The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-01-20

| to it that the people were provided
with suitable and profitable diversion.
Miracle and Mystery Plays.
The most interesting features of
popular entertainments, thus organ
| lied by the guilds, were the pageants,
| the Miracle and Mystery plays which
formed such an important part of our
early literature. These plays, dis
tinctly municipal, were, slike the COM
munity itself, of the people, for the
people and taken part in by the peo-
pie.
The first authors of the Mystery
and Miracle plays were the priests,
who often called upon their young
parishioners to help them in the work.
The number of these plays gradually
increased and finally every town pos
sessed cycle of plays of it's own.
These were given on certain feast days
and later, when the plays became
part of the guild activity, each guild
was responsible for the production
of one or more of them.
The actors were chosen and trained
under the supervision of the guild Of
| ficers, and the costumes, scenery and
other properties were paid for from
! the treasury of the guild producing
the play. The young townsfolk COM
| posed the cast of characters, and all
their relatives and friends, dressed in
their best, turned out to see them
f.! perform.
! Although the character of these
plays was primarily religious, they
had also a humorous side. In fact,
they were, in every sense the popu-
lar amusement. The people carried
home with them the jest and pleas
antries they had heard and, until the
next holiday arrived, continued to
| sing the carols and songs that they
had learned at the preceding produc-
ton.
| A well-known morality play, called
| "Everyman," was recently revived in
| England and America and made a
| deep impression on those who saw it.
Its story Of Death, Judgment, Heaven
and Hell, and it's lesson that, when
| the end approaches, the only real
| comfort is the recollection of an hon
| est and religious life, arOuses a re-
| spect for the drama of those medieval
| people, whom we are inclined TO look
| upon as rather ignorant and illiterate.
The Passion Play" given every ten
| years at Oberammergau, attracts from
all over the world people who are
edited and deeply affected by this
Miracle play, preserved intact from
the Middle Ages by the simple people
of that little Bavarian town.
1t was in this manner then, that
the medieval guilds provided for the
proper occupation OF the peoples leis-
ure Existing for no other reason
than the general welfare and happi-
ness, having a thorough understand
| ing Of the people Of whom they were
part, and possessing a practical
knowledge of popular psychology, the
guilds attained the highest efficiency
in the management of the community
whether at work or at play.
Waking Up.
We are just realizing the value of
their example. Attention is being di-
rected, at present, to the municipal
organization of popular entertainmen
| and amusement. Parades, pageants
and celebrations are continually in
creasing. In this country, the com
memoration of historical events by
their reproduction is growing. The
dramatic representation of historical
scenes and episodes is taking the
form of the less expensive pageant,
which, borrowed from England, may
be traced directly to the Miracle and
| Mystery plays.
In their effect and influence, how
ever, these displays do not approach
| the ennobling and elevating charac-
ter of the medieval amusements. 1t
must be remembered that in those
| times all Europe was Catholic. The
spirit of the Church pervaded every
thing, and whatever institutions eX-
| listed were distinctly Catholic. The
evil influences which today are active
! OUTSIDE the CnuFCn were Inen lHlpOS-
sible. Social content and individual
happiness were apparent everywhere,
| for the guilds had solved the prob
lens which are now the causes of
widespread dissatisfaction.
The laborer, under such a system
was free from the worries of uncer-
tain business and the burdens OF
severe and oppressive working condi
tons. Prepared for his work, pro-
tected while engaged in it, provided
with sufficient leisure and recreation
he could not have been other than
happy and content.
This, then, was the work of the
medieval guilds. Under the genial
and prudent influence of the Church
they stimulated progress, promoted
prosperity and fostered a spirit OF
true democracy.
Jeremiah T. Toomey, in "The
Chimes Cathedral college, Neu
York.