The RELIGIOUS AND JAVANESE COSMOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS IN THE “HOMPIMPA ALAIUM GAMBRENG” CHANT: AN ETHNOPEDAGOGICAL STUDY

Abstract

This study explores the religious and cosmological dimensions embedded in the Javanese children's traditional chant “Hompimpa Alaium Gambreng,” which is commonly used to determine turns in children's games. Although widely practiced across Indonesia, this expression is often perceived merely as a playful formula without deeper cultural significance. This research aims to uncover the symbolic meanings, religious values, and cosmological concepts reflected in the chant and to interpret its pedagogical relevance within the framework of ethnopedagogy. Employing a qualitative cultural analysis, the study draws on ethnographic data, linguistic interpretation, and symbolic analysis of traditional Javanese cultural narratives. The findings reveal that the phrase “Hompimpa Alaium Gambreng” functions not only as a mechanism for decision-making in children’s play but also as a symbolic representation of harmony, balance, and collective acceptance of outcomes, which resonate with core principles of Javanese cosmology and spiritual worldview. Furthermore, the chant serves as an informal pedagogical medium through which children internalize values such as fairness, social cohesion, humility, and acceptance of fate. The study contributes to cultural and linguistic scholarship by demonstrating that traditional children’s games can operate as indigenous educational systems that transmit cosmological knowledge and ethical values across generations. By proposing an ethnopedagogical interpretation of the chant, this research highlights the role of traditional oral expressions in preserving cultural wisdom and shaping character education in contemporary society.