Richard Larkin, age 9, of Mesa, Ariz., for his question:
WHO INVENTED THE PUPPET?
We don't know exactly who invented the puppet, but we do know that man made figures whose movements are controlled by a human being have been around for thousands of years.
Puppet like figures have been found in the tombs and ruins of ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. Historians tell us that the first ones were probably used in religious ceremonies. Priests secretly moved the arms and eyes of an idol or religious carving to impress the people in the congregation who were watching the ceremony.
Puppets though the ages developed into three main kinds: hand puppets, marionettes and rod puppets.
Rod puppets are controlled by sticks or rods, usually from below a stage. In Japan, a well known form of puppet show is called the "bunraku" or doll theater. Four foot tall puppets are operated with rods from behind by puppeteers in full view of the audience.
Many important Japanese dramatists during the 1600s and 1700s wrote plays especially for the doll theater.
Marionettes are puppets that are controlled by strings or wires. The word comes from "Little Mary," a type of puppet of the Middle Ages. Priests used Little Marys, or marionettes, to teach stories from the Bible.
Eventually the marionettes became to be considered coarse and worldly and religious authorities refused to let them perform in churches. They became favorites at parks and fairs.
The most famous glove or hand puppet character of all time is Punch, the star of English puppet displays called "Punch and Judy shows." Punch was introduced into England from Italy in 1662. Characters who resemble Punch had been popular in a number of other countries beside Italy including Germany, France, The Netherlands, Russia and Switzerland.
Shadow plays are a special kind of puppet show in which all types of puppets can be used. The show is put on in front of a thin screen made of cloth with a strong light shining on the screen from behind.
The early Chinese and Turks created a type of shadow show by using leather figures to cast shadows on screens.
In Indonesia, a popular form of puppet theater is called "wayang kulit," which means "leather puppets." Hindu myths are presented with performances often beginning in the early evening and lasting until dawn.
The all night puppet shows of Indonesia have been presented for hundreds of years.
The Punch puppet originated in Italy and was called Pulcinella or Punchinello. In his shows, Punch fought opponents and often the devil. Most of the time he was the victor. Sometimes he was defeated and swallowed by a crocodile like puppet. These shows usually had a "moral" which most of the time was "good wins out over evil."