Semiotic Interpretation of "Hadih Maja"

This article presents a systematic semiotic analysis of hadih maja, a traditional Acehnese oral expression rooted in Aceh, a historically Islamic region at the northern tip of Sumatra, Indonesia. For generations, hadih maja has served as a medium for transmitting moral values, social norms, and cultural identity within Acehnese society. Using a multi-layered qualitative approach that integrates Saussurean structuralism, Peircean semiotics, Barthesian myth analysis, Geertzian interpretive anthropology, and Islamic moral philosophy, this study examines selected hadih maja to explore their symbolic and pedagogical meanings. Rather than treating them as mere linguistic artifacts, hadih maja is understood as a living cultural text shaped by social experience and moral reflection. The findings indicate that hadih maja constitutes a coherent moral–semiotic system organized around six interrelated domains: moral and spiritual discipline, social ethics, behavioral wisdom, preventive ethics, leadership morality, and cultural identity. These domains reflect a culturally grounded moral worldview that resonates with Al-Ghazzali’s ethical thought as well as contemporary theories of moral development and character education. The study also shows how figurative language and metaphor function as mechanisms of moral socialization, encouraging reflection and value internalization. Building on these insights, the article proposes a conceptual pedagogical model that positions hadih maja as a resource for literary learning and culturally responsive character education.