This paper draws on two novels, Bajak Laut dan Mahapatih and Lambung Mangkurat, as primary sources. Both feature Gajah Mada, the Mahapatih of the Majapahit Kingdom, yet each is set in a different region—Southeast Sulawesi and South Kalimantan. The research question centers on how these two novels construct the collective recognition of Gajah Mada among the people in Southeast Sulawesi and South Kalimantan. The analysis reveals that the two novels depict different forms of collective recognition of Gajah Mada. In Southeast Sulawesi, the community’s collective recognition is more personal and rooted in a local origin story linking Gajah Mada to their region. In contrast, the community in South Kalimantan acknowledges Gajah Mada in a more formal, institutional manner, focused on adherence to Majapahit customs and procedures within the Nagara Dipa government. Thus, while Southeast Sulawesi’s recognition of Gajah Mada is intimate and personal, South Kalimantan’s is more distant, and protocol driven.