The History of Wayang Kulit

Hey dear community, first of all I would like to welcome you all to my new post and hope you had a day that was full of positive experiences! Today I would like to discuss an interesting cultural topic and hope you can expand your knowledge.

In one of my last contributions, I have already mentioned Wayang Golek, which is a traditional Indonesian theater play and who would like to learn more about it, here is my contribution. While the Wayang golek is about a performance with dolls, Wayang kulit is a shadow play that is particularly revered in Java and there it is one of the best-known parts of the culture which are influenced by a far-reaching symbolism and the first mentions probably already can be traced back to the 11th century, but the exact origin is unknown. The figures are made of leather and the artists work in particular detail and the performances are closely linked to spiritual themes as well as supernatural questions and it is also strongly associated with mythology and has also a religious background and behind the figures hides a diverse cult of the gods in which each figure tells its own story. Wayang kulit is also characterized by occult influences and the characters also often present demons and each depicted figure has different characteristics as well as various attributes. Often the figures are even supposed to present the ancestors and are used as a medium to get in touch with them and in the theater performances it is sometimes about expressing the voice of the ancestors and the typically flat figures are presented behind a screen so that the viewers only get to see the shadows and a traditional performance usually starts in the evening and extends until the next morning. This tradition has even achieved such great popularity that it has even been classified as a UNESCO cultural heritage and it enjoys great popularity, especially at rituals or festivities such as weddings or birthdays.

Thanks a lot for stopping by and I hope you could learn something new about this interesting part of culture! I captured these pictures with my Camera Sony Alpha 6000 plus 55-210 mm lens.