Original Research: Historical Thought and Source Interpretation
Azan Pitu: The Pacification of Plagues rituals during the COVID-19 pandemic
Submitted: 08 January 2023 | Published: 21 April 2023
About the author(s)
Husnul Qodim, Department of Religious Studies, Faculty of Ushuluddin, UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung, Bandung, IndonesiaWawan Hernawan, Department of Religious Studies, Faculty of Ushuluddin, UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has spread to the whole world, including Indonesia. People have made various efforts to overcome this outbreak. One of them is through local wisdom, such as in Cirebon-Indonesia. Cirebon people carry out the Azan Pitu ritual to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic that has spread in Cirebon. This study aims to explore the local knowledge system or local wisdom regarding Azan Pitu in overcoming the COVID-19 outbreak. The method used in this research is a qualitative method with observation and in-depth interviews for collecting data. In the analysis process, this study uses Victor Turner’s ritual theory and Bronislaw Malinowski’s functional analysis theory. The study’s results found that people first performed the Azan Pitu ritual to overcome the outbreak of menjangan wulung during the Sunan Gunung Djati era. However, Cirebon people maintain it as a tradition to prevent disease outbreaks, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Azan Pitu ritual to ward off COVID-19 has changed form and function, but it does not diminish its essential meaning: the community’s efforts to expel COVID-19.
Contribution: This study contributes to broadening insights into ritual studies, especially those related to epidemics and disasters.
Keywords
Sustainable Development Goal
Metrics
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Crossref Citations
1. Safeguarding Communities: Exploring the Tradition of Tolak Bala in Nagari Bungus
Resta Lisman, Darmaiza Darmaiza, Dwi Wahyuni
Journal of Contemporary Rituals and Traditions vol: 1 issue: 1 first page: 25 year: 2023
doi: 10.15575/jcrt.212