fantoche

le fantoche (FR N-M) marionette, articulated wooden puppet whose motions are controlled by strings; theatrical actor playing a grotesque character; person without consistency or will, often taken advantage of by others, who cannot be taken seriously. Puppetry is one of mankind's earliest arts, perhaps stemming from a desire to »control« another being, even an artificial one. Tribal ritual masks with hinged jaws or jointed skulls were used in religious ceremonies. From there, they evolved to…