This thesis makes accessible an unedited and hitherto unpublished text of great value for the history of literature and theatre. It was written c. 1450-1500 and consists of about 25,000 lines. It is a unique document of its time, as there is no other hagiographic mystery play of this size or importance with a woman as the central character. The play contains numerous stage directions that make it even more compelling for a historian of theatre. Barbara is arguably the most celebrated female saint of the 15<sup>th</sup> and 16<sup>th</sup> centuries. Too often, specialists of the period choose the high-profile Saint Catherine to exemplify their work. Here I argue that Saint Barbara is central to the understanding of popular devotion of the period. <i>Le mystere de sainte Barbe en cinq journées </i>helps us to shed light on that very devotion, as this text is meant for the stage : to be performed before an audience from all walks of life. The fifth day presents us with a prime example of what a Mystery play could offer. It contains diableries, the final tortures of the saint and her death, numerous miracles and a farce, and a holy war between pagans and Christians. The language of the manuscript is also very interesting. For example, the use of <i>suymes</i> and <i>quel</i>, the many infinitives in <i>er </i>and <i>ir</i> written respectively <i>ez </i>and <i>iz</i>, the consistent use of <i>-ou </i>and where <i>-o </i>is found in modern French, to name but a few. I suggest also that the versification and the didascalies should be understood in such a way so as to help the reader break the text in smaller, more convenient sequences without imposing a modern structure onto the Mystery play. The body of this thesis is the edition of the fifth day, which consists of 5531 lines. It is preceded by an introduction comprising: a description of the manuscript: a section on the legend and devotion to Saint Barbara; a survey of the dramatic texts and productions related to the saint; a review of the sources used by the author; a guide to reading the mystery plays (making use of the Pausa) and more specifically the <i>Mystere de sainte Barbe en cinq journées, </i>together with a summary of the fifth day; a study of the farcical elements found in the text; and a reflection on the importance of Cyprus and the later Crusades.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:654023 |
| Date | January 2001 |
| Creators | Longtin, Mario |
| Publisher | University of Edinburgh |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://hdl.handle.net/1842/23094 |
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