keris and spirit

[Kiai Carita]

Originally Posted by Raden Usman Djogja

...
I do really want to have an opportunity to discuss spiritual aspects of shadow puppet, keris and local values with Ki Timbul "The Dalang". I used to listen to his performance whenever the local broadcaster (usually GCD FM) programmed it on air. Sometimes, I followed it from the begining to the end. Sometimes, just in goro-goro part.

[What do you translate Dalang and Goro-Goro in English?]

Someday, I had discussed with an ordinary dalang about something which he considered as a pusaka. He preferred to pick up not a personal example but in general. Usually, a dalang has a thing which is considered as pusaka. It can be a keris, an akik (stone), one of his gamelan instruments or one of his puppets. None knows because, usually, he keeps it secretly. Some dalangs, use it whenever they perform shadow puppet. Some dalangs, instead of using it when performing shadow, they use it when they do ritual works (meditation, "nayuh", contemplation, and so on). The dalangs have vary opinions about a time or condition which is considered as a sacred part then they consider an neccessity to hold "his pusaka"....

Ki Timbul from Bantul is indeed a very good and respected dalang -in this case, dalang is shadow pupeteer (spl?) ... I studied breifly with him in the early / mid 80s. One thing I remember he said was that if you want to be a dalang, you must aspire to be more than famous (kondang), rather you should aspire to be accepted (ketrima). His training as a boy consisted of walking around Central and East Jawa, visiting elder dalangs and talking to people, appart from sitting behind his father handing him puppets in a show. Another Yogya dalang I like and studied with is Ki Hadi Sugito, who now doesn't perform any more, but was expert in goro-goro, especially in bringing the character Bagong to life. He invented 'Bagong Ratu' - a comedy when Bagong becomes king.

Goro-Goro is a part of the wayang kulit dramatic structure where the tides begin to turn for the good side and clown-gods (panakawan) appear. It is signalled by the suluk (sung poetry) Bumi gonjang-ganjing, langit kelap-kelap katon....ooooo...lir gencanging aris, denya ilang wewadhine, wadhananira kumel kucem rahnya maratani...hoooooong. The earth shakes, there is fire in the sky, the seas rise, women loose their shame, their looks are crumpled and the peasants' faces loose their shine....hooooooong! In the goro-goro, the good hero listens to the advice of the clown-gods and finds the strength to continue the struggle victoriousely.

David, if you google Pangkur Gedhong Kuning, you will find a page that refers to a CD in the US.

Most dalangs, have several pusaka in the form of an inherited puppet, a gamelan instrument, and a keris. Sometimes when they retire or even before that) they also are dukuns - like Ki Hadi Sugito from Wates.

Warm salaams,
Bram.