The title of this collection of theatrical essays relates to the first chapter, insofar as the origins of puppetry trace back to religious idols on one hand, and to children's games on the other. The idols are representations of a deity or even of a human, material substitutes for an often inaccessible being, a worship object, or even the game left in the power of the owner, who does with it as they wish.

From one perspective, the idols and the representations encompass the entire mystery of the theatrical phenomenon. The volume gathers five theatrical essays, some of which are still unpublished, from the last two years of research inquiries and wanderings. The accompanying reader, who has traversed with me, for a few years, both horizontally and vertically, the paths and crossroads of the history of Greek theater and drama, is invited to observe how the research lens has shifted: the majority of the essays now concern the beginnings of the 19th century, even before the Greek Revolution.

The essays are presented in a chronological order, starting from puppetry in the Balkans and reaching up to the post-war theater, the dramaturgy of Terzaki and Kampanelli. The detailed tables of contents at the end of the volume aim for the comfortable use by scholars, students, and other interested parties.

[Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]