subject: Puppetry - A Dying Art [print this page] Many of our conventional crafts and hobbies have been preserved into the archives due to rapidly changing lifestyles. Videos and televisions are fast engulfing us and taking our leisure time. We are getting information in an incredible way of internet within a few seconds. We have become cross-eyed, fixing our eyes at the screen of the computer, and hunched and hypnotic in our high-backed chairs. The irony is that even our children have caught the bug, and are now inclined to computers more than the carefree games and hobbies.
Stress is inevitably the internal reaction to these high-tech stimuli, and the universal urge to be one with the crowd, is forcing many youths to nervousness, depression, peptic ulcers, chronic fatigue. In the light of these realities, it would be sensible not to miss the sight of our old traditional pastime that could show as healing, but are sadly dying for want of benefaction. One such thing is the art and craft of puppetry.
In china the puppetry is older than 1500 hundred years. Their stories were not related to the epics of the Hinduism, but they depicted the stories from the ancient Chinese classical literature. In those days, the Imperial court was the main patron of the puppeteer. In Greece, puppets originated in the 5th century B.C. and then, they were made of tiny-jointed clay figures. We also get evidence of puppetry in ancient Egypt. They were mostly miniatures of Gods.
The term puppet has been derived from the Latin word pupa meaning doll or girl. In the middle of the nineteenth century, it was named marionette as the puppets of Mary was taken in use in Nativity plays. Puppets survived the Middle Ages even though the drama and theatre were prohibited by the church. In sixteenth century, during the gold rush to the Honduras, a man, named Cortes, gave delight to these pioneers, during their long journey from Mexico to their El Dorado. In Germany, Italy, France and England, puppetry developed in full swing from sixteenth century onwards. The lovable Punch and Judy were friends of childhood. Surprisingly, they did not get reputation much in England. Punch was the brain-child of an actor from Naples, who used to call his character Polcinella and portrayed the affable qualities of the chicken. This puppet became so laudable, that in 1660, he arrived at London as Punchinello. The name was big, so it was abbreviated to Punch.
Gradually, the puppets characters were included to the gamut. They became more complicated in appearance, as expert craftsmen started to make the models. Puppeteers became skilled as performers, and many original plays were performed on the stage. What once was a one-man performance turned to be a family profession associating many members of the family or small companies of men. In 18th and 19th Centuries, these theatres emerged as intensely popular in artistic circles. Writers like Goethe and George Sands arranged their own well-organized puppet shows to amuse their friends. Famous personalities, like Samuel Pepys, recorded in their diaries the names of the shows they had experienced. At present, you may be very enthusiastic about puppets. Thus, if you want to experience an exciting range of puppets, please visit www.puppetshop.ie.
by: Stuart Swift
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