Page 3 | Wayang puppets

The main character types

Contents

Wayang puppets - a spotter's guide (1)

Making the puppets (2)

The main character types (3)

Stylisation (4)

The elements of puppet design (5)

Colours (6)

A final word (7)

Seleh Notes Volume 4 Number 4

© Tim Byard-Jones

Gatotkaca – a gagah puppet

 

Wayang characters are (roughly) divided into seven types:

halus (refined);
gagah (vigorous);
gusen (coarse);
putri (women);
danawa (ogres);
wanara (monkeys) and
dhagelan (clowns)

In addition to these, there are puppets representing the tree of life (kayon), various animals (horses, elephants, tigers etc), and props (swords, arrows, daggers, letters etc).

There are differences of size as well as form.

Generally speaking, danawa are the largest, gagah and wanara next, followed by gusen, halus and putri puppets.

Dhagelan vary greatly, with Petruk being as tall as some gagah puppets, but Sarawita being one of the shortest of all.

These character types apply not only to puppet design, but to accompanying gamelan pieces, terms of address used in dialogue, puppet movement and voice characterisation as well.

The square decorated puppet used to represent an army.

 

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