Marionette Puppet Menak (Wayang Golek Menak)
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This puppet was created by Ki Trunadipura, a puppeteer from Baturetno, Surakarta, during the reign of Mangkunegara VII (1916-1944). Parent story was not taken from the Book of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, but from the Book of Menak. The background story Menak is Arab country, during the struggle of the Prophet Muhammad spread the religion of Islam. Although the story is actually an Arab character and background of the story is also the Arab culture, visual aids Marionette Puppet Menak given clothes similar to Puppet Purwa, among others, by giving him kuluk, diadem, sumping, etc.. However, the use of robes and headgear like the Arabs, also used for some of the characters.
The story of Menak adapted from Persian literature, from the title Qissai EMR Hamza. This book was created during the reign of Sultan Harun al-Rashid (766-809). Prior to the adaptation of Javanese language, the book was first known in Malay literature, under the title Hikayat Amir Hamzah. Javanese language version, the contents of the book was already mingling with the Panji stories. Actually not just a translation from language Arabic Parsia to the Java language, also change the philosophy of the story that is so that more easily digested by the Javanese society.
The names of characters in a Marionette Puppet Menak also been adapted to the Javanese tongue. For example, the name Badi'ul Zaman was changed to Imam Suwangsa; Omar Bin Omar Umayyad into Maya; Mihrnigar become Goddess Retna Muninggar; Qoraishi become Goddess Kuraisin, etc.
The main character, EMR Hamza (Amir Hamza), which in Marionette Puppet Menak called Amir Ambyah or Wong Supreme Jayengrana and many other, hostile with King Nusirwan of the Kingdom Medayin . At that time Mecca has become the kingdom of Islam, and with other the kingdom. And hostility with the kingdom other , intrigue, deception, romance and revenge, coloring struggle Ambyah Amir aka Wong Agung Menak in his stories.
