Choose one term from wayang kulit that you are unfamiliar with and write a definition for that term, in your own words. 3-5 sentences.
14 thoughts on “Javanese Shadow Puppetry”
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THE2280ID, History of Theatre (D276), SP2024
Theatre History seen through the lenses of Architecture, Technology and Design
Mahabharata and Ramayana
2 popular Hindu plays that originated from India back in the 8th century BCE. Over time these stories became Javanese of the Indian text then later it was recited in the form of wayang kulit. Now the Mahabharata and the Ramayana have been adapted and retold in various forms
A blencong is the light source that is used to project the shadows onto the kelir (a linen canvas that acts as a screen. Blencongs are a large, heavy brass lamp that were engraved and chiselled in the form of a bird. The bird depicts the eagle Garuda (the king of birds) from Hindu mythology who the god VIshnu, rode on.
jianwei shi
The dalang (puppeteer) in wayang kulit is the one who creates the shadow of the puppet at the other end of the screen. The actor passes through the shadow of the puppet, so that the audience can visualize what is happening in the auditorium and create effects in the performance through their imagination. The puppets they choose are flat, light-transmitting puppets that can be projected in front of a screen that is lit from behind.
Christopher Perez THE2208ID
One term I’m unfamiliar with/just learned is Wayang Purwa. Wayang Purwa refers to wayang that is based of 4 cycles of Hindu epics. The two most popular epics were called Mahabharata and Ramayana. Mahabharata and Ramayana, originated in India around the eighth century BCE and reached Java around the time of the eighth century CE. The wayang stories/epics generally involved moral and ethic dilemmas faced by the characters in life.
The term I chose is kulit, in reference to ‘wayang kulit’. Wayang is indonesian for “performance or theatre” while kulit can be translated to “skin”. The skin is in reference to the Buffalo hide that the shadow puppets are made with. In essence, Wayang kulit, can be directly translated as the flat leather shadow puppet.
Wayan Kulit is one of the two main kinds of puppets that reign in Javanese theatre. The other popular kind of shadow puppet is the three-dimensional wooden puppet, known as wayang klitik or golèk.
“Gunungan” is a phrase from Wayang Kulit that I’m unfamiliar with. In wayang kulit performances, the gunungan is a classic puppet screen or puppet-shaped mountain used as a symbolic and adaptable prop. It is frequently utilized to depict numerous components in the story, such as mountains, forests, or bodies of water. The gunungan is not a character, but it plays an important part in the storyline by marking scene transitions, communicating mood, and signifying the cosmic forces at work in the shadow puppetry production.
One Term from the Wayang kuilt that I am unfamiliar with is dhalang or dalang. In my own words, dhalang is the person that is controlling the puppet and executing the performance or show. This person is also called a puppeteer. The puppet master must be an entertainer or an actor that has to have a strong voice. The dhalang sits behind a screen made of white cotton which is stretched on a wooden frame.
Gamelan Orchestra: The traditional music group of the Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese people. The majority of the group consist of percussion instruments, that includes the likes of metallophones, kendang(hand drums), Kemanak, and a gangsa, amongst many more. Vocalist also make an appearance, sindhen(female) and a gerong(male).
While reading through Performance, the word that sounded unfamiliar to me was “dhalang.” The word dhalang means a puppeteer who sits behind the screen and tells the story through the puppet’s shadow in a wayang kuilt performance.
Aaron Acosta THE2280ID (D276)
Gamelan Orchestra- Indigenous style of music culminating from various Islands of Java and Bali in Indonesia. Usually comprised of Gongs and other metallic acoustic instruments. Played in Wayang performances.
“Blencong” is an animal shaped light source used for Wayang Kulit performance. They are typically made from Brass and burn coconut oil and are suspended over a puppeteer’s head where their shadow can be projected. An example of an animal form used is the Garuda, who is a god Hindu Deity who is sometimes depicted as either a human or an anthropomorphic bird. It just depends. Yet the images I’ve seen for the lamp depicts… a regular bird? Confusing.
I wasn’t familiar with the word “kulit”. After research, I found that the word itself means “skin”. When used in the context of wayang kulit, it refers to the skin or leather from which the puppets are created from.
From Jun W.
One term from wayang kulit that I’m unfamiliar with is “klenèngan.” In wayang kulit performances, klenèngan refers to a specific segment or interlude within the overall narrative. It may involve comedic elements, music, or dance, providing a break from the main storyline and adding variety to the performance. Klenèngan serves to entertain the audience while also allowing the dalang (puppeteer) to prepare for the next part of the story or to transition between scenes smoothly.
One term from wayang kulit that I’m unfamiliar with is “dhalang” – which refers to the puppeteer/narrator of the performance. The dhalang is a highly skilled person who controls the puppets, voice acts them, narrates the story, and improvises dialogue. They are also responsible for selecting and adapting the stories being performed, as well as interpreting them for the audience. The dhalang plays a central role in the Wayang Kulit performance, guiding the narrative and engaging the audience through their storytelling abilities and cultural insights.