Ngrowo Oral Literature as an Alternative History of Tulungagung

Abstract

The existence of oral literature in several cultures, especially traditional societies, is considered very important because they only know literature in one form. The forms of oral literature are spread in various regions in Indonesia and one of them is in Tulungagung. A systematic and in-depth study of the structure of swamp-based folklore in Tulungagung and the function of folklore for the surrounding community needs to be done. This is because all this time, the history of Tulungagung has been limited to folklore based on figures or inheritance in Tulunggung, while historical excavation based on stories based on regional topography has not been carried out so that it has an impact on incomplete historical descriptions or origins the proposal of Tulungagung and so far, environmental wisdom stored in the treasures of regional folklore tends to be marginalized by modern paradigms and sciences so that people tend to override the function of folklore for them. The structure of folklore is analyzed using Levi-Strauss structural theory, while the function of folklore uses the function theory of Alan Dundes. The data obtained in this study uses the technique of unstructured interviews with informants in accordance with predetermined criteria and observations at the place where the folklore originated. The results of the study concluded that swamp-based folklore in Tulungagung has a connection with the history of the establishment of Tulungagung Regency and functions as a social control, a means of increasing solidarity, a form of gratitude to God, and as a certifier of certain cultures.