Panakawan

[4] Semar is the personification of a deity, sometimes said to be the dhanyang (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.

Petruk is portrayed as tall and gangling with a long nose, Gareng as short with a club foot, and Bagong as obese.

Similar characters appear in other Indonesian wayang and theatrical traditions, including those of Bali and Sunda, under different names.

The most distinctive thing about the existence of panakawan is they act as a group that spreads humour in the story.

Panakawan ( right ) accompanied their masters in a traditional wayang wong theater performance in Yogyakarta . September 1923.
Panakawan in wayang kulit , from left to right: Bagong, Petruk, Gareng, and Semar.