Witness the Masters of the Strings on Belmond Orcaella

History of Yoke Thé

The creation of this traditional Burmese art has traces dated back in 15th century. It was, later on, introduced into the Royal families by U Thaw, the Minister of Royal Entertainment. As a result, this form of entertainment was slowly in favor with the Royal and continued to thrive since the 1700s. After hundreds of years, the Burmese puppetry still retains its original features and characteristics for tourists and future generations in the country.

The Burmese Marionette and its troupe

It is hard to imagine how the performer controls male character (with 18 wires) or 19 female one (with 19 wires) to seem as lively as possible. The puppets will stand and perform on a raised platform while the performers stand behind and hold the strings. Moreover, the shows usually have music and sound effects to bring the souls of the character into the puppet. Singers will stand or sit next to the puppet controller and sings or deliver few lines of dialogue. 

Puppeteer Performing on the Stage

There are 27 characters in a troupe including a king, a prince, a princess, animals (like a horse, elephant) and so forth. Each will have a different role, features, and dialogues. As a result, the audience will have a broader view into the life of Royal. The stage always has a background representing the scene and context and other items such as a throne. As the puppets dance and move around the stage, the audience is going to have a great performance filled with joy, drum beat, and surprise.

Puppets Dancing Lively

The making of each puppet is also needed quite a lot of effort and time as they have to be resistant, yet light for easier maneuver. Formed from up to 19 parts, the puppet size is about 45-70 cm. Clothes and accessories must also be appropriate to the character.

The Making of Puppets

Meanings and political purpose of Yoke Thé

Yoke Thé plays an important role in showing the spiritual life of the Burmese, especially ones in Royal family. Their stories are based on The Jataka tales, consisting of 547 poems about the Gautama Buddha’s past lives, and legends or folk tales. Jataka tales symbolized goods and evils as there will be reward and punishment. Each piece of stories will talk about a specific virtue like wisdom, family love. 

Puppets on Display in Myanmar

Burmese Marionette was first promoted into the Royal, thus it was influenced significantly by them. For instance, the Burmese king even banned the live actor on the stage since it was disrespectful for people who stand taller than Royal audience. This allows puppetry to grow exponentially over the years until the late 19th century.

Tourist Contemplating a Puppet

Other than that, this art usually used to convey the message of the king or his people. The king may ask the puppeteer to perform in order to tell his wives and children upon reckless behaviors. In another situation, the people may ask the puppeteer to show their thoughts on a particular matter without disrespectful to their ruler, which could lead to their death. 

Yoke Thé on Belmond Orcaella  

Nowadays, the Burmese keep their traditional puppetry in the large theatre allowing tourists and citizens to contemplate the art. The show is held frequently in places such as Mandalay Marionettes Theatre, so travelers can easily find a stage to watch.

Puppeteer Preparing for the Show

However, if you travel on Belmond Orcaella, you can also be the audience of the marionette show. In order to keep this tradition and promote it, the staffs and manager on the cruise are willing to organize an authentic performance during the luxurious meal. It is time to explore Burma’s natural beauty and also the treasure of the people.