As
Easter is approaching, I thought it a good idea to publish this example of
mediaeval religious drama, a so-called mystery play; Mystery plays take its
themes from the Gospels and from an early period onwards they were used to
dramatize certain stories, especially the Resurrection.
In 1210
Pope Innocent III forbade clergymen to participate in these mystery plays and
so the performance was taken over by laymen. This also resulted in the use of
vernacular languages instead of Latin. Quite a few examples have survived
This
play clearly belongs before that period as according to the stage directions three
fratres must appear, clothed as the tree
Marias: Maria Magdalena, Maria the mother of James and Maria Salome. I have been unable to find much information
about this text, except that it appears in an Orleans manuscript of the 13th
century, but the text must be older, maybe dating in its earliest form to the
tenth century.
This
text is not only an example of religious drama, but also of anti-Judaism. Within the context of an Easter play this is
hardly avoidable, as the New Testament holds Jewish leaders responsible for the
crucifixion. However, it is there an accusation within an inner Jewish
conflict: Jesus was a Jew, as well as the disciples – something which is often
forgotten. As soon as non-Jews entered this initially messianistic Jewish sect,
this accusation got other dimensions…
I found
an edition of this text on internet. Badly scanned and with two parallel
versions conflated in the scan as one e.g.: Sed nequimus hoc jjatere sine
adintorio
; qiiisnam saxum hoc revolvet
ab
monumenti ostio ?
and: Ad
monnmentum venimus gemeutes. Ad monumentum domini venimus ge-
angelum domini sedentem vidimus et mentes, angelum dei
sedentem vidimus
dicentem
quia surrexit Jhesus. et dicentem quod siirrexit a morte.
I have
edited the text according to the version in K.P. Harrington Mediaeval Latin (Chicago 1925). It took some time..
Mysterium
resurrectionis Domini Nostri Ihesu Christi
Ad
faciendam similitudinem dominici sepulchri,
primum procedant tres fratres, praeparati et vestiti in similitudinem
trium Mariarum, pedetentim et quasi tristes
altemantes, hos versus cantantes :
faciendam: the gerundive is here used as a
ppp. Pedetentim(adv.)): slowly
PRIMA
earum dicat :
Heu !
pius pastor occidit,
Quem
culpa nulla infecit !
res
plangenda ! plango planxi plantum: to bewail
SECUNDA:
Heu ! verus pastor obiit,
Qui
vitam Sanctis contulit ! vitam confero: to lead a life
O mors
lugenda ! lugeo luxi luctum: to mourn
TERTIA :
Heu ! nequam gens Judaica ! nequam (adv.): worthless
Quam
dira frendens vesania ! frendo: to gnash vesania: madness
Plebs execranda ! execror:
to curse
PRIMA :
Cur nece
pium impia nex necis (f.): death
Dampnasti
Jhesum invida ? dampnasi = damnasti invidus: hateful
O ira
nefanda ! nefandus: impious
SECUNDA
:
Quid
iustus hic promeruit promereo promerui: to deserve
Quod crucifigi debuit ?
O gens dampnanda !
TERTIA :
Heu,
quid agamus, miserae,
Dulci
magistro orbatae ? orbatus (+ dat.): bereft from
Heu !
sors lacrimanda ! sors sortis (f.): lot, misfortune
PRIMA ;
Eamus
ergo propere, propere: quickly
Quod
solum quimus facere, queo quivi quitum: to be able
Mente
devota.
SECUNDA
:
Condimentis
aromatum with
spices from aromatic plants
Ungamus
corpus sanctissimum ; ungo unxi unctum: to anoint
Quo
pretiosa. The
more precious
TERTIA :
Nardi
vetet commixtio, a
mixture of nard-oil prevents
Ne
putrescat in tumido putresco putrui: to begin to rot tumidus: swelling
Caro beata.
caro carnis (f.): flesh
Cum
autem venerint in chorum, eant ad monumentum quasi quaerentes et cantentes
omnes simul hunc versum.
quaero quaesivi
quaesitum: to seek,
look for monumantum: grave
Sed
nequimus hoc patere sine adiutorio ; But
we can’t open this without help.
quisnam
saxum hoc revolvet ab monumenti ostio ? saxum:
stone ostium: mouth, entrance
Quibus
respondeat angelus, sedens foris ad caput sepulchri, vestitus alba deaurata,
mitra tectus caput, etsi deinfulatus, palmam in sinistra, ramum candelarum
plenum tenens in manu dextra, et dicat moderata et admodum gravi voce :
foris: outside vestitus alba deaurata:
clothed in white, full of gold mitra:
mitre
deinfulatus: with a fillet, headband ramus:
branch admodum: very
Quern
quaeritis in sepulchro,
o christicolae? o worshippers of Christ
MULIERES
:
Jesum
Nazarenum ciiicifixum,
o
coelicola ! inhabitant
of heaven
Quibus
respondeat angelus :
Quid,
christicolae, viventem quaeritis cum mortuis ?
Non est
hic, sed surrexit, praedixit ut discipulis.
Mementote
quid iam vobis locutus est in Galilaea, mementote:
remember
Quod
Christum oportebat pati, atque die
tertia it befitted Christ to suffer
Resurgere
cum gloria.
MULiERES
conversae ad populum cantent :
Ad
monumentum domini venimus
Gementes, angelum dei sedentem vidimus gemo gemui: to mourn
et
dicentem quod surrexit a morte.
Post haec
MARIA MAGDALENA, relictis duabus aliis, accedat ad sepulchrum, in
quod saepe
aspiciens dicat :
Heu !
dolor ! heu ! quam dira doloris angustia ! angustia: distress
Quod dilecti
sum orbata magistri praesentia ; praesentia: now
Heu !
quis corpus tam dilectum sustulit e tumulo ? tollo sustuli sublatum: to lift
Deinde
pergat velociter ad illos, qui in similitudine Petri et Johannis praestare
debent erecti, stansque ante eos quasi tristis, dicat :
pergo perrexi
perrectum: to
hasten
Tulerunt Dominum meum,
Et nescio ubi posuerunt eum,
Et monumentum
vacuum est inventum,
Et
sudarium cum sindone repositum. sudarium: cloth (for wiping off sweat)
sindon (f.) : fine cotton cloth
Illi
autem, hoc audientes, pergant ad sepulcrum ac si currentes, sed junior, Sanctus
lohannes, perveniens stet extra sepulchrum ; senior vera, Sanctus Petrus, sequens
eum, statlm intret ; postquam et lohannes intret; cum inde exierint, lOHANNES
dicat :
Miranda
sunt, quae vidimus !
An
furtim sublatus est dominus. furtim: secretly
Cui
PETRUS :
Imo, ut
praedixit vivus, imo: from the depth
Surrexit,
credo, Dominus.
JOHANNES
:
Sed cur
liquit in sepulcro
Sudarium
cum linteo ? linteum: linen cloth
PETRUS :
Ista,
quia resurgenti
Non
erant necessaria,
Imo
resurrectionis
Restant
haec indicia. indicia: as tokens
Illis
autem abeuntibus, accedat MARIA ad sepulcrum et prius dicat :
Heu !
dolor ! heu ! quam dira doloris angustia !
Quod dilecti
sum orbata magistri praesentia !
Heu !
Quis corpus tam dilectum sustulit e tumulo ?
Quam
alloquantur duo angeli, sedentes infra sepulcrum, dicentes :
Mulier,
quid ploras ?
MARIA :
Quia
tulerunt dominum meum,
Et nescio ubi posuerunt eum.
ANGELUS
:
Noli
flere, Maria ; resurrexit dominus.
Alleluia
!
MARIA :
Ardens
est cor meum desiderio
Videre
dominum meum ;
Quaero
et non invenio
Ubi
posuerunt eum.
Alleluia
!
Interitu
veniat quidam praeparatus in similitudinem hortulani, stansque ad caput
sepulchri dicat :
hortulanus: gardener
Mulier,
quid ploras ? quem quaeris ?
MARIA :
Domine,
si tu sustulisti eum, dicito michi, ubi posuisti eum, quod ego eum ubi posuisti
eum. et ego eum tollam.
Et ille
:
Maria !
Atque
procidens ad pedes eius MARIA dicat: procido procidi: to fall forward
Rabboni
!
At ILLE
subtrahat se, et quasi tactum eius devitans, dicat :
Noli me tangere : nondum enim ascendi ad Patrem meum et Patrem vestrum, Dominum meum
et Dominum vestrum.
Sic
discedat Hortulanus, MARIA vero conversa
ad popiilum dicat :
Congratulamini
michi omnes qui dili-gitis Dominum, quia quem quaerebam apparuit michi et, dum flerem ad monumentum ,
vidi Dominum meum . Alleluia !
Tunc DUO
ANGELi cxeant ad ostium, sepulchri, ita ut appareant foris, et dicant :
Venite et videte
locum, ubi positiis erat Dominus.
Alleluia
!
Nolite
timere vos ;
Vultum
tristem iam mutate,
lesum
vivum nuntiate,
Galilaeam
iam adite.
Si
placet videre, festinate. festino: to hurry
Cito
euntes dicite discipulis, quod surrexit Dominus. Alleluia !
Tunc
mulieres, discedentes a sepulchro, dicant ad plebem :
Surrexit
Dominus de sepulchro,
Qui pro
nobis pependit in ligno. pendeo pependi: to hang
Alleluia
! lignum: wood, cross
Hoc
facto, expandant sindonem, dicentes ad plebem :
expando expandi expassum: to spread out
Cernite
vos, socii, sunt corporis ista beati cerno crevi certum: to perceive, see
Lintea,
quae vacuo iacuere relicta sepulcro.
Postea
ponant sindonem super altare, atque revertentes alternent hos versus.
PRIMA dicat :
Resurrexit hodie Deus Deorum !
SECUNDA
:
Frustra
signas lapidem, plebs ludaeorum In
vain you close with a stone
TERTIA :
lungere
iam populo christianorum. iungo iunxi iunctum: to unite with
Item PRIMA dicat :
Resurrexit hodie rex angelorum.
SECUNDA :
Ducitur
de tenebris turba piorum. The
host of faithful is lead from darkness
TERTIA :
Reseratur
aditus regni coelorum ! resero: to unlock
aditus, us
(m.): entrance
Interea
is, qui ante fuit Hortulanus, in simililudinem Domini veniat dalmaticatus,
candida dalmatica, candida infula infulatus, phylacteria pretiosa in capite,
crucem cum labaro in dextra, textum auro paratorium in sinistra habens, et
dicat mulieribus :
dalmaticatus: in a priestly garment candida infula
infulatus: adorned with a whit fillet
phylacterium: amulet labarum: bejewelled staff ending in a
crucifix
paratorium: : covering of a sacred chalice
Nolito
timere vos : ite, nunciate fratribus meis, ut eant in Galilaeam : ibi me videbunt,
sicut praedixi eis.
CHORUS :
Alleluia,
resurrexit hodie dominus !
Quo finito,
dicant OMNES insimul :
Leo
fortis, Christus, filius dei !
Et CHORUS dicat :
Te Deum laudamus !
12th
century picture of the three Marias at the tomb.
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