THE PASSION PLAY.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXVI, Issue 51, 7 December 1909, Page 2

THE PASSION PLAY.

TO PROPITIATE HEAVIis

In view of tho fact that (jl H . r .y. niorgau is once morn attracting ".j 1 * attention of the world on account '? tile decennial repetition of the I'ussii Play next year, it may be of interest recall tho origin of the r ilss ; ° Play. ' "

Over 270 years ago, at the tim,, when the long 'Jliirty \ ears' War w , devastating Germany, a aeveiv «tt,y* of plague broke out in the village j valleys of the Havarian Tyrol. I'iuL kirchen, Mittemvald and', indeed !ij the larger towns, were devastate! |j v ■/ The little secluded village ( ,l (ju' Aimnergau was, however, cxeiiiut hj/" the visitation; and, in order to he S .T from infection, the village authoritldrew a cordon about dm haiu| ; r ' already protected by liiit.i,-.. |„. "j," circle of mountains —and k- ai J?, one of the inhabitants to j,,,,'' the happy Valley into the pvr.l.jiis ei' world; while the eond.lioi;. course, included that none sl.uii:! 'in.,,'', trate from the plague-strk k,.|, 1,-,,* i'.to tile charmed circle Jiws Perhaps it never occurred t„ n lo( j.' little Ober-Ainniergau that anv ait,,'/,, tions in it would tempt si jm',, break through the dividing iem',,.]' As it happened, however, a native () f the village wlio had been for ,0111,. | U|l ' working at Kscheiilohc, a village at foot of the Ettalberg, where the phc-iii, was raging furiously, was seized a sudden home sickness and, unki Kl ., u to any of the village magnates returned, finding his way by night'over the mountains. Three days aftenviriU he lay dead of the fell disease, ami W) less than 10 of his sur . cumbed to the same cause. |„ t|' |( .j r agony of terror it occuned to t|„, good people of Ober-Aminorgju t| lal J pious vow might possibly propitiate Heaven, and turn the vengeance from their hearths and homes. Thev then m solemn assembly consulted as to what would probably bo the most e!lie iu .j <rtls that is to say, pleasing to tli«- Alniigh lv ' and finally it was resolved then ami every ten years afterwards to perform with all due reverence and -olenmitv a plav which should set forth tlio life death and meditation of the Redeemer' From that time, it is averted the plague wus stayed in the village' aiic j the vow lias been kept strictly and religiously, tlio decennial c«nim.-t-iion being only oneo broken since Kj.j.j ln " order to establish tho performance at the beginning of every decade for which a fresh start was, so to speak, made in tho year 1680.

There have been two or three extra representations between the interval of ten years—notably in 181.*., for the purpose of celebrating the peace; and 111 1871 in order to conclude a series of performances which wore intei runted bv the Franco-German war. For these special celebrations permission was in '"h ease asked and obtained 0 f the Pope.

Tlie Passion Play cousins of ]g flo ts or scene. l ) together iviiii ;i prologue or introduction, The play Wjjinj with Christ's entry into .).-ru-ali-m, I} U t a .series of tableaux vivant- from' Old Testament history, alienate with the acted, spoken scenes of which thcv are emblematical. While in order that tlio spectators may understand 'he meaning of tlie living picture-. u'l their connection with the scenes of tin- acted tragedy, a chorus is introduced with duties, similar to those ot the chorus of the classic («reek plavs. I heir part is to explain and make i111«■! I;vj 1,1.- tlie acting of the drama, and to in' a kind of running commentary upon it, in a musical form m a series of very beautiful vocal pieces. The representations last, from ,9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with an interval of two hours for refreshment, and will take place, weather permitting, on certain iixed days in Jlav, June, July, August and September, 1910. The ohl wooden play-house 'of former year-- Ins been demolished, and one mole ] mill iron has been erected in its place. The building, which will scat InOa spectators, is roofed over, except the staging, which is still left open to the sky and to the mountains like its predecessor, to heighten the illusion.