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InJavanesewayang, thepanakawan (Javanese:ꦥꦤꦏꦮꦤ꧀)[1] orpunakawan (ꦥꦸꦤꦏꦮꦤ꧀)[2] are the clown servants of the hero. There are four of them –Semar,Petruk,Gareng [id] (ꦒꦫꦺꦁ,Garèng),[3] andBagong [id] (ꦧꦒꦺꦴꦁ).[4] Semar is the personification of a deity, sometimes said to be thedhanyang (Javanese:ꦝꦚꦁ)[5] or guardian spirit of the island of Java. In Javanese mythology, deities can only manifest themselves as ugly or otherwise unprepossessing humans, and so Semar is always portrayed as short and fat with a pug nose and a dangling hernia.
His three companions are his adopted sons, given to Semar as votaries by their parents. Petruk is portrayed as tall and gangling with a long nose, Gareng as short with a club foot, and Bagong as obese.
Thepanakawan always appear in the second act of awayang performance –pathet sanga – as servants to the hero of the story regardless of who that hero is.
Similar characters appear in other Indonesian wayang and theatrical traditions, including those ofBali andSunda, under different names.[6][7]
Thepanakawan characters are generally much-loved by audiences who attend wayang plays in Indonesia and their appearance in the plays is usually greeted with laughter and anticipation.
TheJavanese English Dictionary gives the first definition of theJavanese wordpanakawan as "follower, servant".[1] Inwayang,panakawan are not just mere servants or followers, but they also understand what is happening to their masters. They often act as advisors to their masters.
The most distinctive thing about the existence ofpanakawan is they act as a group that spreads humour in the story. Their behavior and speech typically invite laughter from the audience. Apart from being comforters and advisers, they sometimes also act as helpers to their masters in times of adversity. For example, when Bimasena has to face Shakuni in theBharatayuddha war, Semar comes up to inform him of Shakuni's weakness.
In conversations betweenpanakawan, it is common for the language and terms they use to be modern terms that are not following their era. But this seems to have become normal and is not a problem. For example, inwayang performances, Petruk claims to have a car or cellphone, even though these two objects certainly did not exist in thewayang era back then.