Marionette

marionette: see puppet.

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marionette

Puppet figure manipulated from above by strings attached to a wooden cross or control. The figure, also called a string puppet, is usually manipulated by nine strings, attached to each leg, hand, shoulder, and ear and at the base of the spine. Additional strings give more sensitive control of movement, and some marionettes can be made to imitate almost every human and animal action. Early marionettes were controlled by an iron rod instead of strings, a form that survived in Sicily. In the 18th century, marionette operas were extremely popular, and they are still performed today in Salzburg to Mozart's music. See also puppetry.

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marionette

an articulated puppet or doll whose jointed limbs are moved by strings

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Marionette 

one of various types of puppets used in some kind of theatrical show.

A marionette simulates the human anatomy and is moved by strings that are attached to its head or joints. The strings are gathered together and attached to a control, or crutch. By holding the control in one hand and plucking the various strings with the other, the puppeteer controls the movements of the marionette. Another type of marionette is controlled by a metal rod that is attached to its head. The arms and legs usually hang freely and swing with the movement of the body, creating an illusion of walking and gesturing. Instead of a crutch, this marionette has a rod bent to form a wide hook. Marionettes controlled by rods are often one-third human height (in Belgium and Sicily). Most marionettes are made of wood.

Written records of marionettes go back to antiquity, and marionettes have been found in excavations. In Western Europe, marionette theater as a form of folk drama (presented primarily at fairs) was most fully developed in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Russian term marionetka is also used to designate a person, government, or state that is an obedient tool of another authority.

REFERENCES

Fedotov, A. Anatomiia teatral’noi kukly. Moscow-Leningrad, 1944.
Petite, J. M. Guignols et marionnettes, leur histoires. Paris, 1911.

L. G. SHPET