WAYANG, TO THE SPIRITUAL SPIRIT OF THE GOD

Wayang (leather puppet) one of the culture of Indonesia is the traditional art of Javanese society, this traditional art has grown since the 15th century, until now there are still many fans, although only from certain circles. The puppets are made of animal skin, mostly female oxen because they are bigger and softer.

shadow puppet (wayang)s is an art that displays drama through the shadow of a leather puppet (wayang) on ​​a piece of cloth (the color) with the spotlight of the light show (blencong) played by a person called Dalang and accompanied by traditional music gamelan by presenting classical stories such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana stories. Which is thick with Hindu-Indian culture adapted to Javanese culture.

In the art of wayang (leather puppet) there are two important entities namely the figure Dalang and Lakon (figures played). The puppeteer as an actor who plays the puppet (wayang) by directing the audience to a story he wants to address. A great puppeteer, not only capable of telling and playing puppets, but also able to direct the flow of doctrinization to the audience. So the performance of wayang kulit is not only limited to people's entertainment.

While the play is a character in the story that played in an appearance. This play is strongly influenced by elements of local classical culture and outside culture. The local culture-influenced play is based on ancestral stories and the creations of predecessor Dalang, such as Gareng, Semar, Bagong and Petrok. While the play that comes from the outside culture as told in the story of Ramayana and Mahabharata with the play Ravana, Rama, until Pandawa Lima and so on.

While the variant of the doll that is played depends on the ceremony or deployment performed. Because the ancestors of the Indonesian people were animists and dynamists, who believed that every object has power and spirit, so that puppets are manifested in the form of statues and images. Which in every form of puppets has the power generated on the shape of the face and the size of the puppet.

The history of wayang development in Indonesia,

1. Pre-history Basically puppet show is the remnants of ancient Javanese religious ceremonies which at that time still embraces animism. At that time, the forerunners of the Javanese community had made a worship tool in the form of a sculpture for the calling media of spirits or ancestral spirits called Hyang, Hyang was believed to be giving protection as well as protection to them, but sometimes punishing and harming them, in a ceremony considered sacred they call the ability of the magic person as an intermediary, other than that time and a special place for the smoothness of the worship event.

2. The period of Hidu-Budha

re-emerged Tradition of wayang creation from prehistoric culture in the manifestation of wayang batu (puppet of stone)on the sculpture of temple reliefs and sculpture in this era. Puppet at this time is the result of collaboration between the ancestor view of the worship of the spirit with Hindu worship to the gods that exist in Hindu religion. Along with the pre-historical changes to the Hindu-Buddhist era of the story at the puppet show that used to tell the figures of the ancestors, the legend of tribal chiefs or ancestors was drowned in the changing times and changed the story of Hindu gods originating from India namely the story of the Ramayana and Mahabharta.

3. The period of Islam

The fundamental changes and developments of wayang took place during the Islamic period. In some forms we can see as it is today, the masterpieces of the saints in perfecting the shape of the face which formerly featured the front face turned to appear from the side, the color that was once only black (made of soot) and white (burnt bone powder), dikenbangkan be diverse color, hand puppets that once merged with his body made arm or hand joints joints to be moved and also add a variety of puppets.

4. Colonial Period

In the colonial period, wayang still developed as a performing arts, especially when the government of Mataram II under the leadership of king Amangkurat II (1680) moved his capital from Plaret to Kartasuara. At the same time the forms of wayang began to be perfected like using the accompaniment of gamelan and Tembang rhythms performed by siden and noyaga. But at this time the wayang that used to function as a religious ceremony has been transformed into a traditional classical art form and only a few small parts of society that occasionally still perform for religious events.

5. The post-independence period

No development of wayang forms or creation of new puppets during the Japanese colonial period (1942-1945). However, the emergence of new forms of puppets creations including the type of story and the purpose of his performances occurred after the independence of Indonesia. In this period, wayang performances are also a form of art, no longer as a ritual or religious acrata. In this case the puppet becomes the total theater art of a Dalang when he narrates the play. At this time the function of wayang not only as a mere entertainment, but also as a means of education and mass communication, satra education, art education, religion and philosophy. One type of puppet (wayang) that emerged at this time is the puppet (wayang) suluah Pancasila which was created in 1947 in Madiun which tells about the political conditions at the time. Each region has its own style and technique in a puppet (wayang) show. Thus wayang Indonesia is made by indigenous Indonesian people who have a story, style and puppeteer extraordinary, able to play puppet show with very good.

Tourists from abroad are learning to play Gamelan which is one of the musical instruments during the performance as we have discussed above, wayang has passed through various periods from pre-historic to post-independence period. Puppet is not only liked by the local community, but also many foreign tourists from overseas even not only watching the show but they also learn how to play the puppets.

If you are curious and want to witness a puppet show, datanng directly to Indonesia, the country of a thousand cultures.

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Tob daboh, the miraculous action of Aceh

Tob Daboh is a very extreme action, why is it so ?, yes the show is in the form of a neat collaboration between the music of drums or called by rapai by aceh people, with the attractions of the cast who stabbed, hit his head and body with sharp objects. Surprisingly, this extreme action does not make the cast a bit hurt. As if all the sharp objects and hard body blows become soft on their bodies.

Initially, Tob Daboh serves as an exercise to strengthen the physical. Like the jawara in Pasundan region famous for its supernatural powers, it is no wonder that in Aceh many stories of Acehnese ancestors are famous for being strong and immune to weapons. Tob daboh practice is led by a shaykh called caliph, according to the story of a former person called the caliph is someone who has immune knowledge that can not be hurt by any weapon. The ability of this shaykh who will protect the cast of Tob Daboh from sharp injuries.

Displays the action by chanting the sword

around his neck with no injury called Pedaboh.

Although Tob Daboh is known for the extreme attraction performed by the cast, but not even reduce the intention of the people of Aceh to watch this show. Due to the increasing number of viewers who liked it, Top Daboh changed its function into an art show. Tob daboh developed in the area of ​​West Aceh and Nagan Raya. then spread to big cities such as Banda Aceh and other cities with a more modern appearance on the stage equipped with a sound system and lighting are slick, thus adding to the dramatic performances.

A more modern appearance on a stage equipped with a sound system.

Tob Daboh's team will be divided into two teams. Namely drum team (rapai) which amounted to 8 to 12 participants with all-black dress, wearing tangkulok on the head and holding one by one drum (rapai) while sitting in a circular position in the arena performances. Then enter the batik yourself (batter yourself) amounted to 2 to 4 people into the circle of the players reach. Then the pedabus followed every strains of the sound of the grasp while stabbing and beating him with sharp objects.

Drill himself with an unharmed drill (Pedaboh)

The drummer (rapai)

Sharp objects commonly used are rencong, knives, swords, chains and large wooden clubs. Currently Tob Dabos action also vary, as equipped with the show immune to fire, self-burning action, even the action of spraying oil and lit a fire into the air. But again, under the caliph's monitoring, all these creepy acts do not cause any harm to the cast (pedabus). At first glance, the show is similar to a lumping horse show in Java, when players eat glass shards without fear of getting hurt. But unlike the tob daboh is the cast (pedaboh) not in a state of self-consciousness or not in a state of possession. usually the cast (pedaboh) do not wear clothes just wearing trousers as high as calf and headband that all colored black.