subject: Puppets That Become Alive [print this page] The gifted island paradise of Bali is not only well-known for its luxury Bali villas but also for its shadow puppet plays, known as Wayang Kulit.
Wayang Kulit are popular not only in Bali but throughout Indonesia.
An extremely important vehicle of culture, Wayang Kulit is far more than mere entertainment for villas in bali guests but it also serves as carrier of myth, morality play, and form of religious experience rolled into one.
Wayang Kulit, which is a combination of the words Wayang (derived from Javanese word for "shadow") and Kulit (which means skin, and refers to the leather construction of the puppets that are carefully chiseled with very fine tools and supported with carefully shaped buffalo horn handles and control rods) is prevalent in Java and Bali in Indonesia, and are without a doubt the best known of the Indonesian wayang.
It is believed that the Wayang Kulit (shadow puppets) have great spiritual power, and are "brought to life" by special ceremonies performed by the dalang, the puppet master and story teller.
A man of many talents, the dalang tells the story, manipulates all the figures, interprets characters and voices for each, and produces sound effects punctuating speech and movement.
The Dalang, having a repertoire of hundreds of stories, also sings, play the music, has a flair for showmanship, perform the necessary sacred rituals, and also know how to make the intricate, flat, leather puppets.
Wayang Kulit Stories
Wayang Kulit (shadow puppets) stories are usually drawn from two epic stories from India, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata or the Serat Menak. These stories elegantly depict eastern philosophies which have inspired many cultures.
The Hindu stories are combined with Buddhist and Muslim ideas by the Balinese and Javanese with their own folk lore.
Usually, these stories are divided into many different episodes.
There are also other stories from Indonesian history and myth that are occasionally performed. Some favorites include Kala Rau - the eclipse of the moon, Calonarang - a call to witches, and Panji -Javanese folk tales.
The story is chosen by the Dalang to illustrate a useful moral and is appropriate to the village or venue sponsoring the performance. Upon arriving to perform, the Dalang asks about current local events and uses the story to illustrate solutions.
Characters and Language
Wayang Kulit showcases characters such as kings, princes, teachers, giants, gods, demons, and citizens. Characters with narrow eyes are refined and elegant. Those with wide eyes are more down to earth.
Most characters speak in the language of Kawi - inspiration, or Jawa Kuno - ancient Javanese.
Music
Wayang Kulit plays are accompanied by a Gamelan orchestra. There are many styles of Gamelan instruments that exist throughout Indonesia, each of which has a slightly different approach to accompaniment, though most share the same root traditions.
Performances of these shadow puppet plays are heard by guests from the many luxury villas in Bali to be accompanied by gamelan in Java, and by gender wayang in Bali.
Gamelan players respond to the spontaneous timing and direction of the Dalang. The repertoire typically consists of an overture, music for traveling, character pieces, and battle music.
