ABSTRACT
In its long history European puppetry has deve loped various forms, and their synchronic exis tence today has become one of puppetry’s characteristic features. For centuries, puppetry also connected to different genres including Medieval Mystery plays, commedia delVarte, opera, variety, circus and melodrama, and was inspired as well by narrative forms including the populär tales of chivalry. The majority of these were adapted by puppeteers into folk styles utilizing such comic figures as Pulcinella, Polichinelle, Punch, Petrushka, Hanswurst, Kasper, Kasparek, Guignol, Tchantches, Woltje, Cassandrino, Gianduja, Gerolamo and many others. Generally created as stringpuppets or hand-puppets, very occasionally they became rod-puppets (Hänneschen) or even shadow-puppets (karagöz).
