Today we go to see the Passion Play, performed by the people of Oberammergau every ten years. The story goes that the Black Plague hit this region of Germany very hard – nearly half of the whole population of the country died from it. When folks in neighboring villages started to get sick, the people decided to close the borders of the town. No one could get in, and no one could get out of Oberammergau. It didn’t matter if you lived here or not.
One evening, perhaps when a pair of guards was snoozing, a fellow named Caspar Shiller sneaked back into town. The next day he became ill with the Plague and also infected his wife and children and several others in the village. About a year later, the people gathered in the church and prayed to God for salvation from the Black Death, and if so, they promised to tell the story of Christ’s Passion every ten years until eternity. Those who were ill were restored to health, and since God kept his part of the bargain, so also have the people of Oberammergau.
There are several rules in place for The Passion Play. It’s about 7½ hours long, and this year for the first time, beginning at 2:30pm and ending at 11pm with a break in between for supper. There are no false beards or wigs used – everything is “home grown” and authentic. In order to have a “major role” in the production, you either have to have been born here or have lived here for at least 20 years. There are 2400 actors in the play, so nearly everyone in town is involved in the production in some way. The other half of the villagers are involved in hospitality (guest houses or restaurants).
The Black Plague affects us even today. When children sing “Ring Around The Rosie,” they are singing about the Plague. When one became ill with the Plague, large, red sores would form on the skin. The pus inside turned black and needed to be drained. When the people died, flowers were placed in their pockets to help with the smell until the body could be cared for. Then they would burn the bodies to destroy the bacteria, hence the “ashes, ashes.”
Interestingly enough, people who had cats in their homes did not get sick. The cats killed the rats that carried the fleas, and the fleas did not stay on the dead animal. The people said these folks must be witches, which is how cats and witches came to be associated with one another.
One evening, perhaps when a pair of guards was snoozing, a fellow named Caspar Shiller sneaked back into town. The next day he became ill with the Plague and also infected his wife and children and several others in the village. About a year later, the people gathered in the church and prayed to God for salvation from the Black Death, and if so, they promised to tell the story of Christ’s Passion every ten years until eternity. Those who were ill were restored to health, and since God kept his part of the bargain, so also have the people of Oberammergau.
There are several rules in place for The Passion Play. It’s about 7½ hours long, and this year for the first time, beginning at 2:30pm and ending at 11pm with a break in between for supper. There are no false beards or wigs used – everything is “home grown” and authentic. In order to have a “major role” in the production, you either have to have been born here or have lived here for at least 20 years. There are 2400 actors in the play, so nearly everyone in town is involved in the production in some way. The other half of the villagers are involved in hospitality (guest houses or restaurants).
The Black Plague affects us even today. When children sing “Ring Around The Rosie,” they are singing about the Plague. When one became ill with the Plague, large, red sores would form on the skin. The pus inside turned black and needed to be drained. When the people died, flowers were placed in their pockets to help with the smell until the body could be cared for. Then they would burn the bodies to destroy the bacteria, hence the “ashes, ashes.”
Interestingly enough, people who had cats in their homes did not get sick. The cats killed the rats that carried the fleas, and the fleas did not stay on the dead animal. The people said these folks must be witches, which is how cats and witches came to be associated with one another.
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