A medieval pageant is a form of
procession traditionally associated with both
secular
Secularity, also the secular or secularness (from Latin , or or ), is the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion. The origins of secularity can be traced to the Bible itself. The concept was fleshed out through Christian hi ...
and religious
ritual
A ritual is a repeated, structured sequence of actions or behaviors that alters the internal or external state of an individual, group, or environment, regardless of conscious understanding, emotional context, or symbolic meaning. Traditionally ...
s, often with a narrative structure. Pageantry was an important aspect of
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
European seasonal festivals, in particular around the celebration of
Corpus Christi, which began after the thirteenth century. This festival reenacted the entire history of the world, in processional performance, from
Bible
The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...
's
Genesis to the
Apocalypse
Apocalypse () is a literary genre originating in Judaism in the centuries following the Babylonian exile (597–587 BCE) but persisting in Christianity and Islam. In apocalypse, a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a ...
, employing hundreds of performers and mobile scenic elements. Plays were performed on mobile stages, called ''waggons'', that traveled through towns so plays could be watched consecutively. Each waggon was sponsored by a
guild
A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...
who wrote, designed, and acted in the plays.
20th century revival
The form was revived in the early 20th century by the English dramatist
Louis N. Parker, who staged the
Sherbourne Pageant in 1905,
followed by the
Warwick Pageant in 1906. The success of these productions led to a proliferation of pageant plays in England in the following decades. Modern pageants depicted not just religious stories and themes, but rural life and local history as well. Notable authors of modern pageant plays include
E. M. Forster and
T. S. Eliot.
Other pageants in the
Christian world have centered on Saints' festivals,
Carnival
Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras.
Carnival typi ...
(Mardi Gras), and
Easter
Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...
, while vernacular agrarian festivals have celebrated seasonal events such as the harvest, and the
Summer
Summer or summertime is the hottest and brightest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, daylight hours are the longest and darkness hours are the shortest, with day ...
and
Winter
Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Dif ...
solstices.
Also drawing on the medieval tradition, contemporary artists such as
Bread and Puppet Theater, the
Welfare State
A welfare state is a form of government in which the State (polity), state (or a well-established network of social institutions) protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of its citizens, based upon the principles of equal oppor ...
,
In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre,
Spiral Q, and
Superior Concept Monsters have used pageants as a potent community-based performance form.
Notable examples
The
processional giants and dragons () of Belgium and France are a set of folkloric manifestations which have been inscribed by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
on the
lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008, originally proclaimed in November 2005. They include:
In Belgium:
*
Ducasse d'Ath
*
Ducasse de Mons
*
Meyboom of Brussels
*
Ommegang van Dendermonde
* Ommegang van Mechelen
File:Ath ducasse 2004 Ambiorix.jpg,
File:Géants de Tournai pendant la Grande Procession (DSCF9101).jpg,
File:GeantsMeyboom2.jpg,
File:Walloon Giants Belgian Day Wisconsin.jpg,
In France:
*
Cassel: Reuze Papa and Reuze Maman
*
Douai
Douai ( , , ; ; ; formerly spelled Douay or Doway in English) is a city in the Nord (French department), Nord département in northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the department. Located on the river Scarpe (rive ...
:
Gayant, Marie Cagenon, Fillon, Jacquot, Binbin
*
Pézenas: le Poulain
*
Tarascon: la
Tarasque
Also see
Mystery play - Medieval plays focused on the presentation of Bible stories in churches as tableaux with accompanying antiphonal song.
References
Walking
Christian worship and liturgy
Christian processions
{{Christianity-stub