Wayang Kulit - Puppet Shadow As Javanese Masterpiece - Part 1

If we talk about Javanese, i am a Javanese. As a Javanese, i'll describe about wayang kulit or puppet shadow show usually performance in past. Old Java citizens religion in the past are Hindu & Buddhist. When moslem came in to Java land, there are nine moslem called Walisongo adopted Beber, a kind puppet show but more simple, only hand drawing in a media with story. So, Walisongo arrange strategy for spreading Islam religion. They make puppet shadow with more story, more characters, more shape, more artistic in wayang kulit. Walisongo insert point - point Islam in to wayang kulit or puppet shadow story.

There are some element wayang kulit or puppet shadow performance, main man behind the screen called dalang hold all control. Dalang is a man who controlled the Javanese puppet show with high sense of word, nice jokes, good philosophy and collected a lot of story. In a full night, he have to play story with hundreds characters. You can imagine that.

Beside dalang, there are Sinden, singers who sing traditional javanese lyrics. And the music called gamelan, offbeat sinden. The music player called Nayoga. There are other elements of wayang kulit or puppet shadow, but main elements i have mentioned.

To be continued...