SEMAR and OTHER PONOKAWANS

In Wayang, the ksatria of Pandawa, especially Arjuna was always accompanied by their loyal servants clown, by the name of Ponokawan. Semar and his sons Gareng, Petruk and Bagong are the servants of kings and ksatrias with good behavior fighting for the truth. Togog and Bilung, on the contrary are serving bad rulers and knights.

Although they are only servants with ugly faces and disproportional bodies, but they are very wise and good advisers.

Semar, a very fat man with big belly and enormous buttock has an uncontrollable disposition for farting.

Petruk, a tall man with a very long nose.

Gareng, with his misshapen arms and cross-eyes.

Bagong, With a squat body and has very big eyes.

They are joking most of the time and ridicule each other but they reflect wisdom and truth. Ponokawan (pono means clear vision, clever and Kawan means companion, who are clever with clear vision, can give a wise advice.

Semar or Sang Hyang Ismoyo is the elder brother of the supreme god - Guru. He is assigned to live in the earth to escort ksatrias. Figures of Semar and Ponokawan are purely Javanese Wayang. The words of Semar are from sengsem (to lure) and Marsudi (to search, to do) meaning one is lured to search or do good things.

The Ponokawan always refer to the ksatrias as 'Ndara Den Bagus' (ndara from bendara means master, den abbreviation of Raden, a male court title, bagus means good and handsome), meaning "Master, do a good things".

The other names of Semar are :

1. Badranaya : Badra means dark cloud; Naya means face. As a clever man, one has to have a bright face (happy, do not appear with dark face).

2. Bojagati : boja (food) symbolizing knowledge, gati (real, true) meaning a true and correct knowledge. So, it is meant a wise man always teaches a true and correct lesson.

The four ponokawan symbolizing also the four good lessons from :

1. Guru (teacher) and knowledge

2. Examples of good leaders on other people

3. Own experiences

4. Divine inspirations

They live in the village of Karang Kabolotan, Bolot means human body's dirt, someone who is looking only for material wealth in his life should end in trouble.

In the whole night wayang kulit (leather puppet) performance, the Ponokawan appears in the midnight episode called Goro goro and after that episode actively take part in helping the ksatrias.

Their appearance in and after midnight has a meaning that the middle age people between the age brackets of 30 years to 60 years have to do honest deeds, throwing away the bad ones.

White tufted hair (Kuncung Putih)
Kuncung : tufted of hair above forehead
Putih : white
Semar with kuncung putih indicates that he is a wise man, a perfect meditator.

White face of Semar

Symbolizing a teacher with a kind and honest face, his pupils shall follow all his instruction gladly. On the contrary, a teacher with a black face, the pupils shall abide the instruction because they are afraid of him.

One tooth of Semar
A teacher should speak only of the truth.

Black body of Semar
Means "Don't do anything wrong to achieve your goals".

Enormous buttock of Semar
Someone with enormous buttock can sit comfortably, this would like to say that a ksatria accompanied by Semar should achieve all his wishes.

Kampuh polong Batik

The dress he wears is batik with patterns kampuh polong with four colors, meaning there are four kind of lusts.
Red : amarah - anger, like the character of Rahwana.
Yellow : supiyah - greedy like Sarpakenaka, Rahwana's sister.
Black : aluamah - desire of eating and sleeping like Kumbakarna.
White : mutmainah - doesn't have any desire, like holiness, in wayang is Wibisana.

A man at least, must be able to harmonize these four desires for positive things. It is very difficult for a living human being to defeat these desires totally.

Some well-known figures in wayang kulit wearing kampuh polong are Anoman, Bima, Antareja and Setyaki.

In the wayang stories and also in life, there is no one hate Semar, symbolizing an ordinary poor man with divine knowledge and behavior. The Ponokawan, although they are only humble servants, but sometimes they become decision makers and have a leadimg role, such as in the performance of :

Petruk dadi Ratu (Ratu - King)
Petruk becomes a king.

Wayang Kulit (leather puppet) and Jawa

The island of Java, local people calls it Java since the ancient time. The name of Indonesia did not exist yet at that time. Since a long time ago, island of Java is exceptionally beautiful and fertile with pleasant climate. This condition has made the island to be comfortably to live in, this is the island of gods. This might be true. The Javanese people in Javanese language are (they have graded language: alus means soft and polite to be used when speaking with elder men or respected people and kasar or rough to be used by common people).
Tiyang from Ti Hyang (alus)
Uwong from Wahong (kasar)
Both have same meaning, the descendants of gods.

According to wayang kulit stories and some people believe that the first kings or rulers in ancient Jawa were gods themselves descending from kahyangan (Heaven Kingdom). Java was almost uninhibited.

The first kingdom in Java was Medhang Kamulan (kamulan from mula – beginning) means a man who has begun to create life existance. The location of Medhang Kamulan was in the mountain of Mahendra (now, Gunung/ Mount Lawu) in the border of Surakarta and Madiun regencies. The king was S.H. Guru himself descended from Kahyangan, his name was Sri Paduka raja Mahadewa. He moved his kingdom to Mount Gede in Bogor, West Java, with his assistant Narada, as Patih (chief minister). In Mount Gede, the court ranking were :

• King

• Patih

• Brahmana (priest)

• Senopati (chief warrior)

• Jaksa (judge)

Then he moved back to Lawu. He began to construct his palace with building imitating the ones in kahyangan. For cultural entertainment he created gamelan (Javanese music instruments) by the name of Lokananta to accompany gods while they were dancing (beksan).

To guard his palace, he assigned two giants to stand in front of the entrance gate. Their names were Cingkarabala and Balaupata (nowadays, the Karatons in Java have giant statues with same names to be placed in front of the entrance gates).

The heirloom master, he was also a god or Jawata (also means the teacher of Javanese people), Empu Ramadi or Ramayadhi were instructed by king Mahadewa (Guru) to make heirlooms for gods, such as keris (dagger), cakra, arrows, etc. Up to now, Empu Ramadi was considered as the first Keris maker in Java.

After several years ruled in Java, Guru returned to kahyangan. He sent five of his sons to rule in several places :

• God or Sang Hyang (S.H.) Sambo in the kingdom of Medhangprawa (Mount Rajabasa) in Sumatra. His name was Sri Maharaja (S.M.) Maldewa.

• S.H. Brahma in Medhang Gili in Mount Mahera (Anyer) by the name of S.M. Sunda. That's why the people of West Java are called Tiyang (people) of Sunda.

• S.H. Endra in Mount Mahameru (now, Mount Semeru - East Java) by the name of S.M. Sakra. The kingdom was Medhang Gana.

• S.H. Wisnu in Mount Gora (now, Mount Slamet, nearby Tegal Central Java, the kingdom was Medhang Puro, his name was S.M. Suman).

• S.H. Bayu in Mount Karang (Bali). His name was S.M. Bimo of the kingdom of Medhang Gora.

He sent also several dewas to become Penditas and that was the beginning of Darma (religious) teaching in Java, the local name was Pranata Gama (organizing of religious teaching).

Audience among gods


  (right to left : Guru, Kamajaya, Narada, Wisnu & Yamadipati)

Semar (S.H.) Ismoyo the elder brother of guru, he himself become Ponokawan and he sent nine sons to become Pendita in Mount Lawu to strengthen the pranata Gama in Java.

The five divine kings they enjoyed dancing accompanied by gamelan Lokananta. After the dancing, they spread art of self-defense, gave lessons of some supernatural power. They enjoyed living in Java, especially Wisnu who married with Dewi Pratiwi (goddess of earth). Thus, their descendants become rulers of Java.

Batara Kala

From time to time disrupted the peaceful life in Java, making trouble to others. Kala was afraid of Wisnu and Semar, several times he had been defeated in battles. When someone is careless, he could be easily be victim of Kala. Many people up to present date make Slametan (slamet : safe and sound) such as food offerings called 'Ruwatan' to protect from Kala's disturbance.

Batara Endra

Had instructed the planting of two waringin (banyan) trees in front of the Palace Square like in Kahyangan. The Kalpataru, by the name of Dewandaru and Jayadaru. This also could be seen nowadays in Javanese Karatons.

Bedaya, at present is a sacred court dance, performed by seven beautiful ladies, in the ancient time were performed by seven goddesses such as Dewi Supraba, Dewi Wilatama, etc. It was the favorite entertainment of King Dewa Esa (Wisnu) in his kingdom in Parahyangan (the domain of gods), West Java.

Court titles

The sons of gods were called Raden for the male (from Rahadi - Rah means blood or life, adi means precious), - the precious man. The female were called Dewi. This title was also given to the wives of gods.

Mount Merapi

Its name in the old days was Candrageni, north of Yogyakarta. Geni means fire, the fire mountain was dangerous since ancient time. One big explosion occurred, the thunderous voice raised to the sky with burning fire for forty consecutive days. The village on the top of the mountain ruin to ashes, turn to be the crater.

Batara Panyarikan, 'secretary of Guru', descended also in earth, to join Wisnu. Thus in Java, knowledge, art and literature began to develop.

Seeing the above explanation, wayang kulit has a deep root in Java, even become part of their daily life. It is usual that someone's behavior, physical beauty and achievement are compared with those figures in wayang. A beautiful lady is compared to Dewi Supraba. Someone would say, "She is very beautiful like Dewi Supraba". A career and intelligent women should be called Srikandi.

For male, if someone is honest as Yudistira, a handsome man should be praised as Arjuna. A strong young man or an air force officer is called Gatotkaca. A tall, strong, big man is compared with Bima, and a tricky man is like Sengkuni.

People, for instance, do not like greedy and cruel leaders because they are resembled to Rahwana and Duryudana.

A wise man is valued as Kresna. When a man and a woman are in a deep love, as if can not be separated from each others, people would say, "They are a loving couple, like Dewi Ratih (goddess of love) and Batara Kamajaya (god of love).

'WAYANG'

Performance Of Wayang Kulit
Wayang Puppet Theater
Wayang Topeng or Wayang Gedog, etc.