La Galigo: World’s Longest Literary Work

La Galigo is the longest literary work in the world, one and a half times longer than India’s Mahabharata. Its total length is estimated to be around 6.000 folio sized pages, containing between 160.000 and 200.000 lines. Some scholars believed that most of La Galigo’s episodes were composed between the 14th and 17th century. Almost all La Galigo texts are paper manuscripts, only a few texts were written on palm leaves. This epic is known by many names, including Sureq Galigo, Bicaranna Sawérigading, Bicaranna Opunna Wareq, Lontaraq La Galigo, and Sureq Selléang.

Although La Galigo is a written work, it was passed down orally among the people of South Sulawesi. In the past, not everyone was allowed to read La Galigo, only a bissu (Bugis priest) could do so. La Galigo serves as a holy book for people in South Sulawesi thus it’s sacred and must be treated with respect. This book could only be opened and read after burning the incense. Because it was transmitted orally, various regional versions of La Galigo developed over time.

B.F. Matthes, a Dutch linguist, was the first person to study La Galigo. He was chosen to translate the Bible into Bugis and Makassar languages. La Galigo was written in ancient Bugis script. The most important characteristics of Bugis literature are rhythm and tone. La Galigo has several characteristics that distinguish it from other Bugis literatures. These characteristics can be classified into three parts: meter, language, and story line. The basic meter is five syllables, only if the stress falls on the last syllable, it consists of four syllables. Many words and terms are unique to La Galigo, though some are shared with other Bugis literary forms such as toloq, bissu chants, and élong. It also features many archaic and now-unfamiliar words, as well as extensive use of synonyms. 

La Galigo is not meant to be read silently but sung by a passureq (chanter) during ceremonies such as weddings, house-movings, or before going down to the rice fields. The act of singing La Galigo in Bugis language is called laoang or selléang, and in Bugis regions there are several types of laoang.  Reading La Galigo is like following an endless serial story: its scripts contain numerous sub-stories or episodes (téreng), each focusing on a particular character and connecting to others across the vast narrative. 

La Galigo contains values and life principles of the people of South Sulawesi. Every life events, from birth, marriage, and death, are encompassed in this script. La Galigo became a holy book before the arrival of Islam in Sulawesi. It also teaches about natural signs and the relationship between humans and nature, helping people understand and adapt to their environment. This understanding helps humans in facing natural disasters. 

The central theme of La Galigo is marriage and the search for an equal partner. In Bugis culture, marriage is regarded as a sacred union, often accompanied by elaborate and costly ceremonies. The story also includes sea voyages, reflecting the maritime culture of the Bugis, Makassar, and Mandar people, who are famous for their shipbuilding and sailing skills. Traditional vessels such as pinisi, tanjak, and paddewakkang are already mentioned in La Galigo. 

La Galigo explains the cosmological concept that the universe consists of three layers: the upper world, the middle world, and the underworld. The center of these three layers is the upper world (boting langiq), the dwelling place of the God Patotoqé. This concept is represented in traditional house design which consists of three levels: upper, middle, and lower, each with its own specific function. 

The story of La Galigo begins with the descent of the first human to earth and ends with the return of humankind to the realm of the gods, leaving the earth empty. One day, four servants of Patotoqé came down to the middle world (Kawaq, Alélino). They reported that the earth was still empty. One of the servants, Rukkelleng Mpoba, proposed that the middle world be inhabited by one of Patotoqé’s children. Patotoqé then discussed with his wife, Datu Palingéq, and decided to send their eldest son to the earth. La Togeq Langiq, also known as Batara Guru, became the first human on earth.

The gods sought a partner for Batara Guru. They chose Wé Nyiliq Timoq, the eldest daughter of the king of the underworld (Pérétiwi), to live in the middle world and become Batara Guru’s partner. The two were given the task of spreading the descendants of the gods of the upper and underworlds on earth. They were also instructed to create mountains, oceans, forests, plants, and animals.

The main character in La Galigo is Sawérigading, the father of I La Galigo. Sawérigading was born in Luwu, South Sulawesi, from the marriage of Batara Lattu’ and We Datu Sengngeng. He was a grandson of Batara Guru. Sawérigading was the main figure in the emergence of kingdoms in South Sulawesi. He is regarded as a unifying figure of South Sulawesi. His story is well known throughout South Sulawesi and sometimes appears in oral traditions. Sawérigading  had a twin sister named Wé Tenriabéng who later became a bissu. The two were separated at birth because their parents were afraid they would engage in a premarital intimate relationship.

Sawérigading represents the seafaring tribes of South Sulawesi. His fondness for adventure and sailing far from his homeland embodies the spirit of Bugis people. After traveling around the world, Sawérigading returned to Luwu. He met his twin sister, Wé Tenriabéng, and fell in love. However, it’s impossible for blood relatives to be together. Sawérigading was forced to leave Luwu and sailed to China. At that time, the kingdom of China was ruled by his maternal aunt. Sawérigading spent most of his time there.

In China, Sawérigading finally met his future wife, Wé Cudaiq. She was a Chinese princess who looked like his twin sister. They got married and had a son named I La Galigo. After their marriage, Sawérigading took his wife to his homeland. Unfortunately, his ship sank to the bottom of the sea. They both then became the rulers of the underworld. In the end, all humans on earth were summoned to return to the upperworld and lowerworld, leaving only a couple to stay and rule the kingdom of Luwu. 

Once regarded as a divine scripture, La Galigo has gradually faded from public knowledge. Today, fewer than a hundred people can read and understand the text. Yet some young artists preserve La Galigo by producing theatrical performances based on this story. Presently, La Galigo manuscripts are part of private and public collections, spread across Indonesia and the world. Most of the collectors only own  no more than one or two episodes.

Bibliography

Cohen, M. (2005). I La Galigo (review). Asian Theatre Journal, 22(1), 138-149.
https://doi.org/10.1353/atj.2005.0002

Koolhof, S. (1999). The ‘La Galigo’: A Bugis encyclopedia and its growth. Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land-en Volkenkunde, 155(3), 362-387. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27865543

Perdana, A. (2019). Naskah La Galigo: Identitas budaya Sulawesi Selatan di Museum La Galigo. Balai Pelestarian Cagar Budaya Sulawesi Selatan, 5(1), 116-132.

Rahim, R. (1998). Nilai-nilai utama kebudayaan Bugis. Makassar: Lembaga Penerbitan Universitas Hassanuddin.

Toa, R. (2017). La Galigo menurut naskah NBG 188 jilid 1. Jakarta: Yayasan Pustaka Obor Indonesia.