Balungan 13

TRADITIONSWayang Wong Priangan: Dance Drama of West Javaby Yus Ruslaiana

Translated, edited, and augmented by Kathy Foley

The relationship between human performanceand puppetry in Indonesia is strong. If wayang wongjawa (Javanese dance drama) is a reflection of wayangkulit , the leather shadow puppetry of Central Java,which uses humans as actors (Soedarsono, 1997:1),then wayang wong Priangan, the dance drama ofPriangan—the mountainous highland area of WestJava— can be spoken of as a personification of wayanggolek, the wooden three-dimensional puppetry of theSundanese speakers who live in this highland area ofWest Java.

Performances borrow from the repertoire of thisimportant puppet theatre in which stories of theMahabharata, Ramayana, Arjuna Sasra Bahu andMenak cycles are performed. As in wayang golek adalang (puppet master) delivers narration and moodsongs. The musical repertoire of wayang golek’sgamelan is used the performance structure adoptspupptry’s patterns. Differences are that in wayangwong (called wayang orang in Indonesian) thechoreography performed by individual dancers ismore complex than that executed by the wayanggolek dolls; the dialogue is usually delivered by eachdancer representing his or her character rather thanby a solo narrator/puppeteer; and the performance ismore streamlined, lasting a mere two to four hoursrather than the seven or eight of a puppet play.

Wayang wong Priangan developed in the latenineteenth century, peaked in the regencies ofBandung, Sumedang, Garut and Sukabumi in theperiod before World War II, and receded by the latel960s as audiences waned. This article will introducewayang wong Priangan, detailing its history andaspects of performance practice and repertoire.History

Wayang in Kawi (Old Javanese) means “shadow”and wang means “human.” Wayang wang was aperformance in the style of wayang kulit, the shadowtheatre of Central Java wherein actors and actressestook the puppets roles. The first written reference to

the form is on the stone inscription Wimalarama fromEast Java dated 930A.D. (Soedarsono, l997: 4-6) Thegenre is currently done in masked and unmaskedvariations in Central Java, Bali, and Cirebon (a city onthe north coast of West Java), as well as in Sunda(West Java).1 Since Cirebon’s wayang wong is thedirect antecedent of wayang wong Priangan,understanding Cirebonese practice is important to thediscussion.Wayang Wong in Cirebon

Cirebon has two styles of wayang wong. The firstis a village version in which the performers aremasked. 2 The second is a palace variant where theperformers dance unmasked. Cirebonese wayangwong developed in the beginning of the nineteenthCentury and fed into the wayang wong Priangan bythe end of that century.

From 1811 to 1816 the English were a colonialpresence in Cirebon. When they left, they werereplaced by the Dutch. In this period the palaces ofthe Kanoman and Kasepuhan were centers of culturalconservation and artistic development.3 These kraton(palaces) encouraged the artistic practice of the villageperformers as well as supporting presentations byartists who were of noble descent. For example, theKanoman Palace records note a performance in 1842of a badaya (female court dance) done by sixperformers which drew on the Menak cycle, a legendthat tells the history of Amir Hamzah uncle of theProphet Mohammed (Soedarsono l972: 115-6). Later,during the reign of Sultan Raja Zukarmaen (l873-1934) and Sultan Anom Nurbuat (l934-5), attention tothe arts continued at the Kanoman. Palacechoreographies included a badaya rimbe (a femalegroup dance performed by the Sultan’s femaledaughters), which was last performed in l966 at aKanoman circumcision. Wayang wong, presentingtales from the Amir Hamzah repertoire. Kanomandancers performed wayang wong without masks andcharacters spoke their own dialogue while the dalang

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delivered only the mood songs (kakawen/ suluk), andnarration (nyandra). Performers were generally villageartist who were given rights to work lands andconsidered abdi dalam, retainers of the ruler. Someartists, especially dalang, were given the title NataPrawa. Palace performances were open to the publicby l925, but as the patronage of the palace falteredwith independence and economic dearth, wayangwong ceased by l966 due to lack of funds.

The wayang wong which was favored at theKasepuhan palace was different. There a villagetroupe which would be invited into the palace toperform for Islamic holy days, for life-cyclecelebrations, and for exorcistic ceremonies (ruwatan).In the period of Sultan Raja Atmaja (1880-1899) thetroupe of Dalang Resmi was most noted. There weremany artists especially from the surrounding villagesof Mayung, Gegesik, Palimanan, Slangit, andSuranenggala. These performers were allowed towork royal land and might be given titles. Forexample, Dalang Kandeg, one of the most notedCirebonese artists of the last generation, was giventhe title Patmadjawinata, while Dalang Dirja receivedthe title of Ngabehi. Such individuals also were giventhe honorific title Ki or Kyai . These two dalangs andtheir troupe were frequent performers in the palaceperformance halls, Pringgondani and Srimati,between l939-l942. Their performances included wellknown wayang stories such Pergiwa-Pergiwati, JabangTutukla, Gandamanah, Brajamusti—stories named aftertheir featured character—The Forest of Alas Amer,Somantri Breaks his Vow, Partakrama (Arjuna’sWedding), Campang Curiga, Prabu Kuliti KunmbangAli-Ali (Mintaraga/Arjuna’s Meditation), and, for theexorcism, Batara Kala (The God/Demon Kala).Costumes and masks for these performances followedthe iconography of the wayang kulit shadow theatreof Cirebon. (Pigaud, l938: 120). The batik cloth inwhich dancers would wrapped themselves waspainted with the traditional designs of Cirebon. In theKasepuhan performances the dalang delivered all thedialogue as well as the mood songs and narration, ashe would in a puppet performance. Movement was inthe style of Cirebon topeng (mask dance). Palaceperformance used both the slendro prawa and pelogorchestras. Performances outside the palace, bycontrast, were more modest would use only one set ofinstruments tuned to either the slendro or pelogscales.

The Kanoman Palace developed an aristocratic,unmasked variant of wayang wong where performers

were nobles or their retainers. The maskedKasepuhan Palace model was dominated by villagersand these performances were more suffused with avillage aesthetic. The former style needed manytrained palace performers, but the latter style was thepurview of professionals/semi-professionals. Thissecond group would in the late nineteenth centurycarry the art to the Piangan highlands, travelling forparts of the year as itinerant troupes.Wayang wong in the Priangan area

According to Pak Kandeg, the most authoritativeCirebonese wayang wong dalang of the lastgeneration, a dalang by the name of Ki Kempung wasthe first to tour the genre outside the palace and toPriangan while the second was NagbehiNatawigunan (Maman Suriaatmaja 1970: 236).Performances could be of two types: firstly, that hiredfor a set fee by a family or group holding a ceremonyor celebrating a festive occasion, or, secondly, paid forby viewers who purchased individual tickets. Thelatter type of presentation was called bebarangan orngamen (itinerant performance). As these groupstraveled, wayang wong spread to major cites of theSundanese area such as Sumedang, Garut, Sukabumi,and Bandung.

The dalangs of this time who were best knownwere Wentar and Koncar. Wentar’s given name wasKundung, but he received the nickname Wentar(kawentar, “famous”) from R. A. A. Martanegara, theregent of Bandung at the turn of the twentiethcentury. Wentar was patronized by the aristocracyand was known for teaching topeng-style mask danceof Cirebon to highland nobles. Meanwhile Koncarwho was closer to the commoners, focused onperforming wayang wong with his troupe for hislower class audience. Originally the dialogue used bysuch troupes was in the Cirebonese dialect ofJavanese, but soon the local Sundanese language,which could be understood by the viewers, wasemployed. According to Dalang Kandeg, the realname of Koncar was Ki Konya. The moniker Koncarcomes from kakoncara, meaning “well-known.”Wentar helped lay the groundwork for what wouldbecome known as wayang wong priyayi (literally,“civil servant” [i.e., upper class] wayang wong) as hetrained members of the aristocracy in danceperformance. Koncar whose work was later continuedby Dalang Kamsi, popularized the genre among thehoi poloi. Due to this pair and their followers, by theend of the nineteenth century we find wayang wong

Balungan 15

Priangan developing in the highlands of West Java asan indigenous performance.

On January 1, 1871 the Dutch colonialadministration implemented re-organization of thePriangan area by assigning a Dutch resident officer tooversee several regents, called bupati. It was in citiesoverseen by these bupati, that wayang wong laterflowered. Let us consider some of the developmentslooking at the cites closer to Cirebon first.

Sumedang is the gateway to Priangan fromCirebon on the north coast. Prince Suria KusumahAdinata (l836-l882), the bupati of Sumedang was awayang aficionado and ordered palace dancers to betrained in wayang wong. He determined that thefemale dancers would wear masks while headdressesfor his troupe were made of copper or tin (Pigeaud1938,121). In 1893 it was similar headdresses that thenext Bupati of Sumedang sent to the ColombiaExposition in Chicago along with the gamelan setcalled Sari Oneng Parakan Salak, a set of nineteenthcentury instruments (Abdullah Kartabrata l996: 9,41).4

Garut is also close to Cirebon. This was whereWentar and Koncar had found audiences at the end ofthe l9th century. The dance training given by Wentarcontributed to the development of wayang wongamong the upper classes in that city. During the timeof Bupati R.A.A. Suryakartalegawa (l915-1931) therewas a group of wayang wong priayayi. In the l920s itwas sponsored by the kabupaten, the government ofthe area, and all performers were civil servants, whowere the elite of that time. Mahabharata stories wereperformed on major holidays. No masks were usedand dancers spoke their own lines. No clown roleswere included, perhaps because it was difficult to findpriyayi who were the right types and/or willing toplay the comic roles. Also in Garut, Dalang Bintang(“Star”) from Tarogong began to perform wayangwong Priangan after he married a daughter of DalangKoncar, who was his teacher. Dalang Bintangperformed with his wayang golek apprentices. Thegroup used masks. All the dialogue was initiallydelivered by the dalang. But, in time, the groupdiscarded masks and performers began to presenttheir own dialogue. Mahabharata, Arjuna Sasra Bahuand some sempalan stories were in their repertoire.5

Bandung, the present capital of West Java, isfurther from Cirebon and the coastal influencesarrived here a bit later. Here the arts were supportedby Bupati R .A. .A. Martanegara who ruled l893-1918.A building in the official complex of the kabupaten

was called the Hall of Priangan Culture. Here dance,music, and theatre were practiced. The arts werelinked to status and class. By the l920s, Bupati R. A. A.Wiranatakusumah V, known as Dalam Haji, (1920-31and l935-42) led the regency (Nina H. Lubis, l998:315). Under Wiranatkusumah’s leadership priyayipresented maskless Mahabharata episodes with thedialogue spoken by the dancers. Costumes followedwayang golek iconography and the group performedfor congresses and major holidays. R. SambasWirakusumah excelled as the knight Laraskonda andR. Tjetje Somantri as Baladewa (R. Tjetje Somantri1948: 4). These two individuals were to become themost noted dance masters of the twentieth centuryand their legacies in Sundanese dance and theatreremain profound. While the bulk of performers at thekabupaten in Bandung were priyayi, musicians andfemale performers were drawn from the lower class.

Outside the kabupaten, these priyayi artistssometimes developed their own ensembles, as did R.Sambas Wirakusumah when he became headman(lurah) of Rancaekek near Bandung. In the l930s inCimindi to the east of Banding, another group wasestablished by Ibuk, who himself was a pupil ofDalang Oneng from the city of Sukabumi. This troupewas known for its cross-gender casting. Womenpresented refined knights and men played femalecomic roles. In l938 in Babakan Tarogong KotaprajaBandung, another troupe, wayang wong Kayat, led byPak Kayat was established. This group was oftenhired to provide entertainment for family ceremonies.It also staged ticketed performances. Dancerspresented their own dialogue with the dalangproviding only mood songs and narration. Theperformance, as with other troupes, followed wayanggolek’s model.

After independence the pendapa, the open airpavilion, of the Bandung kabupaten was no longerused as a performance or training space, and wayangwong’s future was fully in the hands of the commonpeople. Many of the great artists of the periodparticipated in the genre. R. Sambas Wirakusumahcontinued to be active. In l957 he gave a performancewhich included music by the noted artist R. NugrahaSudireja, narration by Dalang Iding Martawisastra,and direction by Enoch Atmadibarata (a majorchoreographer and scholar of the present) in aperformance of the Birth of Gatotkaca. (Yuli Sunarya,l997:99) This performance was more structured thanthose of an earlier period. The dialogue was based ona set text rather than improvised in performance as

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earlier was the norm. The choreography and positionson the stage were predetermined rather than left tothe discretion of the performers, and the transitionswere worked out. In such performances the fluidity ofthe past with its reliance on the choices of the trainedindividual artist was being replaced by a moreunified and predetermined aesthetic. In the postWorld War II period, Kayat revived his group and itbecame a training ground for many artists of thepresent. But by the late 1960s there was little demandfor performances of this genre. By l968 Wayang wongKayat found annual independence day celebrationsthe only call for its artistry. Unneeded, artist retreatedto wayang golek or migrated to other genres such assandiwara (improvised drama where dance isdeemphasized and the repertoire is not confined tothe wayang tales) and sendratari, which forgoesdialogue in favor of mimed action.The Troupe

A troupe of wayang wong Priangan wouldinclude dancer-actors (penari), a dalang to narrate,musicians (wiyaga or nayaga) to play the gamelan, anda female singer (pasinden or juru kawih) whose lyricscomplemented the show and filled in during

the scene transitions. Dancers were usuallyassigned roles by the troupe leader, often the dalang,who in casting took into consideration the performersability in dance and speaking. Seasoned performersusually had a character that was considered theirspecialty (kostim). All roles were not equallydemanding and performers fell into three groups.Primary players (wayang utama) played the core rolesin the story presented. The dancer who played aheroic roles was apt to become the idols of theviewers. The antagonist was equally necessary for theconduct of the story and would portrayed the villain.Secondary characters (wayang pamanggul) supportedthe hero or villain. Supporting characters (wayangpangeuyeub) took minor roles such as rank and fileogres.

The dalang was usually not responsible for thedialogue, but provided the mood songs andnarration. Additionally this performer cued thegamelan with the wooden hammer (cempala) and metalplates (kecrek) which he used to accent the movementof the dancers and to make sound effects whichenlivened the energy of the scene. Unlike wayang golekwhich since the l960s has allowed female dalang, thedalang of wayang wong was always male.

There were about ten musicians who played the

gamelan instruments which consisted of a bowed lute(rebab), drums (kendang and kulanter), metalophones(saron I, saron II, the deeper-voiced panerus), thehorizontal gongchimes (bonang, rincik), a xylophone(gambang) and set of large hanging gongs (goong,kempul). One female singer who was called pasinden orjuru kawih was customary. Among the musicians, thedrummer had a preeminent role as he set the rhythmand provided percussive accent for the movements ofthe dancers.

Balungan 17

Chart A: Character Types

The following chart details the character types that would be found in wayang wong Priangan with examples ofwell-known characters that fall into that type and notes on their movement and vocal practice. (Characters fromthe Mahabharata are designated by an M, Ramayana with an R and Arjuna Sasra Bahu by ASB.)

Type Characteristics, Dance Steps, Voice CharactersPutriLungguh

Refined female who moves in slow sustained style. Names of signaturemovements include adeg-adeg lontang nutpup (stance with closedarms), jankung ilo reundeuk (low approaching movement), keupat anca(refined walking). She speaks in suara biasa or regular voice.

Subadra (M),Drapadi. (M), Sita(R), Citrawati (ASB)

Putri Ladak Semi-refined female who moves more quickly, but is still refined.Signature movements are adeg-adeg lontang buka (stance with openarms), jankung ilo batarubuh (approaching movement with shouldermovement), and keupat salancar (medium walking). She speaks in suarabengek or high voice.

Srikandi (M),Mustakaweni (M),Rarasati (M), Trijata(R)

SatriaLungguh

Refined knight who moves in a sustained, slow way but has a widerstance than the putri lungguh. Movements include keupat anca (refinedwalk), adeg adeg baplang (stance to the baplang rhythm), and tincak tilu(stepping in threes). He speaks in suara biasa or regular voice.

Arjuna (M),Abimanyu (M),Yudistira (M), BataraGuru (M), Rama (R),Arjuna Sasra Bahu(ASB)

SatriaLadak

Refined knight who moves in a medium tempo but more directly andenergetically than the refined character. Movements included keupatsatria (knight walk), ecek, santana (side stepping), and adeg-adegsembada (semi-refined stance). He speaks in suara bengek or high voice.

Kresna (M), Karna(M), Somantri (ASB)

MonggawaLungguh

Refined warrior who stands in a wide stance, his head low but histempo even but rather fast. Movements include adeg-adeg capang(stance fixing armbands), jankung ilo cikalong (strong approach), gedut(striding), gedig anca (small stepping with weight transfer). He speaksin suara gangsa or deep voice created by tightening vocal cords.

Gatotkaca (M),Antareja (M),Hanoman (R)

MonggawaDangah

Proud warrior who is aggressive and uses dynamic movement.Signature steps include adeg adeg capang sonteng (stance fixingarmbands dynamically), pak blang (stepping forward and back to thepak blang drum pattern), and gedig salancar (wide stepping withweight transfer.) ). He speaks in suara gangsa or deep voice created bytightening vocal cords but using a quick and somewhat forced tone.

Baladewa (M),Jayadrata (M),Suyudana (M),Inrajit (R)

DanawaPatih

Ogre minister who has a wide stance but whose head is down a bit, andmoves in a steady and rather quick tempo, gazing straightforward.Movement include adeg adeg japang ngalaga (stance fixing armbandsfor battle), sirig and jankung ilo batarubuh (approach with shouldertapping). ). He speaks in suara gangsa with a deep voice created bytightening vocal cords.

Sakipu (M),Brajamusti (M)

Danaw Raja Ogre king who has straight wide leg stance, energetic and fast rhythm,and straightforward and high gaze. Movements include adeg-adegkiprahan (preening stance), banrongsayan, pak blang gancang (faststepping forward and back to pak blang rhythm), gedig barungbang(strong stepping with weight shift). ). He speaks in suara gangsa or deepvoice created by tightening vocal cords, but voice can swoop up anddown and the breath is forced.

Naga Percona (M),Niwata Kawaca (M),Rawana (R)

Pawongan Clown servant with comical and exaggerated movements. Specificvoices are prescribed for each of the clowns. They appear in all the storycycles whether Mahabharata, Ramayana or Arjuna Sasra Bahu.

Semar, Cepot,Dawala, Gareng

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Performance Practice

Dance is especially important to depict battles,and these dance confrontations are of three types.Solo Battles called perang tanding (battle duel),which will be discussed at greater length below.Perang rempugan is when a hero or heroine fights 2-3 opponents simultaneously as when Abimanyu isslain by the Kurawa in the Mahabharata. Perang balad(battle of the rank and file soldiers) pits groups oflow class characters against one another, as whenthe rank and file of the Kurawa army face the footsoldiers of the Pandawa in the Mahabharata.

Perang tanding is a pair battle that can takemany variations. It may be a dance battle betweennobles in which case it is called perang tanding satria.Two knights one refined (lungguh) and the secondsemi-refined (ladak) confront each other with therefined one winning, as when the refined Pandawahero Arjuna fights his semi-refined half-brotherKarna on opposing sides in the Bharata Yudha.Another example is when the semi-refined Ekalaya,an uninvited student, is defeated by the refinedArjuna at the order of their teacher Dorna. A finalexample is the refined Raja Arjuna Sasra Bahu in theepic cycle named after him, who is an incarnation ofthe god Wisnu (Vishnu) and defeats the semi-refined Somantri who will later become hisminister. In each of these instances, the refineddefeats the semi-refined. This loss supports theideological order of the wayang universe. In wayang,the most refined always wins, in spirit if not alwaysin fact.

It is not customary for knights of the samecharacter type to battle. A lungguh character willnot oppose another lungguh figure. Perhaps this isbecause the redundancy would contradict theideology behind. A truly refined character is neverthe attacker, hence, there can be no challenge tobattle when two lungguh characters meet

While not strictly perang tanding, another pairsbattle pits two females against one another. Themartial wife of Arjuna, Srikandi, often stars in thesescenes—in one story she fights Mustakawi, inanother story Rarasati. Such episodes are confinedto the semi-refined (ladak) females. The refined(lungguh) females, by contrast, abstain from battleand are ideologically more valued by virtue of theirnon-violent nature.

Perang gagah (strong battle) is the term when a

strong monggawa warrior fights another warrior, anogre minister, or an ogre king. Examples would beGatotkaca (monggawa lungguh) either fighting hisdemonic uncle Brajamusti (danawa patih) or, as achild, slaying the serpent King Naga Persona(danawa raja).

Perang Pancalan is the term used to refer to abattle between a knight (lungguh or ladak) and astrong figure (monggawa or danawa). For examplethe fight between the Pandawa hero Arjuna(lungguh) and the ogre king Niwata Kawaca(danawa raja) for the hand of the heavenly goddessSupraba would fall into this group as would thefight of Abimanyu (a lungguh young son of Arjuna)with the proud warrior (monggawa danggah)Jayadrata who slays him. Semi-refined knightsmight be Karna in his successful battle against thePandawa hero Gatotkaca (monggawa lungguh) orSomantri, when minister of Raja Arjuna Sasra Bahu,against the demonic king, Rawana (denawa raja).

While the more refined character is not alwaysthe winner in these encounters it may be significantthat the most important battles are betweencharacters of different types rather than of the samecategory. This may result from the emphasis thisform puts in showing us, through movement andinteraction, a heirarchy that ranges from demonic torefined. All things being equal , the demonic alwayslooses. When this order is violated, as in the deathof Abhimanya at the hands of a boastful knight, theworld is dark indeed. Aesthetically, however, therefined has still triumphed. The flowing movementof the refined opponent mesmerizes and the youngPrince dies beautifully while the survivor mentalitydisplayed by his coarse opponent is part of auniverse that no member of the Sundaneseaudience would chose to inhabit. Refined is alwayswhere movement, plot, and the spectator’s eye findtheir aim.

Other dance scenes are tresnan (emotionalscenes of love or sorrow). Arimbi’s anguish at thedeath of her son Gatotkaca by the hand of Karna inthe story Jaya Perbangsa is an example. Anotherpeak scene of emotion would be Jayadrata’sheartless jubilation on defeating Abimanyu as hedances gloatingly above the bleeding body.

In wayang wong dances the essence of certainsituations or characters was distilled and, over time,these moments sans story were from the twentiethcentury presented as solo or duo dances to be

Balungan 19

savored before the longer episode of an eveningwith its full narrative. These dances have remainedvery influential as a source for further developmentin Sundanese dance. While choreographers of thelast generations have expanded and refined themovement repertoire, they have often chosen to doso by portraying some of these specialty dances thatemerged from the wayang wong Priangan. Solowayang wong dances take a name of the particularcharacter, while duets bear the name of both

characters. The following table gives the majordances. Those versed in Sundanese dance willrealize that these themes persist in the Sundanesedance repertoire to the present. Dances from theMahabharata (M) predominate, but two Ramayana(R) episodes make the list, and one from the cycleconcerning Wong Aging Menak (WAM) is included.There are additionally two group dances which arenot tied to any particular epic cycle.

Chart B: Specialty Dances

Name of Character Dance Character Type Explanation

Solo DancesSubadra (M) Putri Lungguh refined wife of ArjunaJayengrana (WAM) Satria Lungguh refined Uncle of Mohammed and hero of IslamGototkaca (M) Mongawa Lungguh a warrior in love protecting the nationSencaki (M) also calledBima Kuntet (“Little Bima)

Monggawa Dangah proud nephew of Kresna (Wisnu”)

Anterja (M) Monggawa Lungguh a warrior son of the Pandawa Hero BimaBaladewa (M) Monggawa Dangah the proud strong King of Madura who

supports the KurawaRahwana (R) Danawa Raja the demon king of Alengka who kidnaps

Rama’s wifeDuet DancesJabang Tutuka Sakipu (M) Monggawa Lungguh and

Danawa Patihyoung Gototkaca defeats the minister of theserpent king

Srikandi Mustakaweni (M) Putri Ladak (2) Arjuna’s wife Srikandi fights MustakaweniNakula Sadewa (M) Satria Ladak (2) the twin Pandawa heroesPergiwa Pergiwati (M) Putri Ladak (2) twin ladies representing perfect harmony who

catch the heart of Gototkaca and friendSugiwa Subali (R) Monggawa Dangah (2) battling monkey brothers in the RamayanaGroup DancesBadaya Putri Lungguh court ladies entertaining the rulerPerang Monggawa Monggawa

(Lungguh/Dangah)warriors training for battle

Major dances might be included in a court scenein which case the dance would be called tari jejerkembangan (Court ornamentation dance) or mightprecede a battle in which case the dance would becalled tari ngalaga (battle dance).

These dances, even when divorced from thenarrative context continue to carry an implicitmessage about character. In the world of wayang, alarge body, a loud commanding voice, wide, fast, andlarge, wide, quick movement do not symbolize thecharacter is sakti, endowed with the spiritual forcewhich in Sundanese thought has real world impact.

The small stature, modulated voice, and smoothmovement is featured. Power is not grasped from theoutside with eye or ear, power resides within as isexemplified by the internal focus of the lungguhcharacter, be he Raja Arjuna in Arjuna Sasra Bahu,Rama in the Ramayana, or Arjuna in the Mahabharata. Dialogue

Antawacana or dialogue was improvsed accordingto the parameters derived from wayang golek. It isconsidered to fall into three categories: guneman,nangtang and tresnan. An short example of each is

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provided:Guneman is ordinary dialogue between characters

as in this example from Jayan Tigasan (Death ofAbimanyu) between Abimanyu and his second wifeUtari.

Abimanyu: My beautiful wives, Sondari and Utari,the chief reason I meet with you, is nothing morethan to report that I have been named by thePandawa elders to serve as general-in-chief andlead the Pandawa soldiers in the Bharata Yudhaas we enter the thirteenth day.

Utari: What is it I hear, you want to fight?Abimanyu: That is right my beautiful wife.Utari: Alas, like lighting striking midday…

Nangtang is challenging an opponent. Take thisexample spoken by Jayadrata on defeating thePandawa.

Jayadrata: Pandawa! If you really need thiskingdom, then overthrow first my right and leftarms. You’ll first have to step over the corpse ofthis Kurawa.

Tresnan gives an insight into the heart of thespeaker. Consider this example spoken by the serpentking Naga Persona in love with the goddess Supraba.

Naga Persona: Supraba, Supraba! my adored, whereyou are is beauty, . . .golden beauty. Don’t teaseme, I am confused. Don’t’ weep, my beauty! Youmake me worried, rather let us two make love assugar is one with sweetness, as salt is one withsourness.

Arrangement of Presentation

The material presented was dependent on thefunction of the performance, ranging from manggungbiasa (ordinary performance for purposes ofentertainment) to those for specific needs such as anexorcism (manggung ruwatan). An ordinaryperformance could be of two types: a short formatlasting between thirty minutes and two hours, and along format which would last three to four hours. Inthe long form, comic action and set dancesunconnected with the content of the story would fillout the additional time. These dances were thencalled tari lepas (literally, “dances free [from thestory]”). Examples are those given in chart B above,and these remain the part of the repertiore that has

persisted to the present.The structure of the performance would be as

follows. The presentation would begin with the tatalu(the opening), the instrumental overture calledkarawitan gending or gendingan. The first song wouldbe Jipang Wayang followed by other dynamiccompositions which came from the part of themusical repertoire called “small songs,” (sekar alit) inwhich the gong pattern is compact and gongs comequickly creating a lively impression. This overtureserved to gather an audience together.

The second part called bubuka carita (opening ofthe story) is marked by the percussive playing of thecempala and the kecrek by the dalang. The cempalahammer is held in the left hand and rapped againstthe puppet box in wayang golek. The kecrek is a set ofmetal plates, normally attached to the side of thepuppet box. In wayang wong, there is no puppetboxand the dalang may instead use a slit drum, smallwooden box or wooden stage as a resonator for thesetwo instruments. Both are played in complex patternsto cue the orchestra, to start, stop, accelerate, createsound effects and add to the musical mix of theorchestra. The cempala cues the tune Karatagan whichis followed by the song Kawitan or another songappropriate for the opening narration of the dalangwhich begins with the singing of the traditionalopening mood song, the kekawen murwa, and endswith the opening narration (nyandra murwa), spokenrather than sung. The words and style of these piecesare taken directly from the puppet theatre where theyhave a semi-ritual function.

The third part is the actual show with its story;this part is called ngalalakon, “to present a story.”Here we first see the skill of the dancers as they adaptthemselves to the needs of the story which ispresented. The story is generally be divided into fourto seven scenes, called bedrip [a term borrow from theDutch word for scene] or the indigenous termspembabakan [cutting], or penadegan [scenes]. Theperformance can be roughly divided into threesections as it moves from its introduction, tocomplication, and climax.

The last part of the presentation is the bubaran(scattering), which is an purely instrumental pieceplayed by the gamelan using the song known a Jiro orKebo Jiro [“Crazy Water Buffalo”]. This songaccompanies the exit of the audience from the place ofthe performance.

Balungan 21

Ornamentation

Mamanis, “sweetening,” is the term for theornamentation of this essential structure. Importantfor this elaboration is the role of the clown, Semar andhis sons—Cepot, Dawala, and Gareng. They arecalled panakawan (literally, “those who accompany”[the hero]) or pawongan, “the people”. The areservants to the aristocrats who will triumph over theevil that besets them and the world. Additionally theclowns help clarify the story or scene by dialogueeither between themselves or together with thegamelan players with whom they converse in a comicstyle. Their comedy may come either from theirhumorous dialogue or from the exaggerated,distorted movement of their dance.

There are other types of mamanis activity whichcan be included, for example after the musicaloverture, a group female dance called a badaya mightbe presented.7 This interpolation is similar to what wefind in the dance drama style of Surakarta, wayangwong panggung, where after the overture a femaledance called a gambyong is presented (Murgiyantoand Bandam, l983: 88). Also, in a three to four hourperformance we would also find more sekar gending orsongs of the female singer inserted during thetransitions from scene to scene.Exorcism as a Special Case

The presentation of the performance is somewhatdifferent for a manggung ruwatan, an exorcisticperformance which follows the traditions of thisceremony in Sundanese culture. It is stated inTraditional Customs of the Sundanese [Adat IstiadatOrang Sunda}, that a ruwatan or exorcistic ceremony isundertaken as a way of tricking fate and preventingdanger in all sorts of cases, for example for only child,for a new house, etc. (R.H Hasan Mustapa: 112.). Onekind of an exorcisic performance is only performedwhen a boy who is an only child is circumcised. Thispractice was frequent in Kabupatan Garut in the past.To accomplish the ceremony with a wayang wongPriangan, certain stipulations had to be prepared bythe troupe.

First, tutuwuhan (Th Pigeaud: 113) must begathered. These are fruits of the earth such as sugarcane, sweet potatoes, cassava, rice, banana, coconut,peanuts, and vegetables tied to the roof around thestage. Secondly, offerings (sasajen) are prepared alongwith an incense burner. Additionally, a sheet of whitecloth about one and a half by three meters is found.The offerings to accomplish the ceremony are the

same as are required for a performance of the wayanggolek when, under the title Dalang Kandabuwana thedalang subdues the demon, Batara Kala.8 As in awayang golek ruwatan there is holy water for washingin which are placed flowers of seven colors. In thesame way, the body of the person for whom theceremony is held must be covered with the whitecloth. Thirdly, the ceremony requires saehu (ritualspecialist) to conduct it. This role is usually filled bythe leader of the wayang wong troupe who, in turn, isaccompanied by assistants (catrik) who carry thewhite cloth. The fourth necessity is the special storywhich must be performed, namely, Jaya Perbangsa(The Death of Gatotkaca), an episode from the epic storyof the Bharata Yudha, the great war which is theculmination of the Mahabharata. It is at the end of theperformance that the ceremony is conducted asfollows.

After the death of Gatotkaca, Arimbi his mothergets permission from the Pandawa heroes to make afuneral pyre. As he is placed on it the followingprogression ensues

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Chart C: Ruwatan Progression

Material Presented ExplanationThe body of Gatotkaca is onstage with his mother Arimbi in the bowed position, called calik deku, near him.Sanduk-sanduk (Prayerasking God’spermission to executethe ceremony.)

Accompanied by the tune Kidung, the person who will execute the ceremony(saehu) enters carrying the offerings and the incense burner, while one or twoassistants come behind bearing the white cloth. As he enters, the saehu recites themantra agnisita paramarta (“that which can defeat passion is the greatestvictory”) and repeats the mantra over and over until he stops in a standingposition facing the viewers behind the figures of Gatotkaca and Arimbi.One or two additional assistants guide the child for whom the ceremony is beingenacted onto the stage. They position him in front of the two wayang characterswith his back to the audience. These assistants then join the other helpers behindthe saehu.

Titiwah or Nyirnakeunraga nyapurnakeunsajatining rasa(“Annihilate the bodyand sanctify the spirit”)

To the tune Kidung, the saehu sits cross-legged with the offerings to his left andthe incense burner in front of him. Then all the assistants spread the white clothin a rectangle suspending it above the heads of the two wayang characters andthe child. The saehu begins to burn incense and as the smoke billows, he says themantra “Amaragati Arimbi putra, Arimbi putra adisura. Amaragati Hidimbi,Hadimbi prawerti apsari.” (Arimbi’s child has reached his goal, Arimbi’s childhas become a hero true. Hidimbi (Arimbi) has reached her goal, Hidimbismelling sweet like a heavenly goddess.”)The mantra which follows is “Titiwah sioloka subagiakarma, titiwah silokasadyawirat, titiwah siloka mahasudra.” (“A spirit that is pure is a symbol ofhappiness, a spirit that is pure is the symbol for which we aim. A spirit that ispure is the symbol of self-strengthening.”) Then, the assistants drop the whitecloth, covering the two wayang characters. The assistants sit cross-legged on thestage. Meanwhile the child continues to stand facing the two figures nowcovered with the white cloth.

Nyinglareun Kala(Banishing misfortune

The tune Kidung stops and the saehu says another mantra: “Nirwana nayanugraha (“May you be received at the place of the greatest holiness.”)Finally the saehu says the du’a salamet (the prayer of safeguarding) which istaken from the Koran and the response comes from the entire audience with anoverwhelming, “Amen,” which resounds at the end of the prayer. Only the twowayang characters covered by the white cloth are silent. With this prayer ofsafeguarding, the exorcism is complete.

Scattering of theAudience

The tune Jiro plays as the audience leaves.

A mangung ruwatan arises from the traditionalbelief system. As is noted by Koentjaraningrat, theruwatan ceremony is conducted to preventcalamities which are said to threaten a person.People still believe that these dangers forebode aslong as the ceremony has not occurred (1985: 109).The local audiences who watch the performance ofthe mangung ruwatan to its finish believe they willbe blessed. On the other hand, if a viewer leavesbefore the ceremony is complete, it is believed they

experience misfortune. Before they arrive home, itis said, they will encounter an apparition,malakalmaut (mala,” evil,, maut, “death”) which isreally the ceremony’s white cloth. The cloth willthen transform into a kain kafan (a shroud).Repertoire

The story presented in a performance of wayangis called a lakon (play). The story presented inwayang wong Priangan can be a root story (calledpakem or galur) from the Mahabharata including the

Balungan 23

Bharata Yudha or from the Arjuna Sasra Bahu Cycle,and corresponds to the stories of wayang golek. Themajority of stories are from the trunk part of therepertoire (pakem/galur), but there are also somestories that come from the carnage or branchepisodes. The sempalan or twig stories have notplayed a significant part in the repertoire.

The performance does not try to represent all ofthe events of the epic. This is different from theJavanese performance of wayang wong in thepalace of Yogyakarta where the story Mintaraga(Arjuna’s Meditation) was presented in l926 andl937, requiring two days and two nights to present(Soedarsono, l997: 217). Wayang wong Priangan

uses four to seven scenes, and usually only showsthe highlights of the story. Scenes which are chosenusually are those which are best presented throughthe rich medium of dance, and the rest of the storyis delivered through dialogue. The stories includedare usually only fragments of larger epics. Therepertoire in the middle of the last century wasrepresented by two stories from the ArjunaSasrabahu cycle, one from the Ramayana, and tenfrom the Mahabharata, with six of these derivedfrom the Bharata Yudha, the great war that is theclimax of this epic. The following chart gives a briefidea of this repertoire.

Chart D: Repertoire

Epic and Title ContentArjuna Sasra Bahu1. Arjuna Wijaya (Arjuna SasraBahu’s Triumph)

The story of how King Arjuna Sasra Bahu, an incarnation of Wisnu(Vishnu) defeats the demon Rawana winning the hand of Citrawati,an incarnation of the rice goddess, Sri.

2. Patih Suwanda (MinisterSuwanda)

Somantri, the cousin of Arjuna Sasra Bahu with the new title ofPatih Suwanda becomes the prime minister of Maespati under thetitle Minister Suwanda, but is killed by Rawana ‘s arrow whichcontains the spirit of a sibling that Somantri killed in his youth.

Ramayana

Anoman Pebancasuta Anoman the white monkey and son of a god blocks the sun.Mahabharata

Jabang Tutuka (Birth of Gatotkaca) The infant Gataokaca, son of the Pandawa hero Bima, rescuesSuralaya, the abode of the gods, from King Naga Persona, a serpentking.

Brajamusti The death of Brajamusti, an uncle of Gatotkaca at the hand of thisnephew. Gatotkaca receives supernatural strength from thisencounter.

Srikandi-Rarasati Lady Srikandi, spouse of the Pandawa hero Arjuna, learns archeryfrom him and battles the princess Rarasati.

Srikandi-Mustakaweni The Pandawa’s powerful heirloom the Layung Jamus Kalimasadahas vanished and Srikandi helps get it back.

Mahabharata/Bharata Yudha

Jaya Renyuan (Death of Abimanyu) Abimanyu is attacked by the Kurawa and killed by Jayadrata.Jaya Tigasan (Death of Jayadrata) Arjuna slays the murderer of his son Abhimanyu.Jaya Perbangsa (Death of Gatotkaca) Gatotkaca is killed by his Uncle Karna.Jaya Jambakan (Death of Dursasana) Death of Dursasana, second eldest of the Kurawa at the hands of

his cousin Bima, the Pandawa hero.Karna Tanding (Death of Karna) Death of lord Karna at the hand of his half brother Arjuna.Jaya Pupuhan (Death of Suyudana) Death of the Kurawa king at the hands of his Pandawa cousins.

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Most of these stories concern the strugglebetween the Kurawa and the Pandawa in theMahabharata. All of the stories address major themesof heroism and moral instruction. The repertoire isnarrower than that of wayang golek which serves asits antecedent. Wayang wong is more focused onpakem, canonical stories. The additional humanresources which it takes to mount a danceperformance with the numerous dancers required,may make the repertoire more conservative thanthat of the wayang golek, where, by virtue of a singleperformer executing the show, invention of newrepertoire is facilitated. In wayang wong, a largegroup must agree on the course of the narrative(without necessarily having numerous rehearsals towork out the agreements). Actors dialogue carriesmuch of the storytelling. Older, set stories maywork better in this situation of shared narrationkeeping everyone figuratively on the same page.Class may also have contributed to the conservativerepertoire. The association of the genre with theelite priyayi who found deep resonance in the olderlakon may have contributed. The period in whichthe form developed may also explain the staticrepertoire. Wayang wong Priangan is a genre of the19th and 20th century, not an active form at present.Dalang report the wayang golek of the pre-independence period laid more emphasis ontraditional stories than does present practice.Wayang wong’s canonical repertoire responded tothe constraints of its performance, the influence ofclass, and the preferences of the time.

These are stories which, because of theirportrayal of important moments in the lives oficonic characters, remain “abot” (“heavy,” i.e., ladenwith meaning) for the Sundanese. For example thebirth and coming of age of Gatotkaca are associatedwith his transformation from an ordinary child.First is boiled in the crater Candradimuka to makehim strong enough to defeat the serpent NagaPersona as is detailed in The Birth of Gatotkaca(Jabang Tutuka). Then the Brajamusti episode comesas Gatotkaca is educated by facing the enormouspowers of his demonic uncle, Brajamusti. Afterdefeating Brajamusti and drawing his demonicpower into Gatotkaca’s own body, this young herois ready to serve justice and truth. Shamanic imagesof transformation abound as Gatotkaca’s ordinarysinews are replaced by innards of iron and steel, hereturns again and again from death, and he gains

the power to fly and see and hear through themultiple layers of heaven and earth. Such storiescontain powerful symbols of magicaltransformation and hint about the reappropriationof chthonic power in service of the social order.

The Death of Gatotkaca may have been chosen forthe ruwatan due to his lowly heritage and personalhistory of transformation. Gatotkaca is born of anoble but rather coarse father, Bhima the thirdPandawa brother. His mother is a demoness whobegan life among ogres, but, through personalinitiative, raised herself, experienced a ruwatan(exorcism) transforming her into a human form.These are heroes who are not born but made. BothGatotkaca and his mother Arimbi are like normalhuman beings coming from below, driven by thesenses. Each is reborn though transformative forces, whether love (Arimbi) or the struggle forrighteousness (Gatotkaca). The mantra: “Arimbi’schild has reached his goal, Arimbi’s child hasbecome a hero true. Adimbi has reached her goal,Adimbi smelling sweet like a heavenly goddess,”may provide a clue as to why this lakon is borrowedfor the ruwatan ceremony. As the white shrouddescends on the characters (Gatotkaca and Arimbi)mounted on a funeral pyre, the symbolic death andrebirth of the child experiencing the ceremony andviewers is signaled. Those who watch the wayanglearn to let all that is demonic, rough, low and ofthis earth fall away from the body-mind-heart.Engulfed in the smoking swirl of incense, the self-seeking and transitory burn away along with thebody of the hero on the funeral pyre. Though it isthe characters who are covered with the white“shroud” and they who “burn” in the story, it is theviewer who contemplates the meaning of death andknows transubstantition. Via narrative, ceremony,symbol, and mantra, we arrive where we have beenheading all our life, we reached our goal—death.Having lived though it in the nexus of art we arefinally ready to dance with refinement to the musicthat plays for the world that is seen and that whichis unseen.

Wayang wong Priangan is a rich genre forunderstanding the nature and history of Sundanesearts. Though it first came to Sunda from theCirebon area, it was reworked in the highlands andbecame an important indigenous theatre. It ishoped that now, while the last generation ofwayang wong Priangan artists in still alive, research

Balungan 25

and reconstruction can take place so this exemplaryart may survive. ◗

Notes

1. For discussion of Balinese variants see Holtl967: 124. Javanese wayang wong is discussed inSediawati 1981 and Soedarsono l997.

2. Cirebonese wayang wong is sometimes calledwayang topeng (masked wayang). The masks used inJava generally are held by the performer biting on apiece of leather attached to the inside of the mask’slip. Since a closed mouth is required to hold themask in place, it is rare for the dancer to speakhis/her own dialogue in this form. The dalangspeaks for all the actors with the exception of theclowns who wear half masks and speak forthemselves.

3. Cirebon has four palaces: the Kasepuhan ,Kanoman, Kaprabonan and Kacirebonan. All thesehouses trace their lineage back to Sunun GunungJati, the Muslim saint (wali) and founder of theSultanate who is said to have used wayang, music,and dance to spread Islam in the 16th century.Village artists in many Cirebonese genres considerthemselves to be the descendants of the wali, thenine Islamic saints who converted the island.

4. The headdresses and the gamelan which wereused at the Javanese village at the ColumbiaExposition can be seen in the Field Museum ofNatural History in Chicago and are similar to theperforming objects available for inspection in thecollection of the Museum Pangeran Guesan Ulun inSumedang.

5. The repertoire of wayang is customarilydivided into pakem/galur (trunk), carangan (branch) ,and sempalan (twig) stories. The trunk storiesrelated the given events of the epic. The branchepisodes show those characters in new stories thatexpand out from those circumstances. Twig storiesare one step further from the core events, and canbe whimsical developments with tangential relationto the epic. For example, if we were to apply theseterms to the western cannon, Shakespeare’s Hamletwould be pakem/galur, Stoppard’s Rosencrantz andGuildenstern would be carangan, and an actorscomical invention on the life of the gravediggerwhich might in passing show a scene of the childHamlet riding piggy back on Yorick would besempalan.

6. For discussion of dialogue in wayang golek

style see Foley l979. Other sources are AtikSoepandi and M. A. Salmun.

7. The Sundanese badaya, like the badhaya inCentral Java, is a refined female dance but thenumber of performers, choreography, costume, andother features differ from the models of theJavanese courts.

8. See Foley 2001 for a script of a wayang golekruwatan.

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