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Intellectual Cultural Heritage
43
Nang Talung
is a folk shadow puppet spectacle of the
southern region of Thailand. It is a very popular kind of
entertainment. Academics believe that this kind of “shadow
play” featured in human culture since time immemorial and
was prevalent both in Europe and Asia. In Asia, shadow
puppet spectacle spread to Java (Indonesia), Cambodia,
Myanmar, Malaysia and Thailand.
The local people in the south of Thailand formerly
called
Nang Talung
in a shortened form–“
Nang
”. Therefore
i t is thought that the word “Nang Talung” probably
originated after the shadow puppet spectacle from the south
was shown in the central region. Wanting to distinguish this
kind of “
Nang
” (shadow puppet spectacle) from the
Nang Yai
(Grand Shadow Puppet Spectacle), the central region people
added “
Talung
” to the word “
Nang
”. The word “
Talung
”
came from “
Phatthalun
g”. The southerner’s shadow puppet
spectacle was performed in Bangkok for the first time during
King Rama III’s reign when Chao Phraya Phatthalung
(Phueak) brought the troupe to perform in
Nang Loeng
sub-district. The puppeteer was from Phatthalung Province.
Nang Talung
tells a story in verses, which are sung
(called “
wa bot
”) in dialect, interspersed with dialogue, and
uses the puppets’ shadow on the screen to attract the
audience attention. All these tasks are performed solely by
nai nang talung
–the
Nang Talung
puppeteer.
The principal elements and equipments for a
Nang
Talung
spectacle are: the screen, the lighting equipments,
and the musical instruments. The musical ensemble
comprises a
pi nai
(a kind of Thai oboe); a mong ( medium-
sized gong), a
thap
(tuned one-sided drums), a
klong tuk
(a kind of drum), a pair of ching (a pair of small cymbals)
and a pair of trae (a pair of claves [hardwood sticks]). The
musicians are called “
luk khu
” who plays the music during
the spectacle.
Thap
is the most important musical instrument
in the band because it controls the tempo and rhythm for the
other members of the band to follow.
Nang Talung
The set of leather puppets comprising the
ruesi
(rishi-
a hermit),
Phra Isuan
(the Hindu God Ishvara or Shiva),
Chao
Mueang
,
Nang Mueang
, the hero and the heroine, the
deities, the demons, the comedian, and other characters are
kept in a
phaeng nang
. The comedian character is the most
important of the whole set and indispensable. The comic
parts add colour to the spectacle and leave strong and long-
lasting impression on the audience. People will talk about the
jokes and the funny bits and tell others about them. If the
puppeteer succeeds in creating a hilarious character that
people keep talking about can be considered a truly
accomplished puppeteer.
Besides its entertaining value,
Nang Talung
’s lasting
popularity from the past to the present also rests on the
sharp wit of the puppeteer who comments on the prevailing
social occurrences and happenings through the puppets. This
reflects the character of the southern people who are keen
on following social and political development and occurrences
in the nation.
Nang Talung
has therefore been a part of the
social and cul tural landscape of the southern people
throughout the ages.
Examples of prominent
Nang Talung
troupes are:
Nang
Imtheng Chitphakdi,
Nang
Chin Oramut,
Nang
Suchat
Sapsin, National Artist
Nang
Nakharin Chathong,
Nang
Siphat
Kueasakun, and
Nang
Narong Talungbandit.