The Wayang We Almost Saw

On December 11, we took Habib, his wife Nancy, and their younger son out to dinner. Afterward Habib drove us to the village of Pendem, just outside of Batu and close to Malang. We were going to see a Wayang.

A wayang is a traditional shadow-puppet play. Large leather puppets are held high behind a plain, back-lit screen by a highly skilled puppeteer, called a dalang. He manipulates the puppets, imitates voices, sings when appropriate, and provides sound effects as he improvises on a familiar story. The play often consists of scenes from the Ramayana. Thanks to the light thrown on the puppets behind the screen, the audience sees the shadows of the puppets. Singing and music from a Gamelon band accompany the play.

It had been raining that day, and we had to pick our way through a muddy field, the track partially covered with mats. We came to the front of a large tent set up for the audience, and could see another tent before us for the musicians, singers, and puppeteer. Habib uttered the magic word tamu, then left us with the village officials. They greeted and invited us to sit in plush seats in the front row. Once again we were kindly shown matchless Javanese hospitality. We were greeted by the headman of this village of 10,000 people and by the village secretary, who sat next to Maria. The two of them and an army officer living there managed some conversation. Someone bought boxes of treats.

A young man came up, dressed in Javanese formal attire with that magnificent and mystical curved dagger called a kris stuck in his belt. He explained that he was the Master of Ceremonies, and that this wayang was a ceremony being held to cleanse the village. We were not going to be entertained with a show but witness an important spiritual event in the yearly life of Pendem. The news gave this whole experience a new dimension and meaning and we responded to the solemnity of the event.

Alas, the ceremony was cut short. A unusually strong wind had been blowing through the region all day and that evening, and the workers were unable to get the puppet screen up. The ceremony was put off until the next evening. The secretary graciously provided us with transportation home, but we had to turn down his invitation for the following evening, to our great regret, as Maria was leaving for the States the next day. We were touched by the hospitality of Pendem's leaders. We hope that there will be an opportunity in the future to be present for such a celebration.