28 Puppets Continue....

Demon (or) Oger (Belu)
Nan Belu And Taw Belu (City Ogre And Jungle Ogre)
Parts played - (1) Belus play in Himavunta scene
(2) In many or 447 Jataka Tales Belus plays villainous role
Description
The ogre dance is mostly a show of evil power and strength, and the ominous music combine with stalking steps, creates a most chilling mood.
The dance is accompanied by a characteristic drum beats known as “ka-roung”. The music would arouse and exits heart beats in the audience.
Another demon would appear on the opposite end, performing the ritual. Later finding rivals, they would stage a fight and make chase. The music is now louder and quicker representing a decisive final stage. One would mount another and even gets locked for a time hanging in the air.
And at the end, each would enter with a somersault to the back stage.
The city ogre’s headdress is topped with a jeweled spike, the jungle ogre’s with a plumed crest. The city ogre will of course stand on the right side of his less noble companion and they are carrying short sward (Than-lyet), one of the five items of the Burmese king’s regalia.
Both Puppets are identical in face, build and decorations. Protruding snout provided with fangs and grinning teeth and starry eyes convey a sardonic expression. This would surely attract and fascinates clever youngsters among the audience, while timid one would be sacred.


Garuda (Galon)
Parts played – (1) King of the bird in many of 447 Buddhist Jataka tales.
(2) A character in Himavunta scene in which it fights with Naga, king of serpents.
Description
Mythical creatures and they have magical power to turn themselves to human form, crown on their heads for identification.
Garuda has a bird’s head, human body and hands, with wings attached and talons.

Nagar - King of serpent
Parts played – (1) King of serpent in many of 447 Buddhist Jataka tales.
(2) A character in Himavunta Scene in which it fights with gallon (or) Garuda, king of the birds.
Description
Naga is a Pali word for a mythical serpent.
The body is made up of the tubular cloth tapering to the tail end. It’s filled up with very fine saw-dust.

White Horse
Parts played - (1) The first member of Himavunta scene
(2) The Royal stallion for the king and nobility.
Description
It’ll be necessary to write a little about this to enable one to appreciate the important role of this horse puppet.
According to Burmese ancient belief handed down from generations, the world was destroyed and creates three times by fire, storm, and Rain with the appearance of 7 suns. Fix devastated all on earth and storm swept away the ashes and everything left, followed by torrential Rain, if raised the water level. So much so, that it reached the highest celestial. Brahma’s abode. The puppet play would start with the clashing of the cymbals seven times, followed by the sound of a large gong, and ended with rumbling and rapid rhythm of drum, this sequence is repeated Symbolizing and chaotic events.
After this, tranquility and peace came to earth. Now a Nat – gadaw puppet would come out and dance singing in praise to unseen Devas or Nats of and locality around. She would request a favor from all, such as the Tha-Gyar-Min, king of the celestial beings, the importance personate from 37 Nats and finally the audience.
After the Natgadaw enters, a new world is supposed to have been erected first with the appearance of the “Horse Constellation”. This is symbolized by the horse puppet, flying in over the back drop, and discerns on to the stage.
Finding a vast expense of earth, it temps to gallop the whole length, represented by the state, 3 times.
The music is “Myin-Det-Yodaya” (or) “The Horse Trot” in which the drums and clapper are played with a rhythm like the sounds of hooves.With the end of music, the Horse leaves the stop by galloping over the back-drop.
After this, the Monkey, the Tiger, the Elephant, the Demons, the Zaw-Gyi (Alchemist) and the fighting of Naga and Garuda would appear in succession to complete the Himavunta scene.


Monkey (myauk)
Parts played - (1) A member of himavunta-scene
(2) In Jataka plays, where monkey is a member of plot.
(3) As Hanuman (name of the character) in Ramayana puppet play which is rarely staged.
Description
A characteristic music played for this dance would be easily identified by the Burmese audience. The dance is a wild one the monkey plays half bent facing direct to the audience, with dangling limbs and tail. The only occasional movements are a few nods and shakes head and fore head as if to grasp for banana, his favorite fruit, or to make a salute.
While the monkey is dancing two ogres (belus) would appear on either side of stage an start a war dance.
He usually wears a few human garments over his furry velvet body. The spins string is short. So that he swing forward. The monkey makes his departure by swinging off the stage.

Elephant (Hsin)
Some puppeteers believe the elephant is possessed by a guardian spirit and servant to the Bo-daw hermit, so they will keep it in a crouching position in front of his shrine.
The elephant used in forest scene is always black, with pink tipped ears, and decorative motifs painted on the trunk and forehead.

Tiger (Kyar)
The tiger is used in the nat – legent play of Mai U, one of the most popular puppet plays.
The animal puppets are rather heavy, with primarily wooden parts, even when most are hollowed. Their movements are not difficult to manipulate but must be aggressively fast, so they require some strength in handling.