The Symbolic Meaning of Traditional Woven Fabric Ulos as A Spiritual Expression in Batak Toba Rituals

Abstract

Every society in the world has a certain ability to produce traditional woven cloth as a result of its culture. Likewise, for the Batak people, the traditional woven cloth is called ulos, it is accepted as a symbol of a Batak spiritual expression. In the Batak tradition, giving or receiving a ulos is done based on the rules and procedures generally accepted in society. Giving and receiving ulos also represents a number of ideal values from the people who adhere to it. In substance, these are the values that are symbolically conveyed to someone and it is hoped that they will be realized in the future, accompanied by hopes and prayers. Typically, giving ulos does not have to take into account the particular religion or belief of the person receiving it, and the person to whom the ulos is given receives it with joy. So, ulos itself is universal because it is able to strengthen the solidarity of Batak people of different religions, both personally and collectively. The theory used refers to Clifford Geertz's theory regarding religion as a symbol system found in every culture. In Sandra Niessen's perspective, ulos is an expression and spiritual image of the Toba Batak people. For this reason, it is necessary to carry out research through a study process to find out whether the traditional ulos woven cloth is closely related to the spiritual values that the Batak have had since ancient times.