Read Mode

Mistery Play of Elche



Since the mid-fifteenth century, the mystery play of Elche has been performed in the Basilica of Santa Maria and the streets of Elche, situated in the region of Valencia. This performance is a living testimony of how the European religious theatre of the Middle Ages and the veneration of the Virgin Mary is part of the liturgical life of the area.

Despite the lack of accuracy in the documents, the origin of the Mystery of Elche has not yet been fully determined. There are two local traditions as to its birth. One of them links it with the conquest of the Muslim Elche by the Aragonese troops of James I of Aragon in 1265. This is in line with the beginnings of Christian civilization in the village. The second legend tells of the apparition or “coming” of the Virgin of Elche on December 29th, 1370, which connected the birth of the Mystery with a miraculous origin. In this way, the Book or Consueta of the Festa would have been found alongside the Virgin of Elche in a wooden ark floating in the Mediterranean Sea on the nearby Tamarit Beach (now Santa Pola) by a soldier and coastguard named Francesc Cantó.

This performance is entirely sung and takes place on 14 and 15 August. It portrays the death of Mary and her crowning in a series of scenes and paintings: the night procession where hundreds of people carry candles, the morning procession, and the afternoon funeral procession in Elche. The enactment of the burial, Assumption, and coronation then takes place in the Basilica. These texts are in Valencian, with sections in Latin. The stage has two levels, which are typical of medieval mystery plays. There is a horizontal stage and a vertical stage, which can be enhanced by ancient aerial machinery. Special effects can be added to the spectacle, as well as music from multiple periods and styles, including Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque genres and examples of monophony and polyphony. For the roles of Mary and angels, amateur singers and a choir of children with treble voices are employed, since in the Middle Ages, women were prohibited from participating in plays and were contemplated unclean for the liturgy.

More than 300 volunteers take part in the Elche Mystery Play each year as actors, singers, stage directors, stagehands, tailors, and stewards, as well as in the long-term preparations that last through the year. Each year, the play is seen by the entire population and is closely linked to the cultural identity of the region. Since 1931, the play has been classified as a “National Monument” and is protected by several laws meant to safeguard cultural heritage.

References

[1] [2] [3] [4]


Edit
Discussion
History