Growing up in a kampung - in every sense of the word - in Kelantan in the 1970s and early 1980s, I was fortunate to have attended Wayang Kulit (shadow play) shows. Not the versions they put up for tourists in the state capital, but the ones staged by troupes in villages throughout Kelantan, usually after the harvest, before they were banned by the state government.

The star behind any Wayang Kulit show, the Tok Dalang, isn't just a master puppeteer, he is also a master storyteller, capable of holding the audience captivated for three to four hours a night, usually for three nights, with tales of adventures and epic battles, complete with musical scores from the ancient Malay world. Some of the characters still etched in my head are Hanuman Kera Putih and Seri Rama , obviously from the Hindu past, as well as the more contemporary village clowns, Wak Long and Pak Dogol .

Unfortunately, the Wayang Kulit also included pagan rituals and superstitions, and communicating with spirits that are clearly against the teachings of Islam. To members of the troupe, the puppets were not merely artful cow hides, but had souls of their own.

The only regret I have was that I didn't sum up enough courage to peek behind the closely guarded back stage, during pre-show rituals, to satisfy my curiosity.