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This paper examines the principal characters of the Malay versions (Hikayat Seri Rama and Hikayat Maharaja Wana) of the Hindu epic Ramayana, which provides the source material for the Malaysian shadow play, wayang kulit kelantan. The characters are organized into several categories according to whether they are gods, human beings, demons, apes, or lesser creatures. Following that, the paper makes an analysis of eleven characters selected from the categories mentioned, as well as puppets representing them, through the Indonesian-Malay halus-kasar (refined-coarse) theory of aesthetics. Although important and appropriate to proper appreciation of Indonesian and Malay arts forms, the theory has not previously been applied to wayang kulit kelantan.
Wayang kulit kelantan,1 previously known as wayang kulit siam, is the most important of three shadow play styles still active in Malaysia, the others being the Javanese wayang kulit purwa and wayang kulit kampung Asun maintained by a single puppeteer in the eponymous village in the northern state of Kedah and developed from the now extinct wayang kulit gedek-the Malaysian version of Thai nang talung. The origins of wayang kulit kelantan have been variously debated (see Yousof 2004: 91-118). In form and essence, it has been shaped by indigenous beliefs as well as cultural elements from India, southern Thailand, and Java, as evident in the puppet designs, dramatic repertoire, rituals, as well as overall performance style. While most elements have been previously examined, the particular style of puppets of wayang kulit kelantan-the focus of the present paper-has not.
The Ramayana as Source Material for Wayang Kulit Kelantan
Two Malay-language versions of the Ramayana-the written Hikayat Seri Rama (manuscript version first collected ca. 1600) and Hikayat Maharaja Wana (an oral tradition; see Sweeney 1972a)-are the primary sources of material for the dramatic repertoire of wayang kulit kelantan, which traditionally existed entirely in the oral tradition. Additionally, several episodes have been derived from Thai and Indonesian versions, through the medium of performance rather than written texts such as the Thai Ramakien or the old Javanese Kaka win Ramayana. Notable changes introduced by generations of puppeteers over the decades include the shortening of the story, the elimination of details, and a significant reduction in the number of characters. This is evident from the fact that the average set of...