dalang

The dhalang or dalang (Javanese: ꦝꦭꦁ, romanized: dhalang; Indonesian: dalang) is the puppeteer in an Indonesian wayang performance. In a performance of wayang kulit, the dalang sits behind a screen (ꦏꦼꦭꦶꦂ, kelir) made of white cotton stretched on a wooden frame. Above his head, hanging from beams attached to the top of the screen is the lamp (ꦧ꧀ꦭꦺꦚ꧀ꦕꦺꦴꦁ, bléncong), which projects the shadows onto the screen. In front of the dhalang is a stage (ꦒꦼꦢꦼꦧꦺꦴꦒ꧀, gedebog), traditionally made from the trunk of a banana tree, into which the sharpened control rods of the puppets can be pushed to keep them in position during the performance. To his left is the puppet chest (ꦏꦺꦴꦛꦏ꧀, kothak), and to his right is the puppet chest's lid, on which the puppets sit ready for use. In addition to moving the pup...