Wayang
As Wayang in is Indonesia each performing game called ie the traditional shadow play ( wayang kulit ) that playing with dolls ( Wayang Golek ) , the masque Wayang Topeng and stage representations of unmasked actors Wayang Wong . The figures themselves are also called wayang in Java , and ringgit in Bali .
The shape of the figures and the mythical stories depicted have changed significantly since the advance of Islam from the 15th century into the previously Hindu centers of the Wayang in the Indonesian island world. The Wayang Puppet Theater was classified by UNESCO as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2003 .
Wayang in traditional religion and in Hinduism
The origin of the Javanese shadow play is believed to be in India. The oldest form of the wayang from the 1st millennium, Wayang Purwa , can be traced back to the puppet theater Ravana Chhaya from Orissa , whose themes come from the Indian epics Mahabharata and Ramayana and which is thematically and formally connected with the Chhau mask dance of this region .
In Javanese meant wayang "shadow", in the sense of spirit . The shadow play became a tradition here because the culture of Indonesia is very closely linked to the belief in the spirits of the ancestors .
According to the animistic belief, the spirits of the ancestors can intervene in the life of the living as protective or disastrous. Therefore the followers of this belief try to find ways how they can ask the spirits for help with rituals and ceremonies in the form of shadow plays. The figures in these shadow games were Wayang Golek (normal head shape rotatable on the torso by means of a stick connected to it. Arms movable by a stick attached to the hand), carved, painted and clothed figures that were pulled by threads, paintings Display boards or consecrated and disguised people.
Before the birth of Christ, Hinduism , coming from India , had penetrated into Indonesia. Gradually the inhabitants adopted this new religion , and Sanskrit became the sophisticated language in Java and later in Bali . The Hindus used the wayang (as did Islam later ) to spread their beliefs - especially through the stories of Mahabharata and Ramayana. This mixture of religion and wayang game was later celebrated as a harmony between Hinduism and the original Indonesian. In Java, in the western part of Sumatra and on the small islands around them, there were traditionalists, sponsors and artists who performed the original Indonesian stories for a long time. But the influence of Hinduism prevailed, and the former stories from the time of animism were forgotten or were integrated into the Hindu plays.
The figures of the wayang appear in their form in almost all paintings of this time. The ceiling paintings in the former courtroom in Klunkung in Bali are an example . This type of representation is still used in traditional Balinese painting today.
Wayang and the influence of Islam
As Islam continued to spread in Indonesia , the human representation of gods was forbidden under its influence and this type of painting and shadow play was suppressed. When Raden Patah , ruler in the kingdom of Demak (Java) wanted to see the Wayang in its original form, he received no permission from the Welsh (religious leaders ). But they found a practical way to make this possible: the Welsh had the wayang figures made of leather in the shape of Wayang Purwa . Instead of the figures, their shadows were shown and thus not the imitation of people or gods, but an image of their characters. This was the birth of the wayang kulit as we know it today. Kulit is the Indonesian word for "skin".
In the non-Islamic part of Indonesia you can still find wayang golek performances, the wayang klitik is a transition form between wayang golek and wayang kulit. The figures of the wayang klitik are painted carvings made of flat wood (max. 5-15 mm thick) movable arms. The head is firmly connected to the trunk. You can play with them both day and night. These types of figures are probably the oldest wayang figures in Indonesia. However, they could not prevail and have become very rare. The Wayang Kulit, the figures of which are now made from untanned water buffalo skin or, as in Lombok, from cowhide, has established itself as the best-known wayang performance. Its popularity in Indonesia is only surpassed by football broadcasts on television.
The wayang with living people ( Sendratari ) can still be found today in Bali ( Wayang Topeng ).
The types of wayang
Wayang Topeng or Wayang Gedog
The Wayang Topeng is a theatrical performance with themes from the Kingdom of Jenggala, with the actors wearing wooden masks (Gedog comes from the word kedok = topeng, which means mask). The story of Raden Panji and Candra is often used as a theme. This is a love story between Princess Candra Kirana of Kediri and Raden Panji Asmarabangun, the Crown Prince of Jenggala. Candra Kirana was the incarnation of Dewi Ratih (the goddess of love) and Panji was an incarnation of Kamajaya (the god of love). Kirana was written as a poem called "Smaradahana" - the fire of love. At the end of the confusing story, they can finally get married and have a son, whom they call Raja Putra. Panji Asmarabangun ruled Jenggala under the official name Sri Kameswara or Prabu Suryowiseso or Hino Kertapati. In the past, the wayang topeng was only played in the four palaces of Yogyakarta and Surakarta as a classical courtly dance. Over time, it became more and more popular and folk. Wayang Topeng is widespread in Java, Bali and only rarely in Lombok. One of the centers is the East Javanese city of Malang .
For male actors:
- Alus: Very slow, elegant and soft movements. For example the dance of Arjuna, Puntadewa and all other slim ksatrias. There are two types of movements: Lanyap and Luruh.
- Gagah:
- Kambeng: a more sporty dance, performed with the strength of athletic dancers, depicting Bima, Antareja and Gatotjaca.
- Bapang: Gagah and Kasar for the warriors of the Kaurawa.
- Kalang Kinantang: Lies roughly between Alus and Gagah, is danced by dancers who represent Kresno or Suteja. For tall and slim dancers.
- Kasar: A coarse and harsh style used in depicting giants and demons.
- Gecul: Ponokawan & Cantrik
- Kambeng Dengklik: For monkey warriors like Anoman.
- Kalang Kinantang Dengklik: For monkey warriors like Sugriwa and Subali.
For female performers:
The movements are called "Nggruda" or "Ngenceng encot" and in classical courtly dance there are 9 basic movements (Joged Pokok) and twelve other movements (Joged Gubahan and Joged Wirogo) to embellish the movements of the Bedoyo and Srimpi dancers.
Today the Wayang Wong, based on the Gagrak style of Surakarta , is played with a dancer. She performs the Alus movements of the ksatria, similar to Arjuna. According to the Gagkra style of Yogyakarta, a dancer performs the same alus movements of a noble ksatria. The clothes and all the rest of the equipment are different for kings, ksatrias, hermits, princesses, princes and generals. There are a total of around 45 different types that can be demonstrated.
Wayang Wong
The Wayang Wong has certain patterns of movement and clothing used to depict Ramayana themes. It is performed in Java by unmasked but costumed actors who present their texts themselves. Masks are sometimes used in Bali.
The wayang golek or wooden puppets (stick puppets)
The played content is similar to that of the Wayang Kulit, but the performances take place during the day or at night with sufficient lighting. The visitors do not sit in front of a white screen, as in the cinema, but in front of a raised stage with a wall or curtain that hides the dalang (captain). In front of the dalang there is no banana drink to hold the dolls, but a plangkan (a kind of table with holes in the tabletop) on which the required dolls are placed.
In Central and Eastern Java, pieces from the Menak are preferred, the stories of Amir Hamzah, the uncle of the Prophet Muhammad, who is also known as Wayang Menak for short. In West Java, on the other hand, the stories from the Mahabharata and Ramayana are more preferred in Wayang Golek. The Amir Hamzah stories were created in the 16th century in support of the expansion of Islam. In addition to the main character, there are his best friend and advisor, Umar Maya (Umarmaya), his general Selandir (or Alam Daur), his main wife Putri Muniggarim, his contentious father-in-law Nursiwan, many other kings with whom one has to wage war or maintain good relationships , Princesses and also devils (former demons). Some of the stories take place in the time before the birth of Prophet Muhammad and contain both the old animistic stories and those with a Hindu background.
The Wayang Karucil or Wayang Klitik
Wayang-Klitic figures represent a mixture between the Wayang-Golek-figures and the Wayang-Kulit-figures. They are carved from flat wood, constructed similarly to the Wayang-Kulit-figures and were used earlier as shadow play. Today they perform without a screen. Another feature is that they are much smaller than corresponding Wayang Kulit figures. This takes into account the fact that wood is more sensitive to breakage than leather. In fighting scenes, Wayang Klitic figures are usually considerably damaged, much to the delight of the audience, but in a country where permanent adhesives were not known before the 1970s, this generally meant expensive new production. For this reason, wayang-klitic figures that are used for games and have to endure battle scenes there have arms made of leather. The name of these figures is derived from the sound klitik-klitik that these figures make when playing.
These dolls were originally from East Java, and there are still workshops that make these dolls there today. In the artisanal production they are considerably cheaper than Wayang Kulit figures.
The basis of the stories played with these dolls come from the kingdoms of East Java: Jenggala, Kediri and Majapahit. The stories of Raden Panji and Cindelaras, who experience a few village boys with their fighting cocks, come from Jenggala and Kediri.
The Damarwulan tells the story of a hero (Darmawulan) from Majapahit. Darmawulan is a clever little fellow who, with the courage, skill, intellect and the help of his childhood sweetheart, Anjasmara, managed to eliminate a powerful opponent of his queen, Minakjinggo, who had brought the neighboring kingdom into his power in a coup. As a reward, he became the husband of Dewi Wahita, the Queen, and King of Majapahit. As a second wife, he took his childhood sweetheart Anjasmara, who had helped him to this happiness. This story is filled with love affairs and fights and is hugely popular with the audience, especially when the Dalang knows how to humorously incorporate the latest gossip and arguments from the surrounding villages.
The Wayang Kulit
The Wayang Kulit is without a doubt the most famous wayang from Indonesia. Stories that are played with preference come from the Ramayana , Mahabharata or the Serat Menak . On Lombok his or her own style of Serat Menak has emerged, one that often the term Serat Menak Lombok or Serat Menak Sasak place. A style of its own that does not refer to any of the great epics, but mostly has the current gossip as its content, are among others the Panokowan (Panakawan, funny characters) with father Semar and the sons Gareng, Petruk and Bagong. You can also see it as a political cabaret . The game in Bali is partly different from that in central Java. The proportions of the figures are more human-like and not of as extreme delicacy as the figures from Surakarta, the musical accompaniment is usually only a four-person ensemble in contrast to a complete gamelan in Java, the Balinese orchestra is usually more spirited and dispenses with lyrical-epic parts. The figure of Gunungan appears, symbolizing the world mountain and the tree of life , at the opening and at the end of each performance, as well as in between as a scene divider and prop .
The figures made of buffalo skin vary from country to country. From central Java ( Yogyakarta ) come very elaborately produced figures with a high degree of abstraction, the (noble) good guys are thin, delicate with almond-shaped eyes and pointed noses. Exceptions to this formal rule are Bima and Gatotkaca with bulbous noses. Such, visible canine teeth, clumsy figures and aggressive appearance define demons and giants. More compact figures are made in Bali and figures that are confusingly similar to real people or objects (cars, planes and ships) come from Lombok. There are two styles in Central Java, one in Yogyakarta and the other in Surakarta (Solo). The solo figures are slimmer, more graceful, with shorter arms and easier to play than the Yogya figures. For women, the tip of the undergarment is pulled forward and gives the figure a crooked, submissive posture, while solo women appear erect and proud.
The manual production of a wayang-kulit figure in playable size takes a few weeks, with usually several craftsmen (artists) working on it one after the other. First of all, the one who transfers the master template (usually made of paper) onto the leather, then the one who punches out the figure in its outline and also the filigree structures (openings / holes). Then the figure is smoothed, usually with a glass bottle and primed. The structure is checked and possibly reworked. A further smoothing takes place before the actual, miniature-like fine painting, which is often carried out by another craftsman. Finally, the moving parts (upper arms, forearms with hands and the associated playing sticks) are mounted on the torso, as well as the central stiffening and holding rod. Industrial production mills or cuts up to 10 figures at once in one operation and takes about an hour. The painting, which is not very laborious, is carried out manually using a spray technique, with one person working per color and applying it according to a template. When he is finished, he passes the figure or parts of it on. After painting, the parts are put together and transported to the customer (souvenir shops) in the wash basin.
Wayang Beber
The wayang beber is a scrolling demonstration with a strip of film wound onto a stick at each end. It bears a great resemblance to the morality tales that used to be common at fairs in Europe. They suffered the same fate and have disappeared. What is left of the performance that was once widespread in Java are few roles that are now in museums. A performance, mostly in a smaller auditorium, took place as follows:
The dalang gives a sign, the orchestra ( gamelan ) or a musician with a two-string violin (rebab) begins to play and the dalang unfolds the first part of the story in the form of a picture. Speaking and singing, he tells the associated story. In the course of the evening he unrolls a number of pictures. Occasionally there are also roles that contain all images of a performance and are rolled out successively. The content of the stories is about the hero Raden Panji, who is related to characters from the Mahabharata , stories from Jenggala or stories from other villages and kingdoms.
music
The orchestral line-ups and musical styles differ according to region and type of wayang. The most widespread is a gamelan whose melody-leading instruments are metallophones ( gendèr , gangsa or saron ). In the West Javanese Sunda region, the instrumental line-up Gamelan Slendro is common, while the livelier orchestras Gender Wayang, Wayang Ramayana and Wayang Gambuh occur in Bali . The Gamelan Wayang Sasak can only very rarely be heard on the neighboring island of Lombok to the east , whose complex rhythm sounds extremely lively even in comparison with the generally fast music of Lombok . The pace is set here by the small wooden keketak hammer that the Dalang holds between his toes.
Exhibitions
- 2015/2016: The world of shadow theater. From Asia to Europe . Linden Museum , Stuttgart. Catalog.
See also
literature
- Christiane Franke-Benn: The Wayang world - names and shapes in the Javanese shadow play: Lexical and genealogical reference work. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1984. ISBN 3-447024623 -
- Jasmin Ii Sabai Guenther / Ines de Castro (ed.): The world of shadow theater. From Asia to Europe . Hirmer, Munich 2015, ISBN 978-3-7774-2482-8 .
- Angela Hobart: Dancing Shadows of Bali. Theater and Myth. KPI / Routledge & Kegan Paul, London / New York 1987
- Erich Horsten: The Indonesian theater. In: Heinz Kindermann (Ed.): Far Eastern Theater. Alfred Kröner Verlag, Stuttgart 1966, ISBN 978-3520353016
- Thomas Moog: Java - Wayang Kulit. Divine shadows. Mackinger, Bergheim 2013
- Günter Spitzing : The Indonesian shadow play. Bali - Java - Lombok. DuMont, Cologne 1981.
- Clara B. Wilpert (insert.): Gods and demons. Handwriting with shadow play figures. Harenberg, Dortmund 1980
Web links
- Matthew Isaac Cohen: Wayang Kulit in Cirebon. (PDF; 140 kB) Seleh Notes, The UK Gamelan Magazine, Vol. 9, No. 1/2
Individual evidence
- ^ Wayang puppet theater. UNESCO
- ^ Development of Ravana Chhaya. Indian Net Zone
- ↑ Manohar Laxman Varadpande: History of Indian Theater. Abhinav Publications, New Delhi 1987, p. 75
- ↑ Onghokham: The Wayang Topeng World of Malang. In: Indonesia 14, October 1972, pp. 111-124
- ^ David Harnish: Worlds of Wayang Sasak: Music, Performance, and Negotiations of Religion and Modernity. Asian Music, Vol. 34, No. 2, spring / summer 2003, p. 91
- ↑ The dark lord is as flat as never before in FAZ from November 9, 2015, page 15
Representative List : Wayang Puppet Theater (2009) | Kris dagger (2005) | Indonesian Batik (2009) | Angklung Instrument (2010) | Three types of dance in Bali (2015) | Pinisi Shipbuilding Art (2017)
In urgent need of conservation : Saman Dance (2011) | Noken bag of the people of Papua (2012)
Good practice examples : Training young people in traditional Indonesian batik technique (2009)