Malaysian Traditional Games:Wau
Wau has existed since the rule of Sultan Mahmud Shah, the last Malaccan Sultanate ruler in the year 1500.Wau is unique because it is decorated with a lot of interesting designs. The moon kite design has been adopted by the Malaysia Airlines as its symbol.
In Malaysia, usually, the wau is flown after the paddy harvesting season or when the fisherman could not go to the sea. In other words, the game is one of the favourite pastimes for the farmers and fisherman.
It is believed that in the olden days, they weaved light and big leaves to make a wau. The leaves were tied to the kite 's framework, which is made of bamboo.
TYPES OF WAU
Wau Kuching ( Cat kite )
It is called a cat kite , another popular shape in Malaysia and decorated in the same way as the wau bulan. It has a hummer attached at the top of the kite. This hummer is used to lul the kite flier to sleep, to frighten away evil spirits, and to forcast the following days weather
Wau Merak ( Peacock kite )
Wau Merak has completly different leaf and flower designe from other wau kites. It is more Indonesian than Malaysian, and reflects the supposed origin of the design. It also has head an tail. The tail is usually heavy colored yarn , and the head is wire or bam wrapped with the same.
Wau Bulan ( Moon kite )
Wau Bulan is the most famous in Malaysia. It is called Wau Bulan because of the crescent -shaped tailpiece. Wau bulan usually have 2.5 metres wing span and height measuring up to 3.5 metres. It is richly decorated with colourful pattern of flower and leaves. In a windy day, wau bulan can reach a height of more than 450 metres. Malaysian Airline System has chosen it as its logo, to symbolize controlled flight.
Wau Jalabudi ( Women kite )
The shape of Wau Jala Budi or woman kite is the same as the other wau. The difference lies at its tail. It is called the woman kite because the shape of the kite looks like a woman.
Wau Burung ( Bird kite )
It is called wau burung because the kite look like a bird flying in the sky. The kite is famous in Indonesia. The shape of the wau is different from the usual wau.
How to fly the wau?
The colourful kites are played in the open paddy fields and along the sandy beaches. These places are suitable for flying kites because there are no trees or tall structures around. In fact, the wind blows strongly in these places. Normally, the wau is played after the paddy harvesting seasons or when the fishermen cannot go to fishing due the conditions of the sea. The best time to play the wau is in August and September.
In order to fly the wau, we need to have a tukang tarik and tukang anjung. The tukang tarik will hold the strings whereas the tukang anjung will hold the wau and stands below the wind.
The tukang anjung will release the wau to the air when the wind is not too strong. At the same time the tukang tarik will pull the strings and let the wau soar upwards beautifully.
There are the few secrets to control the movement of wau on the air. Only the players of the wau themselves know how to tackle the problems faced. An experienced player knows how to handle his wau in the air.
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