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Mary Sean Reilly G. Maala

Ms. Alona U. Guevarra
ENLIT 12 - UU
27 March 2019

“Sawerigading Came from the Sea”: A Critical Analysis

The short story Sawerigading Came from the Sea is a work of fiction where mythology

meets contemporary. The author, Faisal Oddang, is an Indonesian writer from South Sulawesi

where Bugis culture and mythology originate (British Council Global 1). This is evident in the

story as it makes use of the legend of Sawerigading that narrates his search for his wife, We

Cudai; however, modifications were made in Sawerigading Came from the Sea (Mukhlis and

Rahman 3). In the version of Faisal Oddang, there is still a mention of We Cudai, but she is

replaced by a new character named Zelle, a character deemed crazy by those in the vicinity.

The story is set in modern times, as observed in the use of terms such as “selfies”. In the end,

Sawerigading and Zelle unite, marry, and celebrate the birth of their baby. The people laugh,

seeing them as no more than two lunatics who have found their perfect matches. On the other

hand, the narrator is brought to tears by this. With that said, Sawerigading Came from the Sea

is an old legend successfully made more intriguing and memorable by changes in elements

such as setting and characterization. Its main purpose is evidently to narrate the story of

Sawerigading and his search for the love of his life with the help of only a strand of hair and

another character - the narrator.

Through Sawerigading and Zelle, the underlying message of the story is seen to be

rooted in the attitudes of youth towards tradition, as well as the union of various cultural beliefs.

This interpretation is supported by three parts: the return of Sawerigading, the use of characters

for representation, and the marriage of Sawerigading and Zelle.

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At the beginning of the story, Sawerigading is said to have come from under the ocean

after his ship sank when he was on his way to China. After a hundred years, he returned to land

and expected to be known as a savior and to be recognized as a hero by all; however, no one

knew who he was. In this part of the story, Sawerigading serves as a symbol of old tradition

and beliefs. Like the people in the story, the youth now have a disconnect from culture and are

faced with a loss of familiarity towards the roots of their people. They no longer recognize the

beliefs due to the fast-paced nature of modernization. It also shows that people ridicule what

they do not understand. In this case, it is the roots of their tradition. Because they no longer see

its application in their lives at present and disregard it as nothing more than fantasy.

It is also important to note that the characters play essential roles in presenting this

message. Sawerigading, Zelle, and the spirit leader are symbols for tradition, meaning they also

represent those who are still deeply rooted in their culture and beliefs. Evidently, Sawerigading

is a character that was directly taken from a Bugis legend with the same background and goal:

to search for his wife (Mukhlis and Rahman 3). Zelle, on the other hand, was a character derived

from German fairytales and old fiction, more specifically the tale of Rapunzel, a girl who was

trapped in a tower and was left to wait for her prince so that he could climb up through her hair

and marry her (Cavendish 1). Lastly, the spiritual leader embodies the people who still value

mythology and fairytales as he is moved by the marriage of Weri and Zelle at the end of the

story. Lastly, the narrator presents a hybrid perspective; one that is still somewhat rooted in

tradition but has moved with society as the years have passed. It is seen in the story that that

narrator still attempts to understand and connect with Sawerigading despite his bizarre behavior

and is still moved by his union with Zelle; however, he refuses to openly state this as he has

adapted to the norms of society and modernization. This is why the narrator expresses

proudness towards Weri in the line “That was my son, Weri!”. Still, he chooses to stay quiet

about this and does not admit it out loud. This can be likened to individuals who remain
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traditional but keep it subtle in order to prevent being labeled as bizarre like believers who are

vocal about their principles. In short, references to Rapunzel and the Quran made it clear that

the text was giving light to traditions, beliefs, and ideas coming from different parts of the

world, but the role of Sawerigading in the story and his return highlights the attitude of the

present generation towards old beliefs.

With this interpretation, it can be stated that the text was well-written and effective in

terms of fulfilling its purpose. The text is considered effective because the contemporary twist

adds freshness and maximizes audience impact by making it more memorable and interesting

for the readers. This is because it is not a mere replica of the legend of Sawerigading. Instead,

it is a merging of stories originating from Germany and Indonesia.

In terms of narration, the story was clear as it presented each event in a comprehensive

manner. The events of the story were presented through the standard plot diagram which is

composed of the introduction, the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and the

resolution. In the introduction, the readers are given a brief introduction and background on

Sawerigading, the main character, who had just returned from the ocean and was set to look

for his wife. The story then proceeds to the rising action wherein Sawerigading meets the

narrator, who attempts to help him find the girl he was looking for with the help of the hair

strand Sawerigading had in his possession. The climax then takes place when Sawerigading

finds out the girl he is looking for is named Zelle and is located in a house with a high chimney;

however, he could not meet her yet because her hair was not long enough to climb. The falling

action begins when Sawerigading tells Zelle about how willing he is to wait for her hair to grow

no matter how long it takes, to which the narrator expresses concern because hair can only

grow one milliliter every three days. Still, Sawerigading waits and is brought to the resolution

where he and Zelle are finally united. The members of their city laughed at this union, viewing
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it as the joining together of two lunatics; however, the spiritual leader and the narrator were

moved.

It is important to remember that the story is straightforward at first, but the part towards

the end is left open-ended for the readers to interpret. The statement of the narrator, “That was

my son, Weri!” can be interpreted in various ways, making the ending of the story more

memorable as the readers are led to reflect on the events that took place and wonder what

happened after.

In conclusion, the text was an interesting version of the Sawerigading legend that

presented insights on globalization in terms of traditions and beliefs by incorporating Rapunzel

into the story. The elements of the story such as the characters, plot, setting, and conflict are

seen to have contributed greatly to the delivery of this message. The characters each represent

groups of people and their responses to globalization relative to traditions and beliefs, the plot

and conflict showcase the aforementioned responses, and the setting makes it clear that the

story touches on the modern world and tradition. Together, these elements build the message

of the story.
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Works Cited

Cavendish, Richard. “The Publication of Grimm's Fairy Tales.” History Today, History

Today, 12 Dec. 2012, www.historytoday.com/archive/publication-grimm’s-fairy-tales.

“Faisal Oddang.” Literature, British Council Global, 1 Jan. 1970,

literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/faisal-oddang.

Mukhlis, and Darmawan M. Rahman. “Boatbuilding Myth and Ritual in South

Sulawesi.” Smithsonian Folklife Festival, https://folklife-

media.si.edu/docs/festival/program-book-articles/FESTBK1991_17.pdf.