Myanmar's traditional Yoke-The` entertainment with full of cultural core
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Thiri Khit Oo (NP News) - June 16
Since the 1700s (the Bagan dynasty era), the dolls set up with stings called puppets or marionettes or (locally called Yoke-The`) were performed to entertain the royal living on the Great Royal Stage. Buddha’s stories, histories, and other story performances reached the peak of entertainment throughout Myanmar's art history.
Yoke-The` are carved from wood and polished in addition, they all are dressed in hand-stitched costumes with rings and other accessories in traditional and cultural style. Each of Yoke-The` is usually made from 17 to 19 pieces of wood and the parts of Yoke-The` are moved by 11 strings which are attached at every joint of the dolls. Controlling the dolls is most complicated way to move up with 16 strings. In which, the head and shoulders are controlled by five strings and the arms and legs are stringed by the rest of the six.
Myanmar's traditional Yoke-The` is also similar to other performances in characters. Yoke-The` has 28 main characters such as ranging from gods, animals, monsters, and royals, etc. Yoke-The` are classified into two groups called the left group and the right group. In the left group, the Nat votaress, the horse, the tiger, the elephant, the parakeet, the ogres (Belu), the dragon (Nagar), the Garuda (Galon), the old woman, the court jesters are included. The right group includes the hermit, the deva, the king, the four ministers, the Prince (Mintha), the Princess, the astrologer, and the necromancer or Zawgyi.
Traditional plays begin with a mythological story. In playing, each Yoke-The` is controlled by only one puppeteer. There is also a connection between the Yoke-The` and the puppeteer since according to Myanmar people’s beliefs, Yoke-The’ has a spirit and a soul and the puppeteers respect them.
Before playing with Yoke-The` at the theater, the puppeteers including the event organizers and its members must pay respect to the Buddha and the spirit to play the Buddha stories and the plot about the spirits.
The puppeteers move each character’s personality to the audience on the stage in every scene. During the plays, the storylines are inspired by a variety of plots of ancient myths and legends with a sense of humor. Yoke-The` moves and dances in line with the notes, music and the song beautifully under the control of puppeteers. The most unique traditional entertainment can be enjoyed with the essence of culture in Myanmar.
As time goes by, cultures and old traditions are slowly fading after the colonial era due to the lack of puppeteers in Myanmar. However, there still are some puppeteers in Bagan and Mandalay nowadays preserving Myanmar traditions and culture. The puppeteers namely U Maung Hla and Htwe Oo Myanmar are well-known for puppetry arts delivering their heritages to generations.
The red-carpet theater for Yoke-The` plays extremely attracts foreign tourists. Yoke-The` are also the best seller items in Bagan Archeological Zone. Foreign tourists love to purchase handmade puppets with ancient traditional styles for souvenirs for keep or display in their living rooms.
While there are fewer puppeteers in Myanmar, puppetry still remains as legendary art proudly showing Myanmar is rich in traditional cultures.