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In
the early stage, wau was once associated with the elements of magic. It
is believed that wau is an intermediary between man and nature; namely
the elements of earth and wind.
Today, it is no longer a ritual belief, and wau has been a favourite pastime among the people of Kelantan. It is also made as competition game. There are several types of wau in Kelantan. The famous one is obviously known as Wau Bulan - literally known Moon Kite. True to its nature and design, the name wau bulan derived from its tail which resemble the crescent of the moon. The wau bulan has been made as an official logo of Malaysia Airlines since 1972. Apart from wau bulan, others are known as wau burung (bird kite) wau kuang (pheasant kite) wau puyuh (barred busted quail kite), wau katak (frog kite), wau kucing (cat kite). These waus are named and crafted according to the animals mentioned. To make a good wau requires diligent skills and eye for perfection. Only a selected craftmen can make a wau, not only beautiful in design but, most importantly, a wau that can fly as high as possible. The bamboo which used to make a wau is carefully chosen by the craftman. It must be from a longer phalanx as it functions as the skeleton of the wau. The bamboo then is cut and carved meticulously so that the wau will be balanced accordingly during when flying. As one of the mystical form of art, a wau is decorated beautifully with lots of motives from nature and clouds. A buzzing sound tool is added to make a wau attractive. There are different sizes of wau. The larger size normally has a 6 meter width and 6 meter height. This wau needs a bigger rope and 10 adult men to pull it up. It can only be flown on the air at 10 knots. Normally the wind during August to September is the best time to play the kite. It has been the tradition among the Malays, especially in Kelantan, the flying of wau is made into competition, particularly after the harvest session. All contestants and villagers will gather around at one vacant space, e.g. beach or soccer field. They will play the game from as early as 2 pm until dusk. The competition is made as an annual affair to celebrate harvest festival. There is a technique of flying the wau. A few men will take the wau to the middle of the field, as a few others will pull the rope up. The rope then will be released after the wau has been flown up in the air. The event is divided into different competitions. Among them are to find the highest kite ever flown, the best sound, and the most decorative wau, and so on. The wau flying competition has been an annual affair and attracted a lot of participants and as well as local & foreign tourists. |
