Indonesian Ethnic

Buying Gold Online

2009-08-13T13:02:00.000-07:00

The safest investment is gold because the price of gold is always raising and rarely going down. So if you have money and you want to invest it, just buy gold as much as you can buy because surely in the future you will get profits by selling the gold. To buy gold is not too difficult because there are many websites that offer gold online and one of those websites is Bullionbypost.co.uk.

This website is one of the best gold dealers that sell Bullion By Post. All gold bars from this website have fine quality and also protected by certificate of originality. If you buy bullion from this website you will also get insurance to protect you gold. If you open their website you will see other gold such as gold coins. After you place the order, the website will send you the gold using secure post service and delivered directly to your hand. You can also buy silver bar from this website. The silver bars from this website also have the best quality.

Never hesitate to open this website if you want to buy gold or silver. If you need information about the procedure in buying this gold and silver, you can have consultation first with the website admin.

Batara Guru and The World of Gods

2007-11-30T09:35:00.000-08:00

In the wayang kulit the role of gods (batara, dewi, dewata) is very important. Goddess in local language is batari , dewati and the other synonim is hyang. They have their own kingdom where gods live:

Kahyangan : a place where gods (hyang) live, or
Kadewatan : a place where gods (dewa) live, or
Kaindran : a place where gods live under the supervision of god Indra (Indra has been assigned by Guru to take care of god's kingdom), or Suralaya

The supreme god is Batara Guru (teacher), he has full authority from Sang Hyang Wenang (power holder of all gods) to direct other gods to perform their duties, as well as to govern all kinds of life in the universe included life and fate of human beings. His other names are Sang Hyang Jagadnata (king of the universe) and Sang Hyang Girinata (king of mountains). In the ancient times, all kingdoms were located on top of mountains. When he was young, before receiving his authority of power, his name was Sang Hyang Manikmaya.

In his capacity as supreme god, he was assisted by Batara Narada (means wise), his other name was Resi Kaneko Putro, a senior god acting as his envoy in dealing with mankind.

Batara Guru is the son of Sang Hyang Tunggal. Oneday, Sang Hyang Tunggal was throwing an egg to create three dewas. The eldest is Togog (Tedjomantri) serves king of giants, he has a company, Bilung (Sorowito). Togog and Bilung were always against Semar and his sons who serve honest ksatrias. Togog was created from the egg's shell. The second was Semar (Sang Hyang Ismoyo) the most famous servant for Pandawa. He has three sons, named Gareng, Petruk and Bagong. Semar was created from the yolk of the egg. The youngest was Guru (Sang Hyang Manikmoyo), he was created from the white substance of egg.

The existence of gods and world of gods was created by supernatural power. Batara Guru has several sons, named Sang Hyang (S.H.) Basuki, S.H. Srimoyo, S.H. Sambo, S.H. Brahma, S.H. Indra, S.H. Wisnu, S.H. Bayu.

Other well-known figures were : S.H. Surya, Batara Kamajaya & Dewi Ratih (god and goddess of love) , Dewi Supraba (the most beautiful goddess, who married Arjuna), Dewi Uma (wife of Guru), Batara Kala (considered by other dewa) as a trouble maker. Batara Wisnu was the most active dewa in protecting human life against evils. He always fought for the truth. He had incarnated several times. As told in the wayang story, he had reincarnated as human being at least three times. The first when he became Ramabargawa or Wiku Jamadagni as a giant. Ramabargawa had a heirloom of a bow and arrows, called Bargawa.

He met King Arjuna Sosrobahu of Maespati, also known as a Wisnu reincarnation. Although Arjuna Sosrobahu was a wise king but he was greedy. He defeated other kings and those who defeated had to send material obligations to him, those who did not pay should be killed right away. Arjuna Sosrobahu was killed by Bargawa's arrow and his soul 'joined' Ramabargawa.

In his pursuit of death, Ramabargawa met Ramawijaya happily, also a reincarnation of Wisnu. Before being killed by Ramawijaya, he begged Ramawijaya to lead his soul to live together with Wisnu. Ramabargawa died and his soul 'joined' Ramawijaya. Wisnu's incarnations to Ramawijaya and Kresna were more famous.

Rama and Kresna had received authorization from S.H. Wenang to preserve a good, just, peaceful and Prosperous life in the earth. Both of them had the same heirloom - Cakra, which were used only against evil people. They were very wise, knew everything what's going to be. Kresna had another divine heirloom called Kembang (flower) Wijaya Kusuma.

This Wijaya Kusuma could make a dead people to live again, only by slightly touching it to the body of the man. Sometime the peaceful life of gods in their domain, kahyangan could be disturbed by two things :

1. By hot weather or uncomfortable feeling which penetrated kahyangan due two a man strong meditation. For instance, someone had a strong wish for something, and he was aware that only Batara Guru could help accomplished his wish. Then he went to solitude, alone, fasting and didn't sleep days and nights and solemnly meditated with full of concentration and would not stop before S.H. Guru agreed with his request. This meditation should bring uncomfortable situation in Kahyangan. Usually Batara Guru should instruct Narada to stop his meditation. Narada could send some goddesses to attract the meditator, in the hope that he would stop his meditation. If his concentration could not be deviated, Guru should grant his wish by sending Narada. After that, the situation in Kahyangan should be normal again.
2. By the attacks of some evil powerful giants because his request to marry a certain goddess was rejected. As the giant is sakti, having powerful supernatural power, he had the ability to make chaos in Suralaya. If there is no god could expel him, then Guru should call a ksatria to defeat the attaker. In the aftermath, the ksatria should receive certain gift from Guru could be a goddess, a heirloom or a ksatria wish.
Note :
Giant in Javanese is Buto or Wuto means blind. This is symbolizing a blind man can not see the good and wrong.

SERAT JITAPSORO

The dewas have a sacred book, called Serat Jitapsoro. Serat means letter or book, jitapsoro means descendants of supernatural being. In Jitapsoro it is written the dewas family tree and all secret events in the universe (in the past, at present and future). Batara Panyarikan was the one who wrote the book upon instruction by Guru.

Kresna, in his capacity as Wishnu's reincarnation, visited Guru and Narada just before Bharatayuda broke, asking them the fate of Pandawa and Kaurawa which had to be decided in a family war.

Why dewas did not decide to instruct Kaurawa to return to Pandawa the Amarta Kingdom ? Thus to avoid bloodshed of many people.

Guru through Narada replied that Bharatayuda was already written in Jitapsoro, so it could not be avoided. The duty of Wishnu in that case Kresna was to supervise the war to be in accordance with the scenario of the secret book.

Then Kresna with the permission of Guru read Jitapsoro, so he knew what was going to happened.

(http://www.joglosemar.co.id)

Semar

2007-11-29T22:01:00.000-08:00

Semar is a character in Javanese mythology who frequently appears in wayang shadow plays. He is one of the punokawan (clowns), but is in fact divine and very wise. He is the dhanyang (guardian spirit) of Java, and is regarded by some as the most sacred figure of the kotak (wayang set). He is said to be the god Sang Hyang Ismaya in human form.

The name Semar is said to derive from the Javanese word samar ("dim, obscure, mysterious"). He is often referred to with the honorific, "Kyai Lurah Semar" ("the venerable chief").

In depictions, Semar appears with a flat nose, a protruding lower jaw, a tired eye, and bulging rear, belly, and chest. He wears a checkered hipcloth, symbolizing sacredness. Like the other panakawan, the wayang kulit puppet does not have the elaborate openwork and ornamentation characteristic of the heroes In wayang wong, Semar always leans forward, one hand palm up on his back and the other extended partly forward, moving up and down, with an extended forefinger.

By tradition Semar has three sons, the other punakawans in the wayang: Gareng, Petruk, and Bagong (Bagong does not appear in Surakarta-style wayang). In some wayangs, he has a brother Sarahita (or Sarawita), who is the servant-clown of a demonic hero.

ORIGIN
As Semar is one of the few characters in wayang stories not from Indian mythology, his origin is obscure. One hypothesis is that he and his sons are old indigenous deities who became cursed and demoted to servants with the importation of the kshatriya heroes of the Indian epics. Semar also resembles the vidusaka clown figure of Indian Sanskrit drama.

STORIES
In one version of the Babad Tanah Jawi (the Javanese creation myth), Semar cultivated a small rice field near Mount Merbabu for ten thousand years before there were any men. His descendents, the spirits of the island, came into conflict with people as they cleared fields and populated the island. A powerful Hindu-Moslem priest, unable to deviate from his king's orders to continue cultivating the island, provided Semar with a role that will allow his children and grandchildren to stay. Semar's role was to be a spiritual advisor and magical supporter of the royalty, and those of his descendents who also protect the humans of Java can remain there.

One genealogy of Semar is that he is the eldest descendent of God, and elder brother to Bathara Guru, king of the other gods; however, Semar became a man. Another genealogy says that he is the son of Adam and Eve. His brother Nabi ("prophet") Sis gave birth to various prophets, such as Jesus and Muhammad, from whom the various Western peoples are descended, while Semar ("Sayang Sis") gave birth to the Hindus and the Javanese. In either case Semar, in his awkward, ugly human form, represents at the same time god and clown, the most spiritually refined and outwardly rough.

USE IN WAYANG
Semar and his sons first appear in the second part of the plays (pathet sanga), as the servants and counselors of whoever the hero of the wayang play is. In wayang plots Semar is never mistaken, and is deceptively powerful. He is the only character who dares to protest to the gods, including Batharu Guru (Shiva) and Batari Durga, and even compel them to act or desist.

He often represents the realistic view of the world in contrast to the idealistic. His role as servant is to cheer up those in despair and blunt the pride of the triumphant. Clifford Geertz compared his role vis-à-vis Arjuna to that of Prince Hal with his father in Shakespeare's Henry IV, and his role as critic of the play's worldview and antidote to pride as similar to Falstaff. It has also been suggested that Semar is a symbol of the peasantry, not otherwise incorporated in the palace hierarchies; that in some more popular forms of the drama, he and the other clowns dominate the royal heroes supports this idea.

Punokawan

2007-11-29T22:00:00.000-08:00

In Javanese wayang, the punokawan are the clown servants of the hero. There are four of them - Semar (also known as Ki Lurah Semar), Petruk, Gareng and Bagong. Semar is the personification of a deity, sometimes said to the be the dhanyang or guardian spirit of the island of Java. In Javanese mythology, deities can only manifest themselves as ugly or otherwise unprepossessing humans, and so Semar is always portrayed as short and fat with a pug nose and a dangling hernia.

His three companions are his adpoted sons, given to Semar as votaries by their parents. Petruk is portrayed as tall and gangling with a long nose, Gareng as short with a club foot and Bagong as obese.

The punokawan always appear in the second act of a wayang performance - pathet sanga - as servants to the hero of the story regardless of who that hero is.

Similar characters appear in other Indonesian wayang and theatrical traditions, including those of Bali and Sunda, under different names.

Wayang beber

2007-11-29T18:43:00.001-08:00

The wayang beber has strong similarities to narratives in the form of illustrated ballads that were common at annual fairs in medieval and early modern Europe. They have also been subject to the same fate – they have nearly vanished. A few scrolls of images remain from those times, found today in museums. Performances, mostly in small auditoriums, take place according to the following pattern:

The dalang gives a sign, the gamelan orchestra (or a musician with a violin-like instrument) begins to play and the Dalang unrolls a picture related to the story. Then, speaking and singing, he narrates the story in more detail. In this manner, in the course of the evening he unrolls several pictures. The pictures are shown one at a time and are successively unrolled. Each picture represents a story or part of a story. The content of the story typically stems from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Jenggala stories or profane stories from other villages and kingdoms.

Wayang karucil or wayang klitik

2007-11-29T18:40:00.000-08:00

Wayang klitik figures occupy a middle ground between the figures of wayang golek and wayang kulit. They are constructed similarly to wayang kulit figures, but from thin pieces of wood instead of leather, and, like wayang kulit figures, are used as shadow puppets. A further similarity is that they are the same smaller size as wayang kulit figures. However, wood is more subject to breakage than leather. During battle scenes, wayang klitik figures often sustain considerable damage, much to the amusement of the public, but in a country in which before 1970 there were no adequate glues available, breakage generally meant an expensive, newly made figure. On this basis the wayang klitik figures, which are to appear in plays where they have to endure battle scenes, have leather arms. The name of these figures is onomotopaeic, from the sound klitik-klitik, that these figures make when worked by the dalang.

Wayang klitik figures come originally from eastern Java, where one still finds workshops turning them out. They are less costly to produce than wayang kulit figures.

The origin of the stories involved in these puppet plays comes from the kingdoms of eastern Java: Jenggala, Kediri and Majapahit. From Jenggala and Kediri come the stories of Raden Panji and Cindelaras, which tells of the adventures of a pair of village youngsters with their fighting cocks. The Damarwulan presents the stories of a hero (Damarwulan) from Majapahit. Damarwulan is a clever chap, who with courage, aptitude, intelligence and the assistance of his young lover Anjasmara, makes a surprise attack on the neighboring kingdom and brings down Minakjinggo, an Adipati (viceroy) of Blambangan and mighty enemy of Majapahit's beautiful queen Sri Ratu Kencanawungu. As a reward, Damarwulan is married to Kencanawungu and becomes king of Majapahit; he also takes Lady Anjasmara as a second wife. This story is full of love affairs and battles and is very popular with the public. The dalang is liable to incorporate the latest local gossip and quarrels and work them into the play as comedy.

Wayang Golek or Rod Puppets

2007-11-29T17:51:00.000-08:00

Wayang golek are wooden doll puppets that are operated from below by rods connected to the hands and a central control rod that runs through the body to the head. The simple construction of the puppets belies their versatility, expressiveness and aptitude for imitating human dance. Little is known for certain about the history of wayang golek, but scholars have speculated that it that most likely originated in China and arrived in Java sometime in the 17th century. Some of the oldest traditions of wayang golek are from the north coast of Java in what is called the pasisir region. This is home to some of the oldest Muslim kingdoms in Java and it is likely the wayang golek grew in popularity through telling the wayang menak stories of Amir Hamza, the uncle of Muhammad. These stories are still widely performed in Kabumen, Tegal, and Jepara as wayang golek menak, and in Cirebon, wayang golek cepak. Legendary origins of wayang golek attribute their invention to the Muslim saint Wali Sunan Kudus, who used the medium to prosletize Muslim values. In the 18th century the tradition moved into the mountains of West Java where it eventually was used to tell stories of the Ramayana and the Mahabarata in a tradtion now called wayang golek purwa, which can be found in Bandung, Bogor and Jakarta. Wayang golek purwa has become the most popular form of wayang golek today and the most famous puppeteer family is the Sunarya family which has produced several generations of stellar performers.

Wayang topeng or wayang gedog or wayang wong

2007-11-29T17:46:00.001-08:00

Wayang wong is a type of theatrical performance with themes from the kingdom of Jenggala, in which the players wear masks known as wayang topeng or wayang gedog. The word "gedog" comes from "kedok", which, like "topeng" means "mask". The main theme is the story of Raden Panji and Candra. This is a love story about princess Candra Kirana of Kediri and Raden Panji Asmarabangun, the crown prince of Jenggala. Candra Kirana was the incarnation of Dewi Ratih (goddess of love) and Panji was an incarnation of Kamajaya (god of love). Kirana's story was given the title "Smaradahana" ("The fire of love"). At the end of the complicated story they finally can marry and bring forth a son, named Raja Putra. Panji Asmarabangun ruled Jenggala under the official names "Sri Kameswara", "Prabu Suryowiseso", and "Hino Kertapati". Originally, wayang wong was performed only as an aristocratic entertainment in four palaces of Yogyakarta and Surakarta. In the course of time, it spread to become a popular and folk form as well.

Wayang wong has fixed patterns of movement and costume:

For male performers:

* Alus: very slow, elegant and smooth movement. For example, the dance of Arjuna, Puntadewa and all other slimly built Kshatriyas. There are two types of movement, lanyap and luruh.

* Gagah:
o Kambeng: a more athletic dance, used for the roles of Bima, Antareja, and Ghatotkacha.
o Bapang: gagah and kasar for the warriors of Kaurawa.
o Kalang kinantang: falls somewhere between alus and gagah, danced by tall, slim dancers in the roles of Kresno or Suteja.

* Kasar: a coarse style, used in portraying ogres and demons.

* Gecul: ponokawan and cantrik
o Kambeng dengklik: for ape warriors, such as Hanuman.
o Kalang kinantang dengklik: for ape warriors, such as Sugriwa and Subali.

For female performers: Kshatriya noblemen. Costumes and props distinguish kings, Kshatriyas, monks, princesses, The movements know as nggruda or ngenceng encot in the classical, high style of dance consist of nine basic movements (joged pokok) and twelve other movements (joged gubahan and joged wirogo) and are used in portraying Bedoyo and Srimpi.

Today, the wayang wong, following the Gagrak style of Surakarta, is danced by women. They follow the alus movements associated with a Kshatriya, resembling Arjuna. Following the Gagkra style from Yogyakarta a male dancer uses these same Alus movements to depict princes and generals. There are about 45 distinct character types.

Wayang kulit

2007-11-29T17:41:00.000-08:00

Wayang kulit, shadow puppets are prevalent in Java and Bali, are without a doubt the best known of the Indonesian wayang. Kulit means skin and refers to the leather construction of the puppets that are carefully chiseled with very fine tools and supported with carefully shaped buffalo horn handles and control rods.

The stories are usually drawn from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata or the Serat Menak. The island of Lombok has developed its own style of Serat Menak called Wayang Sasak.

There is a family of characters in Javanese wayang called Punakawan; sometimes referred to as "clown-servants" because they usually are associated with the story's hero and also provide humorous and philosophical interludes. Semar is the father of Gareng (oldest son), Petruk, and Bagong (youngest son). These characters did not originate in the Hindu epics, but were added later, possibly to introduce mystical aspects of Islam into the Hindu-Javanese stories. They provide something akin to a political cabaret, dealing with gossip and contemporary affairs.

The puppets figures themselves vary from place to place. In Central Java the city of Surakarta (Solo) is most famous and is the most commonly imitated syle of puppets. Regional styles of shadow puppets can also be found in West Java, Banyumas, Cirebon, Semarang, and East Java. Bali produces more compact and naturalistic figures, and Lombok has figures representing real people. Often modern-world objects as bicycles, automobiles, airplanes and ships will be added for comic effect, but for the most part the traditional puppet designs have changed little in the last 300 years.

Historically, the performance consisted of shadows cast on a cotton screen cast an oil lamp. Today, the source of light in Java is most often a halogen electric light. Some modern forms of wayang such as Wayang Sandosa created in the Art Academy at Surakarta (STSI) has employed spotlights, colored lights and other innovations.
The handwork involved in making a wayang kulit figure that is suitable for a performance takes several weeks, with the artists working together in groups. They start from master models (typically on paper) which are traced out onto kulit (skin or parchment), providing the figures with an outline and with indications of any holes that will need to be cut (such as for the mouth or eyes). The figures are then smoothed, usually with a glass bottle, and primed. The structure is inspected and eventually the details are worked through. A further smoothing follows before individual painting, which is undertaken by yet another craftsman. Finally, the movable parts (upper arms, lower arms with hands and the associated sticks for manipulation) mounted on the body, which has a central staff by which it is held. A crew makes up to ten figures at a time, typically completing that number over the course of a week.

The painting of less expensive puppets is handled expediently with a spray technique, using templates, and with a different person handling each color. Less expensive puppets, often sold to children during performances, are sometimes made on cardboard instead of leather.

History of Wayang

2007-11-29T17:23:00.000-08:00

Wayang is a generic term denoting traditional theatre in Indonesia. There is no evidence that wayang existed before Hinduism came to southeast Asia sometime in the first century CE. However, there very well may have been indigenous storytelling traditions that had a profound impact on the development of the traditional puppet theatre. The first record of a wayang performance is from an inscription dated 930 CE which says "si Galigi mawayang," or "Sir Galigi played wayang". From that time till today it seems certain features of traditional puppet theatre have remained. Galigi was an itinerant performer who was requested to perform for a special royal occasion. At that event we know he performed a story about the hero Bima from the Mahabharata.

Hinduism arrived in Indonesia from India even before the Christian era, and was slowly adopted as the local belief system. Sanskrit became the literary and court language of Java and later of Bali. The Hindus changed the Wayang (as did the Muslims, later) to spread their religion, mostly by stories from the Mahabharata or the Ramayana. Later this mixture of religion and wayang play was praised as harmony between Hinduism and traditional Indonesian culture. On Java, the western part of Sumatra and some smaller islands traditionalists continued to play the old stories for some time, but the influence of Hinduism prevailed and the traditional stories either fell into oblivion or were integrated into the Hinduistic plays.

The figures of the wayang are also present in the paintings of that time for example the roof murals of the courtroom in Klungkung, Bali. They are still present in traditional Balinese painting today.

When Islam began spreading in Indonesia, the display of God or gods in human form was prohibited, and thus this style of painting and shadow play was suppressed. King Raden Patah of Demak, Java wanted to see the wayang in its traditional form, but failed to obtain permission from the Muslim religious leaders. As an alternative, the religious leaders converted the wayang golek into wayang purwa made from leather, and displayed only the shadow instead of the figures itself. Instead of the forbidden figures only their shadow picture was displayed, the birth of the wayang kulit.

The wayang klitik figures are painted, flat woodcarvings (a maximum of 5 to 15 mm thick -- barely half an inch) with movable arms. The head is solidly attached to the body. With these, it is possible to do puppet plays either by day or by night. This type of wayang is relatively rare.

Wayang today is both the most ancient and most popular form of puppet theatre in the world. Hundreds of people will stay up all night long to watch the superstar performers, dalang, who command extravagant fees and are international celebrities. Some of the most famous dalang in recent history are Ki Nartosabdho, Ki Anom Suroto, Ki Asep Sunarya, Ki Sugino, and Ki Manteb Sudarsono.