The Washington times., 1922-07-09
BOARD AND LODGING

devil to spend his declining years!
BOARD AND LODGING.
Across from the church was the
village inn. where a lavender.faced
old peasant woman offered me
board and lodging at sixpence a
day. And excellent food u was.
too. thought Of oberammergau.
where had been fortunate to get
pension at five shillings day. and
realized again how far away from
civilization Eri was.
About two dozen men were sit
ting In the Gastzimmer drinking
their beer and smoking long
pipes. The bells Of the church
across the way rang seven o'clock.
Instantly every hat came off. the
stems went down with q clatter.
and. led by the host, they repeated
the Lords Prayer in unison.
Then. "Gott lob" (''God, be
praisedrD they said cheerfully.
and took up the conversation
where they had left 1t Off.
The next morning at the play I
waited impatientiy for the devil.
Not till I saw him could believe
what other signs seemed to indi-
cate. that this was the Jewel I
had been seeking--a real medieval
Passion Play.
At last he came! Judas, In q
frenzy of remorse. was wrapping
around his neck the traditional
rope In the Potter's field. when It
happened.
The children saw him before
did. Squeals Of delight from the
youngsters about me and pleased
laughter from their elders direct
ed my attention TO the corner OF
the stage. There he stood yrimac-
ing, complete from the thirteenth
century. coal black. grinning black
mask. long sharp horns. and .
tall
This was no pseudo devil, no re-
vival to prick sophisticated tastes.
This devil belonged to Erl. had
lived there for q thousand years.
and was as real to the people Of
Erl as the Christus himself.
THE DANCE OF DEATH.
No one could doubt the depth
Of religious feeling among the au.
dience at Erl. I felt II infinitely
more strongly than at Oberammer-
gau. But the traditional comic re-
lief. all Of which has been eliminat.
ed at oberammergau. has persisted
at Erl to a surprising extent. The
peasants have no sophisticated
sense OF the decorous. Rather their
faith lies 30 close to their daily
lives that It partakes Of their rude
fun as well as their deeper emo
tons
For example. after the Cruel
fixion scene. when the nerves of
the devout peasants were strained
almost to the breaking point. thun-
der and lightning ragged behind
the stage. and a number OF lively
village youths. dressed in sheets
and skull masks, came out to do
. grotesque dance around tho
three crosses!
That the dead should come out
Of their graves at that. time Is
strictly scriptural. But that they
should do a grotesque dance is
pure mediaevaiism. and would not
be tolerated for q moment in do
oorous obeEammergau.
During the scene Of the Last
Supper a deathfike stiffness filled
the theater. Many Of the old peas
ant women were sobbing quietly.
The little barefooted children were
wide-eyed with ave.
The Lords Prayer was repeated
from the stage. Suddenly Judas
shouted emphaticaily. Give us this
day our daily bread" andreachrd
greedily for the plate. He
snatched the bread Of the sacr,,-
ment. from the hand Of the
Christus and chewed II vehemently.
A shudder of delicious horror ran
over the crowd Of peasants. who
confidently expected to see It turn
to blood in his mouth.
NO MAKEUP.
There Is the cruel laughter Of
the Middle Ages, too. Four lusty
youths Of the village, thinly dis
guised in their Roman helmets.
break the bones Of the two thieves
before taking them down from
their crosses. The thieves squirm
and wriggle and kick under the
torture, and the house rocks with
laughter as they finally hang dead.
The scene in which Peter denies
the Lord was made amusing by a
stuffed cock which was workei
from behind a wall, and made to