Lengser character communication in mapag panganten ceremony: A comparative study

Abstract

Sundanese culture is one of the cultures that still maintain the customs and traditions in their daily life. Sundanese culture has a variety of different cultures and customs in each region. Besides that, Sundanese culture highly upholds courtesy, warmth, smiling, gentle, and has great respect for parents. One of the customs of a Sundanese culture that is still being performed today is a wedding ceremony. It contains high values because it encompasses various special rituals. Wedding customs in the Sundanese culture called mapag panganten are believed to contain the meaning and philosophy of life for the couple for the future. This study implemented a qualitative approach with ethnographic methods. This ethnographic method is considered to be able to describe the phenomenon of regional cultural research that is more specific and has certain characteristics of an area. It included depicting the communication of a lengser character in the mapag panganten ritual at Sundanese traditional wedding ceremonies. The results of the research showed that the clothes worn by lengser character in the mapag panganten ritual have a special philosophy related to the life of the Sundanese people and do not conflict with customs, culture, and religion. Playing a lengser character is the same as playing a drama that must be good at expression and body gestures. It is adjusted by the contents of kawih and rajah. The contents of the kawih and the words of the lengser character of each studio can be different and be as interesting as possible. The contents of the rajah are different but the meaning remains the same, i.e., in the form of a request to God Almighty. Generally, kawih and rajah are performed by lengser character by lip-syncing or indirectly. The conclusion of the communication process of lengser character is conveyed through culture by verbal and nonverbal means. All symbols in lengser have a special philosophy related to the life of the Sundanese people, which of course does not conflict with customs, culture, and religion. The research suggestion of this study is that the Sundanese people should understand the philosophy of the symbols that exist in culture and continue to preserve the lengser character in the mapag panganten traditional ceremony. Hence, these figures are not lost to the times and the next younger generation can still watch lengser in the Mapag Panganten traditional ceremony.