The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-12
The German Religious Drama of
the Middle Ages.

The London Att6HGun1, in a notice of
work on the above subject just published,
gives the following interesting TesWH2e:-The
miracle plays of Germany are not SO scanda-
lous as those French productions which seem,
with pious intentions, to outdo the most will
full blasphemy; but instances are given us in
this book of kind of composition which can
hardly have been edifying. In one of the
Easter plays, for instance, st. Peter and st.
John, before running to the sepulchre, made
o bet as to which will be first there. In q
similar piece, the merchant who sells the
spices and ointments to the women is comic
character, and his servant is of the type of
Figaro. Again, when the wise men come
from the East, their arrival is announced to
Herod by the court fool of the period. These
are, perhaps, the grossest cases of what we
may call intentional levity that are quoted by
Herr Reidt. We do not mean that the writer's
of such pieces had any design of burlesquing
the Scriptures; but it is clear they meant to
raise a laugh, and that was all they cared for.
Other passages, no doubt are to be found
which seem questionable to our taste, and
perhaps verge on profanity. Yet they are to
be ascribed more to the general tone of the
age than to any wilful attempt at buffoonery;
and the anachronisms, errors, and incongrui-
ties which abound show that culture was de-
cidedly on low level.
The origin of the religious drama, accord
ing to Herr Reidt, is to be found in the old
German mummeries which were left over
from heathenism. Christian teachers found
it impossible to extirpate these practices, and
resolved therefore to utilize them. The
Church was made the stage for the new
drama, and at first there was no action or
change of scenery, but a simple dialogue
chanted from the seats of the choir A manu-
script of the twelfth century seems to mark
the transition from recitation to action. At
the beginning of the piece the prophets of the
Old Testament and the chorus sing alternate
strophes and antistrophes without any action;
then follows dialogue between the angel
and the women at the sepulchre, and this is
in prose, with duly prescribed movements.
In the fourteenth century we hear of scenic
effects being used in the churches, though the
| first attempts were rude. Thus, the star which
| guided the wise men to Bethlehem was drawn
across the church upon a line. We have
| come to much more advanced stage of dra-
matte presentation when the fate of Judas is
| symbolized by black bird entering into his
mouth at the Last Supper, and when he is
hanged on the stage by Beelzebub himself.
| The black bird means Satan entering into
him, as described in two at least of the Gospel
narratives. The actor who took the part of
Judas had to put some animals entrails in
side the breast of his clothes, together with
the black bird. Then when he was hung his
clothes were torn open by the Devil, out
| fell the entrails and the bird flew away.
The Devil also appeared on the stage after
the Massacre of the Innocents, and dragged
off Herod, who had fallen down dead from the
effects of being eaten by worms. No doubt
this scene was in Mr.. Longfellow's mind when
he wrote ''The Golden Legend" Again, in a
piece which seems of later date, tribe of devils
bring Lucifer, their prince, on the stage, and
put him in al empty cask where he COM
plains bitterly of the number of souls that
have been rescued from his clutches. He
sends out all his underlings to catch souls:
but they have no sooner gone than he is bored
at being alone, and shouts to call them back.
AS they do not hear him, he calls louder and
louder, till he gets a headache; and then
comes his favorite servant Satan empty
handed, saying he had almost caught a usurel
when his masters shouts disturbed him
Thereupon Lucifer tells the devils to go tc
Lubbock, there are plenty of people there who
are quite ready for hell. In course of slime
Satan returns with priest, and at first Luci
fer's Joy knows no bounds. But when the
priest begins to argue with Satan, Lucife
changes his key, and says at last, 'Let the
priest go, we can't stand him; if he once gets
into hell we shall havest leave it.
1t is perhaps safe to assume, without
minute inspection of the various pieces, tina
Tie bload comic element Was introduced int
the religious drama with the German Ian