The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-05-18
ABBEvILLE S. c., WEDNESDAY, MAY IS, 1910.

ging you to bear with me just little
longer until I read the following excerpt,
to wit:
! There is little village in Europe
the l,4O0.odd inhabitants of which may
safely be stated to be the busiest on
the continent-not only the busiest,
but the most interesting in many ways
and to add TO their ''antlquentss,"
tbey are all engaged on the same task.
! This little village is called Oberam-
mergau, is situated in the upper Bava'
rian valley of the Ammer, and the
!; | ,4OO-odd villagers are actively prepar-
ing for the famous Passion Play-the
tirst performances Of which Is to be
given on the third Sunday of May
next-and the final one on the last
Sunday in September.
True, the people Of Oberammergau
have been engaged on those prepara-
tions for the past three years, but II IS
lin March aud April, the last eight
weeks before the production, that they
are naturally most active. The play
it should be realized, is prepared en-
tirely without idea of profit, and as
THANKSGIVING or, rather, celebration
of the end of a plague which swept the
village nearly 800 years ago. Visitors
are merely tolerated, or rather they are
acce pied as pilgrims, who come to see
the performance, every tenth yesr, in
all reverence.
So famous, however, are the per-
formauces, that steamship companies
make special arrangements 10 carry
visitors from various parts OF America,
while many special continental trains
are run to bring pilgrims In their thou
sands to the little village by the Am
mer.
T OF the spirit in which the play is
produced and the people who perform
it Mr.. Ellsworth, we'll known writer
who has spent long time in Oberam-
merRau, has said: "rhere is no guile
and no deception. When you meet a
man there, you know you may trust
him to the end of the earth. It Is an
Atmosphere that perhaps exists no
where else, and 1t ia the only sort OF
atmosphere In which such d theatrical
production could be preserved In all
the sanctity and purity Of motives sug-
gested by its traditions"
In q community deeply religious at
all times, the devotional: depths into
which the villagers plunge during the
period preceding the performances are
profound. BY the time the first of
these has been polished TO the highest
possible state of perfection. the relig-
ious atmosphere In the valley OF the
Ammer becomes "dense."
Each performance is preceded by
mass at 6 o'clock. Every possible ves-
tige of commercislism has been kept
foreign to the Passion Play through
all the years i. has been given.
The origin of the Oberammergau
production il commonly supposed to
20 back TO q great plague nearly 3Ot)
Years ago; hut the Rev. Hermitage
Day, In u little handbook just pub
lished by Mowbray & Co., traces 1t
, back even earlier!
$50 early as the fourteenth century
it was being acted under the guidance
of the priests of Rottenbuch, IL miles
from Oberamuergau," he states, I'm
1880 the Benedictine House OF Ettai
was founded by Ludwig Of Bavaria,
German emperor, who deposited there
the miraculous image which remains
!, over the altar to this day.
Down to the middle Of the seven
teepth century the Oberam mergau
Passion Play probably had little to dls-
' tinguish it from plays of similar
} kind. But 1t would he natur raj to sup.
pose that IL always exh ibited a certain
artistic superiority aud dignity. since
the people of Oberammergau had for
centuries followed the art of wood
carving (statues of saints, church dec
"But in 1888 the event happened
which established the play upon ne W
basis. The Bavarian Highlands were
swept in that year by terrible cpl
demic OF plague. Nearly 100 Of the
J, villagers Of Oberammergau fell vic
TINS to it.
"Those ho.remained met together
aud made solemn vow before God
that IL the plague were taken away
they would enact their Play of the Pas
, sion of the Redeemer every ten years
; with the utmost skill and devotion of
which they were capable. Their vow
was heard and the plague was stayed" "
So runs the legend.
The following are some of the char
acters In this years. production:
Christ Anton Lang
Mary .Ottilie Twink
Judss. Hans Twink
Pilate. ate..................Se Sebastian Bauer
Mary Magdslene.."....-...Maria Mayer
It is interesting to note that five of
the principal performers belong to the
Lang family; also that Anton Lang Is
q potter by trade, Hans Twink (Judas)
q painter, and Sebastian Bauer (Pilate)
the burgomaster.
AS the performances approach every
ten years the villagers let their hair
- so a,,pt0,,o hNrry 1fty q