''Nang yai'' (, ) is a form of shadow play found in

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

Puppet A puppet is an object, often resembling a human, animal or Legendary creature, mythical figure, that is animated or manipulated by a person called a puppeteer. Puppetry is an ancient form of theatre which dates back to the 5th century BC in anci ...

s are made of painted buffalo hide, while the story is narrated by songs, chants and music. '' Nang'' means "leather" ("leather puppet" in this case), and in common usage refers to a dance-drama shadow puppet show. ''Nang yai'', whose name specifically means "large shadow puppet", features life-size puppets, while '' nang talung'' (a similar tradition of shadow puppetry whose name derives from Phattalung, a southern city where the tradition has long been popular) features much smaller puppets. Both are particularly popular in southern Thailand. According to James Brandon, most scholars believe that ''nang yai'' came to Thailand via

Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...

and the

Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula is located in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area contains Peninsular Malaysia, Southern Tha ...

from

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

''Nang yai'' and ''nang talung'' incorporate various episodes of the Indian epic ''

Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...

'' (known as the '' Ramakien'' in Thailand). The art form's traditions originated around the beginning of the 15th century. ''Nang yai'' performances were a popular means of entertainment during the Ayutthaya period and are mentioned in a poem called "Bunnovat Khamchan", written by the Buddhist monk Mahanag sometime around the years 1751 to 1758, at the end of King Boromakot's reign. The earliest known mention of ''nang yai'' in Thai records is from 1458, according to Brandon. Performances are traditionally held in open spaces such as a lawn or village dirt space. A white cloth screen about long and high, with a decorated border, is stretched across the stage. Behind the screen, a bonfire is lit to project the puppets' shadows (electric lights are often used instead now). During the show, a Thai instrumental ensemble (usually a '' piphat'') plays music appropriate to each episode, synchronized with the puppets' action. Offstage reciters tell the story in a sort of heightened speech. The puppet figures are made from perforated cow or buffalo hide, each weighing about three or four kilograms. The biggest puppet is one which characterizes a place, weighing around five to seven kilograms. ''Nang yai'' influenced '' that khon'', a dance-drama art form from Thailand which involves masked pantomime. ''Nang yai'' can be found throughout Thailand. For example, in

central Thailand Central Thailand (Central Plain) (historically also known as Siam or Dvaravati) is one of the regions of Thailand, covering the broad alluvial plain of the Chao Phraya River. It is separated from northeast Thailand (Isan) by the Phetchabun Mount ...

, ''nang yai'' is performed at Wat Khanon in Ratchaburi, Wat Plub in Petchaburi, Wat Sawang Arom in Singburi, and Wat Pumarin in Samut Songkhram, while in eastern Thailand it can be found at Wat Donin in Rayong Province.สำนักงานคณะกรรมการวัฒนธรรมแห่งชาติ
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References

{{reflist

External links

Transmitting the Ramayana Epic from India to Southeast Asia and the West through Shadow Puppetry and Visual Art
Siew Lian Lim, Northern Illinois University (2009)
Invocations to Nataraja in the Southeast Asian Shadow-Plays
S Singaravelu, Journal of the Siam Society (1970) Puppetry in Thailand Culture of Thailand Shadow play Cultural history of Thailand

See also

References

External links