Revitalizing Tradition: Ruwatan Murwakala as a Medium of Cultural and Social Solidarity in the Post-Pandemic Era

Abstract

Living life after the Covid-19 pandemic in Indonesia requires more than just focusing on health issues, but also social and humanitarian issues. One solution based on community support or communal reasoning is the Ruwatan Murwakala ritual. This ritual is related to an individual’s or society’s belief in freedom from negative influences, curses, and disasters or calamities in daily life. This study aims to explore Ruwatan Murwakala as a medium for cultural and social solidarity through community responses on YouTube and Facebook. Saussure’s semiotic theory is used to interpret signs and meanings that are reinterpreted when transferred to the digital space, resulting in new meanings. A qualitative method with a semiotic approach was used to analyze digital media broadcasting Ruwatan Murwakala through YouTube and Facebook as data sources. The findings of this study indicate that Ruwatan Murwakala is a ritual for cleansing oneself from disasters, bad luck, and curses. In the post-Covid-19 pandemic context, Ruwatan Murwakala can be interpreted as a medium for collective spiritual communication. The signifiers appearing on YouTube and Facebook symbolize safety, protection, and renewal of life. The meaning of the signs in ruwatan rituals has shifted and expanded from traditional symbols of safety to a means of optimism for post-pandemic life. This also demonstrates efforts to maintain the continuity of tradition amidst the tide of digitalization and modernization.