PUPPET one of the top art and culture of Indonesia's most prominent among many other cultural works. Culture puppets include acting, sound art, music, art said, the art of literature, painting, sculpture, and also art omen. Culture puppets, which continues to grow over time, also a medium of information, propaganda, education, entertainment, understanding of philosophy, as well as entertainment.


According to the research of historians of culture, culture is a culture of wayang native to Indonesia, especially in Java. The existence of puppets for centuries before the Hindu religion into the island of Java. Although popular puppet story in today's society is an adaptation of Indian literature, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The two main story in the puppet undergone many changes and additions to fit with the original philosophy of Indonesia.


Adjustment of the concept of this philosophy is also about the philosophical views of the position of the Javanese community in the puppet of the gods. The gods in the puppet is no longer is something that is free from wrong, but like any other God's creatures, sometimes acting wrong, and could be a mistake. Panakawan dalam_ presence of puppet characters created by the humanists deliberately Indonesia (Javanese cultural exact) to reinforce the concept that the world's philosophy is not a creature was really good, and really bad. Each creature always assume the good and evil elements.


In his dissertation, entitled Bijdrage tot de Kennis van het Javaansche Tooneel (1897), the Dutch cultural historian Dr. GA.J. Hazeau shows his belief that the puppet is the original performance of Java. Understanding the puppet in the dissertation Dr. Hazeau it is walulang inukir (carved leather) and seen its shadow on the screen. Thus, the puppet in question certainly is a shadow play as we know it today.


Origin

Of the origin of this puppet, in the world there are two opinions. First, the opinion that the puppets were first born on the island of Java, East Java, exactly. This opinion was shared and presented other than by the researchers and experts of Indonesia, also the research of Western scholars. Among Western scholars, including this group, is Hazeau, Brandes, Kats, Rentse, and Kruyt.


The reason they are strong enough. Among other things, that the art of shadow play is still very closely related to sociocultural and religious state of the Indonesian people, especially the Javanese. Panakawan, the most important figures in the wayang, the Semar, Gareng, Petruk, Bagong, only the Indonesian wayang, and not in other countries. In addition, names and technical terms puppet, it comes from the Javanese language (Kuna), and no other language.


Meanwhile, two suspected puppet opinion comes from India, which brought together with the Hindu religion to Indonesia. They include Pischel, Hidding, Krom, Poensen, Goslings, and Rassers. Most of this second group is the British scholar, European countries had colonized India.


However, since the 1950s, puppet books seemed to have agreed that the puppets are coming from Java, and not imported from other countries.


Culture was born estimated puppets in Indonesia at least at the time of King Airlangga government, the king Kahuripan (976 -1012), ie, when the kingdom in East Java that was prosperous, prosperity. Literature that the subject of puppet story was written by the poet Indonesia, since the X century Among other things, the Book of literary texts in Javanese Ramayana Kuna Kakawin written during the reign of Balitung (989-910), which is the composition of the Book of the Ramayana written by Indian poet, Valmiki. Furthermore, the Javanese poets no longer just translating the Ramayana and the Mahabharata into Old Javanese, but compose and retell by incorporating into it the philosophy of Java. For example, the work of Professor Kanwa Arjunawiwaha Kakawin, which is the composition of the Book of Mahabharata berinduk. Another piece that is more real difference derigan Indian version of the original story, is the work of Professor Baratayuda Kakawin Sedah and Professor Panuluh. This great work done during the reign of King Jayabaya, king of Kediri (1130 to 1160).


As a puppet show performances and had already started there since the time of King Airlangga government. Some inscriptions are made at that time, among others already mentioned the words "mawayang 'and` aringgit' which means the puppet show.


About the birth culture of puppets, Ir. Sri Mulyono in his symbolism and mysticism in the Puppet (1979), estimates have been around for puppet neolithikum time, ie about 1500 years before Christ. Opinion is based on the writings of Robert von Heine-Geldern Ph. D, Prehistoric Research in the Netherlands Indies (1945) and Prof. writing. K.A.H. Hidding in Indonesian Encyclopedia 987 pages.


The word `puppet 'probably derived from the word` wewayangan', which means shadow. These allegations in accordance with the reality on the Wayang Kulit performances that use color, a piece of cloth, as a barrier between the puppeteer who plays the puppet, and the crowd was behind the curtain. The audience only watched the movements of the puppets through a shadow falls on the screen. At that time wayang accompanied only by a simple set of gamelan consist of saron, Todung (a type of flute), and kemanak. Other types of gamelan and singer at the time was allegedly not exist.


For more menjawakan puppet culture, early Majapahit era introduced another wayang stories in the Book of berinduk not the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Since then ceritacerita Bannerman; the story of ancestral kings of Majapahit, was introduced as one of the other puppets. Bannerman's story was later more widely used for performances of Wayang Beber. Menjawakan tradition of wayang stories also forwarded by some Islamic scholars, among them by the Wali Sanga. They began mewayangkan Majapahit kings story, among them Damarwulan story.


The entry of Islam into Indonesia since the 15th century was also a big influence on the culture of puppets, especially in the religious concept of the puppet's philosophy. In the early 15th century, the time of the Demak Kingdom, began to use specially-shaped oil lamp called blencong the Wayang Kulit performance.


Since the days of Kartasura, composition berinduk wayang stories in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata further away from the original. Since the time that the fans know the pedigree puppet puppet characters, including characters god, who started from Prophet Adam. Sisilah it continued to come to the kings of Java. And then, began to be known also a standard puppet story. standards appropriate stories, and stories of wayang carangan outside the standard lines. There were more plays called splinter, which was too far out of the standard story.


Indeed, because so much of art is rooted in a culture of wayang of Indonesia, so there was some confusion between the wayang stories, legends, and history. If the Indians think that the story of Mahabharata and Ramayana actually happened in his country, was considered the Javanese wayang story actually happened on the island of Java.


According to Sir Stamford Raffles, Lieutenant Governor-General of England who had dominion over the island of Java in the 17th century, in his History of Java, the names of the puppet kingdom located on the island of Java, especially in Central Java.


Mandura, located on the western island of Madura.

Dwarawati, located in Pati, Central Java.

Mandraka, located at about Tegal and Pekalongan.

Banjarjunut, located around Kebumen.

Talkanda, located in Banjar-state area.

Indrakila, located around Jepara.

Pringgadani, located north of Pegu with Dieng.

Amarta, located in the Land of Dieng.

Astina is located in the northwest city of Yogyakarta today.