FORM, FUNCTION, AND MEANING OF SYMBOLS IN TRADITIONAL CEREMONY OF SAYUR MATUA OF THE SIMALUNGUN COMMUNITY

The sayur matua ceremony is a traditional death ceremony. This ceremony will be carried out if someone who dies has grandchildren from sons or daughters. People who die with this status are considered to have lived a perfect life. Therefore, a series of burial processions must be carried out with traditional ceremonies. The main elements of the community are the tolu sahundulan and the five saodoran, often abbreviated as Tohunlidoran. Tolu sahundulan 'three elements in one position' are: tondong, sanina, and anak boru. Lima saodoran 'five elements in one unit' is the addition of two elements from the three main elements, namely suhut and anak boru (mintori). These five elements act according to their respective positions, functions, and roles in the traditional ceremonies carried out. At the time of the death ceremony, speech appears accompanied by objects as symbols. The presence of these symbols is absolute in traditional ceremonies. The symbols are in the form of objects derived from animals, plants, and other living equipment objects. Each object has a function and meaning. This traditional ceremony is full of meaning. Therefore, this traditional ceremony needs attention and revitalization. The appropriate theory used in analyzing the problem is semiotic theory. Based on the results of the research, it is known that there are 25 stages of traditional ceremony activities. However, not all of these activities present symbols. The symbols that can be identified are: demban, porsa, gotong, bulang, batu demban, pinggan, boras, apei, white cloth, bulung, pisou pangolat, tinombu, hiou sintakan, untei pangir, and dayok binatur. Some of these symbols are present with speech, but some are present without speech. All of these symbols are absolutely present in the sayur matua traditional ceremony. The research method used in this study is analytical descriptive method, which is by structurally describing the series of events and then analyzing them based on semiotic theory. The semiotic theory used refers to Charles Sanders Pierce, where the sign is something that functions to represent something else by presenting something that it represents. Each sign can be described in terms of its form, function and meaning. The sayur matua traditional ceremony found in the Simalungun community is a form of local wisdom of mutual cooperation and togetherness that can realize the peace of life.