Image of wayang golek puppets courtesy of
www.indonesianshadowplay.com
Out of the Shadows
Wayang (sometimes spelled wajang) is a term that literally
means shadow, but can also mean a play (the text), or the performance itself.
Wayang in traditional Javanese culture refers almost exclusively to wayang kulit
(literally, shadow made from leather), which is thought to have developed before the tenth
century. In Sudanese-speaking west Java and Bali, however, there is the extensive use of wayang
golek (doll-puppet shadow), a form which many prefer over wayang kulit. (Brandon,
1980, 2-10) This site traces the history of wayang, noting the development of differences
between wayang kulit and wayang golek.
There are some differences between the Balinese and Javanese shadow puppet
theaters. Although Bali is, in comparison to Java, a tiny geographic landmass, the
literature suggests that Balinese theater has been studied more extensively. The Balinese
form appears to have originated from the Javanese somewhere around the 14th
century. Tracing the development of language is one way scholars have been able to
determine the developments of wayang. Still, there are other theories which you can learn
about through the links provided with these pages..
The stories retold in wayang are ancient, but they continue to serve the
needs of the people of today’s Indonesia, operating both as entertainment and as a
purveyor of cultural norms, traditions and history. While it is true that the Javanese of
today no longer speak the old language or even understand all of its nuances, the
interpretations by the dhalang and the movements of the characters are so sophisticated
that they can transcend the language issue. The way that the traditions of the dhalang are
passed down from generation to generation means that wayang will not be lost as a
performance art form. Wayang is the most Javanese of arts, and the Javanese people are
proud of it because of that. The Javanese hold to the traditions and cultural values
projected in the wayang, and need wayang to accompany most major life rituals, to the
point that wayang is a part of the rituals in the temples. Ultimately, this beautiful,
ancient, but ever-evolving art form, whether wayang kulit or wayang golek, encompasses all
that the Javanese are and want to be. Like the tree of life puppet, the kayon, the wayang
is almost never absent from the minds of the people of Java.
Anne Morag Nocher, author.
Copyright © 2001 by University of North Texas. All rights reserved.
Revised:
05 May 2004 18:22:25 -0500
