Gareng - (Wayang Kulit)
| Title | Gareng - (Panakawan) - All stories |
|---|---|
| Other names | Garingan, Nalagareng, Pandu Bregala, Pancalapramor, Pegatwaja, Pecukilan |
| Size | 35 cm |
| Personal data | Gareng or Nala Gareng in Javanese wayang stories is the first child of Semar. Nala Gareng married Dewi Sariwati, the daughter of Prabu Sarawasesa and the consort Dewi Saradewati from the land of Salarengka, which he obtained with the help of Resi Tritusta from the land of Purwadukna. Nala Gareng lived a very long life, he lived until the Middle Ages. |
| Appearance | Gareng has a lame leg which symbolizes Gareng's nature as a subject who is always careful in his actions. His hands are also ciker/czech or broken, which symbolizes that he doesn't like taking other people's rights. His eyes are crossed, symbolizing that Gareng doesn't want to see things that invite evil or things that are not good. Gareng is stupid and always pessimistic. He is often the victim of the pranks his brother Petruk plays. |
| Collection | Private collection |
Gareng - (Panakawan) - All stories[edit | edit source]
Gareng has several other names, including; Pancalpamor which means rejecting worldly temptations, Pegatwaja means teeth (as a symbol that Gareng don't like to eat delicious food which is wasteful and invites disease), Nala Gareng which means dry heart, dry from prosperity, so that he always does good.
Gareng is one of the Panakawan, the clowns of all wayang stories and the servants of the 'good' heroes. They are the only ones in the wayang game who do not have to stick to their text and are allowed to comment on everyday things and a little on politics. They are a Javanese addition to the stories. The Panakawan appear in all wayang stories and are a Javanese addition to the original stories. In the wayang golek purwa the Panakawan are: Semar, Petruk, Gareng and Cepot. The Panakawan are the servants of the 'good' hero. They speak plain Javanese and provide social reflection of the performance. As a result, the greatest innovations in wajang take place in the clown scenes. For example, contemporary music forms and new dramatic techniques can be used in these scenes. There may also be guest appearances by (pop) stars in the clown scenes.
It is said that Gareng was once a handsome knight named Bambang Sukodadi from the Bluktiba hermitage. He is powerful but arrogant, and he often challenges the knights he meets to duels. Bambang Sukskati meditated on Candala Hill for years to acquire supernatural powers. One day, Bambang Sukodadi met another warrior named Bambang Pecruk Panyukilan. Because they were both arrogant and both defended their positions, a war broke out between the two. They had supernatural powers that were equal, so they neither lost nor won. Because of the fight, without realizing it, their faces had been damaged. At that time Batara Ismaya (Semar) came, who separated them. Batara Ismaya (Semar) is the guardian of the Pandava knights, in the form of Jangganan Samara Anta, he gives advice to both of them. Due to Sanghyang Ismaya's words, the two's shapes changed and became very ugly, and Bambang Sukskati's body became disabled. His eyes are cross-eyed, round nose, no neck, big belly, weak legs, crooked hands/tekle/Czech (Javanese). Sanghyang Ismaya changed his name to Nala Gareng, while Bambang became Panyukilan Petruk. Amazed by Batara Ismaya's advice, the two knights asked to serve and asked to be adopted as children. Finally, they were adopted as sons on the condition that they would accompany Batara Ismaya (Semar) to become the guardians of the Pandava knights. Petruk, Gareng and Semar never separated and always followed Raden Arjuna and his descendants.
Blog: Hadisukirno – Yogyakarta - 2011
