ANALISIS MAKNA SIMBOLIK TRADISI WETE WU’U PADA MASYARAKAT DESA RIANGKOTEK KECAMATAN LEWOLEMA

Abstract

Modernization and generational transitions pose significant risks to the preservation of agrarian oral traditions in the Lamaholot region, while empirical documentation addressing the philosophical essence of harvest rituals remains scarce. This situation demonstrates a conceptual gap between the ongoing mechanical performance of rituals and the profound appreciation of their underlying cultural values. This study aims to identify and describe the symbolic meanings embodied in the Wete Wu’u customary tradition among the community of Riangkotek Village, Lewolema District, East Flores Regency. A descriptive qualitative design was employed, grounded in the triadic semiotic framework of Charles Sanders Peirce. Data were collected through field observations, in-depth interviews with customary elders (ata klake), and documentary studies of ritual artifacts. The findings reveal that ritual paraphernalia operates as an integrated sign system linking representamen, objects, and interpretants. Eight primary material symbols convey fundamental existential values: wete (foxtail millet) represents food security and gratitude, elephant tusks signify lineage honor, gold chains and stones (kaka bapa) symbolize perseverance, chickens and sacrificial blood embody spiritual purification, candlenuts represent generative fertility, white feathers validate ritual sanctity, and traditional palm arak cements communal solidarity. In conclusion, the Wete Wu’u tradition represents the cosmological philosophy of the Riangkotek community, sustaining a sacred equilibrium among humanity, the natural cosmos, and ancestral spirits.

ABSTRAK

Modernisasi dan pergeseran generasi memicu ancaman kepunahan pemahaman terhadap tradisi lisan agraris di wilayah Lamaholot, sementara dokumentasi ilmiah mengenai nilai filosofis ritual panen masih sangat terbatas. Kondisi ini memperlihatkan adanya kesenjangan antara keberlangsungan ritual fisik dan pemaknaan nilai luhur yang melandasinya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi dan mendeskripsikan makna simbolik yang terkandung dalam tradisi adat Wete Wu’u pada masyarakat Desa Riangkotek, Kecamatan Lewolema, Kabupaten Flores Timur. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif dengan kerangka analisis semiotika model triadik (triangle of meaning) Charles Sanders Peirce. Data dihimpun melalui observasi langsung, wawancara mendalam bersama pemangku adat (ata klake), serta studi dokumentasi artefak ritual. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa entitas perlengkapan ritual berfungsi sebagai sistem tanda terpadu yang memadukan tanda (sign), objek (object), dan penafsir (interpretant). Delapan simbol material merefleksikan nilai-nilai fundamental, yaitu wete (jewawut) melambangkan ketahanan pangan dan rasa syukur, gading gajah melambangkan kehormatan trah, rantai emas dan batu (kaka bapa) menyimbolkan keteguhan hidup, ayam serta darah ayam merepresentasikan kurban penyucian spiritual, kemiri menandakan kesuburan regenerasi, bulu ayam putih menyimbolkan pengesahan sakral, dan tuak arak merekatkan ikatan kekerabatan sosial. Simpulan penelitian menegaskan bahwa tradisi Wete Wu’u merupakan representasi falsafah kosmologi masyarakat Riangkotek yang menjaga keselarasan sakral antara manusia, alam semesta, dan leluhur.