Decoding the Narrative Syntax and Macrostructure of Toraja Folklore: A Quest for Meaning

Folklore reveals society’s collective consciousness and cultural heritage, with variations in story patterns and themes across different societies highlighting cultural specificity. Folklore’s linguistic and cognitive aspects shape the narratives’ form and content. This study aimed to formulate Toraja narrative discourse’s syntactic patterns and macrostructures and attempt to search for their meaning. Data were collected from oral stories of Toraja folklore, including Lebonna–Paerengan Massudilalong and Landorundun, gathered from informants with extensive knowledge of Toraja folklore. During the field study, the data were narrowed to meet the study’s focus, and analytical questions were posed for data tracking. The collected data were analyzed using the Propp’s and Greimas’ narrative structure analysis systems. The results revealed eight dominant functions of Toraja folklore: attendance, marriage, departure, first giver, hero reaction, recipient of magical elements, shift, and victory. Based on the story movement, the structure of Toraja folklore consists of four action environments: givers, helpers, intermediaries, and heroes. The Toraja folklore model contains six actants: subject versus object, sender versus receiver, and helper versus opponent. All stages of the functional model of Toraja folklore were achieved: the initial situation, describing the introduction of the characters and the life behind the story; the stage of transformation, including expertise, central, and noble examinations; and the completed final situation. The central themes of Toraja folklore were love, loyalty, and obedience. This comprehensive analysis highlights the rich narrative tradition of the Toraja people, showcasing their unique cultural heritage through storytelling.