HEALING MANTRAS BASED ON RIVER AND FOREST ECOLOGY IN THE NGAJU DAYAK TRIBE OF CENTRAL KALIMANTAN: A STUDY OF AESTHETICS AND MEANING FROM AN ORAL LITERATURE PERSPECTIVE
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This study examines healing mantras rooted in river and forest ecology in the Ngaju Dayak community in Central Kalimantan. The aim of the study is to examine the aesthetic structure and layers of meaning of this oral tradition using Roland Barthes's semiotic theory (denotation, connotation, myth). A descriptive qualitative method was applied through a literature review, which included documentation of mantra texts from academic publications, previous research on traditional Dayak healing practices, and a review of literature on literary ecology and semiotic theory. The findings indicate that healing mantras function as ecological texts: rivers and forests are not only physical locations but also symbols of cleansing, protection, and cosmic continuity. As an aesthetic endeavor, the mantras utilize repetition, alliteration, ecological metaphors, and culturally rich Ngaju vocabulary. Semiotic aspects reveal layers of meaning that connect human health to environmental balance and collective moral ethics. This article proposes that the oral tradition of the Ngaju Dayak be viewed as a source of ecological knowledge relevant to sustainability discourse.
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