Use of Mythical Creatures in Folk Literature of Southeast Asia: A Comparative analysis

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.57235/ijrael.v2i2.493

Keywords:

Folk literature of Southeast Asia, Comparative analysis, Mythical creatures

Abstract

This paper presents a comparative analysis of the use of mythical creatures in Southeast Asian folk literature, focusing on the dragons in Javanese folktales from Indonesia, the naga in Thai folklore, and the aswang in Filipino mythology. The paper examines the historical and cultural context of Southeast Asia, the evolution of folk literature in the region, and the role of mythical creatures in Southeast Asian culture. It analyzes the similarities and differences in the portrayal of mythical creatures across different cultures, identifies common themes and motifs in Southeast Asian folk literature, and evaluates the significance of the use of mythical creatures in conveying cultural values and beliefs. The paper concludes that the use of mythical creatures is an important aspect of Southeast Asian folk literature and highlights the implications of the study for future research in the field. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the cultural and historical heritage of Southeast Asia and shed light on the unique features of its folk literature.

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Author Biography

Edgar R. Eslit, St. Michael's College, Philippines

Edgar R. Eslit, Ph.D. is a Certified Student Affairs and Services Specialist and the current Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, St. Michael’s College, Iligan City, Philippines. He holds a doctoral degree in Doctor of Philosophy in English Language Studies, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, and a Master of Arts in English Language Studies from the same university. His skills in designing challenging, enriching, and innovative activities that address the diverse interests and needs of students made him publish the following books: 1) Study and Thinking Skills (College English 1 Workbook) in 5 Editions; 2) Bansayon Nato and Binisaya (MTB-MLE Work and Textbook Para sa Unang Ang-ang sa Elementarya); 3) Legacy Lingers (SMC Coffee Table Book 2015); and, 4) Automotive Servicing NC- ll. As an active team player, Edgar is also associated with the following local and international organizations: English Language & Literature Teachers’ Association, Reg. 10; Arts and Sciences Educators Association (ASEA-10); Philippine Association for Graduate Education (PAGE-10); and, International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL), University of Kent, United Kingdom. He is also a Writing fellow of the 20th Iligan National Writers Workshop (INWW), MSU-IIT, and Editorial board member of two International Scopus indexed Journals: International Academic Forum (IAFOR) and Asia Pacific Journal of Academic Research in Social Sciences. Recently, with his deep involvement in research activities, he was awarded the Best Paper Award during the 6th International Conference on Humanities, Interdisciplinary Studies, Hospitality and Tourism Management (HISHTM) in Singapore.

References

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Published

2023-08-01

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2023): August 2023

Section

Articles

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