, 1890-01-30
THE PLAY OF PASSION
A Description by an Amer
lean Lady.
SCENES AT ODER -AMMERGAU.
A Strange Production Which Is
Soon to Be Repeated-The
Crucifxion Scene.

In the little villugc of Ohcr.Ammcr'
gnu, fgrup in the lioyarian Alps, there
is presented every ten years drama
that is one OF the most interesting relies
OF the middle ages-the Passion il1N
Next summer Che dccennial of the
play will return aud with II the interest
and criticism that usually attend tie
production. In the summer oi lnsO IT
was my privilege to bc present at tho
play, and these notes gathered durinF
my short visit 10 Obcr- Ammcr1au may
bo OF interest TO those who contemplate
crossing the ocean neNt summer.
Ammcrgau l. - village OF Lon
inhabitants iifty.cight miles from
Munich, ani almost shut out ir0" 'hc
world 10y tho huge muuutnins that sur'
round ii. 1hV inhabitants Ire PEASANTS
generally wood-carycr- by trade, and
they lead most religious and dcyout
lie. They PERFORM this play Cl
the Passion in obedience To a vow
made to God in 1853, when
the plague ragged in their mountain
valleys, sweeping away whole tomiuuni.
ties, and meaning death wherever II at
Tucked, Despairing Ot human skill the
people OF ObcT- AmmergIu sought divine
assistance promising that IL no moro
deaths from this irighttul cause took
place they would give every ten years
representation of our Lords passion.
The prayer wus answered, and the vow
has been fulfilled. This was not the first
presentation Of these sacred subjects 10y
the villagers. Long before they bad
been taught 10y the monks Of Ettal (It
Cupuuin monustdry not mile away to
perform many OF the old mysteries, bat
since 1868 no duty is held more sacred
than the presentation ui this play.
All drama had religious origin, and
review OF its early history would ben
eft some who criiicisc too severely this
play. The Greeks dramati4cd incidents
in tho lives of their gods, and as soon u,
Christianity ycnturcd out of the cata-
combs We find Greek dramas on sacred
subjects. The church fathers, rcallz-
ing the advantages of this method
Of teaching, made use of 1t from the
earliest timeJ, 1t. Chry sostrum and
others prominent in church history
wrote plays Oh holy themes. AS Chris-
tinnity spread westward these repre-
sentu tons came too, hndig their homes
/ in the ucunVeIits and monusterics. These
plays, like many ol the most sacred
rites OF the church, became hasely cor
uIlud during the dark ages, and at TIC
time OF the reformation they were even
used as weapons of personal attack 10y
thv opposing parties. The impure per
| iUrmauCcs finally caused the authorities
to nteIlere and prevent their further
pre- cnstiun. Following the advice
Christ once gave his disciples, "When
YOU see the HbomnatlOn OF desolatiOn
ia The holy place, thCn tle' TO tine
muuniains,' the last remnant ol re
ligious drama has found refuge in this
secluded little mountain town There
they are presented to-day with the same
feelings ul reverence AMI devotion
that prompted 'hr fathers to write
them. lu lIDJ all representative Of the
old my strrius were stopped by law save
the one az Ober.Ammcrsau and so -a-
,-rd 4, the oath OF these yiilngers regarded
that even the Ciyl law respects IT, la
1870 when Joseph Muior tthc Christ for
that year in the plaYb was COusCr pied
lur military duty, he was placed in The
COInmisslry department, aud apCciul
orders given that his hair should not be-
cut.
We left Munich carly Saturday MORN
ing and. after two hours, reached
Murnuu, the terminus vi the railway
and pretty little market town, whore
carriages awaited tu carry us over the
rest Of our route. We drove sixteen
miles through the most beautiful por-
| tion OF the liayuriln highlands. For mn
hour Dur route WAS over a well SCrt,
mount Iin road that wound through Cn.
chanting scenery, and presented a
kaleidoscope Ot color and form, alive Hs
| ii Mas, with 4 ilgrius to lhc play. Tour
/ ISIS la all kinds ut vehicles ana ihc
| pya.lnts IN their gay costumes, lending
/ i piyturtsquo LoNutS to the scene. From
/ tine tU time uu thr ruutlslue we passed
PAINTED images Of tie Virgin and hild,
| aud before each rude altar some duyout
| suWlIiuut kuelt In prayer. suddenly the
/ road turns, and tic ascent Of \lL EIiHl II
] commenced as We wound through "a
I narrow mountain gorge, with steep pJcC.
/ ipty,s to the right and a deep ClIds IN on
/ thc ipi. Amer an hour of this pcrllOu
I travel the summit Is reached, AMI the
/ pain that crowns II Is surrounded on
every side hy Immense ranges, hO dat,
although you are on top oil u high mount.
uin yuu are still III u fertile valley :
/ hu uttlc river Amnpr, clear Ihuuut-
| ain stream, flows through the valley,
| "uurmug .ug sNuUtiy ~ HE summer
, light Tho highest peak of the sur.
| rounding mountain" tS the hulci, thut
/ towers 700 feet llOyc the littlo village,
ana is surmpUntcd 10y huge RiIlrd
cross that catches thu first rays Ut the
ri-iug san, and is Respondent IN is
] crimson liglt long ultcr the piOus little
] village /, wrapped IN the gloom OF ap.
| preaching uIght. The Inhabitants oi
| OuCa- Amm,I luu COnsilcr this cross.
| crowned pg.ik almost as u guardian aur
gel, ami on one occasion, when asked 10
/ they would give representation Of tlluir
| play In England or AmCriCa, the answer
| was: 'NIingly, if the hoIel and its
/ cross con be taken, too"
| Arriving at Obcr- Ammcrcnu, the most
| interesting object Is the tbcatcr. 1t Is
| built Ia l.u form OF an ancient anIuhi.
| thuItCr. with u seating capacity Of Loo,
| a lie central portion Of the stage, aud u
/ few seat, at the back of the auditory are
tlic only portions of the enclosure thnt
ART sheltered. The stage is divided into
/ tlirVC parts, the central portion beng
! covered, is used for interior views and
|, the iHDLnIuS, and OF either siIc are open
/ streets, one rcprcscnting iho street l"ad'
! lux into jerusalem, and the Otlcr thc
/ slr rect leading ont OIthu Holy tity. ON
| the LETT /, rilitc's lIuu,c, nnh On the
rignt tnr'aVhUs' residence. The scenes
nru modc ADDITIONALLY Impressive 10y the
. background Oi natural mountains.
A. 4 o'clock Sunday morning u cannon
was lircd, slInmpninR the people To u
preparatory mess, Masses were then
/ rrhu every hour un VI CLOCK, tuat an
might have thi, religious preparation be-
iofc witnessing thr play. At Z the
thOater dUurs were thrown open, ana NJ
5 o clock the performance commenced
AFTER an introduction, consisting of
two tahlcuuN. representing The expulsion
from Edcn and the symnoIic cross, eN-
planaiiOu, bong sung by the chorus as
in the old Creel, drim,, the play hpeins
with the triumphai entry OF christ INTO
! t.rttaul.Tn \ lus HAa lllInIrpI IpElDTnls
crs are seen descending the mountain
. .lnrna hunL III ll-n .I.D.,. sInninR nnann.