GREECE

HUNGARY EW (LICENSE FOR IMPORT)

IRELAND

ISRAEL eH

imauy &

NETHERLANDS EH (KEYS MUST BE GIVEN TO LAW ENFORCEMENT ON DEMAND)
NORWAY

POLAND EH (LICENSE FOR IMPORT)

PORTUGAL

ROMANIA

&
RUSSIA EH (LICENSES REQUIRED BUT PROBABLY NOT GIVEN)
SLOVAKIA
SLOVENIA
SPAIN
SWEDEN
SWITZERLAND EX (LICENSE FOR USE REQUIRED)
TURKEY EX (LICENSE FOR USE REQUIRED)
&
fF
EH (EXPORT PROHIBITED, IMPORT RESTRICTED)

NOTE: THE ABOVE INFORMATION IS PUBLISHED WITHOUT THOROUGH RESEARCH FROM PACT SYSTEMS AND WAS FIRST PRINTED IN DATA COMMUNICATIONS
INTERNATIONAL, JULY 1998

A DANCE THROUGH THE SHADOW WORLD OF FIVE
MILLENNIA OF MEDIA WITH GOD AS A PUPPET PLAYER

ually uea aqgaly

LL MISTAKE THE SHADOW FOR THE SUBSTANCE

Light and dark, good and evil, from cave theaters casting shadow by the controlled use of daylight, as used in ancient
India, to the flickering lights of coconut oil fire, wax candles, kerosene lamps, chalk light and finally electric bulbs, pro-
jecting moving shadows on paper screens. Hands and other movements of the human corps, things taken from nature, ba-
nana leafs, branches of trees, bamboo sticks, drawings on animal skin, cut out, stenciled, in ever more refined ways.
Representations first of gods, half gods, demons, dragons, fire birds, kings, princes and princesses, later also more world-
ly figures becoming part of the cast, casting their shadows in the dancing light of the flames.

Performances slowly starting after sunset, calling for the gods with reciting mantras, singing songs, beating the drum skin,
hitting pieces of wood, metal, gongs, gamelan, blowing air in oboes, flutes, plucking of strings, resonating of sound in cal-
abash, wooden trunk, earthen jar, carrying music to the assembled crowds till the moment that microphone and electric
amplifier did take over.

But still in Indonesia you can see and hear Wajang Kulit (shadows of leather) on radio and television and the art has sur-
vived from one and a half millennium before Christ till the end of the twentieth century. Interpretations might differ de-
pending on opinions if such cultural; phenomena like shadow play has been spreading from one source or came to exis-
tence independently in different places, but certain routes can be observed: India, Malaysia, Java, Bali, Thailand, with an-
other source in China and Arabic pirates, from the 7th to the 10th century becoming merchants, taking it into the Middle
East. Some see a clear Mesopotamian and Egyptian origin, other see a link between the converted Arab merchants spread-
ing Islam into the Indonesian archipel and the Maghreb and using the shadow play as a popularizing and propaganda tool