Pappaseng Bugis and Indonesian literature in comparative perspective: Negotiating locality in transnational literary space

Bugis literary traditions preserve cultural values, collective identity, and local knowledge that continue to shape the representation of Bugis culture in Indonesian literary discourse. Among these traditions, Pappaseng and La Galigo provide distinctive forms through which cultural values and social relations are transmitted across generations. However, studies of Pappaseng have predominantly examined its function as local wisdom, moral guidance, and cultural education, while its comparative literary relationship with other Bugis literary traditions remains relatively underexplored. This study aims to examine the representation of Bugis cultural values, cultural identity, social relations, and locality in Pappaseng and La Galigo from a comparative literary perspective. The study employs a qualitative descriptive approach and comparative literary analysis. Data consist of selected passages from Pappaseng, particularly Pappaseng To Matoa and Pappaseng To Riolo, and selected passages from La Galigo, supported by relevant scholarly studies on Bugis literature and culture. The findings indicate that both traditions represent Bugis cultural identity through different literary forms: Pappaseng primarily conveys cultural values through counsel and ethical principles, whereas La Galigo represents them through narrative, characters, social relations, and cultural practices. The comparison further demonstrates that locality functions not merely as geographical space but as a form of cultural memory, identity, and worldview.