Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of illustrations
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- List of abbreviations
- Map 1 Medieval Europe showing locations of principal play-texts and records cited in this study
- Map 2 Enlargement of central area showing locations of liturgical and feast-day plays as defined in chapter 1
- Map 3 Enlargement of central area showing locations of civic and community plays as defined in chapter 2
- Introduction: Christian Europe and the Play of God
- PART ONE THE THEATRICAL COMMUNITY
- PART TWO THE THEATRICAL TEXT
- 4 Creation and Fall
- 5 The Covenant and the Kingdom
- 6 Prophets and precursors of Redemption
- 7 The Birth and childhood of Jesus
- 8 The public life of Jesus
- 9 The Passion and Resurrection
- 10 Pentecost to Judgement
- Conclusion: survival and revival
- Appendix: the liturgical context of the plays
- Notes
- Bibliographical index of plays
- Performance records and references
- General bibliography
- Index
7 - The Birth and childhood of Jesus
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 September 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of illustrations
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- List of abbreviations
- Map 1 Medieval Europe showing locations of principal play-texts and records cited in this study
- Map 2 Enlargement of central area showing locations of liturgical and feast-day plays as defined in chapter 1
- Map 3 Enlargement of central area showing locations of civic and community plays as defined in chapter 2
- Introduction: Christian Europe and the Play of God
- PART ONE THE THEATRICAL COMMUNITY
- PART TWO THE THEATRICAL TEXT
- 4 Creation and Fall
- 5 The Covenant and the Kingdom
- 6 Prophets and precursors of Redemption
- 7 The Birth and childhood of Jesus
- 8 The public life of Jesus
- 9 The Passion and Resurrection
- 10 Pentecost to Judgement
- Conclusion: survival and revival
- Appendix: the liturgical context of the plays
- Notes
- Bibliographical index of plays
- Performance records and references
- General bibliography
- Index
Summary
And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.
(John 1: 14)THE JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM AND THE NATIVITY
Since there are a very large number of plays linked with the Christmas season it is only possible to mention some of the most original and interesting examples of each episode.
Many processional plays, including Bologna and the Florence procession of 1439, present only a tableau of the Mother and Child. Others (including Liège and Künzelsau) merely stage the adoration of the newly-born infant by various groups: angels, shepherds and kings. (Although the cyclic plays often continue to refer to the protagonist as ‘God’ or ‘Saviour’ even during the scenes of the Incarnation, other plays (and this analysis) follow the gospels in referring to him as ‘Jesus’ until the Ascension.) The bare bones of Luke 2 are sometimes fleshed out, however, with a variety of details and traditions, most of which are to be found in Legenda.
Some plays begin with the sending out of the ‘decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed’. The most elaborate scene is that in the second day of the Rouen Incarnation et Nativité, where the Romans are the first to pay their tax.
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- Information
- The Biblical Drama of Medieval Europe , pp. 98 - 112Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1995