consist of implicit meaning. The implicit meaning, according to Barthes, is the area of mythology.
26
According to Roland Barthes in his book Myth Today
27
, myth has tridimensial pattern, which describes the signifier, the signified and the sign.
However, myth is a peculiar system, in that it constructed from a semiological chain, which existed before it: it is a second-order semiological system. That,
which is a sign namely the associative total of a concept and an image in the first system, becomes a mere signification in the second. We here must recall that the
materials of mythical speech the language it self, photography, posters, rituals, objects, etc.
Roland Barthes’ semiotic approach is particularly for speech, which is called myth. According to him, language needs curtain condition turning to be myth; in
semiotic, it is characterized with a rank of signification called as the second order semiological system. It means that in the rank of language or the first order
semiological system, the signifier is connected with the signified so that they produce sign. Then, the sign, in the first order semiological system, gradually
turns out to be signified in the second order semiological system, in the range of signification, myth appears.
28
However, the different at the start, are reduced to a pure signifying function as soon they are caught by myth. Myth sees in them only the same raw material:
Their unity is that they all come down to the statues of a mere language whether it
26
Pailing, Yasraf Amir 2003, loc, cit.
27
Roland Barthes, “Myth Today,” A Roland Barthes Reader, ed. Susan Sontag London, 1993, p. 91-92
28
Kris Budiman, Semiotika Visual, Buku Baik Yogyakarta 2003, 1
st
printing, p. 63
deals with alphabetical or pictorial writing, myth wants to see in them only a sum of signs, a global sign, and the final term of a first semiological chain.
F. The work of the second signification in symbol and myth
The second order semiological system is not as easy as we think, because what we see, hear and read is the first order semiological system. That is why; myth
analysis is lead to the basic or the formation of the second order semiologial system by looking at the element or conotator as the element of forming
signification. In the other hand, we must focus myth analysis on analysis about signification system in the second signification.
As the semiotic system, myth can be described into three kinds, they are: signifier, signified, and sign. To differentiate the terms which is used in the first
order semiological system, Barthes uses three different kinds of terms, they are: form, concept, and signification. In this case, form is level with signifier, concept
with signified, and signification with sign. The distinguished terms intended not to make us confused, but also caused by a process of signification in both level of
semiological systems. In the first signification is linguistic system, the second signification is myth system which has uniqueness. To make easier our
discussion, I will use the scheme given by Barthes.
1. Signifier 2. Signified
The first order semiological system
denotation 3. Sign meaning
I.Signifier
Form
II. Signified
Concept The second order
semiological system connotation
III. Sign
Signification
Scheme II
From the above scheme we can see that myth system as the second order semiological system can be described more explicit for the analysis. As the myth
system, it consists of form, concept, and signification. Because the myth system is as a semiotic system, we can make a scheme: III. Sign, I. Signifier, and II.
Signified. Myth is created with the usage of the first order semiological system as signifier in the second order semiological system. The new signifier is called form
and signified called concept. The relation between form and concept is called signification or myth itself.
29
In conclusion, Sign, Signifier and Signified used in the first order semiological system, while Signification, Form and Content in the
second order semiological system. In Elements of Semiology, Barthes substitutes the more familiar terms ‘denotation’ the first order semiological system and
‘connotation the second order semiological system: ‘the first system denotation becomes the plane of expression or signifier of the second system connotation . .
29
St Sunardi 2002, op, cit, p. 74
