Here is a curious tale that comes from India. A priest named Saukara disagreed with the grand lama. In order to show his supernatural powers he soared far up into the sky, his long shadow falling on the ground. When the lama saw this shadow moving along on the ground, he drew out his sword and struck it. Saukara fell to the earth.
In Africa, the natives believe that even trees must guard their shadows. This is especially true of the trees that have medicinal leaves. A Kaffir doctor runs up very quickly to one of these medicinal trees and tries to avoid stepping on its shadow lest the shadow inform the tree of his coming and give it time to withdraw the healing properties of its leaves into the trunk.
One of the strangest customs that has existed since the time of the Greeks is still practised in southeastern Europe. It is that of measuring a strong man’s shadow and then of building the measuring line into the foundations of a building. The people believe that the strength of the man goes into the structure. In Roumania one frequently hears when passing a building under construction this warning cry: “Beware lest they take thy shadow.” There are certain people who go about stealthily measuring the shadows of strong men. They sell these shadow measuring lines to the architects.
Gradually the superstitious fear of shadows passed. In the place of this fear came an interest in using shadows for entertainment. This may have been suggested by the shadows that fell on the walls of the sacred tent while the priests within were performing the holy rites.
Shadow plays originated in the Orient and are known in every Eastern country. Here is a tale of their Chinese origin. An emperor grew angry with his two court fools, and ordered their heads cut off. When his anger cooled, he began to feel that life was dull. He then ordered his grand vizier to bring his fools back to life. At this command, the vizier was almost at his wit’s end for he knew that he would lose his own head if he could not fulfil the royal command. One day he met a fisherman with two great fishes. It suddenly occurred to him that he might take the skins of these fishes, dry them, and cut out from them two figures that would look like the two jesters. He succeeded in doing this, and after much thought and labor, he was able once more to show the Emperor his fools, this time as shadows against a lighted curtain, acting for his entertainment. These shadows seemed to please the Emperor even more than the living jesters.
In all Eastern countries the people usually prefer flat shadow figures to round marionettes. Such shadow figures are made from the carefully prepared skin of a goat or buffalo. After it has been stretched and dried, a clever artist takes the translucent skin and cuts out from it figures which represent the gods and heroes of the people. The illustration shows a characteristic Javanese shadow figure. The elaborate pattern is made by means of many small holes of different shapes and sizes. This figure is further enriched with transparent colors and gold. The arms are jointed at the shoulder and the elbow. Slender rods of wood, bone, or ivory are then fastened to the body and arms. The puppeteer manipulates the figure by means of these rods which extend below the figure. The shapes of the figures are most interesting, as you can see, with their strange headdresses, long noses, thin arms and legs. Their gestures are so grotesque and fascinating that they are like the strange people one meets only in dreams.
The theaters in which these shadow figures are shown are often no more than an angle of two walls before which is hung an opaque curtain in which there is a small opening with a bit of very fine linen stretched over it. This is lighted from behind. Here the showman sits with his figures all about him. And a very clever fellow he must be! Think of all the things he must do. First, he must know by heart all the stories that the people may wish to see acted, then he must know how to make the proper speech for each of his puppets, as well as how to make it act its part with the proper feeling and gestures. Further, he must be able to direct the orchestra of several men playing tomtoms, to manage his lights, and to shuffle his feet when that is necessary.
Can you guess how many puppets belong to his set? Count the characters in your favorite plays. If you take a long play like Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, and include a great band of fairies, there will scarcely be more than fifty characters. This showman has from sixty to one hundred and twenty shadows in his set. He must know just where every one is placed so that he can put his hand upon it the moment it is needed. He must also please people of many different tastes, therefore he must be able to give serious plays; plays about the gods, about giants and dragons, elves and fairies. Besides all of this he must know a great many hero plays, for it is through his art that the great heroes are kept alive.
Omar Khayyam, the Persian poet, compared life itself to a shadow-show.
For in and out, above, about, below,