Learning the Meaning of Life from the Wayang Golek
Ditulis pada: July 21, 2021
The wayang golek and wayang kulit cultures do look different. The puppet show is made of wood, similar to a doll, while the shadow puppet is made of leather.
The reason why it is called wayang golek is because this wayang is not made of leather, but of wood, so that in the past wood was considered something that could be found in the forest. Then it is called wayang golek.
History of Wayang Golek
Wayang golek is the development of wayang kulit. In 1583 AD, in Kudus, wayang golek began to be introduced. Dalem Karang Anyar or more often called Wiranata Koesoemah III is one of the people who initiated the birth of wayang golek.
The wayang kulit show is based on a story from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, of course there is a reason for this. That doesn't mean everything happens without a reason. This has something to do with the spread of Islam in Indonesia.
At that time Hinduism and Buddhism were the major religions. And wayang is a form of effort to spread Islam. Because, culture, in this case wayang, has more emotional closeness to the community.
In Sunda, for example, there is a performance of the art of wayang golek purwa which is sourced from the literature of King Purwa which was written by R. Ng. Ranggawarsito. One of Ranggawarsito's successes is his success in accumulating Indian culture into indigenous Indonesian culture.
One form of culture here can be seen from the traditional culture of cutting tumpeng. Cut the tumpeng also has a philosophical meaning. The shape of the tumpung is gunungan, this gunungan refers to the prehistoric era (anemism), before Hinduism and Buddhism entered Indonesia.
From Hinduism and Buddhism, Islam entered and merged the culture of anemism, Hinduism and Buddhism into one, one of which was through the wayang stories presented.
In ancient times, triangles symbolized mountains. The mountain is believed to be the greatest power because it was made by God, so the mountain is considered a sacred location. That is why many saints still make the mountain as a sacred hermitage, evidence of acculturation from prehistoric times.
The Development of Wayang Golek
West Java is where the puppet show develops. The surrounding areas such as the eastern part of Cirebon to the western part of Banten and Central Java also often show the art of wayang golek. That is why in the paragraph above it is mentioned that Kudus also played an important role in the development of wayang golek.
In the 19th century, the wayang golek culture was introduced to the Priyangan area. Since the Daendels highway that connects the coastal area and Priangan, the results of forced labor were completed, that's when wayang golek was introduced.
Initially, the language that was delivered was Javanese. As time progressed, many Sundanese people learned and were good at performing.
The spread of Islam
Wali Songgo is one of those who spread Islam using wayang media. It can be shadow puppets or puppet shows. It doesn't matter what wayang is, the real goal is to introduce Islam through wayang performances.
The strength of religion at that time was enough to make it difficult for the guardians to introduce Islam. They were also too strong with beliefs at that time. Using the blatant way is very difficult. That's finally the wayang show became a medium to introduce slowly.
The reign of Sultan Agung in 1601-1635 West Java under the reign of the King of Mataram, then the Sundanese nobles entered Mataram in order to learn Javanese language for the sake of the government. Well, that's when they got to know the art of wayang.
Unexpectedly, wayang became more and more popular at that time. The classic reason is that the language conveyed in wayang can be delivered using their respective regional languages.
At first, the wayang golek culture could only be enjoyed by certain people. Only those who are nobles. Interestingly, in the past, wayang was only shown for the palace and district circles. Over time, this art can be enjoyed by anyone and anywhere, the general public can watch it.
Puppet show as a guide and a spectacle, that's the original goal. The purpose of providing guidance is to provide education, learning and eradicating ignorance/ignorance, while the spectacle is the show itself.
In the guidance there is something called content, the content here is more on the process of spiritual cultivation or more on the form of a moral message to be conveyed to the audience. As it developed, wayang golek also underwent changes. One of them is the presence of sinden.
The initial goal was to attract a large audience. Over time the value shifted slightly. So people are more interested in the sinden than the main point, which is the wayang show.
Cultural Values & Philosophy of Wayang
Some of the contents in it include being able to educate the public, as an enlightener or interpreter of light, social, opinionated and loyal.
In the puppet characters, we will get to know the Five Pandavas, namely Yudhisthira, Bima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Thanks to the expertise of the guardian figures, these five figures have their own philosophical meanings.
Yudhisthira is a philosophy of the human brain. Yudhishthira is the eldest of his five siblings, he is wise, forgiving and has very high morals. His philosophy contains a message that if you want to be a person with a noble life, use your brain wisely, not to indulge in ambition but to prioritize strategies to achieve the glory of life in the world.
The figure of Bima or what is known as Bayusutha, the incarnation of Dewa Bayu. Bima is philosophized as the eye, whoever is angry, his eyes will bulge, and people are afraid of the glare of anger.
Janaka is likened to conscience. Dea Indra is his incarnation. Janaka's philosophy as a conscience that often performs austerities to the Creator. Whoever often listens to his small heart will draw closer to God.
Basically, humans have two hearts, namely a big heart and a small heart. The big heart is always filled with lust, envy, envy and ambition, while the small heart is more inviting to things that are good. If you observe yourself, almost every day, the human heart is always at war with a big heart and a small heart.
Well, in puppetry, it is Kurawa who controls the big heart, while Arjuna controls the small heart. Last is Nakula and Sahadeva. They are likened to the testicles of the twins. Their nature is to serve and be wise. Philosophically want to emphasize that humans should use the genitals correctly, only for their partners.
So the conclusion from the wayang golek show and other wayang puppets is that the wayang golek culture wants to provide lessons and enlightenment to its audience. That everything, in war and in dealing with daily life it all depends on oneself.
Do you rely more on a big heart or a small heart?! Hopefully this article is useful and provides many lessons.
