The Latin Language degenerated into several regional languages: Spanish, Italian, French, German, English . . . and all of them used the same Roman alphabet . . .

Latin: "Ego sum" . . . I am
Spanish: "Yo soy" . . . I am
Italian: "Io sono" . . . I am
French: "Je suis" . . . I am
German: "Ich bin" . . . I am
English: "I am"

The rise of Christianity and cathedrals throughout the feudal kingdoms leading to countries ruled by kings. The Crusades (religious Christian pilgrimages to the Holy Land, Jerusalem) began in 1100 C.E.

980 C.E., St. Ethelwold’s Parish Church, Winchester, England . . . "The Quem Queritus" song, part of Easter Mass is performed.
- it means "Who asks" . . . and pertains to the Christian story of the three Marys (Virgin, Magdalene, and sister of Lazarus) being told by an archangel that Christ has risen from the grave. The rising Christ ascends into heaven. This is one of the main beliefs of Christianity.
- it was a mini-opera, in pantomime and costume.
-eventually more playlets were added tracing man’s history from creation to the Final Judgment.

1240 C.E. - Pope Innocent II, in Rome, forbids all drama performance in churches. All Christians were Catholic at this period of time . . . All Christians believe in four basic truths:
1. There is one God.
2. There are three people in one God . . . Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
3. The Son of God became Man . . . the Incarnation, and died for Men’s sins . . . the Redemption . . . and
4. The Son of God rose from the dead into heaven . . . the Ascension.

After 1240 all liturgical dramas moved out of the churches into marketplaces, old Roman arenas, town squares and processions through the streets.

Liturgical Drama: drama taken from the liturgy = the Bible. At this time the Catholic Bible was the Latin Vulgate version. The church dogma (truths approved from reading the Bible) was dictated from the Pope from Rome, the Vatican. No free-thinking is allowed . . . (unlike today’s Catholics) Most towns had one Bible usually chained to a stand and very few people were literate (able to read and write), so the liturgy was told to them through the drama/playlets.

Types of Liturgical Drama:
Mystery Plays: plays from the Old and New Testaments.
(Jewish/Hebrews only use the Old Testament).
Miracle Plays: plays about the lives of saints. A saint is a human person proven to have their soul in heaven . . . the proof comes from three miracles performed in the saint’s name.
Morality Plays: plays which tell Christians how to live a good, moral life. "Everyman" is the most popular morality play. It is still presented today. It is about the fact that when Death comes to Everyman, he cannot take Strength, Beauty, Wealth, Knowledge, Friends, or Worldly Goods with him to Death . . . Only Good Deeds will come willingly to Death.
Passion Plays: plays about the life of Christ. In Oberammergau, Germany, the most popular of this kind still occurs.
Stations of the Cross: stories from the passion and crucifixion of Christ from Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday (the Last Supper to the Ascension). Still performed in Catholic churches during Easter Week today.

By 1378 C.E., in York, England . . . the Corpus Christi plays ("body of Christ") done outdoors develop into . . .
"THE YORK CYCLE" - using the Latin Vulgate Bible.
- 1378 C.E. York, England.
- a series of 48 playlets.
- presented by the town Guilds (workers cooperatives) in the town square. See pg.111 of the text for the guild responsible.
- every Spring at Easter time, near the vernal equinox.
- done on rolling pageant wagons (representing heaven, earth, and hell [usually a dragon mouth])
- a week long festival of drama. (This is similar to the Grand Festival of Dionysus . . . a week-long drama festival every spring)

FOUR MAIN THEMES OF THE YORK CYCLE:

1. The Creation of the World and the Fall of Lucifer (means "light-giver" in Latin). About God, the Angels, Heaven and Hell, Good vs. Evil. Creation of eternal damnation, Hell, as the angels disobey God.
2. The Fall of Man from the Garden of Eden: About Man (Adam and Eve), Satan (Lucifer), an apple . . . the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, of Good and Evil. Original Sin comes into the World as Man disobeys God. About man, seduction, temptation, despair and pride.
3. The Crucifixion of Christ: Christ suffers and dies for the love of man. Redemption for man. About Faith and salvation. The is the crux of Christianity. The Resurrection of Christ from the dead, and his Ascension bodily into Heaven.
4. The Final Judgment: A review of man’s history from the beginning of time. All souls will be judged by Christ.

The York Cycle is still performed today.

End Chapter 4.