Wayang kulit (Leather Puppets / Shadow Puppets) are performing art which is more than half a millennium. Its appearance has its own story, related to the influx of Javanese Islam. One member of the
Wali Songo created it by adopting
Wayang Beber which thrives on Hindu-Buddhist heyday. The adoption was done because the
wayang kulit already attached to the Java so become an appropriate medium for da'wah in order to spread Islam, while Islam forbids visual art forms. As a result,
wayang kulit created where people can only see the shadow.
Wayang kulit played by a man who probably can be called the world's greatest public entertainer. How not, during the night, the puppeteer behind the whole character actor playing wayang kulit which are the puppets made of buffalo skin decorated with patterns Tatah Sungging crafts (leather carving). He had to change the character of the voice, changing intonation, issuing jokes and even singing. To liven up the atmosphere, the puppeteer assisted by musicians who play gamelan and sinden who sing Javanese songs.
The characters in the puppet whole number in the hundreds. The puppets that are not played are put inside of the trunk that is in close proximity to the puppeteer. When played, the puppets will appear as shadows on a white screen in front of the puppeteer. The shadow is created because each puppet show using oil lamps as lighting that helps reflecting the puppets that is being played.
The following are a few characters in wayang:
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| Gunungan |
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| Kresna |
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| Bima / Werkudara |
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| Arjuna |
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| Anoman |
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| Dasamuka |
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