Visayan Origin Myth: An Anthropological Analysis of John Maurice Miller’s How The World Was Made

Abstract

"How The World Was Made," by John Maurice Miller, was published in 1904 in a book of Philippine Folklore Stories and has been passed down from generation to generation, serving several roles for the cultures and people who believed in the legendary account. Through John Maurice Miller's creation myth, "How the World Was Made," this study explores Visayan culture during the pre-colonial period in terms of literary components, norms, and values. Dissecting such aspects exposes the Visayan culture that existed during the pre-colonial time. The data is examined using classical evidence from Symbolic Interaction Theory, Structural Anthropology, and Archetypal Literary Theory. The discourse analysis approach incorporates non-numerical data presentation, eventually generating a structured narrative to describe the examination of a certain historical and cultural situation or process in depth. This research stresses pre-colonial cultures in the Visayas region through the creation myth "How the World Was Made," which recounts how Visayans became who they are today and how things came to be. Prior to colonization, the Visayans has many aspects of culture including characteristics and traits, some of which have been preserved and passed down through generations, as the origin myth depicts.