of the Humanities, vol. 9, no. 2, March 2008, 1-12.
Cruz, Isagani. “Si Lam-ang, Si Fernando Poe Jr., at si Aquino: ilang kuro-kuro tungkol sa epikong Pilipino”. Diliman Review, vol. 33, no. 1, Jan-Feb. 1985, 73-79.
Eugenio, D. (ed.) (2001). Philippine Folk Literature: The Epics (Vol VIII). U of the Philippines P.
Fernandez, D. (1981). “Philippine Popular Culture: Dimensions and Directions. The State of Research in Philippine Popular Culture”. Philippine Studies, vol. 29, no. 1, 1981, 26-44.
Fiske, J. & Hartley, J. (2003). Reading Television (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge. 2003.
Harrington, C. Lee, et al. (2015). Soap Operas and Artistic Legitimation: The Role of Critical Commentary. Communication, Culture & Critique, 8 (4), 613-631.
Hersh, A. (1993). Transgressive Intent: The Postmodern Epic and the subversion of the generic form. Thesis, The University of Michigan, 1993
Imran, M. (2001). The image of the emergent hero in J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings”. Dissertation. University of Santo Tomas, 2001.
Kumar, Priyanka. “The Fascinating World of Retellings: Retellings of the Indian Epics.” Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL),vol. 4, no.20, 2016, 793-797.
Lindas, J. (2013). Engaging with Postmodernism: An Examination of the Literary Canon. Undergraduate Honors Thesis. The University of Colorado Boulder.
Manuel, E. A. (1985). A Guide for the Study of Philippine Folklore. Philippine Folklore Society.
Mojares, R. (1998). Origins and Rise of the Filipino Novel: A Generic Study of the Novel Until 1940. U of the Philippines P, 1998.
Pianka, J. (2013). The Power of the Force: Race, Gender, and Colonialism in the Star Wars Universe. Master’s thesis: Wesleyan University. May 2013.
Reilly, B. (2013). Collecting the People: Textualizing Epics in Philippine History from the Sixteenth Century to the Twenty-First. Diss. University of California Los Angeles. 2013.
Roque, M. (1967). A Study of Philippine Oral Epics. Thesis. University of Santo Tomas, 1967.
Rosario-Braid, F., and Tuazon, R. (1999). “Communication Media in the Philippines 1521-1986.” Philippine Studies, vol 47, no 3, 1999, 291-318.
Sanchez, L.J. (2015).“Si Judy Ann Santos at ang Wika ng Teleserye”. Kritika Kultura, vol. 25, 2015, 344-378.
Santos, A. (1997). “A Tradition Behind Bars: Philippine Epics and the Evolving Philippine Literary Canon.” Journal of English and Comparative Literature, vol. 2, no. 1, 101-171.
Sauro, V. (2013). Inscribing Filipino Male Desires and Fantasies: Darna 2009 as Cultural Mythology and Political Ideology. Thesis. The University of Santo Tomas.
Sim, Stuart (ed.) (2001). The Routledge Companion to Postmodernism. United Kingdom: Routledge.
Tolentino, R. (2006). Sipat Kultura. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press.
Victoria, V. (2016). Ang Epikseryeng Filipino: Diskurso as Amaya. Scientia: The Research Journal of the College of Arts & Sciences, vol 5.1, June 2016, 92-120.
Additional Files
Published
2019-12-15
How to Cite
[1]
R. E. P. Sekito, “Tracing the Epic Tradition in The Fantaserye: GMA 7’s ‘Encantadia’ As an Epic”, JELPEDLIC, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 67-84, Dec. 2019.
Issue
Section
Culture
