Petruk

Last updated May 01, 2019

Petruk is a character in traditional Javanese puppetry, or wayang . He is one of the Punokawan , four comedic figures common in the medium.

The Javanese people are an ethnic group native to the Indonesian island of Java. With approximately 100 million people, they form the largest ethnic group in Indonesia. They are predominantly located in the central to eastern parts of the island. There are also significant numbers of people of Javanese descent in most provinces of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Suriname, Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands.

Wayang, also known as Wajang, is a form of puppet theatre art found in Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia, wherein a dramatic story is told through shadows thrown by puppets and sometimes combined with human characters. The art form celebrates the Indonesian culture and artistic talent; its origins are traced to the spread of Hinduism in the medieval era and the arrival of leather-based puppet arts called Tholu bommalata from southern India.

In Javanese wayang, the panakawan or panakavan (phanakavhan) are the clown servants of the hero. There are four of them – Semar, Petruk, Gareng and Bagong. Semar is the personification of a deity, sometimes said to be the dhanyang or guardian spirit of the island of Java. In Javanese mythology, deities can only manifest themselves as ugly or otherwise unprepossessing humans, and so Semar is always portrayed as short and fat with a pug nose and a dangling hernia.

Depiction

Petruk is one of the four Punokawan , together with Semar (the leader/father figure), Bagong, and Gareng; Petruk acts as the middle child. They are portrayed living together as a harmonious family.^[1] The Punokawan, often referred to as clowns in English, provide comic relief in the stories they are in, but also serve to speak to the audience and convey ideas of the dhalang (puppeteer), including social criticism.^[2]

Semar is a character in Javanese mythology who frequently appears in wayang shadow plays. He is one of the punokawan (clowns), but is in fact divine and very wise. He is the dhanyang of Java, and is regarded by some as the most sacred figure of the wayang set. He is said to be the god Sang Hyang Ismaya in human form.

Petruk is depicted as having lengthy limbs and a long nose; his nose is generally considered his most distinctive feature.^[3] In wayang performances the dhalang generally provides a "warrior's voice" for Petruk, as opposed to the nasal voice used for his brothers.^[1] He is married to Dewi Ambarawati,^[4] whom he won the right to marry after defeating four other suitors in a vicious battle. Together they have a son, Lengkungkusuma.^[4]

Literary appearances

Petruk and the punokawan, who are not present in the original Indian versions of the Mahabharata, are thought to have been an original Javanese creation.^[5] The Batara Ismaya Krama details Petruk's origin as follows. He was originally a noble raksasa known as Bambang Pecruk Panyukilan. He was humorous yet quick to fight, enjoyed joking but a furious warrior. One day, he departed his home to test his strength. Meeting Bambang Sukakadi, he challenged the latter to fight. The two fought for an extended period of time, until ultimately their entire bodies were covered in bruises and both had lost their once-handsome appearances. The fight was only stopped after Bagong and Smarasanta came together with Semar; Semar ordered the fighting men to stop and join him as his students. Afterwards Bambang Pecruk Panyukilan became Petruk, whereas Bambang Sukakadi became Gareng.^[6]

<i>Mahabharata</i> one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India

The Mahābhārata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the Rāmāyaṇa. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kurukshetra War and the fates of the Kaurava and the Pāṇḍava princes and their succession. Along with the Rāmāyaṇa, it forms the Hindu Itihasa.

Nobility is a social class normally ranked immediately under royalty and found in some societies that have a formal aristocracy. Nobility possesses more acknowledged privileges and higher social status than most other classes in society. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be largely honorary, and vary by country and era. As referred to in the Medieval chivalric motto "noblesse oblige", nobles can also carry a lifelong duty to uphold various social responsibilities, such as honorable behavior, customary service, or leadership positions. Membership in the nobility, including rights and responsibilities, is typically hereditary.

During the Dutch colonial period, a wayang story entitled Petruk Dadi Ratu (Petruk Becomes King) arose as a veiled criticism of the Dutch colonial powers. In this story, Petruk (in the guise of Prabu Welgeduwelbeh) overthrows his brother Gareng to become king of Trancanggribig; he is ultimately overthrown by Bagong, until the kingdom is surrendered to the Pandawa.^[7] Other contemporary stories exist as well. In Petruk Ilang Petele (Petruk Loses His Axe), Petruk loses his axe, whereas in Ambangun Candi Saptaharga a woman named Dewi Mustakaweni steals a sacred relic known as Kalimasada, after which Petruk steals it back.^[7]

The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Dutch government in 1800.

Petruk and the Punokawan can also be found in modern Indonesian literature. In Nano Riantiarno's Semar Gugat (1995), for instance, Petruk appears as a son of Semar who abandons him after the latter loses his powers.^[8] Allusions to the character can be found in cartoons.^[2]

Nobertus Riantiarno is an Indonesian actor, director, and playwright. Beginning his acting while in high school, he studied under Teguh Karya, acting in several movies and plays, until eventually establishing his own theatre troupe, Teater Koma, in 1977. His works, with their highly political messages, were often censored by Suharto's New Order government. In 1998 he won the SEA Write Award for his play Semar Gugat.

Semar Gugat is a stage play written by Nano Riantiarno for his troupe Teater Koma. It follows the traditional wayang character Semar as he attempts— and fails— to take revenge against Arjuna and Srikandi for humiliating him by cutting off a lock of his hair while they are under the influence of the demon queen Durga. Completed in mid-1995, the play consists of 559 lines of dialogue spread through 30 scenes. Semar Gugat has been read as a critique of the New Order government under president Suharto. It was first performed on 25 November 1995 after the government withheld permission for several months. After Teater Koma gave an initial two-week run, it was adapted by various amateur groups. In 1998 Riantiarno won a S.E.A. Write Award for the work.

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Central Java is a province of Indonesia. This province is located in the middle of the island of Java. Its administrative capital is Semarang. The province is bordered by West Java in the west, the Indian Ocean and the Special Region of Yogyakarta in the south, East Java in the east, and the Java Sea in the north. The area is 32,548 km², or around 28.94% of the total area of Java. The province of Central Java also includes the island of Nusakambangan in the south, and the Karimun Jawa Islands in the Java Sea. Central Java is also a cultural concept that includes the Special Region and city of Yogyakarta as well as the Province of Central Java. However, administratively the city and its surrounding regencies have formed a separate special region since Indonesian independence, administrated separately. Central Java is known as the "heart" of Javanese culture. Even so, in this province there are also other ethnic groups that have different cultures from the Javanese, such as the Sundanese in the border area with West Java. Besides there are also Chinese-Indonesians, Arabs-Indonesians and Indian-Indonesians scattered throughout the province.

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References

1 2 Kresna 2012, pp. 74–75.
1 2 Anderson 1978, p. 296.
↑ Hermawan 2013, p. 61.
1 2 Sudibyoprono et al. 1991, p. 400.
↑ Sudibyoprono et al. 1991, p. 398.
↑ Sudibyoprono et al. 1991, pp. 398–400.
1 2 Sudibyoprono et al. 1991, p. 401.
↑ Tejo 1995, Angin Litsus dari Semar.

Works cited

Anderson, Benedict (1978). "Cartoons and Monuments: The Evolution of Political Communication under the New Order". In Karl D Jackson; Lucian W Pye. Political Power and Communications in Indonesia. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-03303-0.
Hermawan, Deny (2013). Semar dan Kentut Kesayangannya[Semar and His Beloved Flatulence] (in Indonesian). Yogyakarta: Diva Press.
Kresna, Ardian (2012). Punakawan: Simbol Kerendahan Hati Orang Jawa[The Punakawan: Symbol of the Humility of Javanese People] (in Indonesian). Yogyakarta: Narasi.
Sudibyoprono, Rio; Suwandono; Dhanisworo; Mujiyono (1991). Ensiklopedi Wayang Purwa [Encyclopedia of Wayang Purwa]. Jakarta: Balai Pustaka. ISBN 978-979-407-341-4.
Tejo, H Sujiwo (26 November 1995). "Angin Litsus dari Semar" [Whirlwind from Semar]. Kompas (in Indonesian).

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[FOOTNOTEKresna201274–75-1] 1 2 Kresna 2012, pp. 74–75.

[FOOTNOTEAnderson1978296-2] 1 2 Anderson 1978, p. 296.

[FOOTNOTEHermawan201361-3] Hermawan 2013, p. 61.

[FOOTNOTESudibyopronoSuwandonoDhanisworoMujiyono1991400-4] 1 2 Sudibyoprono et al. 1991, p. 400.

[FOOTNOTESudibyopronoSuwandonoDhanisworoMujiyono1991398-5] Sudibyoprono et al. 1991, p. 398.

[FOOTNOTESudibyopronoSuwandonoDhanisworoMujiyono1991398–400-6] Sudibyoprono et al. 1991, pp. 398–400.

[FOOTNOTESudibyopronoSuwandonoDhanisworoMujiyono1991401-7] 1 2 Sudibyoprono et al. 1991, p. 401.

[FOOTNOTETejo_1995,_Angin_Litsus_dari_Semar-8] Tejo 1995, Angin Litsus dari Semar.