History of Puppets and Puppetry

Some puppets are termed differently from all the other types such as the marionettes. Marionettes are still puppets just like the hand puppet, glove puppet and the finger puppet. The marionettes are distinctly designed and so the name that it is called suits it very well. Actually, it is said that the term marionette was used around 1600.

One of the ancient form of performance is puppetry. It has been traced back in history that as early as 2000 B.C., puppetry has been a form of entertainment, especially during merry-making or feasts. During those times, there were evidences of figures made out of wood that were operated through the strings attached to them. Back then, marionette puppetry was very much popular in showing off rituals and ceremonies, and surprisingly, they are still used up to this time. If truth be told, some marionette puppets were found inside the Egyptian tombs. These wooden puppets were carefully crafted and they were made of clay or ivory.

The marionettes as compared to the other types of puppets, are more complex. They are being controlled through the strings attached to them. There are a number of strings attached to every movable joint in the marionette's body. These strings are not just the ordinary strings. They are firm and yes, expensive kind of strings. Wires, to be precise are commonly used.

Many people consider Italy as the early home of the marionettes. Though the influence was mainly by the Roman puppetry. Compared to the usage of the marionettes by the Egyptians, the Christian church used marionettes to act out morality plays. As time rolled by, the marionettes have been used to play comedies, that at some point it became obnoxious already to the audience, most especially to the church. And so consequently, the church started banning puppetry. The turn of events really made a sense of humor out of it.

Eventually, the puppeteers who were mostly affected by the banning of the church responded to it by putting up stages in front of the Christian churches and made more bold and ridicule plays with the marionettes. As a result of this, there emerged the Italian comedy called the commedia dell'arte. There were also times when Shakespeare's plays were performed with the use of the marionettes instead of the actors and actresses who normally do the acting.

As the time came when televisions and films rise in popularity, the marionettes also found their way naturally to being well-known. The marionettes then were popular, especially in programs for the children. Take for example the famous wooden boy, Pinocchio. The story of Pinocchio was about a marionette which is a boy whose nose grows longer when he tells a lie. The story was adapted by Disney and was released as a movie in the year 1940.

There was also this other renowned character Howdy Doody, in which he was a marionette. In the year 1947, Howdy Doody introduced marionettes to a Saturday morning television show.