Kontinuitas dan Perubahan Sawer Panganten dalam Upacara Perkawinan Adat Sunda Kontemporer - Irawan, Cepi (Journal of Urban Societys Arts, 2012)
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memahami peristiwa saweran yang terjadi dalammasyarakat Sunda kontemporer. Penelitian dilakukan dengan pengamatan terlibatpada upacara perkawinan yang berlangsung dalam masyarakat Sunda yang tinggaldi kota. Peristiwa nyawer atau sawer dilaksanakan pada waktu upacara perkawinanadat Sunda setelah akad nikah. Upacara ini dilengkapi dengan benda-benda simbolikyang mempunyai nilai ritual seperti mantera atau rajah. Sawer yang bentukaktivitasnya berupa penyampaian nasihat kepada mempelai melalui lagu-lagu yangdinyanyikan oleh juru sawer dengan seni mamaos sebagai sarananya. Sawer ataunyawer mempunyai arti air jatuh memercik, sesuai dengan praktek juru sawer yangmenabur-naburkan perlengkapan nyawer seolah-olah memercikkan air kepadamempelai serta kepada semua yang hadir dan ikut menyaksikan di sekelilingnya.Acara seperti ini disebut nyawer karena dilakukan di panyaweran atau taweuranatau cucuran atap. berdasarkan pengamatan, dapat disimpulkan bahwa pada saatini telah terjadi perubahan-perubahan, baik dari segi tempat pertunjukan, waktupelaksanaan, materi lagu yang dibawakan, dan juru sawer yang melaksanakannya.Meskipun demikian, acara sawer ini sampai sekarang masih terus dilaksanakan olehmasyarakat Sunda kontemporer.Â Continuity and Change of Sawer Art in the Sundanese Tradition WeddingCeremony. The sawer art is a kind of song that has a free meter, accompanied by themusical instruments of kacapi (both the kacapi indung and the kacapi rincik) and eitherthe flute or the rebab (a two-stringed musical instrument). One of the functions of thisart is to become a part of the ceremonial activities in the Sundanese wedding ceremony.It is performed after the marriage ceremony. In this case, the sawer art is carried out byusing a technique served with beverage refreshment (ditambul) or songs sung withoutany musical accompaniments. Marriage is considered to be sunnah (optional) and it isdetermined by human beings based on the spiritual and physical needs. The marriageceremony is the most vital part in the process. After the marriage ceremony is over,there are other ceremonies to be carried out. These extra ceremonies do not belong tothe religious rule, instead they are parts of the old Sundanese customs which exist untilthe present time and perpetuated by many Sundanese people. They include the saweror nyawerthrough which an activity is done by giving a message to the newly-marriedcouple through songs presented by the jurusawer. From time to time, the sawer art stillexists with its strong tradition and it spreads throughout West Java, especially Priangan.Â Some people have this art as their profession. There have been some changes in theSundanese wedding tradition, i.e. those concerning time, place, equipment and thepeople organizing it.