War in leather puppet performance is one of important and interesting scenes for the audience. In puppetry show of Yogyakarta tradition, at least there are seven times of war scenes with many characteristics in use of specific terms and time and movement patterns.
Wisma Nugraha Christianto Rich, M.Hum., a faculty of Nusantara Literature Department of Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, mentioned that war in leather puppet show can be interpreted as description of emotional journey because of individual conflict which develops into group or nation involvement. In war, physical power, tactics, strategy, weapon, charm, transportation, and network are also involved.
War in general contains description about emotional intelligence journey, way of thinking and action,” he explained on seminar “Flower War”: Perception and Interpretation in Javanese Culture held by Nusantara Literature Department at Auditorium of Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, Saturday (11/12). Besides, Wisma Nugraha continued, war also describes communication skill, science-tech mastery, and builds socio-political network. “The war also describes maturity and personal maturity level by way of the meeting between ego and the other,” he explained.
Wisma added that “flower war” in puppetry is a symbol of fighting and struggle of human against evil inside themselves. “The flower war" which is exposed in Yogyakarta puppetry describes the dispute that happens in “managed” rooms. The process of an individual facing crisis in making relationship with others has been described and stated early in this tradition, so it should be responded immediately. Therefore, when someone enters multicultural and multi-ethnic relations, he/she can respond fast and smartly.
Meanwhile, the “flower war” of Surakarta tradition presents description of dispute, argument,and fighting between a knight who has mastered several skills and knowledge and giant figures. Surakarta's flower war strictly states the occurrence of someone’s fighting arena whose physical appearance and knowledge are growing with several giants from the wilderness who have different tradition and culture. “In the meeting of the two traditions, the difference of language that hampers positive communication and interaction can be observed between individuals,” he said.
R. Bima Slamet Raharja, S.S., M.A., a faculty of Nusantara Literature Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, said that robber war/flower war in puppetry of Surakarta tradition has characteristic of strike movement and meaning that can be interpreted diversely in human life. The presence of Cakil giant and group who wants to challenge knights in their journey can be interpreted as a “white” inner battle that is appreciated as goodness and “black” as the evil raging inside human.
“Therefore, like understanding symbols, robber war is symbolized by maturity stage for a man in stepping into this life with various temptations he faced,” he explained.
Conflicts between wants are mixed until they come to a hope that human must conciliate their desires. Human’s journey is not separated from the concept of boja, karma and death that are determined by God.
Suwardi Endraswara, M.Hum, a faculty of Faculty of Language and Art, Yogyakarta State University explained that in “flower war”, unique movements always appear, such as a knight says: krasa tangan, kramasi epek-epek. If the knight is upset, he will speak in high tone and express his anger.