THE PROCESSION AND MEANING OF SENGEN TRADITION IN GAYO LUES SOCIETY Erna Hayati
Universitas Syiah Kuala
Abstract
This study is about “The Procession and Meaning of Sengen Tradition in Gayo Lues Society.†This study try to reveal the tradition which is believed by Gayo Lues society as a sacred cultural heritage which is well known as the term Sengen. In Sangen tradition, a child who is mismatch with his/her parent is handled by giving that child to the relatives from his/her father or mother. The example of mismatch among other is when a child was born with face- down position and when the child’s body is turned over, he/she will urinate, or when son or daughter is looks very much like his/her father or mother, it is worried that it will bring disaster or bad thing (often sick, often cry without reason, even it is worried that he/she will be died). The aim of this study is: (1) to describe the steps in Sengen process, (2) to describe the meaning of Sengen tradition in the culture of Gayo Lues society. The method in this study is qualitative descriptive by using interview technique. The location of study is in Putri Betung Sub-district, Gayo Lues Regency. The subject of study involve 15 people which consist of Custom leaders and people who ever hold Sengen and people who never hold Sengen. The result of study show that (1) The process of holding Sengen is done in Gayo Lues society in which birth parent provide various goods for seserahan which will be given together with the child to Sengen parent, and after the seserahan event had finished, that goods will be returned to birth parent. (2) Sengen tradition aims to guard the child in order to be safe, and avoid him/her from everything bad. The conclusion of this study is that the process of Sengen tradition held in Gayo Lues society as a cultural tradition which is passed for generations is held as a sacred cultural value, then Sengen tradition is held as the form of custom ritual by delegating a child to the relatives and it is expected that this procession of Sengen ritual can avoid the child and parent from disaster such as death and affliction which can occur to them.
