Tradition – The Ondel-Ondel, symbols of Jakarta | lepetitjournal.com

On the occasion of the 494th anniversary of Jakarta, we come back for you to the story of the Ondel-Ondel, giant puppets symbols of the Indonesian capital.

You have necessarily come across these famous giant puppets: the Ondel-Ondel. They are today symbols of the capital and witnesses of the culture of the Betawi, the native people of Jakarta. A look back at the history of these mascots that have stood the test of time.

The origins of the Ondel-Ondel

Some sources explain that these paper and bamboo dolls originated in a pre-Islamic culture and would be a mixture of Betawi culture , Chinese and Balinese. In 1605, an English merchant wrote of seeing giant puppets in villages taking part in ceremonies aimed at bringing protection to the population. Ondel-Ondel is a very recent name, these puppets were known as Barongan.

They always work in pairs, the man is represented with a red face, long teeth and protruding eyes, the woman with a white face and red lips. Their heads are topped with a crown made of dried coconut leaves. Accompanied by traditional Betawi music, they were summoned to ward off evil spirits or diseases such as smallpox.

The construction of the puppet

A certain ritual must be respected for the manufacture of these puppets. The craftsman must make offerings so that the benevolent spirits integrate the doll. The body is made of bamboo, which is wetted to give it shape. Even today, this raw material arrives in Jakarta down the Ciliwung River. The face is made of wood or paper pulp. The puppets are always dressed in brightly colored clothes. There are still a few artisans in Jakarta who make these puppets.

They can measure up to 2 meters and weigh 20 kilos. Given the measurements of the puppet, only young people can go inside and carry it on their shoulders. Pak Davi, manager of the Ondel-Ondel of Jakarta, explains to us: “Do you know how the one who is inside sees to move? Through a hole made at the level of the puppet's chest; he thus sees everything with the heart”.

The Ondel-Ondel today:

After independence, the barongans took on less scary faces and became the icons of the city of Jakarta. The name Ondel-Ondel is said to have come from the title of a song by a popular singer in the 1970s, Benyamin Sueb, which described the behavior of a giant doll. The song was a big hit and the barongans were renamed Ondel-Ondel.

They are invited today for inaugurations, family celebrations, weddings, circumcisions and are often posted at the entrance of public administrations. To the great despair of Pak Davi, the Ondel-Ondel have been diverted from their meaning and are used by young children who, by distracting the passer-by, hope to receive some money. "I can't say anything, but these young people no longer know their culture." In Jakarta, around twenty cultural centres, the senggar, continue to introduce people to the Betawi culture.

The anniversary of Jakarta will be an opportunity to see many Ondel-ondel accompanied by musicians in the streets.

Little Plus: historical reminder

It was in 1958 that the governor at the time, Sudiro, declared June 22 the official day of the creation of the city of Jakarta. This date recalls the capture of Sunda Kelapa in 1527 by Fatahillah sent by the Prince of Demak.

At the time, the port was occupied by the Hindu kingdom Majapahit which had just signed a protection agreement with the Portuguese settled in Malacca in Malaysia. The sultan of the Muslim kingdom of Demak located on the east coast of Java takes a dim view of the signing of a protectorate agreement. He took advantage of the absence of the Portuguese who had gone back to Malaysia to look for military equipment to invade the city. He sends Fatahillah, commander of the forces of Cirebon with 1452 soldiers. Sunda Kelapa is surrounded by the armed forces and Fathahillah obtains a total victory. Following this battle, the port of Sunda Kelapa takes the name of Jayakarta which means in Sanskrit: complete victory.