Ondel-ondel is a large puppet figure featured in Betawi folk performance of Jakarta,

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

. Ondel-ondel is an icon of Jakarta. Ondel-ondel are utilized for livening up festivals or for welcoming guests of honor, usually in pairs. Ondel-ondel is one of a few Indonesian folk performances that has survived modernization and is still being regularly performed. The musical accompaniment for the ondel-ondel performance varies with regions, occasions and groups of performances.

History

Archaic and colonial period

Traditionally, the figure of ondel-ondel was known as ''barongan'', a word derived from barong, a protective spirit that can be found across the animistic

Austronesian culture The Austronesian peoples, sometimes referred to as Austronesian-speaking peoples, are a large group of peoples in Taiwan, Maritime Southeast Asia, Micronesia, coastal New Guinea, Island Melanesia, Polynesia, and Madagascar that speak Austrone ...

long before the arrival of Hinduism. The figure was performed around villages to provide protection against calamities or for warding off wandering evil spirits. It was thought as a representation of the ancestors protecting the village. The first record of ondel-ondel is probably by British merchant William Scot who noted that ''een reus raksasa'' ("a giant

Rakshasa Rakshasas ( sa, राक्षस, IAST: : Pali: ''rakkhaso'') lit. 'preservers' are a race of usually malevolent demigods prominently featured in Hindu mythology. According to the Brahmanda Purana, the rakshasas were created by Brahma wh ...

") was one of the figures included in the procession led by Prince Jayakarta Wijayakrama to celebrate the

circumcision Circumcision is a procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin is excised. Top ...

of 10 years old Prince Abdul Mafakhir in the year 1605. Up until the modern colonial period, ondel-ondel figure was recorded to have a gruesome facial feature such as large fangs and menacing goggle-eyes, similar to the Balinese Barong or

Rangda Rangda is the demon queen of the Leyaks in Bali, according to traditional Balinese mythology. Terrifying to behold, the child-eating Rangda leads an army of evil witches against the leader of the forces of good — Barong. The battle betw ...

figure. The ondel-ondel was performed on the streets and asked by-passers for opium. When opium was banned in the Dutch East Indies, the ondel-ondel would ask for cigars instead, which is done by placing a cigar on their mouth. During this period, local

Betawi people Betawi may refer to: * Betawi people * Betawi language * Betawi cuisine *Betawi mask dance See also * Batavia (disambiguation) * Batavi (disambiguation) Batavi may refer to: *Batavi (Germanic tribe) **Revolt of the Batavi *Batavi (military unit) * ...

still believe that ondel-ondel can protect a village against disease such as chickenpox. Ondel-ondel performance was recorded by American writer E.R. Scidmore who visited Batavia in late 19th-century who noted a street performance in the form of dances, which could be the ondel-ondel performance. The construction of an ondel-ondel must follow a certain ritual. Before the construction of an ondel-ondel, the maker must gives offering in the form of incense, kembang tujuh rupa, and a rice porridge. The offering was intended to ensure the process of making ondel-ondel is a smooth one and to allow benevolent spirit to enter the figure.

Modern custom

After the independence of Indonesia, the function of ondel-ondel was shifted from a protective spirit figure into an iconic figure of entertainment. Governor of Jakarta

Ali Sadikin Ali Sadikin (7 July 1926 – 20 May 2008), better known as Bang Ali, was an Indonesian politician who served as the fourth governor of Jakarta from 1966 until 1977. Prior to becoming governor, he served as Minister of Transportation from 1963 u ...

(1966-1977), in an attempt to introduce a modern Jakarta, decided to modernize the ondel-ondel by removing some of the gruesome elements and making them more friendly-looking. Around this period, ondel-ondel was made a mascot of Jakarta and were always included in celebratory events such as inauguration of new buildings, welcoming guests of honor, or attending a wedding ceremony. Ondel-ondel performance is then always accompanied with Betawi music such as tanjidor or gambang kromong.

The figure

Ondel-ondel is a hollow figure about 2.5 meters tall and dressed in brightly colored garments which consists of shoulder belt (''kain selempang dada''). The head of ondel-ondel is typically made of wood. Ondel-ondel wears a headdress known as ''kembang kelape'' (coconut's flower) which is made from dried coconut leaves that have been shredded lengthways and is wrapped with colorful paper. Ondel-ondel are always showcased in pairs of male and female. The male puppet is traditionally has its face painted red, while the female is painted white. The body of ondel-ondel is constructed of bamboo which is relatively light and is lifted by one person from the inside of the puppet.

Similar performances

A form of folk performance similar to ondel-ondel is practiced in other parts of Indonesia. In the

Pasundan The State of Pasundan ( Indonesian and su, Negara Pasundan) was a federal state ''(negara bagian)'' formed in the western part of the Indonesian island of Java by the Netherlands in 1948 following the Linggadjati Agreement. It was similar to th ...

region, it is known as ''badawang'', while in Central Java it is called ''barongan buncis''. In Bali, it is better known as ''barong landung''.

References

External links

Ondel-Ondel Betawi Street Performance in Jakarta on YouTube"Nyok Kite Nonton Ondel-Ondel" dance on YouTube
{{Dance of Indonesia Indonesian culture Puppetry