Sureq Galigo
Encyclopedia
Sureq Galigo or La Galigo is an epic creation myth of the Bugis
from South Sulawesi
, written between the 13th and 15th century in the Indonesian
language Buginese
. It has become known to a wider audience mostly through the theatrical adaptation I La Galigo
by Robert Wilson
.
The poem is composed in pentameter
s and relates the story of humanity's origins but serves also as practical everyday almanac
. It evolved mostly through oral tradition
and is still sung on important occasions. The earliest preserved written versions date back to the 18th century, earlier ones have been lost due to insects, climate or destruction. Consequently, there is no complete or definite version of Galigo but the preserved parts amount to 6,000 pages or 300,000 lines of text, making it one of the largest works of literature
. The original Buginese, in which also the production is sung, is now only understood by less than 100 people but so far only parts of it have been translated into Indonesian and no complete English language
version exists either. The majority of La Galigo manuscripts still extant can be found in Indonesia and the Netherlands. Leiden University Library
keeps one of the most valuable manuscripts. The Leiden manuscript consists of twelve volumes and relates the first part of the long Buginese epic. This largest coherent La Galigo fragment in the world was written in Makassar at the request of the theologian and scholar B.F. Matthes (1818–1908). In 1947 Matthes entered the service of the Netherlands Bible Society to study Buginese and Makassarese with the purpose of translation the Bible in those languages. The text was written by by Colliq Pujié (Arung Pancana Toa), Queen-mother of Tanete, a small kingdom in South Sulawesi. The manuscript is now part of the collection Indonesian manuscripts of the Netherlands Bible Society, given on permanent loan to the Leiden University Library
since the years 1905-1915. Together with another La Galigo manuscript, held in Makassar, the Leiden manuscript is now included in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register.
Bugis
The Bugis are the most numerous of the three major linguistic and ethnic groups of South Sulawesi, the southwestern province of Sulawesi, Indonesia's third largest island. Although many Bugis live in the large port cities of Makassar and Parepare, the majority are farmers who grow wet rice on the...
from South Sulawesi
South Sulawesi
South Sulawesi is a province of Indonesia, located on the western southern peninsula of Sulawesi Island. The province is bordered by Central Sulawesi province to the north, South East Sulawesi province to the east and West Sulawesi province to the west...
, written between the 13th and 15th century in the Indonesian
Languages of Indonesia
More than 700 living languages are spoken in Indonesia. Most belong to the Austronesian language family, with a few Papuan languages also spoken. The official language is Indonesian , a modified version of Malay, which is used in commerce, administration, education and the media, but most...
language Buginese
Buginese language
Buginese is the language spoken by about four million people mainly in the southern part of Sulawesi, Indonesia.-History:The word Buginese derives from the word Bahasa Bugis in Malay. In Buginese, it is called while the Bugis people are called...
. It has become known to a wider audience mostly through the theatrical adaptation I La Galigo
I La Galigo
I La Galigo is music-theater work by Robert Wilson that has been shown since 2004 in Asia, Europe, Australia and the United States. It is based on an adaption by Rhoda Grauer of the epic creation myth Sureq Galigo of the Bugis from South Sulawesi, written between the 13th and 15th century in the...
by Robert Wilson
Robert Wilson (director)
Robert Wilson is an American avant-garde stage director and playwright who has been called "[America]'s — or even the world's — foremost vanguard 'theater artist'". Over the course of his wide-ranging career, he has also worked as a choreographer, performer, painter, sculptor, video...
.
The poem is composed in pentameter
Pentameter
Pentameter may refer to:*the iambic pentameter of the modern period*the dactylic pentameter of antiquity...
s and relates the story of humanity's origins but serves also as practical everyday almanac
Almanac
An almanac is an annual publication that includes information such as weather forecasts, farmers' planting dates, and tide tables, containing tabular information in a particular field or fields often arranged according to the calendar etc...
. It evolved mostly through oral tradition
Oral tradition
Oral tradition and oral lore is cultural material and traditions transmitted orally from one generation to another. The messages or testimony are verbally transmitted in speech or song and may take the form, for example, of folktales, sayings, ballads, songs, or chants...
and is still sung on important occasions. The earliest preserved written versions date back to the 18th century, earlier ones have been lost due to insects, climate or destruction. Consequently, there is no complete or definite version of Galigo but the preserved parts amount to 6,000 pages or 300,000 lines of text, making it one of the largest works of literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
. The original Buginese, in which also the production is sung, is now only understood by less than 100 people but so far only parts of it have been translated into Indonesian and no complete English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
version exists either. The majority of La Galigo manuscripts still extant can be found in Indonesia and the Netherlands. Leiden University Library
Leiden University Library
Leiden University Library is a library founded in 1575 in Leiden, Netherlands. It is regarded as a significant place in the development of European culture: it is a part of a small number of cultural centres that gave direction to the development and spread of knowledge during the Enlightenment...
keeps one of the most valuable manuscripts. The Leiden manuscript consists of twelve volumes and relates the first part of the long Buginese epic. This largest coherent La Galigo fragment in the world was written in Makassar at the request of the theologian and scholar B.F. Matthes (1818–1908). In 1947 Matthes entered the service of the Netherlands Bible Society to study Buginese and Makassarese with the purpose of translation the Bible in those languages. The text was written by by Colliq Pujié (Arung Pancana Toa), Queen-mother of Tanete, a small kingdom in South Sulawesi. The manuscript is now part of the collection Indonesian manuscripts of the Netherlands Bible Society, given on permanent loan to the Leiden University Library
Leiden University Library
Leiden University Library is a library founded in 1575 in Leiden, Netherlands. It is regarded as a significant place in the development of European culture: it is a part of a small number of cultural centres that gave direction to the development and spread of knowledge during the Enlightenment...
since the years 1905-1915. Together with another La Galigo manuscript, held in Makassar, the Leiden manuscript is now included in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register.
Further reading
- B.F. Matthes, Kort verslag aangaande alle mij in Europa bekende Makassaarsche en Boeginesche handschriften, vooral die van het Nederlandsch Bijbelgenootschap te Amsterdam, Amsterdam: Nederlandsch Bijbelgenootschap, 1875.
- I La Galigo : menurut naskah NBG 188 / yang disusun oleh Arung Pancana Toa ; transkripsi dan terj. Muhammad Salim, Fachruddin Ambo Enre ; dgn. bantuan Nurhayati Rahman ; red.: Sirtjo Koolhof, Roger Tol, Jakarta 1995-2000, 2 vol.