Wayang is a Javanese word for theatre. When the term is used to refer to kinds of puppet theatre. Some times the puppet it self is referred to as wayang. Performances of shadow puppet theatre are accompinied by gamelan in Java.
UNESCO designated Wayang kulit, a shadow puppet theatre and the best known of the indonesian wayang, as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity on 7 November 2003. In return for the acknowedgment, UNESCO required Indonesians to preserve their heritage.
wayang is a generic term denoting traditional theatre in Indonesia. There is no evidence that wayang existed before Hinduism came to Southeast Asia sometime inthe first century CE, brought in by Indian traders. However, there very well may have been indigenous storytelling traditions that had a profound impact on the development of the traditional puppet theatre. The first record of a wayang performance is from an inscription date 930 CE which says "Si Galigi mawayang" or "Sir Galigi played wayang" . From that time till today it seems certain features of traditional puppet theatre have remind. Galigi was an itinerant performer who was requested to perform for a special royal occation. At that event be performed a story about the hero Bhima from the Mahabharata.
Wayang kulit is a unique form of theatre employing light and shadow. The puppets are crafted from buffallo hide and mounted on bamboo sticks. When held up behind a piece of white cloth,with an electric bulb or an oil lamp as the light source, shadows are cast on the screen.
Wayang Kulit plays are invariably based on romantic tales, especially adaptions of the classic Indian epics, "the Mahabarata" and The Ramayana". Some of the plays are also based on local happenings (current isssues) or other local secular stories. It is up to the conductor or "Tok Dalang" to decide his direction.
The Dalang is the genius behind the entire performance. It is he who sits behind the screen and narates the story. With a traditional orchestra in the background to provide a resonant melody and its conventional rhythm, The Dalang modulates his voice his create suspense thus heightening the drama. Invariably, the ply climaxes with the triumph of good over evil.
Hinduism arrived in Indonesia from India even before the chritian era, and was slowly adopted as the local believe system. Sunskrit became the literary and language of Java and later of Bali. The Hindus Changed the wayang (as did the molem later) to spread their religion, mostly by stories from the Mahabarata or the Ramayana. Later this mixture of religion and wayang was praised as harmony between Hinduism and Indonesian culture. On Java the western part of Sumatra and some smaller islands traditionalists continued to play the old stories for sometime, but the influence of Hinduism prevailed and the traditional stories either fell into oblivion or were the integrated into the Hinduistic plays.
When Islam began spreading in Indonesia, the display of God or gods in human form was pohibited, and thus this style of painting and shadow play was suppressed. King Raden Patah of Demak, Java, wanted to see the wayang in its traditional form, but failed to obtain permision from the muslim religious leaders. As an alternative, the religious leaders converted the wayang golek into wayang purwa made from leather, and displayed only the shadow instead of the itself. Instead of the forbiden figures only their shadow picture was displayed, the birth of wayang kulit.
Wayang today is both the most ancient and most popular form of puppet theatre in the world. Hundreds of people will stay up all night long to watch the superstar performers, dalang who, comand extravagant fees are international celebrities. Some of the most famous dalang in recent history are Ki Nartosabdho,Ki Anom Suroto, Ki Asep Sunandar Sunarya, Ki Sugino, and Ki Manteb Sudarsono.
Wayang Kulit plays are invariably based on romantic tales, especially adaptions of the classic Indian epics, "the Mahabarata" and The Ramayana". Some of the plays are also based on local happenings (current isssues) or other local secular stories. It is up to the conductor or "Tok Dalang" to decide his direction.
The Dalang is the genius behind the entire performance. It is he who sits behind the screen and narates the story. With a traditional orchestra in the background to provide a resonant melody and its conventional rhythm, The Dalang modulates his voice his create suspense thus heightening the drama. Invariably, the ply climaxes with the triumph of good over evil.
Hinduism arrived in Indonesia from India even before the chritian era, and was slowly adopted as the local believe system. Sunskrit became the literary and language of Java and later of Bali. The Hindus Changed the wayang (as did the molem later) to spread their religion, mostly by stories from the Mahabarata or the Ramayana. Later this mixture of religion and wayang was praised as harmony between Hinduism and Indonesian culture. On Java the western part of Sumatra and some smaller islands traditionalists continued to play the old stories for sometime, but the influence of Hinduism prevailed and the traditional stories either fell into oblivion or were the integrated into the Hinduistic plays.
When Islam began spreading in Indonesia, the display of God or gods in human form was pohibited, and thus this style of painting and shadow play was suppressed. King Raden Patah of Demak, Java, wanted to see the wayang in its traditional form, but failed to obtain permision from the muslim religious leaders. As an alternative, the religious leaders converted the wayang golek into wayang purwa made from leather, and displayed only the shadow instead of the itself. Instead of the forbiden figures only their shadow picture was displayed, the birth of wayang kulit.
Wayang today is both the most ancient and most popular form of puppet theatre in the world. Hundreds of people will stay up all night long to watch the superstar performers, dalang who, comand extravagant fees are international celebrities. Some of the most famous dalang in recent history are Ki Nartosabdho,Ki Anom Suroto, Ki Asep Sunandar Sunarya, Ki Sugino, and Ki Manteb Sudarsono.
