T~ aU other' ~Jea UI't:', tIl> Javane'e preters th at ofwitn • 'siuO' u perfol'mance of ~he wayang the native theatre.
He IS au art i t at he"l·t " , 10Vl' lig weet sOllnd, • "'racefu) movements and , < h ar-moulC of ~right coloul'. And all these he Illay nJoy at th wayaug, where, in the pauses of the draIn <, a b 11 a a d s are lIn~ to the tinkling accompaniment of tl~e gamellan," aud splendidly-arrayed dancer "put forth tlte charm of waving pac and of swaying hands." Th
. . Ik' ele
:11e ,evera mdsof "wayangs," each hav-rng lt, own range of subjects and style of actmg : the most ancient a weil aIS
la.
GliTIlp8't' of l\'"tive fjife 'ft, fhe Sfreet8.
tbc most pOlllIlar, howevel', ir> til
"wayang poerwa," the Oliniatur stag on which the lives nnd adventures of
Hindoo heroes, queens, and saints are acted over again bl' puppets of gilt and paintecl leatheJ', moving in th hand of the " dalang " who l' ites the drama.
'l'hfl "wayan« poe.t'\va' is b tde, cribed a a combinati 1\ of a "Puuch-and-J udy"
show and a kind of " Chinflse shadow :,' and- as with thr famed shield whi IJ wa!' . ilvet' on one. idp allel gold on the othflr- it8 appC'f\1':1nce derend. npon thc .. tandpoillt f the spectator. A puppet how to thosc in fl'ollt of thp RC'TPn.
wllem thp O'<.lurJily-painted figurp;< are lix cl iu a. pi ct' of bumwa-st 'll1: it i a 'hino.1' lantf'1'Il to thosr on 1111' OtilOl' 'iele, who SP(' tlte Rhad w pJ'o-jected on the lum inolls ·anVM. A('cot'd-in;:: to anci nt ('11 'tOI11. t,hp men it ill front and , e 1 he pnppet : the women have their plare behind th screen and look 011 a.t the play of tl,e hadow.
In fully-equipped wayal1!tR. ;t~ lIlany af' 155
P'ud. lima J'amie .. a!Jouf J(II'(I.
two hundred of these puppets are found.
each with its own particulartype and garb, characteristic of tbe person representerl.
Certain conventional features, how-ever, are repeated throllghout as sym-bols of their moral di po ition. Long thin nose continuincr th line of the sloping forehead, narrow, lanting eye , and delicate mouths, firmly sllUt,
indi-ate wisdom and agentJe disposition ; a buIging forehead, short thil.:k 110Qe,round eyes and gaping mOllth, incli ate lawles. _ ness and violence. No differ nee i mauf' between the portraiture of god anu tbose of mortals : but tlle Titan' are dis-tin 'ui hed by the sjU) and unwieldiuP,sR of thoir b dy, their tarin cyes, and hugr teeth, ometim re~ mblillg Lu k . Tbe bodi aud face..; flfr indilJ'erently bla k, bille white, fl h- 10\lJ'ed. (,ol' gilt: tbe colonr of the fa , moreovrl', of ten bein a dift' rent 11\' h'om that of tbc reSL of the p I' on. And all tlw figllreS are taken in profil .
The stareon whieh the~e puppetf< :ne 168
sho\vn consi t f an 1I~ l'ight '1' ell of white sarong eloth. lamp ha.ng from the top : at tb bottom it ha a t rans-verse piece of banana tem, into the soft substance of which the puppets may easily bI> fixed by mean of the long sbal'p point into which their sup-port terminate. Th c ntl' ofthe creen is occupied by h .. gunungan,' t.he f'onv ntionalized l'epre ntation of a woodrd hiU, which symbolize thc idea
<)1' loealit in gen 'LTIi. all I tand 1'01' a town, a palac a lakf', n weil, tllo gate ot' Heaven. the tronghold of the Titan"
in hort, fol' all)' I'U1U IW I'y llla·e ma
ll-t.ioned in thc (,Oll!' a or tIJt;' dl'l'lIl1a. II rlw, do':< th duty uI' til!' mod 1'n .. l'Oldi . .... LIl'. bot tOl' still. of ti,,·
:-\hakF'peariall ignboHl'd wllidl appri.'l>d Lh ·pel't.Htol' th at .. Th)" wa a wode,"
1)1' .. ' 'h,vR wa a rOlIn .... Amllug tll('
hU'lh J' :w'e' orifl uI' LIlt' wayang al'e :1 ". t ol' 111 i n iatlll't "'·apons.
,;hi lil", .,\\'ol'd~. flLJ ars. javalill';. and
.t Ini. fl ' ... oxnptly copi cl :tfter tIllIRe nol\' l57
FfUJtI a/lid Pa.MiH tûIout JflN4.
or formerly in use among the Javanesc, and of ten of the most exquisite work-manship ; destined to be handled by the gods and the heroes to whose hands they are very ingeniously adapted. Nor should such items as horses and chariots be forgotten. '1'0 manoouvre this lilliputian company of puppet . made intu actor" i the difficult task of the "dalang.
In continuance of the Punch-and -J udy comparison, the "dalang" should be called the " showman" of the wayang.
Hut he is a showman on a grand scale.
Not only JOt!' h make hi lJuPVets acL thei!' parts of dei tic , hewes, and high-born bamie. according to the strict
'Llnon of .Javun 'S> dranw,ti' an, ob er-vfLnt at thc am time of the exigencie.'
"I' 'ourtly etillU tt : but he mu t know hy hean thc wh01 of tho e nd1essepjc", Llle re ·itatioll of which occupies severa1 Ilights: ometimeshehimselfdramatize
'ome popular myth or,legend, andhe must
always be reany at a moment' notiee 168
mimpslJ., of Native Lift in Uw Slreel6.
to imagine new and 'triking episode , adapt a scene from another pla,y to th one he is pel't'orming and improvis dialogues in keepin~ with the character of the dramatis per 'om\?, Hf' should have an cal' for mu ic :md ti. good voice.
and po se ss some knowledg of Kawi to give at all weil the songs written in that ancient tongue which announc tbe arrival of the principal haracter8 on tbe stage. Moreover, he conducts tbe
" gamellan, ' the native orcbe tra wbich accompanies every representation of th wayang: and finally he orders the sym-bolical dance, which gorgeously-attired
" talèdèks" execute in tbe pauses of the drama. Manager, actor,musician, inger.
reciter, improvisator, and all but play-wright, he i, in himself, a pi ei ad of artists.
But tbe "dalang's" reward is propor-tionate to these exertions. He and his art are alike held in almost supersti-tiou!I respect. No one dreams of criti
-·jzing hie pertormances. If he wiebel
1.
to tmvel. not ft town Ol' hamiet but
IViJl giv hill1 all 'nthn ia ti weleome.
And, at hom ", he .ujoy, that prineel~'
pl'erortative: ÎIl1Jnunity from taxes, hi~
fellow- itizen di ehar iog hi obliga-tion iJl requital of th pi n ure he pro-ure them h~r bi wayang-p rformance . If nothing el e were known about them, this one tl'ait, it eem to me, would be ufficient to prov the Java-ne e to b a people apabie of tl'ue enthu-siasm. and a g nero u cOlleeption of life. There i, something Greek in thi~
notiOIl that holds the artist acquitt cl of all other dutie toward the tate, ij' h fulfil" the uprem olle of giving joy.
At the ame time that it i th chie!' national amusement, tbe wayang- how is, in a sen se, a religiou act, performed in honou1' of the deity, and to invok the blessing of the god and th favoul' of the "danhjang d sa' alld all other O'ood spirit upon th giver of the enter-tainment. The baleful infiuen of the Evil Eye, also, is avert d by nothing . 0
180
!!!~r~~~. e~_
of Nati1:e!!,f
e_inf.It~ _s.!~~:
su1'ely as by a wayallg-performance;
whel'efore, no enterprise of ally impor-tance should be entered upon without one ol' these miniature dl'amatical representations being given. DomestÎe feasts, sueh as arc held at the birth of a chilLl, or at his cireumcision, seldom laek this additiollal gracc. And a mal'-riage at which Brama, Indra,
:tuu,
abo\'e all, Arlljuna, thc iJ loved of women, had not been present in efiigy, would beCOll-sidered ill-omened from the beginniug.
.'s 80011 as it beeollles known that some well-known "dalang" wi\l boM a, wuyang-performance at slIeh and su eh tt house,. the village folk from mile!!
arounu come trooping toward thc . pol.
trudging fol' hour ,Ol' even duys, along tbe sun-scorched, dust-choked high-roads, an enormous, mllshroom- haped bat on thei\' head, (md a handful of boiled riee, neatly folc1ed in a green leaf, tucked into their girdle. At one of the 'Tho wayang-screen is ereet d in t-he open air, in front of tbc house.
lel
Pacts and Fancies (thout ,Java.
-
.-numerous warongs or shops temporarily~rected near thc spot, whel'e the wayang
IS to be performed, they bu)' some bana-nas and a cup of hot wat '1', flavoured, perhaps, with green Jeave of thc coffee-plant, and weetened with the aromatic areng-sugar. And, provided with these simple refreshmcnt , they squat down upon the ground- the men on that side of the wayang-screen where they will see the pup pets, the women on the other wbere tbe shadows al' seen- and pre-pare to restfully enjoy the drama,
Already tbe last streaks of crimson and gold-shot opal have faded in the western skies, and the grey of dusk begins to deepen into nocturnal black-ness, The evening-breeze is astir in the taU tree-top!!, waking a drowsy bird here and there among the branches' it chirps sleepily and is still again. AÎoft a single star is seen limpid and
tremu~
loue, like a dewdrop about to {all. And tbe garrulousgroups around the
wayang-8crteD iradually ceasa their talk. 18i
GlintPlH
0/
Nati,.e LiJe in til" ~tr,et,.Now the "dalang," rising, dieposes, on an improvised aItar, the s8erificialgifts-fruit, and yellow riee, and flowel's; and
lights the frankincense that keeps o ft' evil spirits. Then, a tbe column of odoriferous smoke ascende, sways, and disl'erses through the thio, cool air, a volley of thunderous s Illnd bursts from the ,. gamellan," and the dancers appear.
• lowly they advance, in hand-linked 'ouples, gliding rather than walking, with so gentle a motion that it never stirs the follis of their trailing robes, gathered n.t thc waist hy n. ,ilver clasp. Their hare ~houldel''' nnoiut d with boreh, t gl ll\1l duo kily ahoy the jlurple slen-.lang th:1t drnpes tlto Lw. om. Thc rotlnd hlunt-f aturct.l fa e. :In'. et in a multi-r.olou,'('ll ('01'11"; 'mÎolI II jmvellory, a play (11' trI'. ril allu hltll, :tud I'llbr-I'ed ~\JarkH, I laat. .:11:.\.'(' eiwit otlll'r alollg' tlH~ coiled
~l rand" ol th 11 'ckla('(' :lI1d the tI'
In-hlÎI1~ (';lr-pl'lldant", anti ~ltil\e with a 'Lea.dier light ill tbe brOl -encircling tillra.
A fragrant yellow unguont.
163
hhct., umd l<'amcie8 aboui JItV(I.
A broad silver band, elaborately orna-mented, clasps the upper arm: a nar-rower bracelet encircles the wriRt: tbe tingers are a-glitter with rings.
Arrived in front of tbe wayanjZ-screen they pause; with tbe tips oftheir fin gers they take hold of the long, gold-embroi-dered scarfs alld stand expectant of thc music that is to accompany tbeir dan-cing, The" gamellan " intODeS a plain-tive melody: a medley of tinkJillg, and fluting, and bell-like sounds, sounded by tlle long-drawn notes ofthe "rebab," the Persian vio!. Aud, following the impulse of its rhythm, the danc fS rai"c thei ..
hand~ making the scarf to float along the extended arm, waving a hout thA glittering silk and draping themselveïl in its rolds as in a veil. Tlten, flLanding with feet tllrned sJightly illwal'd~, and, lIlotionless. thoy begin to tlll'll and twist the body, banding this way and that way, witll tbe swaying movement of thin young trlles tbat bow beneath the pa •• ing broeze, t081ling theil' branche •.
10.
(Jli'lIlfJses of fwlive lAfe ;1/ lil/' ~1'I"8t8.
And, with arm8 extended alld hande epread out, they mime a ballad which Borne of theÏl' companiOhf\ are ing-iQg, the prologue to the play, Thi.
may be a fragment of th at ancient liindoo poem, tbc Mahä-Bh!\rata; or a mvth of which Brama, Vishnu, and Shi';a are the heme , 8uch as these are recorded in the l\Ianik l\'Iaja; 01',
again, some episode of the Ramayana:
the " wayang pocrwa" being dedicated to the representation of these three opics.
A favourite subject popnlar with the men on account of the many battles occurring in thc cour of the drama, and with the women becallse Al'djuna,
&he gentJe horo, has tbc Jeading part,
i~ the l'ebellion :111 I defent of the Titan:..
In the Jirsi '(; 'IIU 011 eiihur haml IJl' Lho ,. gllllIlI1O'au," the goJ,' ~~PlJea I' :
Jndra aOlI Brarua hold anxious counsel
a8 to wh at cour'o of action ,hall
u e
lJul'sued, now thai, thc auda 'ioll:> Titalill have dareu to march against the abod.
HJfi
reut.
Qn&1'",..,
Mout J(J1JQ,.of tbe gods; and already tboir armi~.
occupy the four quartore of Heaven-and tbe insolent Raksasa, tbeir king
and
general, fear8 not the arms of tbe gods tbeir deadly 8words, and intolerabl;
l~nces. For, bis huge body-all, but one bldden spot-is invulnerable. And none may conquer him, expect amorta!
hero, pure of all passion aud sin.
Sorrowfully, Brahma lifts hia hands.
* • • Sueh a one cxiats not.
But lndra bethinks him of Ardjuna tbe geutle prince, who, having utterl;
forsworn the glories of warfare, tbe pride of worldly rank and station, nnd the love of women, has retired to a eavern ou Mount lndra Kila: and under the name of Sang Parta- assumed instead of the kingly one of Ardjuna- le::uls a
Ji~'e of prayer aml penitcJlre, mortifying
hlS flesh, :tnd still keeping his constant
t~ougltt tixed on • hiwa, the giver of VlCtory. " Maybe Sang Parts is ths hero destined to overcome Niwataka-waka."
186
Gli"tpse~
0/
Native Lije in t~ jSt'l'~t •. And thc other gods, divided bet ween hope aud fear, answer: "Let us put his virtue to the test, that we may know sureJy.' AmoD!! the beavenly nymphs,"the widadari," thore are seven, tbe fairest of all, famous for many victories over saintly priests and anchoritos,
"hom, by a smile, they eaused to break the vows tbey had vowed and forsake tbe God to whom they hau dedicated themselves. These now are sent to tempt Ardjuna. If he withstand them, he wilJ be, indeed, vietor of the God of Love.
Tbe nympbs deseend on Monnt lndra Kila. "The wild kine and the deer of the mountain raise their head to gaze af ter them a they frolie over tbe dew-lit grass. The einnamoll trees put fortb young shoots, les8 red than the maidens' lips. And the boulders, strewn around Sang Parta's cavern, glisten to welcome them, as, one by one, they pass the dark entrance."
But tbe hermit, absorbed in pious con-templation8, never tums hi averted
1'"
F(u;Js wILd F(trwie~ Itbuut JCU;tt.
head, n.ever looks upon the lovely ones, nor delgns to listen to thcir wooing 1I0.ngs. Anel those seven fair queens are ram t~ dep~rt, hiding their faces, aml smartmg wlth the pain of unI'equited love.
But the gods, beholding them co me back thus hamefaced and . ad, rejoiee exceedingly. Now, to put ang Parta's courage to the te81. biwa, the terrible, assume mortal shape; and, deseending on Indra Kila, defies the hermit. They
6g~t, and Sang Parta is victor. Then Shlwa,. revealing himself, praises the anchonte for his piety and his valour: and, for a reward, bestows upon him his own never-failing pear. After which b~ r~turns to the couneil of the gods,
~lddmg tbem b of good eh eer, for now It cannot be doubted any longer thaI, Sang Parta is the hero destined to con-quer the unconcon-querable Raksa a.
He is now summoned to tlle presence of tbe gods, and receives their command to 10 fortb and slay Rak.asa. A
188
Glimp,e. of Native Life in the Streel •.
goddesB arme him: and a nymph whiBpere into his ear the secret on which the Titan's life depends ; his vulnerable spot is the tip of his tOllgue.
Sang Parta now resumes bis real name: and, as Ardjuna, goe to seek Niwàta-kawata. Af ter many wanderings and perilous adventures, in whieb hiwa's miraeulous spear stands him in good stead, he fina11y meet his destined anta-gonist, and defie him to single eombat.
For a long time they fight, eaeb in turn Beeming vietor and vanquished, \lnW, at last, Ardjuna, feigning to have rllceived a deadly thrust, sink down. And, as Raksasa, skipping about in insolent joy, shouts out a defiance of the gods, Ardjuna hurl hi p ar at the mon ter' wide. pen d lUonth allel pier cs bi tongue, and thc blal'lph n1<'1' u)'ops down dead. Th othrr 'r'tan • R ing their king fallen, Hy, anu thll god are saved. BIL A1'ctjuna ifl r.>ward d for his exploits, l,hc "l'ateful gods bo towing upon him seven urpa in"'l)' fair
169
.. widadllri," a kingdom, nood tho power of working miracles.
This drama, caB d Al'djuna's
mu\'-riage feast, is a compal'atively Ahort one, which may be perfol'med in the COllrse of one night. 'fhe majority of wayang-plays, however, r quire thl'ee or four nights, or even a whole we ·k. tOl' an adequate repre entation; :lnd ther"
are Borne whieh last fol' a fortnighl.
Theyeonsist of fourte n, fifteen or cven more acts. The Ilumber of dmmatis personre is praetically llnlilllitflc!; new heroes and heroine constantly appeal' upon the scene j aud, to r lIder \'on fusion still more confounded, they again and again change their name.. Time iF<
annihilated; the babe, who e mir::tculous birth is represented in thr beginning of an act, having al'ri\' d at man',.
estate before the end of it nnd one generation sllceeeding anoth I' ilJ thc course of the play. Oenl'rally. too, no trace of any rpgnlar plan iR disco\'('rablfl.
Incident follow8 incid nt. Bnet intril?ll~
170
Glimp3e8 of i\atit:e lAfe 'n tlw St",et8 . .
-- - -
- - - - - -_ .._--~m disconnected intrigue; and, at evel'Y turn, fl'e h dramatic el ments are introduced. 80 th at, as the drama ('case - for it annot in auy proper sense be .. aid to fillish- 'haracters whose
\'ery names have not beell mentioned l)efore, are making love, waging war, and holding uesultol'y couns 1 about events absolutcly in levant, and between which :lI1d those l'epl'esented in the begiJluing of the drama, it is all but impossible to find tb slightest connec-tio)).
'fo a. Javanese, the e endl ss plays hardly ~eem long nougl\. He never weari of the innllmerable adventures of the e innumerablc heroe', Titans,
qu~ells, and <Tod', though h has seen thcm repre ented ever sinco he wa a hild, and probably kllow them by heurt, almost as weil a the " dalang "
hims lf. He has 110 prejudices in favollt' of any regulal' intrigue, with beginning, cutastl'opbe, and end. And,
a, fOf iJrlp1'obabilitics, many strang 171
Fact3 (md }'ancie~ about Java.
things happen, day hy day. And, as for time, was not (he Prol het 'al'ried up to
things happen, day hy day. And, as for time, was not (he Prol het 'al'ried up to