Oral Tradition as Indigenous Arts Pedagogy: Transmitting Moral Values through Narrative Performance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15294/harmonia.v25i2.25006Keywords:
Bugis culture; character education; oral heritage; customary pedagogy; IyabelaleAbstract
This study explores the inheritance patterns and educational significance of Iyabelale, a traditional Bugis lullaby, as a medium for character building and cultural preservation. Against the backdrop of globalisation and digital transformation, this study aims to assess the symbolic structure, cultural function, and pedagogical relevance of Iyabelale in the Bugis community. Using a qualitative ethnographic case study approach, data were collected through interviews, observations, and documentation in rural and urban settings in South Sulawesi. The findings of this study reveal that Iyabelale functions as a multidimensional cultural artefact, conveying values such as empathy, responsibility, and spiritual awareness through its metaphorical language and melodic structure. Although its delivery has been weakened by technological shifts and changes in family structures, the lullaby remains a potential tool for culturally grounded character education. Integrating Iyabelale into modern curricula through community collaboration and digital innovation can foster emotional bonds, cultural identity, and moral learning. This study contributes to the growing knowledge about indigenous oral traditions and offers practical pathways for revitalisation in contemporary educational contexts.
References
Ajayi, E. A. (2019). The role of traditional folklore in facilitating adult learning in Nigeria. International Review of Education, 65(6), 859–877. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-019-09807-z
Atout, M., Hemingway, P., & Seymour, J. (2019). The practice of mutual protection in the care of children with palliative care needs: A multiple qualitative case study approach from Jordan. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 45, e9–e18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2018.12.004
Bainbridge, C. M., Bertolo, M., Youngers, J., Atwood, S., Yurdum, L., Simson, J., Lopez, K. L., Xing, F., Martin, A., & Mehr, S. A. (2020). Infants relax in response to unfamiliar foreign lullabies. Nature Human Behaviour, 5(2), 256–264. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-020-00963-z
Dunbar, R. I. M. (2023). The origins and function of musical performance. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article 1257390. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1257390
Fikri, F., Bedong, M. A. R., Salim, M., Muthalib, S. A., & Abubakar, A. (2023). Transformation of maqāṣid shari‘āh in divorce mediation in religious courts: Revitalization of the Bugis-Mandar customs, Indonesia. Samarah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga Dan Hukum Islam, 7(1), 431–454. https://doi.org/10.22373/sjhk.v7i1.9141
Firstater, E., Sigad, L. I., & Frankel, T. (2015). The experiences of Israeli early childhood educators working with children of Ethiopian background. SAGE Open, 5(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244015607454
Halimah, L., Arifin, R. R. M., Yuliariatiningsih, M. S., Abdillah, F., & Sutini, A. (2020). Storytelling through “Wayang Golek” puppet show: Practical ways in incorporating character education in early childhood. Cogent Education, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2020.1794495
Ilham, M., & Rahman, F. (2024). Character education of local wisdom-based: A study of moral aspects of quotes belonging to Bugis people. Journal of Ecohumanism, 3(3), 1125–1140. https://doi.org/10.62754/joe.v3i3.3443
Kirillova, N. B. (2023). Impact of digital culture on shaping young people’s creative activity. Perspectives of Science and Education, 62(2), 10–22. https://doi.org/10.32744/pse.2023.2.1
Limpo, S. Y., Fahmid, I. M., Fattah, A., Rauf, A., Surmaini, E., Muslimin, M., Saptana, S., Syahbuddin, H., & Andri, K. B. (2022). Integrating indigenous and scientific knowledge for decision making of rice farming in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Sustainability, 14(5), Article 2952. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052952
Lo, W. (2014). The music culture of older adults in Cantonese operatic singing lessons. Ageing & Society, 35(8), 1614–1634. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X14000439
Loewy, J. V., Stewart, K., Dassler, A.-M., Telsey, A., & Homel, P. (2013). The effects of music therapy on vital signs, feeding, and sleep in premature infants. Pediatrics, 131(5), 902–918. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2012-1367
Mindell, J. A., & Williamson, A. A. (2018). Benefits of a bedtime routine in young children: Sleep, development, and beyond. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 40, 93–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2017.10.007
Muassomah, M., Abdullah, I., Istiadah, I., Mujahidin, A., Masnawi, N., & Sohrah, S. (2020). Believe in literature: Character education for Indonesia’s youth. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(6), 2223–2231. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2020.080605
R, T. S., & Casim, C. (2021). Revitalization of oral traditions in Tasikmalaya district as a learning media to plant character education values and multicultural insights of students. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 17(3), 1379–1391. https://doi.org/10.52462/jlls.99
Ruud, E. (2013). Can music serve as a “cultural immunogen”? An explorative study. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being, 8(1), Article 20597. https://doi.org/10.3402/qhw.v8i0.20597
Shih, Y.-H. (2021). Moral education in Taiwanese preschools: Importance, concepts, and methods. Policy Futures in Education, 20(6), 717–730. https://doi.org/10.1177/14782103211040512
Shilton, D., Passmore, S., & Savage, P. E. (2023). Group singing is globally dominant and associated with social context. Royal Society Open Science, 10(9), Article 230562. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.230562
Simeon, J. J. C., & Pugh-Kitingan, J. (2021). Bringing the children’s songs of the Rungus of Sabah into Malaysian music classrooms. Malaysian Journal of Music, 10(2), 54–73. https://doi.org/10.37134/mjm.vol10.2.5.2021
Stewart, L., McConnell, B. B., Darboe, B., Glover, V., Huma, H. B., Sanfilippo, K. R. M., Cross, I., Ceesay, H., Ramchandani, P., & Cornelius, V. (2022). Social singing, culture and health: Interdisciplinary insights from the CHIME project for perinatal mental health in the Gambia. Health Promotion International, 37(Supplement_1), i18–i25. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daab210
Syahril, S., & Idris, S. (2019). The concept of child education through dodaidi in Aceh. Jurnal Ilmiah Peuradeun, 7(2), 369–382. https://doi.org/10.26811/peuradeun.v7i2.337
Syarif, E., Maddatuang, Yusuf, M., & Saputro, A. (2023). Mappakalebbi ale hanua: Knowledge of Karampuang indigenous communities in forest conservation, Sinjai District, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1209(1), Article 012018. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1209/1/012018
Vicente, H. T., Grasina, A., Vieira, C. C., & Farate, C. (2020). Lullabies and unconscious maternal phantasies: An exploratory and comparative study of traditional and contemporary songs. International Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies, 17(4), 328–344. https://doi.org/10.1002/aps.1657
Young, S. (2008). Lullaby light shows: Everyday musical experience among under-two-year-olds. International Journal of Music Education, 26(1), 33–46. https://doi.org/10.1177/0255761407085648
Youpika, F., Sumiyadi, S., Permadi, T., Sunendar, D., & Yandryati, J. (2024). The endangered Central Malay folklore: A medium for internalizing character values in Indonesian language and literature. International Journal of Language Education, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.26858/ijole.v8i1.60908
Yu, L. (2023). Digital sustainability of intangible cultural heritage: The example of the “Wu Leno” weaving technique in Suzhou, China. Sustainability, 15(12), Article 9803. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129803
Yusuf, Y., Yusuf, Y. Q., & Usman, J. (2023). The Acehnese and “Ratéb Dôda Idi”: Instilling compassion based on religious values in lullabies. Kemanusiaan: The Asian Journal of Humanities, 30(2), 57–80. https://doi.org/10.21315/kajh2023.30.2.4
Zulkifli, Z., Yulia, Y., Almusawir, Rizal, A., & Saleh, H. (2025). Safeguarding communal intellectual property rights to strengthen the economic potential of regional tourism assets. International Journal of Innovative Research and Scientific Studies, 8(2), 1696–1706. https://doi.org/10.53894/ijirss.v8i2.5529
