Wayang: Indonesia’s Puppets

Puppets. Objects that often resemble a human, animal, or mythical creature, animated by a puppeteer. Puppetry is the ancient form of theater or performance involving said puppets. Puppetry has existed in a variety of cultures for a long time. There has been some debate as to when and where the first puppet came to be. But most people agree that puppets have existed as early as the 5th century B.C. back in Ancient Greece.

Today there are many famous puppets known across the globe, such as Kermit the Frog and the Marionette from FNAF. Everyone knows at least one puppet. But I think a certain form of puppetry should be recognized even more. That is the WAYANG. Wayangs are important to Indonesian culture because it connects its people to their history and identity. It’s an interesting craft that has helped bring compelling stories to people worldwide.

ORIGINS:

Originating from Java, one of Indonesia’s islands, wayang is a traditional form of puppet play. It’s said that the art of shadow puppetry was probably spread to Java due to the growth of Hinduism in Indonesia. The word ‘wayang’ comes from the Javanese language, which means shadow or picture.

WAYANG KULIT:
One of the most famous forms of wayang is the wayang kulit. The wayang kulit performance is a form of traditional shadow theater that features these wayang figures. The wayang figures are controlled by a puppeteer, who is called the ‘dalang’. Dalangs also act as the narrator who brings the story to life. Usually, wayang kulit performances tell stories taken from the Ramayana and Mahabharata scripts, which are then staged with gamelan music. Each part of the wayang kulit performance has its own strong philosophical meaning.

It’s not known for sure who first invented the wayang kulit. However, we do know that the wayang kulit has a very long history. It was birthed and enveloped in the Javanese community, with the oldest record about the wayang kulit coming from the Kuti inscription, which dates back to 840 A.D. from East Jawa.

HOW ARE THEY MADE?
Wayang kulits are made of ‘kulit’, which means skin or leather, referring to the leather material (usually buffalo leather) that is used to make the show’s figures. So, when put together, ‘wayang kulit’ literally means skin or leather shadow puppet.

According to the Museum of International Folk Art in New Mexico, the buffalo skin used in the creation of wayang kulits is cut and manually punctured, one hole at a time. The artists who carve and puncture the buffalo skin then start scratching the design and details of the wayang figure onto the rawhide. Following the sketch, the rawhide is carved and punctured. A special mallet, called the ‘tatah’, is used to punch the holes through the rawhide. Once the hole-punching process is finished, the puppets are painted in layers of water-based paints, decorated in extreme detail, and often completed with gold or bronze leaf.

The wayang kulit itself is controlled by sticks attached to the base and “limbs”. The sticks are made from buffalo horn or wood. When the rest of the puppet is done, the artist carefully attaches the handle by molding the ends of the horn around the wayang figure. It is then secured with a needle and thread.

ARJUNA:
One of the most famous wayang kulit characters out there is Arjuna. From the Mahabharata story, Arjuna, belonging to the Pandava group, is one of the protagonists who is described as handsome and gentle. Arjuna is known as a hero who has skills in martial arts, arrows, and wisdom in acting. Stories about his courage in fighting enemies and his spiritual journey often become the main theme in wayang performances.

Arjuna is almost always seen holding a kris, a Javanese asymmetrical dagger. In Javanese culture, his weaponry is not only a symbol of his physical strength but also of spiritual prowess. Another wayang character, Semar, a panakawan (a clown servant) and deity who in Javanese mythology could only manifest themselves as ugly or otherwise unprepossessing humans, contrasts Arjuna’s tall and slender body. This indicates his status as a royal and warrior with virtue. His puppets are often dressed in highly detailed garments along with batik-like motifs and colors associated with royalty, such as gold, red, and blue, once again symbolizing his princely identity.

SIGNIFICANCE:
In 2003, UNESCO, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, officially designated wayang as an amazing cultural work in the field of beautiful and valuable narrative stories. Because of this, UNESCO recognized the Wayang Kulit as a world heritage site and was given the award ‘Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity’ on the 7th of November 2003, along with other art forms from around the world, including the Palestinian Hikaye, the Nôgaku theater from Japan, the Royal Ballet of Cambodia, and many others. This achievement proved that wayang is an art that must be maintained for years to come and should not be easily forgotten.

WAYANG GOLEK:

However, wayang kulit isn’t the only type of wayang in Indonesia, and not every wayang looks the same. Every wayang has its unique characteristics. And many regions in Indonesia even have their own type of wayang. One of them is the wayang golek.

Wayang golek is a type of wooden wayang that is carved to resemble a human and then dressed with fabrics as clothing. The wayang golek performance is usually played by the puppeteer while also accompanied by gamelan music. Originating from Sunda to the west of Jawa, wayang golek was first introduced in the year 1583 by Sunan Kudus as a means to spread the teachings of Islam. Sunan Kudus brought stories of daily life along with Islamic values, dispersing humor to attract the audience’s attention.

At first, wayang golek was created so that the performance could be watched during daytime, with its first appearance by Sunan Kudus having the goal of being a medium for da’wah as a means of spreading the Islam religion. As time went on, the art of wayang golek continued to develop and perfect itself.

Back then, wayang golek was only performed by foreign nobles, aiming for achieving personal and public interests. Nowadays, wayang golek performances are a form of entertainment and are only used during important and certain events, such as weddings, cultural ceremonies, births, etc. since the cost of holding a wayang show isn’t exactly cheap.

CEPOT:

An example of a popular wayang golek character is Cepot, a red-colored wooden puppet dressed as a local Sundanese man with nothing but his two lower incisors. Cepot has the characteristics of someone who has bad behavior, which is symbolized in his red-colored skin. Despite this, in his story, Cepot was very loyal to his father, Semar, and followed him wherever he went. Cepot has a pretty laid-back and funny persona. Everything he says tends to be humorous, and his acts frequently contain slapstick gags. His clothing, which consists of traditional Sundanese clothes and batik, was designed to make Cepot look like a real person so that the audience could relate to him even more.

WAYANG ORANG:
Another type of wayang performance is the wayang orang, which translates to “human puppet”. Wayang orang, or wayang wong in Javanese, is one of the traditional performing arts that originated from Java, specifically Central Java. But instead of puppets, it’s instead performed by human actors wherein they take over the puppets’ roles. Just like the wayang kulit, the stories played by these performers are based on the Ramayana and Mahabharata stories that contain moral messages.

Wayang orang is very closely associated with Javanese culture. It was originally performed only as aristocratic entertainment in the four palaces of Yogyakarta, Pakualaman, Surakarta, and Mangkunegaran. Over time, it grew even more popular as a folk form. Wayang orang performances are regularly held on the Trimurti Ramayana open-air stage in Prambanan temple, Sriwedari Park in Solo, and Ngesti Pandawa in Semarang.

RAMA:

For an example, let’s use the character, Rama. Rama is the protagonist in the Ramayana stories. Rama’s portrayal as an ideal prince in the stories is shown in the wayang orang performances through a highly symbolic use of clothing and makeup that helps convey his divine and noble qualities. Rama is adorned with golden and bright layered garments with decorative sashes and accessories. The usage of elaborately decorated fabrics, which frequently include batik-like designs, is a reflection of Javanese royalty's lavish and aristocratic style. His clothing shows his depth and status as a leader and divine spiritual figure. His makeup, on the other hand, accentuates his inner peace, wisdom, and kindness. The soft facial makeup painted on the actor’s face is specifically designed to highlight Rama’s soothing and calm attitude. The white face powder is used to give his face a shining glow, symbolizing his purity and godly nature. And the painted red lips represent nobility, which is a common thing in wayang makeup for noble characters.

To put in summary, wayangs have been an essential part of shaping and influencing the growth of Indonesian arts and craftsmanship. It has also brought people and their communities together due to the hilarious, creative, and inspiring shows put on by the incredibly talented wayang performers. Wayang has been and will always be part of Indonesia’s culture. With that being said, whether you previously knew anything about wayangs or not, I truly hope that you were able to learn something new from this blog. And that most importantly, wayangs can one day be known worldwide as one of Indonesia’s greatest artistic crafts.

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