Gunungan

To signal the beginning and the end of the performance – but also strong emotions, scene changes, the elements of fire, earth, air and water – the dalang uses the gunungan, the most important requisite in the wayang theatre. The gunungan (gunung, mountain) or kayon (forest) is a representation of the ancient Tree motif originating from India. This consist of two parts: a mountain and a tree. The Tree motif is rendered as a combination of two different trees: the fig tree rooted in heaven; and the earthbound lotus tree rising from the waters. The former, placed above, has implanted its root in the top of the stem of the tree-shaped lotus. The lotus is the very symbol of life springing from the water. The celestial fig tree represents ‘creative breath’ or fire, which is as essential in creating life as the water’s essence. In the Javanese gunungan the lotus part can assume an hourglass form, with a small building with a pair of closed doors, or that of a lake or pot filled with water. Guardians stands on both sides of the stronghold. Their task is to guard treasures, particularly the mount Meru (heavenly mountain), and the liquid elixir of life. A pair of huge wings flank the upper half. The shape of these wings may actually be derived from lotus leaves or other vegetation. The gate building with closed doors can be understood as female, whereas the tree represents the male. Together and united they form life.  The gunungan is placed in the centre of the screen before the drama begins, separating the opposed groups of characters that lie to the right and left of the dalang. The meditation undertaken by the dalang before the performance seeks a train of associations leading from the gods of the Hindu pantheon to the kayon. During the performance, the gunungan is the backdrop with which time and space are delineated, and it determines the atmosphere. Its association with the Tree of Paradise makes it an apt image to suggest the idyllic world of the kingdoms of the wayang lakons (plays) before the activities of men and supernatural beings upset the ideal balance. 

Dalang

Dalang is highly respected and is often believed to possess supernatural qualities – especially healing – because of his position as mediator between people, gods and spirits. Linguistically, the word dalang is thought to be associated with langlan, which means ‘to go round’ something. Adalang is a ‘wanderer’, but also a ‘diviner’, a protector in a religious or magical sense. The work of the dalang is difficult because he needs to have many talents and to conform to a number of court-derived prescriptions and traditions: antawacana (intonation), to make the distinction between the voice of each character, all of which have their own characteristic voice, and whose register and sound are determined by the combination of the shape of the eyes and the position of the head. A dalang has nine voices for the main figures, as well as the typical language of each one; rengep (to involve completely), to keep the performance alive; enges (emotion), to create interest in the characters and involve and move the audience, for instance, during a dialogue between lovers; tutug(eloquence), to recite prescribed dialogues or pagedongan (traditional, fixed explanations); banyol(comedy), to  make the audience laugh; sabet (flow, wave), to handle the puppets correctly, and properly distinguish between their movements, especially during fight scenes; kawiraja (kawi refers to the old Javanese mode of speech, raja means ‘prince’), to be able to recite the traditional eulogy prior to the performance; parama-kawi (parama is the Sanskrit word meaning ‘high’), to correctly explain the nicknames of the kings and nobles in the performance; amardi-basa (to focus on language), to know the different ways that gods, giants or humans speak in their various social positions (hierarchy is strongly embedded in the Javanese language, which has two completely separate vocabularies: if the listener has a higher status krama is used, but if he has a low statusngoko is used); parama-sastra, to know the writings (layang) on which a performance may be based, and which are necessary to determine the content of the suluk (narrative announcements) and greget saut (pieces of music); awicarita (knowledge of many tales), to know all the tales referred to in a performance, the character depicted by each puppet, and the significance of each stage requisite;amardawa-lagu (melodious singing), to know the verse measure and singing techniques which are used in performance. A dalang also needs to observe the following courtly prohibitions: he may not change the form of a performance once it is recorded in the pakem (handbooks of the court); he may not show any preference for a character; he may not show himself during a performance, or speak out of turn; he may not focus criticism on anyone, or anger his audience; he may not make uncouth jokes; he must make sure that the performance lasts for the correct duration and that each aspect of the performance lasts the appropriate time.

Wayang Topeng or Wayang Gedog

This wayang wong, human theater, with the topics of Jenggala Kingdom, where the players are wearing masks (Gedog comes from the word kedok = topeng, which is meant mask).

A true love story between Princess Candra Kirana of Kediri and Raden Panji Asmarabangun, the crown prince of Jenggala. Candra Kirana was incarnation of Dewi Ratih (goddess of love) while Panji was incarnation of Kamajaya (god of love). The story of Raden Panji and Candra Kirana was written in a poem called 'Smaradahana' the fire of love. At the happy ending, they got married and a son by the name Raja Putra was born. Panji Asmarabangun throned as a king of Jenggala with the names Sri Kameswara or Prabu Suryowiseso or Hino Kertapati.

Wayang topeng is still popular up to the present date. It is performed in a shorter period, in a special gathering, wedding parties, etc, entertaining the guests for about 20 to 30 minutes.
sumber : http://www.joglosemar.co.id/wayangtopeng.html

About Wayang Kulit

Wayang kulit or shadow puppet theatre is a traditional art form from Indonesia and Malaysia. A solo puppeteer, known as a dhalang in Javanese, manipulates and provides voices for puppets cut from animal hide and painted on both sides. The shadows of these puppets fall on a white cotton screen. In Java, wayang performances are watched from both sides of the screen, as either a shadow show or a puppet show.
Performances in Java are accompanied by a full gamelan, which might have 15, 25 or more musicians. A typical performance begins at 7.30 or 8pm with a musical overture and runs until 3 am or later.  Most plays are based on the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics, which were imported from India to Java perhaps 1500 years ago. Dialogue is not written down, but largely extemporized based on oral formulae. Plays blend action, comedy, philosophy, romance and displays of statesmanship. Wayang kulit is so comprehensive in scope that it is described by many commentators as an encyclopaedia of Javanese culture.
Some performances have ritual significance. In these ritual dramas, the dhalang recites magical incantations and presents offerings to invisible spirts. One such performance, designed to drive away malevolent spirits, is translated in Matthew Cohen’s book Demon abduction: A wayang ritual drama from West Java (Lontar, 1999).
Wayang kulit is a living art form, and there are also many contemporary productions and cross-art collaborations.
Wayang was inscribed by UNESCO in 2008 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The art form has attracted much attention since the nineteenth century from artists in Europe, the United States and around the world. (See Matthew Cohen’s article Contemporary Wayang in Global Contexts.) In 1999, the first major gathering of international wayang practitioners (dubbed dalang mancanegara) occurred as part of the Pekan Wayang national festival at Taman Mini in Jakarta. Matthew Cohen was among those who performed at this festival, and he also spoke at the festival’s international seminar.

sumber : http://kandabuwana.wordpress.com/about-wayang-kulit/

Museum Wayang Kekayon

Museum Wayang Kekayon adalah museum mengenai wayang yang ada di kota Yogyakarta, tepatnya di Jl. Raya Yogya-Wonosari Km. 7, kurang lebih 1 km dari Ring Road Timur. Museum yang didirikan pada tahun 1990 ini memiliki koleksi berbagai wayang dan topeng serta menampilkan sejarah wayang yang diperkenalkan mulai dari abad ke-6 sampai abad ke-20. Wayang-wayang di dalam museum ini terbuat baik dari kulit, kayu, kain, maupun kertas.
Sama halnya dengan museum Wayang di Jakarta, museum ini mempunyai beberapa jenis wayang, seperti: wayang Purwa, wayang Madya (menceritakan era pasca perang Baratayuda), wayang Thengul, wayang Klithik (mengisahkan Damarwulan dan Minakjinggo), wayang beber, wayang Gedhog (cerita Dewi Candrakirana), wayang Suluh (mengenai sejarah perjuangan kemerdekaan Indonesia), dan lain lain. Berkaitan dengan wayang Purwa, museum ini memiliki beberapa poster yang menggambarkan strategi perang yang dipakai dalam perang Baratayuda antara keluarga Pandawa dan Kurawa, yaitu: strategi Sapit Urang dan strategi Gajah.


sumber : http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_Wayang_Kekayon

Wayang Sadat

This newly developed form is used by teachers of Islam to show the principles of Muslim ethics and religion to the natives of Java and Bali.  The term "sadat" derived from shahada (Arabic: الشهادة aš-šahādah).

reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayang

Wayang karucil or wayang klitik

Wayang karucil or wayang klitik

Wayang klitik image of Batara Guru

Wayang klitik figures occupy a middle ground between the figures of wayang golek and wayang kulit. They are constructed similarly to wayang kulit figures, but from thin pieces of wood instead of leather, and, like wayang kulit figures, are used as shadow puppets. A further similarity is that they are the same smaller size as wayang kulit figures. However, wood is more subject to breakage than leather. During battle scenes, wayang klitik figures often sustain considerable damage, much to the amusement of the public, but in a country in which before 1970 there were no adequate glues available, breakage generally meant an expensive, newly made figure. On this basis the wayang klitik figures, which are to appear in plays where they have to endure battle scenes, have leather arms. The name of these figures is onomotopaeic, from the sound klitik-klitik, that these figures make when worked by the dalang.
Wayang klitik figures come originally from eastern Java, where one still finds workshops turning them out. They are less costly to produce than wayang kulit figures.
The origin of the stories involved in these puppet plays comes from the kingdoms of eastern Java: Jenggala, Kediri and Majapahit. From Jenggala and Kediri come the stories of Raden Panji and Cindelaras, which tells of the adventures of a pair of village youngsters with their fighting cocks. The Damarwulan presents the stories of a hero (Damarwulan) from Majapahit. Damarwulan is a clever chap, who with courage, aptitude, intelligence and the assistance of his young lover Anjasmara, makes a surprise attack on the neighboring kingdom and brings down Minakjinggo, an Adipati (viceroy) of Blambangan and mighty enemy of Majapahit's beautiful queen Sri Ratu Kencanawungu. As a reward, Damarwulan is married to Kencanawungu and becomes king of Majapahit; he also takes Lady Anjasmara as a second wife. This story is full of love affairs and battles and is very popular with the public. The dalang is liable to incorporate the latest local gossip and quarrels and work them into the play as comedy.

sumber : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayang

Wayang beber

Wayang beber

Wayang beber depiction of a battle

Wayang glass painting depiction of Bharatayudha battle

The wayang beber has strong similarities to narratives in the form of illustrated ballads that were common at annual fairs in medieval and early modern Europe. They have also been subject to the same fate—they have nearly vanished. Chinese visitors to Java during the 15th century described a storyteller or unrolled scrolls and told stories that made the audience laugh or cry. A few scrolls of images remain from those times, found today in museums. There are two sets, hand-painted on hand-made bark cloth, that are still owned by families who have inherited them from many generations ago, in Pacitan and Wonogiri, both villages in Central Java. Performances, mostly in small open-sided pavilions or auditoriums, take place according to the following pattern:
The dhalang (puppeteer, narrator) gives a sign, the small gamelan orchestra with drummer and a few knobbed gongs and a musician with a rebab (violin-like instrument held vertically) begins to play and the dhalang unrolls the first scroll of the story. Then, speaking and singing, he narrates the episode in more detail. In this manner, in the course of the evening he unrolls several scrolls one at a time. Each scene in the scrolls represents a story or part of a story. The content of the story typically stems from the Panji romances which are semi-historical legends set in the 12th-13th century East Javanese kingdoms of Jenggala, Daha and Kediri, and also in Bali.

sumber : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayang

Wayang golek (rod puppets)

Wayang golek (rod puppets)

A pair of wayang golek from West Java

Panakawan, the friendly gestures of cepot, the red face; petruk the long noses and gareng the round nose

Wayang golek are wooden doll puppets that are operated from below by rods connected to the hands and a central control rod that runs through the body to the head. The simple construction of the puppets belies their versatility, expressiveness and aptitude for imitating human dance. Today, wayang golek is mainly associated with Sundanese culture of West Java. However the wooden wayang also known in Central Java as Wayang Menak, originated from Kudus Central Java.
Little is known for certain about the history of wayang golek, but scholars have speculated that it most likely originated in China and arrived in Java sometime in the 17th century. Some of the oldest traditions of wayang golek are from the north coast of Java in what is called the pasisir region. This is home to some of the oldest Muslim kingdoms in Java and it is likely the wayang golek grew in popularity through telling the wayang menak stories of Amir Hamza, the uncle of Muhammad. These stories are still widely performed in Kabumen, Tegal, and Jepara as wayang golek menak, and in Cirebon, wayang golek cepak. Legendary origins of wayang golek attribute their invention to the Muslim saint Wali Sunan Kudus, who used the medium to proselytize Muslim values.
In the 18th century the tradition moved into the mountainous region of of Priangan West Java where it eventually was used to tell stories of the Ramayana and the Mahabarata in a tradition now called Wayang Golek Purwa, which can be found in Bandung, Bogor and Jakarta. The adoption of Javanese Mataram kejawen culture by Sundanese aristocrats was probably the remnant of Mataram influence over the Priangan region during the reign of expansive Sultan Agung. While main characters from Ramayana and Mahabharata are similar with wayang kulit purwa version of Central Java, some of punakawan (servant also jester) were rendered in Sundanese names and characteristics, such as Cepot or Astrajingga as Bagong, Dawala or Udel as Petruk. Wayang golek purwa has become the most popular form of wayang golek today and the most famous puppeteer family is the Sunarya family which has produced several generations of stellar performers.

sumber : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayang

Wayang wong

Wayang wong

Pandava and Krishna in an act of the wayang wong performance.

Wayang wong also known as Wayang orang (literally human wayang) is a type of Javanese dance theatrical performance with themes taken from episode of Ramayana or Mahabharata.
While wayang gedog usually the theatrical performance that took the themes from the Panji cycles stories from the kingdom of Janggala, in which the players wear masks known as wayang topeng or wayang gedog. The word "gedog" comes from "kedok", which, like "topeng" means "mask". The main theme is the story of Raden Panji and Candra. This is a love story about princess Candra Kirana of Kediri and Raden Panji Asmarabangun, the crown prince of Jenggala. Candra Kirana was the incarnation of Dewi Ratih (goddess of love) and Panji was an incarnation of Kamajaya (god of love). Kirana's story was given the title "Smaradahana" ("The fire of love"). At the end of the complicated story they finally can marry and bring forth a son, named Raja Putra. Panji Asmarabangun ruled Jenggala under the official names "Sri Kameswara", "Prabu Suryowiseso", and "Hino Kertapati". Originally, wayang wong was performed only as an aristocratic entertainment in four palaces of Yogyakarta and Surakarta. In the course of time, it spread to become a popular and folk form as well.

reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayang

Semar or Sang Hyang Ismaya, the oldest and most important of the panakawan, was originally a god, ‘the twin brother of heaven’. He is the elder brother of the highest god, Batara Guru. As a punishment for a misdeed he was given a grotesque form and sent to earth to serve the descendants of the gods (ksatrias). He is the guide of the hero on a journey full of tribulations which the hero must overcome before achieving his goal.

Kresna

Kresna was the king of Dwarawati, the wisest man in the world

Kresna was t he king of Dwarawati, the wisest man in the world, the incarnation of Wisnu, had been assigned by Batara Guru to become a referee in Baratayuda. (see Baratayuda and The Kingdom of Dwarawati).

The war had to be in accord with the script known as Jitapsara. The ksatrias with very strong supernatural power were not permitted to participate. Before the Baratayuda, a son of Bima, Antasena and son of Arjuna, Wisanggeni had disappeared mystically to guarantee the victory of Pendawa, upon the advice of Sang Hyang Wenang, the grand-father of Guru.

Another son of Bima, Antareja was killed after following Kresna’s advice (See The Kingdom of Amarta). He was too strong to every enemy, furthermore there was a prediction, if he took part in Baratayuda he should meet Baladewa, Kresna’s brother. Kresna knew that his brother could not match Antareja.

Baladewa was told by Kresna to meditate in a lonely place. When the war began, he should be informed. Baladewa stopped his meditation only after the Baratayuda. Kresna although an incarnation of Wisnu, wise and clever, probably he could make a mistake too. It was human, as the case of Antareja. He was trusted by Guru to act fairly and diplomatically. In fact, he was a great diplomat. .

Rahwana

Rahwana, the ogue giant king of Alengkadiraja, his other name was Dasamuka, a scary giant with ten faces. (see Ramayana and the Kingdom of Alengka). Since his youth, he had a bad behavior, a real giant (giant in Javanese is Buto means blind, a "blind" man can’t differentiate the goods and the bads). He thought only for himself, his own pleasure. He was not interested, the feeling or the fate of others. He would crush everyone who was against his wish.

All his whole life, since a boy until his death, he was unbearable. He was the worst of the worst, pursuing only his interests. He could not be a good person since the very beginning. He was a fruit of Kama salah (bad sperm) according to Javanese traditional teachings (Kejawen).

The lusty Begawan Wisrawa had committed a shameful mistake as a saint/Begawan. He, as a wise Begawan had to abandon the material world and lust, was tempted to the beauty of Sukesi, the fiancée of his son Danaraja. He was not able to control his evil desires.

The love making of a man and a woman, with their minds loaded with lusts would produce Kama Salah (bad sperm). In the process, it should be a person with bad character. The moral education from their parents or teachers would not affect much. That was the case with Dasamuka.

Gunawan Wibisono, the fourth son of Wisrawa and Sukesi was a wise person seeking for the truth. How could it be?. He was a fruit of good Kama/sperm. The parents, especially Wisrawa, he had gain back his true consciousness when he made love with his wife. Of course as a normal human-being, he was sexually aroused, but he had a clear and peaceful mind (lejar in Javanese). A child behavior and fate was mostly pre-determined by the parents’ mind (notably the father) during intercourse, not the parents occupation or position in the society.

Gototkaca

Gototkaca is the son of Bima / Werkudara and Dewi Arimbi, the daughter of Prabu Arimbika, the giant king of Pringgondani with a giant woman namely Hidimba. Gatotkaca has two half brothers that were Raden Anantareja --as the son of Bima and Dewi Naganini-- and Raden Anantasena –as the son of Bima and Dewi Urangayu--.

Moment still baby, Gatotkaca became candidate of God to destroying Prabu Pracona and his docile, Sakipu who running amuck in Jonggringsaloka because his propose of marriage at Batari Prabasini was refused by Batara Guru. Before confronted in battlefield, Gatotkaca was input into kettle of Candradimuka, later the kettle was swirled with various weapons property of God. Of his service, he got God reward in form three miracle patrimonies that were:

1. Baju/Kutang Antakusuma
2. Caping Basunanda
3. Sepatu Pada Kucarma

After he was adult, Gatotkaca became the king of Pringgondani, to replace his mother. Gatotkaca has three wives and three sons, they were:

1. Arya Jayasupena, from Dewi Sumpani
2. Arya Sasikirana, from Dewi Pergiwa
3. Suryakaca, from Dewi Suryawati

Gatotkaca has characters brave, firm, strong, clever, nimble, skilful, attentive, and has big responsibilities. Gatotkaca very powerful, he has magic of Narantaka, the given of Resi Seta.

Shinta

Shinta named Sintadewi, Rakyan Sinta, Janaki, or Maithali. The daughter of Janaka. Shinta was reinkarnation of Dwi Sri Widowati. She was Rama's faithful wife.

His arrow heirlooms became a man, The Holy Book became a god and goddess Savitri, standing behind Rama. Then he walked slowly, followed by Barata, Satrugna and others. All of them wore flowers and perfume. No one was sad, they were happy and sure they would go to heaven together with Rama.

They reached the river of Serayu (in Banyumas regency, in the south-west part of Central Java). Rama meditated solemly on the river bank for three consecutive days. The weather was pleasant in the tranquil nature. The wind blew gently. The situation was mystically calm. In the third day after the sunset, Rama drank a bit the clean and fresh water of the river, it was a water offering (sesaji Tirta). River Serayu was a holy river.

Rama meditated for a while and then all of a sudden Rama was surrounded by bright light and a voice was heard: "Go on Batara Wisnu, all your dewa/god family welcome you back, please transform to your original form as Wisnu, the preserver of the world".

Rama vanished and Wisnu appeared. The gods led by Brama welcomed sincerely Wisnu by bathing him with petal of flowers. Wisnu asked Brama politely and confidently to permit all his good and faithful followers, after releasing their physical bodies to enter to heaven together with him. All Rama’s followers Begawans, Satrias, workers, giants and animals, were permitted to live in heaven in their own appropriate places.

After Rama went back to where he belong, the kingdom of Ayodya was empty. Only after five generations, Wisnu incarnated in Rama’s descendant Kresna. Laksmana incarnated to Baladewa. Previously he incarnated to Arjuna but it was not last long Laksmana was never married, he could not be in Arjuna who had many wives. Sinta incarnated to Sembadra, the sister of Kresna and the wife of Arjuna. (by Suryo S. Negoro)

Nakula & Sahadewa

Nakula & Sahadewa are the fourth and Fifth of Pendawas (They are twin brthers). Like their step-brothers, both of these warrior has supernatural power. Eventhough they have different mother, Nakula and Sadewa are always loyal to their three step-brothers.

Arjuna

Arjuna is the third Pendawa. He is a handsome warrior. He is also powerful. He practices meditation; therefore he has received lots of powerful weaponry. He is very skilled in the art of archery.

Bima

Bima or Werkodara is the second Pendawa . He has a large, strong body and has very sharp thumbnails. He never uses formal language to anyone (except to Dewaruci). He represents the power of Five Pendawas.

Puntadewanata or Yudistira

Puntadewanata or Yudistira is the oldest of Five Pendawas. He is so patient so that he is often called as having the white blood. He would never fight or go to war. He has a powerful amulet named Kalimasada.

pandawa

Pandawa adalah para keturunan Raden Pandu dari kedua istrinya yaitu Dewi Kunti dan Dewi Madri. Dimulai dengan para pandawa pada saat muda dimana pada saat itu mereka masih bernama (dimulai dari yang paling tua) :

• Raden Puntadewa, yang lebih dikenal dengan nama Yudistira
• Raden Bratasena, yang lebih di kenal Bima
• Raden Pamade, yang lebih di kenal dengan nama Arjuna
• Raden Nakula dan Raden Sadewa, karena kembar maka wayang yang digunakan juga sama