Our knowledge and perceptions about puppet theatre in different countries have been significantly enriched by Russian scholars, writers, travelers, and memoirists. And, although Russian historians of puppet theatre have gathered substantial material, a lot still remains outside of the academic discourse and the practice of puppeteers. To a certain extent, this refers to Russian orientalists, especially to those who lived and worked during the end of the 19th – the first four decades of the 20th century.
The present article is dedicated to Roman Andreyevich Galunov (1893–1938), an Iranologist who successfully combined “desk job” with field work. Little is known about Galunov himself: born and raised in Moscow, he became Professor at the Institute of Oriental Studies, was sent to Iran on an academic trip, in 1937 was arrested for alleged counterrevolutionary activities and within three months executed.
Roman Galunov authored the following articles: “Pakhlavan Kachal – the Persian Theatre of Petrushka”[1]; “Kheyme shab bazi – the Persian Theatre of Marionettes”[2]; “Maarike Giri”[3]; “The Folk Theatre of Iran”.[4]
Every article includes a historical section – the data found in written sources, as well as a contemporary section – notes based on the spoken accounts of the bearers of traditional culture, and conclusions based on the author’s own observations of “the old times”, which were “still alive” then. The following statement by Galunov is very important: “The longevity of Iranian theatre tradition and versatility of its forms can be best exemplified in puppet theatre”. [5]
The simplest form – and, apparently, one of the oldest – is “Fanus-e-hiyal”, “The Lantern of Dreams”. It no longer existed in Iran in the 20th century, however, the scholar mentions references to it which first appeared in Persian poetry in the 11th century, as well as descriptions from various thesauri.
Galunov reconstructs one of the early forms of glove puppet theatre according to the well-known print by Adam Olearius, who visited Persia in the 1630s, as well as on the basis of a related form of theatre preserved in Uzbekistan in the 1920s, and, finally, drawing upon the name of such shows – kheyme-e-kamar (in Persian “kheyme” means “divider screen”, “kamar” means “waist, belt”).
Galunov goes into detail speaking about the glove theatre of his time “Pakhlavan Kachal” (“The Bald Knight”), named after its protagonist. The scholar compares this kind of puppet theatre to Russian “Petrushka”; describes the structure of this theatre, the way of operating the puppets; informs that the puppeteer “speaks on behalf of the puppets via a pipe in his mouth” (“sut – sutekh”); retells the plot of the play. There are also details of the characteristic features of the play and the principal character’s behavior: he quarrels with his vis-à-vis, shouting indecencies at him, and fights using a stick; killing one of the characters, he tries to revive him with an enema; he plans to get married, fights the demons, etc. The entire play was written down by Galunov in Tehran in 1927 based on the spoken account of the puppeteer Luti Ramazan.
There is a lot of very interesting information in the description of traditional Persian theatre of marionettes – Kheyme shab bazi. Here you can find the time of the performance (in the evening), descriptions of the structure of the tent based on black masking stage, the size and amount of puppets, the system of attaching the strings, the information about a small orchestra, accompanying the show, etc. Galunov wrote down the complete text of the play Shakh Selim (“the only” play performed by marionettes) as one of the puppeteers narrated it to him, however, in the article the scholar limits himself to an abridged retelling of the plot which “consists in constant appearance of new dramatis personae”[6], rotation of
“a number of scenes, in most cases having no connection between each other”.[7] Certain details of this show bear witness of the diversity of Persian version, which in general is typical for the folk theatre marionettes in many countries: for example, “every newly appearing character says hello to the puppeteer who is sitting near the tent”[8], the show is interrupted several times at the most fascinating moments, so that the money from the audience could be collected; at the end “the demon (ghoul) appears, who, with terrifying growl, snatches the puppets one after another and carries them away”.[9]
Particular attention should be paid to two types of female puppet theatre described by Galunov. It is “a small scene, shown on the fingers of the right hand”[10], reminiscent, according to Galunov, of “bi-ba-bo”, a glove toy which was once very popular in Russia. In another situation, the scene is performed on the raised feet of a woman, who is lying on her back. Her feet are wrapped in pieces of fabric in such a way that they start looking as silhouettes of a female body. As a general rule, such a performance is a dialogue between two women: they speak about the cheating of one of their husbands which leads to the inevitable quarrel – and subsequent reconciliation – between the two friends.
The scholar provides some interesting information about the guild of street artists which had existed before: it was headed by a foreman (luti-bashi) and strictly followed – since the old times – the rules of interrelations within each section of this guild and between the sections. According to Galunov, “folk street theatre” actors in the 20th century Iran were divided into two groups: the “superior”, which included puppeteers, storytellers, and illusionists, and the “inferior”, which included serpent charmers, animal leaders, and peep show operators. Among Galunov’s translations it is worth mentioning the second chapter “About Puppeteers” from a treatise by K. Kashefi, where the phenomenon of puppet theatre is regarded in theological and religious way.
Besides puppet shows per se, Galunov describes those close to them – the theatre of large pictures and the box with moving pictures, as well as “Shahre farang” (“foreign city”), similar to Russian peep show. It is particularly valuable that Galunov was committed to considering Iranian puppet theatre in the context of the entire traditional theatre culture of the Persians.
[1] Galunov R. A. Pakhlavan Kachal – persidsky teatr petrushki // Iran. Book II. L., 1928.
[2] Galunov R. A. Kheyme shab bazi – peridsky teatr marionetok // Iran. Book III. L., 1929.
[3] Galunov R. A. Maarike Giri // Ibid.
[4] Galunov R. A. Narodny teatr Irana // Sovetskaya etnografiya. 1936. # 4–5. Pp. 55–83.
[5] Ibid. P. 55.
[6] Galunov R. A. Narodny teatr Irana // Sovetskaya etnografiya. 1936. # 4–5. P. 64.
[7] Galunov R. A. Narodny teatr Irana // Sovetskaya etnografiya. 1936. # 4–5. P. 65.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Ibid. P. 66.
[10] Ibid. P. 73.