THE SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATION OF ULOS IN BATAK CULTURE: AN ECOLINGUISTIC PERSPECTIVE
Abstract
This research investigates the symbolic representation of the ulos in Batak culture from an ecolinguistic perspective, highlighting its role as a cultural artifact deeply intertwined with language, tradition, and the environment. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, data were collected through interviews with weavers, Raja Perhata (cultural experts), and traditional leaders who possess deep knowledge of the ulos. The study focuses on specific Toba Batak ulos, such as Ragi Hidup, Ragi Hotang, and Sibolang, each symbolizing unique aspects of Batak values and worldviews. Ragi Hidup conveys blessings for happiness, offspring, and longevity, particularly during wedding ceremonies, while Ragi Hotang is associated with respect and honor, and Sibolang signifies the act of paying homage. These symbolic meanings are intricately embedded in the patterns, colors, and material composition of the ulos, reflecting their significance in Batak society. The findings reveal that the ulos is not merely a textile but a vessel of cultural meaning, encompassing prayers for prosperity, social status, and well-being. Through the lens of ecolinguistics, this study demonstrates how the ulos, as a cultural symbol, contributes to the sustainability of Batak traditions by encoding and perpetuating ecological and social values within its symbolic framework. The research underscores the critical importance of preserving these traditional symbols to maintain the cultural heritage and identity of the Bataknese people while offering broader insights into the role of language and culture in sustaining community values.
References
Abdillah, E. A., and Irwansyah, I. (2020). Perancangan infografis pengenalan kain ulos batak toba. Jurnal Mahasiswa Fakultas Seni dan Desain, 1(1), 169-182.
Adiakurnia, M.I. 2017. Makna ulos di perkawinan adat batak bobby-kahiyang ayu, apa sih? Kompas, November 22, 2017, https://pemilu.kompas.com/read/2017/11/22/180000427/.
Adriani, A., and Fitriani. (2023). Motif dan makna motif tenun ulos batak angkola di kabupaten tapanuli selatan. Gorga: Jurnal Seni Rupa, 12(2), 302-309
Ananda, R. (2021). Ulos as batak cultural wisdom towards world heritage. Journal Budapest International Research and Critics in Linguistics and Education (BirLE) 4(2), 853-864.
Carmeline, J. (2017). Perancangan Buku Visual Ulos Batak Sebagai Upaya Pelestarian Ulos Tradisional. Surabaya.
Budiman, J., Russtiyanti, S, & Djuniwati. (2019). Struktur dan fungsi pemberian ulos pada pernikahan etnik batak toba di kota bandung. Jurnal Budaya Etnika, 3(2), 95-114.
Desiani, I. F. (2022). Simbol dalam kain ulos pada suku batak toba. Jurnal Ilmu Budaya, 18(2), 127-137.
Fitriyani, L. R., & Rachmawati, D. (2024). Attitude Of Generation Z of The Batak Tribe In Preserving Ulos As A Cultural Heritage. Jurnal Komunikasi Ikatan Sarjana Komunikasi Indonesia, 9(1), 105-117.
Hajar, S., Ramlan, & Arma, N. A. (2024). Tourism Governance Based-On Penta-Helix Model in Samosir Island, Indonesia. International Journal, 5(11), 1914-1927.
Halliday, M. A. K. (2001). New ways of meaning: The challenge to applied linguistics: the ecolinguistics reader: language, ecology, and environment. London: Continuum.
Harahap, N. F. (2017). Makna Tradisi Mangulosi Pada Pernikahan Komunitas Batak Toba di Desa Kampung Jering Kecamatan Bakauheni Kabupaten Lampung Selatan. (http://repository.radenintan.ac.id/id/eprint/3113/). Accesed on 22 June 2021.
Hariani, E. & Kusumastuti, A. (2023). Study of functions, motifs, and symbolic meanings of toba batak ulos sadumwoven fabrics in north Sumatra. Fashion and Fashion Education Journal (FFEJ), 12(1), 32-47. https://doi.org/10.15294/ffej.v12i1.68019
Hasibuan, R. A & Rochmat, S. (2021). Ulos as batak culture wisdom towards world heritage. budapest international research and critics in linguistics and education. (BirLE) Journal, 4(2), 853-864.
Irvan, I. (2023). Ethnomathematics exploration in geometric transformation learning in batak woven cloth. International Journal Reglement & Society (IJRS), 4(3), 248-253.
Jiniputri, A. R., Panggabean, R., & Widiawati, D. (2021, December). Preservation of traditional Ikat Ulos by Motif design development and natural dye utilization in Muara District, North Tapanuli. In ICON ARCCADE 2021: The 2nd International Conference on Art, Craft, Culture and Design (ICON-ARCCADE 2021) (pp. 95-103). Atlantis Press.
Kemenpppa.go.id. Tradisi Tenun Ulos Batak Hamper Punah. https://www.kemenpppa. go.id.
Manalu, R. M. U., Simanjuntak, R. H., & Casiavera, C. (2023). Preservation of the symbolic meaning of Ulos in strengthening the cultural identity of the Toba Batak community in Tanjungpinang City. Social Issues Quarterly, 1(3), 735-743.
Marella, A. S. (2018). “ULOS” Kajian kritis terhadap merosotnya pemaknaan nilai luhur ulos bagi masyarakat batak toba di salatiga. Salatiga: Skripsi S1 Program Studi Ilmu: Teologi Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana.
Mistavakia, D. (2015). Pola komunikasi pada prosesi mangulosi dalam pernikahan budaya adat batak toba. Jurnal Ilmu Komunikasi, 2(1), 23-31.
Muliono, R., Iranita, M. S., & Syah, R. B. (2023). An Effectivity Deep Learning Optimization Model to Traditional Batak Culture Ulos Classification. learning, 9, 10.
Novianti, N and Haryano, A. (2022). Perancangan website informasi kain ulos batak toba sebagai upaya pelestarian. JUTEI, 6(1), 27–37.
Nugroho, C. (2020). Weaving and cultural identity of batak toba women. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 56(6), 1–13.
Octavita, R. A. I., Yuliana, T. I., Ulfa, R. N., & Ghufron, M. A. (2024). semiotic analysis of the tortor dance in north sumatran wedding ceremonies. Candradimuka: Journal of Education, 2(2), 66-73. https://doi.org/10.60012/cje.v2i2.87
Pangaribuan, Y. (2013). Penekanan unsur dekoratif melalui aplikasi ornamen ulos batak toba pada perancangan busana. Generasi Kampus, 6(2), 105-111.
Punto, H. E. (2020). Simbol: Arti, fungsi, dan implikasi metodologisnya. Endogami: Jurnal Ilmiah Kajian Antropologi, 3(2), 158-165.
Putri, J., Firmando, H, F., and Simbolon, R. (2024). Ulos batak sebagai warisan budaya dalam upacara adat di desa wisata huta nagodang kecamatan muara kabupaten tapanuli utara. Jurnal Insan Pendidikan dan Sosial Humaniora, 2(2), 114–134. https://doi.org/10.59581/jipsoshum-widyakarya.v2i2.3104
Rahmi, N. U., Sari, W., Tamba, W. E. M., & Afrilyani, T. P. (2021). Utilization of ulos as creative economic potential for communities in indonesia. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Culture Heritage, Education, Sustainable Tourism, and Innovation Technologies (CESIT 2020), pages 515-521, https://doi.org/10.5220/0010330505150521
Saragi, D., Sinaga, O., & Tarigan, N. (2024). Development and Implementation of The Bilingual" Ulos Weaving" Textbook in The Fine Arts Studies Program as Implementation of An Outcomes-Based Curriculum. Randwick International of Education and Linguistics Science Journal, 5(2), 641-652. https://doi.org/10.47175/rielsj.v5i2.996
Sherly, M., and Sukardi, S. (2015). Makna simbolik kain ulos pada masyarakat batak toba di palembang. Kalpataru: Jurnal Sejarah dan Pembelajaran Sejarah, 1(2).
Siagian, R. J. (2024). The symbolic meaning of traditional woven fabric ulos as a spiritual expression in batak toba rituals. International Journal of Religion, 5(5), 200-209. https://doi.org/10.61707/stw03g83
Sianturi, E. D., & Yunus, M. (2023). The symbolic meaning of ulos in the implementation of weddings in the toba batak community in banda aceh. Community Development Journal, 7(3), 182-185. https://doi.org/ 10.33086/cdj.v7i3.5198
Sinaga, P. S, Djunaidi, B, and Diani, I. (2021). Semiotika umpasa bahasa batak toba: pendekatan roland barthes. Jurnal Ilmiah Korpus, 5(1), 81-92. https://doi.org/10.33369/jik.12600
Sinulingga, J., Tampubolon, R. B., & Siahaan, P. (2024). Motif ulos ragi hotang etnik batak toba kajian semiotik sosial. Jurnal Pendidikan Tambusai, 8(2), 24005-24015.
Siregar, M. (2015). Sejumlah motif ulos terancam punah. Februari 24. Retrieved from Kompas.com: https://regional.kompas.com/read/2015/02/24/16511641/
Siregar, M. (2017). Industri kreatif ulos pada masyarakat pulau samosir. Jurnal Studi Kultural, 2(1), 1-5.
Siregar, B., Panggabean, I. P. S., Fahmi & Hizriadi, A. (2021). Classification of traditional ulos of batak toba ssing probabilistic neural network. Journal of Physics: Conference Series; Bristol 1882(1), 1-9.
Sitanggang, I. R. (2022). Mangulosi ulos (tradisi pertukaran resiprositas pada komunitas batak toba). Jurnal Filsafat, Sains, Teknologi, dan Sosial Budaya, 28(2), 14-22.
Saragi, D. M. (2024). A pragmatics analysis of politeness strategy: a case study in bataknese traditional wedding ceremony. Branches of Linguistics, 1(01), 46-63.
Sianturi, S. K., Dirgeyasa, I. W., & Lubis, F. K. (2021). Politeness strategies in delivering ulos in toba batak wedding ceremony. Linguistica, 10(3), 551.
Sinulingga, J., Limbong, R. G. A., & Pardede, D. S. (2024). Kain Ulos Motif Ragi Hidup Etnik Batak Toba: Kajian Semiotik Sosial. Jurnal Pendidikan Tambusai, 8(2), 24408-24417.
Sitepu, Y. E, Simarmata, F, Simatupang, T. D, and Annisa. (2020). Struktur dan nilai budaya yang dipakai dalam perkawinan adat batak toba. Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra Indonesia, 10(2), 103-109.
Sitompul, R. H. P. (2019). Ulos batak tempo dulu – masa kini. Jakarta: KERABAT.
Sitorus, E. Y. C., Sibarani, R., Sinulingga, J., Sinaga, W., & Damanik, R. (2024). Umpasa In The Giving of Ulos In Traditional Batak Toba Ceremonies: An Anthropolinguistic Study. Journal of Mandalika Literature, 5(3), 346-362.
Stibbe, A. (2010). Ecolinguistics and Globalitation. London: Balckwell Publishing.
Supriyanto, N., Tambunan, T. D. B., & Ginting, L. D. C. U. (2024). peran pemerintah dan adaptasi pelaku usaha umkm kain ulos pasca krisis moneter 1998: studi kasus kota pematangsiantar. Juremi: Jurnal Riset Ekonomi, 3(4), 375-382.
Syabrina, D., Saqinah, A., & Sinulingga, J. (2023). Makna dan fungsi ulos antak-antak sebagai warisan budaya kajian teori semantik. ARIMA: Jurnal Sosial Dan Humaniora, 1(2), 277-281.
Takari, M. (2009). Ulos dan sejenisnya dalam budaya batak di sumatra utara: makna, fungsi dan teknologi. Skripsi. Tidak Diterbitkan. Sumatra Utara: Universitas Sumatra Utara.
Tinambunan, E. R. (2023). Ulos batak toba: Makna religi dan implikasinya pada peradaban dan estetika. In Forum, 52(2), 122-142.
Vergouwen, J. C. (2004). Masyarakat dan hukum adat batak toba. Yogyakarta: Pelangi Aksara.
All articles published in English Review: Journal of English Education (ERJEE) are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Copyright Ownership
Authors retain the copyright of their articles and grant ERJEE the right of first publication. The journal is granted a non-exclusive license to publish, reproduce, and distribute the article in any format, medium, or platform, provided that proper credit is given to the original authors.
License Terms – CC BY 4.0
Under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, others are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially
As long as they:
- Provide appropriate credit to the original author(s) and source
- Provide a link to the license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
- Indicate if any changes were made
There are no restrictions on the reuse, reproduction, or adaptation of published articles as long as attribution is properly given.
Author Warranties
By submitting a manuscript to ERJEE, authors confirm that:
- The work is original and does not infringe any existing copyright.
- The manuscript has not been previously published and is not under consideration elsewhere.
- All sources and references are appropriately acknowledged.
- Necessary permissions have been obtained for any copyrighted materials used.
