【欧洲·西班牙】埃尔切神秘剧 Mystery play of Elche（2008年）

“埃尔切的神秘剧是一部关于死亡、进入天堂（被称为“假定”）的神圣音乐剧还有圣母玛利亚的加冕礼。自15世纪中期以来，它一直在圣玛丽亚大教堂和巴伦西亚地区旧城埃尔切的街道上表演。它是中世纪欧洲宗教戏剧和圣母崇拜的生动见证。

这场完全由歌唱组成的戏剧表演包括两幕，分别于8月14日和15日上演。在一系列场景和相关画作中描绘了圣母的死亡和加冕：玛丽之死、数百名手持蜡烛的参与者的夜间游行、清晨游行、埃尔切街头的下午葬礼游行，以及葬礼的实施，大教堂中的假设和加冕礼。文本是巴伦西亚语，加泰罗尼亚语的当地形式，某些章节是拉丁语。舞台分为两个层次：水平的“陆地”舞台和垂直的“天体”舞台，这是中世纪神秘剧的特点。古代的航空机械被用来通过特效来增强奇观。

每年有300多名志愿者以演员、歌手、舞台导演、舞台管理人员、裁缝和乘务员的身份参加演出，并参与整年的准备工作。这一传统吸引了整个城镇的居民，与该地区居民的文化和语言身份密切相关。1931年，埃尔奇的神秘剧被指定为“国家纪念碑”，并受到几项旨在保护文化遗产的法律的保护。"

2008年度列入人类非物质文化遗产名录。

来源：联合国教科文组织亚太地区非物质文化遗产国际培训中心

The mystery play of Elche is a sacred musical drama of the death, the passage into heaven (known as the Assumption) and the crowning of the Virgin Mary. Since the mid-fifteenth century it has been performed in the Basilica of Santa Maria and in the streets of the old city of Elche, situated in the region of Valencia. It is a living testimony of European religious theatre of the Middle Ages and of the cult of the Virgin.

This theatrical performance, which is entirely sung, comprises two acts, performed on 14 and 15 August. These depict the death and crowning of the Virgin in a series of scenes and related paintings: the death of Mary, the night procession that is followed by hundreds of participants carrying candles, the morning procession, the afternoon funeral procession in the streets of Elche, and the enactment of the burial, Assumption and coronation in the Basilica. The texts are in Valencian, the local form of Catalan, with certain sections in Latin.The stage has two levels: the horizontal “terrestrial” stage and the vertical “celestial” stage, characteristic of the medieval mystery play. Ancient aerial machinery is used to enhance the spectacle by means of special effects.

More than 300 volunteers take part in the performance each year as actors, singers, stage directors, stagehands, tailors and stewards, as well as in the preparations that last throughout the year.This tradition, which attracts the entire population of the town, is closely linked to the cultural and linguistic identity of the inhabitants of the region.The mystery play of Elche was designated a “National Monument” in 1931 and is protected by several laws aimed at safeguarding cultural heritage.

Included in the list of human intangible cultural heritage in 2008.

Source: UNESCO International Training Center for intangible cultural heritage in the Asia Pacific Region