There had previously been theatrical puppets in Spain, but these mechanical improvements were soon adopted by the popular titereros, showmen, and the marionettes sprung up in all public places, in cities, villages, fairs, even at court.
The characters and repertories of the titeres were always strictly national, although the exhibitors were frequently foreigners. Moors, knights, giants, enchanters, conquerors of the Indies, saints, hermits, bull-fighters, characters from the old and new testaments, all were displayed in the puppet castello. The Spanish Grazioso, costumed somewhat in the fashion of Pierrot, was never a very prominent puppet; he later acquired the name of Don Christobal Pulichinela. A well-known type of wandering show consisted of a blind man, led by a boy, with a mule and wagon to carry the castello and equipment. The blind man generally recited the text of the play, the boy operated the puppets. Cervantes depicts a Spanish show for us where Don Quixote and Sancho Panza saw performed, “The manner in which Signor Gayferos accomplished the deliverance of his spouse Melisandra,” and he relates with much spirit how Don Quixote’s chivalrous zeal interfered with the performance of Master Peter’s puppets. Since that time, over three hundred years, there has been little change in the titeres of Spain.
In 1877 in Madrid Molière’s Monsieur Pourceaugnac was presented by marionettes. In 1808 a French savant was present at a Valencian puppet show when the Death of Seneca was performed. The account tells us that, “In the presence of the audience the celebrated philosopher ended historically by opening his veins in a bath. The streams of blood that flowed from his arms were simulated cleverly enough by the movement of red ribbon. An unexpected miracle, less historic than the mode of his death, wound up the drama. Amidst the noise of fireworks the pagan sage was taken up into Heaven in a glory, pronouncing, as he ascended, the confession of his faith in Jesus Christ to the perfect satisfaction of the audience. Spain, a country of anomalies, is not to be disconcerted by an anachronism.”
In Portugal the titeres were used so frequently to represent hermits and monks in monkish garb that they come to be called Bonifrates. They were quite similar to the Spanish marionettes.
The Puppets in France
“Ainsi font font font
Les petites marionettes
Elles font font
Trois petits tours et puis s’en vont.”