‘Wayang’ - Shadow Puppetry : SKATEBOARD SHADOW PUPPETS

The last type shadow puppets are known as skateboard shadow puppets. These shadow puppets use electric lamps and laser lights to project images from a computer. The background of these performances could be sea, mountains, forests, palaces, and shops. The puppets are played behind a big, wide screen, 4 x 3 m that is twice as big as a conventional screen. In order to play the puppets in such a wide space, a puppeteer has to be assisted by 4 to 5 other puppeteers, who move around behind the screen on skateboards – hence the name.
I Made Sidia and his friends from Gianyar founded this new type of shadow puppetry after the 2002 Bali bombings. They organised several performances in Kuta and Jimbaran to assist the traumatized community through their philosophical and entertaining performances. The puppeteers have created several new characters like African Flamingoes, Sundanese rhinoceros, and even a present-day Balinese teenage girl with gyrating hips and western attitudes, all of which meet both the story line and demand of humor.
Thus, its ritual function helps 'wayang' to be maintained and performed in its sacred form but the modern era has also allowed the creativity of the puppeteer to experiment with new forms of shadow puppets. Why not try and see both kinds while on Bali and decide which you prefer?

‘Wayang’ - Shadow Puppetry : ENTERTAINMENT – THE SECOND CATEGORY

Another type of shadow puppet is based on pure entertainment. The story will be taken from either a part of the 'Mahabharata' or 'Ramayana' epics, although the aim of the performance is purely to entertain the public. In this case, the puppeteer will dominate the show with the jokes and funny movements of his puppets. Political satire, sexual innuendos, insults, and riddles usually dominate such a performance. Mixed language between Balinese, Indonesian, and a bit of English has also become a key ingredient in the performance. The following puppeteers have become popular for their amusing shadow puppets; the late Dalang Lukluk, Dalang Joblar, and Chenk Blonk. During his performance, Chenk Blonk does not use a 'blencong' but prefers electric lamps. This is very modern. When he is chosen to entertain, Chenk Blong rarely accepts to perform a 'sapuleger' show. He prefers his shows to be recorded and sold on compact disc and is proving to be quite popular.

‘Wayang’ - Shadow Puppetry : SAPULEGER – THE FIRST CATEGORY

It is fast becoming a tradition for those born on 'wayang pawukon' to perform 'wayang' at least once during their childhood as a symbolic and spiritual way to save him or her from being chased by Divine Kala. This shadow puppet performance is called a 'sapuleger'; a performance aimed to mentally and spiritually cleanse. More mature people can also hold a 'Sapuleger': for example, after he or she recovers from a serious illness, or to be protected from a series of misfortunes. Many people, including those who were not born on 'wayang pawukon', also hold a 'sapuleger' for the same reasons or to ensure a safe and better future life.
The cost per performance can vary between Rp. 1,5 million to Rp. 2 million including the cost of the offerings. A 'sapuleger' is normally performed at night. In order to save time and money, the family arrives at the puppeteer's house with the complete required offerings, to ask for holy water for the ritual. In this case, the performance is only held symbolically.

‘Wayang’ - Shadow Puppetry : WAYANG PAWUKON

There is a myth in Balinese tradition in which those who were born during 'wayang', a seven day cycle, and 'pawukon' of a 210 day cycle, from the Balinese calendar (the next cycle falls on Saturday 28 January), must hold a shadow puppet performance at least once to avoid misfortune during their life. The myth goes that the God 'Siwa' had a son who was born on a Saturday under 'wayang pawukon'. The son, named Divine Kala asked his father what he could eat. The God Siwa replied that he could eat those who were born on the same 'pawukon' day as him. In the heavens, no one was born on the same day as Divine Kala, until eventually his brother Rare Kumara was born on 'pawukon', the same day as him. When Divine Kala wanted to eat Rare Kumara, the God Siwa prevented him from doing so by pointing out that Rare Kumara was still just a babe. Divine Kala decided to wait but the God Siwa cursed Rare Kumara to remain a child, thus being freed from the threat of being eaten by his brother. Understanding the unfairness and not wanting to wait any longer, Divine Kala hunted his younger brother, who in turn made his escape by coming down to earth.
Whilst on the run, he arrived in a place where shadow puppets were being performed. He hid himself under a bamboo hole used by the gamelan orchestra, so Divine Kala could not get to him. Following behind him, and by now very hungry, Divine Kala ate all the offerings from the shadow puppet show. The puppeteer in turn got incredibly angry with him and asked him to return all the offerings. A compromise was reached; the puppeteer would forgive Divine Kala if in return he would stop chasing his younger brother and whoever was to be born on the same day of 'wayang pawukon'. This was agreed.
Recent developments show that shadow puppetry on Bali now falls into three different categories. The first is shadow puppetry that maintains the sacred nature of the performance without losing its entertaining elements. Since it first appeared, shadow puppetry has been performed to represent many sacred events by ritualistic means; those of Bali's ancestors, her holy men, those of human beings, and of destructive powers. During these performances, a puppeteer not only performs accordingly but also produces the holy water required for the ritual.

‘Wayang’ - Shadow Puppetry : VOICES AND GAMELAN

A gamelan orchestra accompanies the shadow puppets' performance. The orchestra might be small, played by 4 people, or larger, being played by 15 to 20 musicians. The puppeteer plays alone and should be talented enough to change voices according to the characters of the dozens of puppets, voices of men or women, kings or clowns, Gods or demons, as well as the sounds of fire or wind. The talent of a puppeteer lies not only in his ability to present the structure of the story well, with all its necessary complex philosophical values, but also, and perhaps most importantly, in making different character voices in both serious and funny conversations.

‘Wayang’ - Shadow Puppetry : BLENCONG

Shadow puppets can be performed during the day and at night. The daytime play usually accompanies a ritual in a direct way, while the nighttime show is performed as part of a ritual as well as public entertainment. A puppet master or puppeteer plays shadow puppets from behind a screen. A 'blencong', or light of a flame ignited from coconut oil, is used to cast the shadow of the puppets. The quivering flame makes the shadow of the puppet jump alive. In Java, the coconut oil light has now sadly been replaced by electric lamps, a phenomenon that is now also occurring on Bali. During the show, two assistants aid the puppeteer by providing him (as the puppeteer is rarely a 'her') with his required puppets. Fragments of the Indian epics 'Ramayana' and 'Mahabharata' are popularly played out as themes for the shadow puppets.

‘Wayang’ - Shadow Puppetry ( 1 )

Most Balinese performing arts are considered sacred although there is a wonderful balance of entertainment involved. Shadow puppets are a good example. This is one of the most sacred of the performing arts as most shows are performed ritualistically, although their quality and popularity are not only dependent on how good the puppet master presents the story and moral values, but also as to how entertaining their presentation is.

THE BARONG

The Barong is the magical protector of Balinese villages. As “Lord of the forest” with fantastic fanged mask and long mane, he is the opponent of Rangda the witch, who rules over the spirits of darkness, in the never ending fight between good and evil. During the Galungan Kuningan festivals, the Barong (there are many types, including Barong Ket, Barong Macan and Barong Bangkal) wanders from door to door (nglawang) cleansing the territory of evil influences.

The fight between Barong and Rangda is also the topic of traditional narratives, usually performed in the temple of the dead. The most famous is the story of Calonarang, a widow from Jirah who furious because she cannot find a suitable husband for her daughter Ratna Manggali. All the eligible young men are scared of her black magic, so she gets revenge by wreaking havoc over the kingdom of Daha. The king, Erlangga, tries to punish her, but all his attempts fail. She kills all the soldiers he sends to destroy her. Then Rangda decides to destroy Daha. She summons all her disciples and in the still of night they go to the Setra Gandramayu cemetery, to present offerings of dead flesh to Durga, the goddess of death. Durga agrees to the destruction, although she warns the witch not to enter the city of Daha.

But the witch does not heed Durga’s advice and the kingdom is soon hit by grubug (a plague) and the villages quickly become cemeteries, people dying even before they can bury their dead. Corpses are scattered everywhere and the stench is unbearable.

The only person who can defeat the witch is Mpu Baradah. At the king’s request, Baradah sends his disciple Bahula to steal Calonarang’s magic weapon. Bahula pretends to ask for Ratna Manggali’s hand in marriage, and while the witch away, Bahula steals the magic weapon with the help of Ratna Manggali. Then he gives the stolen weapon to his teacher Baradah. The weapon turns out to be a manuscript containing the key to ultimate release (moksa) which has been used upside-down by Calonarang.

Baradah goes to Daha to challenge the witch. With the help of the Barong, she is defeated. Before being killed, she asks to be release from her curse and purified.

THE DANCES OF BALI

The Kecak “Cak-cak-cak “. This obsessive sound (resembling the chattering of monkey) of a choir from beyond the dust of ages suddenly rises between the lofty trees. Darkness looms over the stage. Hundreds of bare-breasted men sit in a circle around the flickering light of an oil lamp chandelier. “Cak-cak”. They start dancing to the rhythmic sound of their own voices, their hands raised to the sky and bodies shaking in unison.

This is the unique Kecak, commonly called the “Monkey Dance” by tourists.

Originally the Kecak was just an element of the older Sang Hyang trance dance. It consisted of a male choir praying obsessively to the souls of their ancestors. At the initiative of painter Walter Spies, this religious choir was transformed into a dance by providing it with a narrative. The ballet is the Ramayana epic. The prince Rama, his wife Sita and his brother Laksmana are exiled in the middle of the forest. Rama goes hunting a golden deer at the request of his wife, who saw the strange animal and has asked him to catch it. While he is away, she is kidnapped by Rahwana and taken to the latter’s island kingdom of Alengka (Srilangka).

Rama allies himself with the monkeys and in particular with the monkey Hanuman.

They build a bridge and cross to the island. War ensues until finally Rama defeats Rahwana and is again united with his faithful wife.

MOVEMENT AND DANCE

Balance is important in Balinese dance. Normally, the dancer half-bends her legs, shifts her torso to one side, with the elbow raised and lowered in fluid movements to display the suppleness of her hands and fingers. Her torso is shifted in symmetry with the arms. If the arms are to the right, the shifting is to the left, and vice-versa.

Apart from their costumes, male and female roles can be identified mostly by the accentuation of these movements. The women’s leg are bent and huddled together, the feet open, so as to reveal a sensual arching of the back. The men’s legs are arched and their shoulders pulled up, with more marked gestures, giving the impression of power.

Dance movements follow on from each other in a continuum of gestures with no break and no jumping (except for a few demonic or animal characters).

Each basic (agem), such as the opening of the curtain or the holding of the cloth, evolves into another agem trough a succession of secondary gestures or tandang. The progression from one series to the other, and the change from the right to the left and vice-versa, is marked by short jerky emphasis called the angsel. The expression is completed by mimicry of the face ; the tangkep. Event the eyes dance, as can be seen in the Baris and Trunajaya dances.

DANCE AND RELIGION

Dance in Bali are both secular and religious, and are divided into three types : namely, wali, bebali and balih-balihan, depending on which part of the temple they are performed. Wali dances such as Baris Gede and Sang Hyang are the most sacred and are performed in the inner sanctum of the temple. Ceremonial in nature, bebali dances take place in the middle courtyard. Bebali dances are secular and are usually performed in the outer courtyard of the temple. However, this distinction not strictly adhered to the time; place and occasion may dictate the performance of a particular dance.

In Balinese society, therefore, dance perform many function:

• As a channel for visiting gods or demonic gods, the dancer acting as a sort of living repository. These trance dance include the Sang Hyang Dedari, with little girls in trance, and Sang Hyang jaran, a fire dance ;
• As a welcome for visiting gods, such as the Pendet, Rejang and Sutri dances ;
• As a entertainment for visiting gods, such as the Topeng and the Wayang.

In some of the dance, the role of dancing is so important that it is actually the key to any meaning to be found in the ritual. In wayang performance, the puppeteer is often seen as the “priest” sanctifying the holy water.

As well as their use in religious ceremonies, dance and drama also have a strong religious content. It is often said that drama is the preferred medium through which the Balinese cultural tradition is transmitted. The episodes performed are usually related to the rites taking place, during a wedding one performs a wedding story ; at a death ritual there is a visit to “hell” by the heroes. Clowns (penasar) comment in Balinese, peppering their jokes with religious and moral comments on stories whose narrative use Kawi (Old-Javanese).

HISTORY OF THE BALINESE DANCE

As a result of the Majapahit influences,the Indian epics have been woven in the rich tapestry of dances and the Javanese influence in the wayang has resulted in the recitation of long quotes from the ancient Javanese Kakawin poetry.

The 16th century brought Islamization to Java, resulting in much of the Javanese culture vanishing from its own land. However, it transformed in Bali, becoming classical Balinese culture. But this didn't live too long until colonization.

The rural courts were defeated and replaced with new lords of the land, shifting the center of creativity to village associations and to development of tourism. The Balinese cultural dance was in its hype of activities especially during the 30's and 50's.

The fertile decades helped survive the old narrative-led theater while letting loose solo dances almost everywhere, accompanied by a new, dynamic kind of music called gong kebyar.

This trend contiued in the 60's and 70's with the creation of colossal sendratari ballets, representing ancient Indian and Javanese stories adapted to the needs of modern audiences.

DANCE AND DRAMA

No visitor to Bali should leave the island without first seeing some of its diverse dances and drama. An important part of Balinese culture, dance and drama are regarded as expression of devotion to the gods and means of infusing the younger generation with old values. Most of today's Balinese dances originates from Java;only a handful are indigenous dances as the rejang, baris and pendet.

Historical records from the ninth century also named the wayang (puppet theatre) and topeng (mask dance) as the main entertainment of day.

Javanese influence from Java started infiltrating into Bali in the 14^th century when it was conquered by Gajah Mada, a power general of the Majapahit Empire. Court nobles and courtiers began to settle in Bali, bringing them with their dance and drama which was absorbed by the local population.

CYCLE OF LIFE ( Part. 4 )

The Balines death is but a return to your origins. The preceding wheels of one’s life are the way to ultimate release.

Not all corpses are cremated immediately, as some wait for an auspicious day, a collective ceremony or until their descendants have enough money to perform the rites. The cremation ritual is a reminder of the cosmic symbolism of life.

The tower is a duplicate of the cosmos; the corpse is put in the middle, symbolizing its position between the spiritual and human worlds. The sarcophagus, in which the body is burned, is a vehicle to take the soul away.

The ashes are collected and taken to the sea. It is here that the soul passes through hell to be tortured and cleansed. The soul is then called back on shore and eventually taken back to Mother Mountain, Gunung Agung. The soul is then enshrined in the family temple and the dead is now an ancestor, until the next incarnation.

CYCLE OF LIFE ( Part. 2 )

The gods and deified ancestors will descend occasionally to earth during temple ceremonies to partake of offerings and enjoy entertainment. When souls are ready to re-incarnate on earth, they will come from the mountains above or straight from hell.

That is why the mountains is revered as the Holy Place.

The religious rites of the Balinese consist of the human rites (manusa yadnya), the rites of the dead (pitra yadnya), rites of the gods or temple rites (dewa yadnya), rites of demonic forces (buta yadnya) and ordainment rites (rsi yadnya).

Each phase of a person’s life, from pregnancy to birth and birth to death, will be accompanied by rituals, which are performed specifically on certain occasions or at any time whenever the need arises. Holy water, fire, ash, geese, duck, eggs, and dabdab tree leaves are the purifying elements used in the rituals.

The manusa yadnya rites include birth rites. The seventh month of pregnancy is the time for the housing of the soul or Megedong-Gedongan ceremony, when the soul is bound within the womb.

CYCLE OF LIFE ( Part. 1 )

Balinese Hindus believe that when a person dies, the soul passes into another body, where it is in torment because of evil deeds accumulated in its present and past lives. To cleanse the impurity of the soul, rituals are continually performed throughout the person’s life. The soul will constantly seek to free itself from this cycle of life until it attains enlightenment or moksa.

The process of incarnation is both human and cosmic, starting from love. The union of a man and woman is that of purusa and pranada (the male and female principle respectively) and the cosmic energy of Asmara, the God of love, and Ratih, the goddess of the moon. In their sexual love are united the red and white elements of desire (kamabang/kama petak), symbol of male sperm and female ovula. The eventual merging of the two kamas begets what is often called “The Godly Fetus” or Sanghyang Jabang Bayi, as the soul originates from the heavenly world. A child is called “Dewa” or little god during his first year of life.

Balinese believe that the mountains are the abodes of the gods, deified ancestors and souls which did not attain moksa.

OVERVIEW OF BALI ( Part. 3 )

While in Bali, you may choose to participate in this magic by visiting one of the large number of temples, with ancient Hindu carved in huge slabs of stone. Or you may be lucky enough to have the opportunity to observe a temple festival or public cremation. You will, most likely, also want to at least see one of Bali’s famous dances.

Grab the opportunity if you can, to see the graceful welcoming dance, in which young girls tilt their heads and move rhythmically to the gamelan beat, sharing their flower offerings with all. Another must see is the kecak dance, a hypnotic chant performed by scores of men circled around a fire, where scenes from the Ramayana are re-enacted. Or the legong dance, which includes a series of different dance scenes and styles, is always worthwhile.

Wherever you are, and whatever you choose to do, enjoy the warm smiles and open embrace of a people who appreciate their whole way of life and would love to share some of its magic with you.

The traditional prayer position of the hands and bow from the heart are welcoming gestures designed to recognize and honor your soul, and they are a true indication of your importance as a visitor to Bali. “Selamat datang”, you are always very welcome in Bali.

OVERVIEW OF BALI ( Part. 2 )

The people of Bali, as diverse as the geography of the different regions and yet united by their strong religious beliefs, draw their strength and their meaning from this wonderful environment.

The mountains are the focus of daily activities, with holy mount Agung as the great heavenward inspiration. All villages, temples, family compounds, house and furniture arrangements are designed to face “kaja”, or towards the mountains. The seaward direction “kelod”, on the other hand, is considered to be less sacred and at times impure, although the sea itself is not considered to be propane.

Mountain slopes provide the ideal setting for the luminous terrace rice paddies, which then transform to become vast paddies fields. The Balinese have an ingenious irrigation system which keeps these paddies well watered, and the rich nutrients from the volcanic ash ensure these fields are also well fertilized.

Rice is the staple food for Balinese people, and sampling the steamed rice (nasi putih), red rice (nasi merah), or even colored yellow rice (nasi kuning) is a must. Or try a mixed rice dish served with different condiments (nasi campur) or fried rice (nasi goreng), even some sticky rice patties. Rice also has sacred significance, and it is offered back to the Gods in the form brightly colored cake, or even simply as a few grains sprinkled on a banana leaf. Dewi Sri, the Balinese goddess, features strongly in local mythology and religious observance, and she often appears as a “cili” figure cut and bound from rice stalks.