The Wayang
Javanese culture is a product of pre-Hindu, Hindu and Islamic influences. The rise of the 16th century Islamic states brought a rich new cultural heritage but the Hindu heritage also managed to continue its influence.
The Javanese shadow-puppet (wayang) theatre has been a major means of preserving the Hindu-Buddhist heritage in java. The main wayang form is the wayang kulit; the word wayang means shadow, and the word kulit means leather. Thus the wayang kulit indicates a form of shadow theatre using puppets made of leather. In the wider sense the word wayang refers to all dramatic plays:
The real origin of the wayang kulit is unknown. Shadow puppet theatre is not unique to Java, it can also be found in India, China and parts of South-East Asia. Strangely enough, given that the wayang kulit tells stories from pre-Islamic days, Javanese tradition credits the creation of the wayang to the nine walis, the semi-legendary apostles of Islam in Java. Many wayang kulit figures and even whole stories have a specific mystical function; certain stories are performed for the purpose of protecting a rice crop (these incorporate the rice goddess Dewi Sri), the welfare of a village or even individuals.
By the 11th century wayang performances with leather puppets were flourishing in Java and by the end of the 18th century the wayang kulit had developed most of the details of puppets design and performances techniques we see today. The standardization of the puppet designs is traditionally attributed to King Raden Patah of Demak (an Islamic kingdom on the site of modern-day Semerang) who reigned in the first half of the 16th century.
The puppets are made of leather, water buffalo leather from a young animal being the most favored material. The outline of the puppet is cut using a thin knife and the fine details carved out using small chisels and a hammer. When the carving is finished the moveable arms are attached and the puppet is painted. Lines are drawn in and accentuated with black ink which is also used to increase the contrast of the carved holes. The cempurit, the stick of horn used to hold the puppet upright, is then attached.
The leaf-shaped kayon is meant to represent the ‘tree’ or ‘mountain of life’ and is used to end scenes or to symbolize wind, mountains, obstacles, clouds, or the sea. Made of the same flexible hide as the other puppets the kayon might be waved softly behind the cloth screen while a puppet figure is held horizontally-a surprisingly effective way of indicating flight through the cloudy sky. There are a number of symbolic decorations on the kayon including the face in the centre of the tree which symbolizes the danger and risk that all people must confront in life.
The characters in wayang are brought to life by the dalang. To call him a puppeteer belittles the extraordinary range of talents he must possess. Sitting cross-legged on a mat before the white screen the dalang might manipulate dozens of figures in the course of a performance. He recounts events spanning centuries and continents, improvising from the basic plot a complex network of court intrigues, great loves, wars, philosophy, magic, mysticism and comedy. He must be a linguist capable of speaking both the language of his audience and the ancient kawi language spoken by the aristocratic characters of his play; he must be a mimic capable of producing a different voice for each of his characters; he must have great physical stamina to sustain a performance which will last from the evening until the early hours of the morning; he must be a musician, able to direct the village’s gamelan orchestra which accompanies the performance; he must be versed in history, as well as have a deep understanding of philosophy and religion; he must be a poet capable of creating a warm or a terrifying atmosphere; but he must also be a comedian able to introduce some comic relief into his performances. Understandably, the dalang has always been regarded as a very special type of person. Most dalang are men but today there are a number of female dalang in Java.
The dalang directs the gamelan orchestra using a system of cues, often communicating the name of the composition to be played using riddles or puns. The player of the kendang or drum acts as the liason between the dalang and the other gamelan players, in setting the proper tempo and changes of tempo for each piece, and executing the important signals for ending pieces. The dalang may communicate with the orchestra using signals tapped out with the wooden cempala (a mallet) held in his left hand. Or there may be other types of cues; for example, one of the clowns in the performance may announce that a singing contest is to be held, then announce the song he intends singing and the gamelan will play that song.
The mass of the audience sits in front of the screen to watch the shadow figures, but some also sit behind the screen with the dalang, to watch the master at work.
