New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-14
PLAYERS OF THE PASSION
THE PEOPLE OF OBERANLMERGAU.
RELIGIOUS INSTINCTS AND THEIR RELATION TO
TIE PLAY.

character Of the people who perform II. Ii is char
acter so marked that it must enforce Itself more or
less on every who spends few days in Oberam-
morgan in the region around it, and it is closely
associated with the spectacle that has given the vii
kge its faDc, and Is much part Of it, that some
understanding OF it is absolutely necessary TO Just
appreciation OF the play. There is an additional in
tcIcst, too, in the probability that these people are
much the same their fathers were in 1888, when
they first vowed that they would play the Passion
Of Christ every ten years The place Itself - not
easily accessible, would not be under ordinary CIR
cumsanccs. II is high up among thc mountains ana
10 reach il climb. 1t is natural that the spirit
Of its inhabitants should be conservative and that
they should fall behind the customs and fashions OF
their time
Obcrganmergau was always behind the age. When
the present Pas sion Play began it, in 1854
miracle plays already fast declining in popuarty
In most parts Of Europe, and now it Is continued
when all the others are long past, and il is likely
to 20 on for long time yet. In the Middle Ages
the strongest power IN Europe was the Church. II
was 50 sill in Obcrammcrpau in the middle of the
Seventeenth century. by thisi time the Church ha'
lost something Of its power, no doubt, even here, bu'
its overwhelming influence remains. villleer VINO
was asked the other day if he Thought 1t hkely tna'
the Pope would forbid the Passion Play in l0Oo san
oh. no; he will not stop our play he Is 100 Tar On
IL was not said irgcverenty; it meant not that the
not care to interfere.
It may be said Just here that nobody at Obcrammer
eau knows anything about the reports mat nave been
Wild is -rscad that lie Passion Play VIII not he gwen
after this year. They are already talking oil ""''
will he done and what viii not be dong
I'm 1900 but the chance Of not having the
plav AT all never comes into their heads. The
writer had a long talk, thc other day with priest
who had lust seen the play and was deeply impfc'eu
with IT, lie had come from Rome withh j." u'Hs
and had talked with several Of the caFoiha' ~"
Others Of high standing in the church. lie ''u ''
ne was sure tho Church at Rome did not mean 10 u"
terfcrc with the Passion Play long as it was con
6ncd =: Cncrammcigau. !! IN attempt s""""
made to establish it elsewhere, then the Chnr'h Hlr"
forbid II altogether. but present II .w'i' lot eve"
di.approvcd 80 the fears Of those VINO nave Dee"
telling others that they M II ~ to obcr'"i''erH'"
now or never may be- set AT rest.
:, has hccu said tha! the people q Ohcrammerga"
49,. n,oholly much the same A. 80 years ago. Inc
rharccs arr. indeed that their play has changed q
90, d.,I more than themselves. though even inc
ir,cs in the play are pcrap, for the most part l'
,,, essential points, while IT. real character SUN +"
,, with the character of the people ON "hl'h u w
ncnds Thousands of visitors from all over Hc "o'''
have been drawn TO the village WITHIN inc I''' l''
,c,rs and they cannot but have lnhu'h''H ''c P'"'
and I'm. pl,ycrs. 1t is for them that an experienced
,,o manager has becn employed 20 make the pi'tu
49, ,i rc,..en,ton a. elaborate and elective 49, 'h'y
..,,d le made i'm a Paris a Vienna theatre. Im'
ia. hurt the play for the student who would prefer
diacvaI simplicity porpctuaicl but Tor o''''
!, g. ~, doubt halter The way, IN which tine uhha. VI
pc,-auts aud VILLAGERS presented their s''n'r m -
IuJicrou- 10 these more cultivated "crWH'' '''"
men Fugli-hmen and Americans, ana tAN 'o''' "'
l,h At tlc play I'm the spirit with when y D. H''''
to IN viewed The throu,s OF visitors have aHe''"
,,. ,c.o-s If the Passion too, no doubt. They are
b,r,cd with being greedy IF gain and of making t''l
MAY a mean, Of nling their pockets N'''' P''''I'
th,y are not unwilling 10 take an opportunity '' -
uux .icler ard pcriarS thy are i't P"'e "'i'"
,.r aecuscrs M this but even tins wicked "h1i"H "
get what they can In exchange Tor what ''c' S'c ia
,o, DESTROYED their Old kndnc,, Of heart i"chulhe9'
| Of disposition, gcntlehc'S anu S''"pi''' VI
reverence Of feeling.
| Thi, last quality j., the most important. These p'o
nile are deeply fcrvcntly, sincerely religious. I'
religion i, the largest and the strongest factor IN ''
live, and II j. shown in all that they do one h''u
only T., ride through the village. or any other NiiiAs
Of the ucchborhood. to sec abundant 'iSh- 81 the II"
| voriou Of the people Nay. one need not even pa,
| tlr,1el "A village. the open country !, enough il
\ would hardly h. possible Ia ~ nan H''
! Wlthort seeing any roadside crosses OF 'hrl"''
and often they near together til H'"
might stand tin and Ly hi~ hands on TWO or thi''
# Them, They are of all sort, and sire sometimes
little picture Of the Virgin or Of The diving saviour
time, an deliberately carved and oolorcd cruchN pei
| hans ten inchc. high pcrlap, lfc-izc sometimes al
| image of the Virgin set IN niche cut IN thr 'oHu
| rock: sometime, a stiururc Hike hjlc chapel WIN
several image, and dozen picture. 'ro-sc>' mag
picture and inscriptions meet IN" cyc at every '''u
and If the road is not too crooked. there are E'"'
many between the turu,. The people delight too. 10.
! puttne these evidence, II thcir faith ia almost I'D
arcc,.n,l, place. \ rocky hill rise, close 10 the
| village Of Obciammcrgau. with summit SOD steep th1'
! fr,u moi ppnt. II view u lpuh- nearly as Inu'h
! Hike "A tower o. Ike a mountain. en- ihr WY "P q"
j., stand, q tail but slender ,r,., II D. often h''rh
bv the cl0ud- that hang far below II, bu' I 81 at
evening the polished surface catches h" euh-"' ana
send, 1t down after it h,, ceased 10 slime on the vi
aec Another hin ou The oppOt' side OF t"o '"''-'
ha. a cro,s on H. top. bat 1t is not - h'tN
4 stroller along the road from ohcf1nih'r- ''
toward Obcrau the railway station f'r Nnn'h' como
about a mile from the village. - paih 'liAu 'f' ..
| mp the side oi che mountain 'id I'm ,,',. t..
tie words To the Lear II ii'. IL 'lr my, wv 80
PAIN he VIII climb mp the rprA- ana rr'~' '"' , ,,
~ streams rude BRIDE. ~ h' ono, u, ~ ', =,
cavern ~ the hillside. lhsh np iHl" 'h ,,i" h.
| almost allow D.. steep }, tI" mountain. ~ ., M
turn, tie harp angle Of IN" fEh 10 ,"' ,r NJ ,'.
| a. nm 4 ..ctd gIucc show iIisH IS ai l'i'r
of the Christ not cruchA, lat ,''',unr r7,,,,
The right hand /, raised and the lol h3lds "a
banner with white cr1', ~. i,, ~" ya5 bunch OF
dover, that had not long been faded Deeper ~ the
cave /, a large cr",- with me n,''a r,1 H. an end
! Il. H. 'but with no hgure. hnl IT. "|',u "' r,ry
| .,. to~k 4, dt.Trbc those symbols % dcVol"l' l'
at,. of all sort and AL kinds 81 pla,r9 o'Ii' ~
hcm are 80 close 10 the road That inc Io' M
! hmSls@ against them. and some are - lILh ao'N'
him lint lac need, hcdSa-o Ia see "A' '''f
In the village, there are noH WdI'> , "n 'e ',r,.d
NJ tIe housc- and the HOUSES have palillhE- {"
subject, ON their outer walls. nous. irI" m' ~
! 49, nuIv a p,riurr of the Virgin and 'hin OF
nav he unite covered with scenes ana li-'HPl .u.r
| one hou-r wall is recalled when ms W,lm ,.. 10,
! ,ir,u I'M. of all the Twelve APOSTLES, WIN H'Io,
! rndcr each bearing hi, part of the AI9'u'n i.-
! Inside the houses It j. th" 0ainr. ne "i,'' .
familiar with a room In Obcrammcrgan bt"ltlH- ~. d
viIaecr of the poorer class, when humDiin hl'IN a.
d"rr,pttnns n large colorcd crucliN, an mag Z" W.,
V, nd sr,eu ncturc, on sacred subjects. AhoLhr
room I'm the same house has crG'll" anu '"rV'
! pictures. and SO on ,.,,., ,,,,u -hnv- vet
more signs Of the peoples pciy II ,ne VII p,y "i f'
! ohnL "o will Il" found fnll Of people. lh'"
,re five affairs and at every one a P, Pic,
| 4, -,vlug a mass, A. "A, mas II 'll"'" r'",..
,,ric"t rum.s to the same altar and net" one bIN,
Thi ,,e' on for some hours and ends at O'Clock III
-