Martabas 'Bermantra' dalam Etnik Simalungun

Abstract

Martabas ‘spells’ is a language practice using a variety of tabas ‘spells', which is a medical tradition in the Simalungun Community. This study used an anthropolinguistic approach that can reveal the meaning behind the martabas tradition through the parameters of connectedness, valuability, and sustainability. This study aimed to describe and find the patterns of martabas performance, the meaning of performative verbs, and the contents to find the local wisdom that can be used to organize the life of the Simalungun community. As part of the qualitative design, this research refers to the philosophy of empiricism based on the phenomenological paradigm. The research data were obtained from primary data, namely: recordings, interviews, and observations. Secondary data consists of tabas texts. The results and research findings indicate that martabas have a textual and nontextual pattern consisting of structures, rules, and formulas. The pattern of performance explains the second parameter, namely connectedness. The textual structure consists of plot structure and sentence structure. Textual rules consist of opening, content, and closing elements based on the text structure. The textual formula consists of 14 ethnic greeting sentences, +6 religious greeting sentences, +33 declarative sentences, +24 imperative sentences, +an apology sentences, +16 affirmative imperative sentences, and +thanksgiving sentences. The pattern of non-textual performance also consists of the main structure and the participant structure. The rules consist of the main rules, behavior, and situations. The formula consists of the main formula and the implementation formula. The main formula includes demban sayur, +frankincense, +demban panurungi, +a pair of kaffir limes, +mineral water, +a ceremonial knife, +native chicken eggs, +potpourri, and +money. The implementation formula includes the performance preparation as a request to tabas speakers, sequence of performance activities, submissions of herbal to patients and as a thank you to tabas speakers, and treatment of patients or the use of amulet ‘tangkal’. This study also found the meaning of performative verbs that play a role in clarifying the meaning of the sentence to make the listener easier to understand the sentence. The performative verbs found include explicit performatives and implicit performatives. Finally, this study also found the main local wisdom and other local wisdom.