Drama, Liturgy, and Performativity: The ludus magnus (c. 1205) in Henry of Livonia's Chronicle

Description

Henry of Livonia’s thirteenth-century chronicle about christianizing efforts in the Baltic area contains a short description of a ‘ludus magnus’, a ‘ludus prophetarum ordinatissimus’ used for missionary purposes. Although the account only gives vague informations about the play and its performance, the description is suggestive in a ‘liturgical drama’ context, bringing with it associations to the term ‘ordo prophetarum’ and – because of the representation of armies and wars in the ‘ludus magnus’ – to the ‘Ludus de Antichristo’. In the paper I shall discuss the mentioned passage from the chronicle in the light of other contemporary evidence, involving also statements and criticisms concerning dramatic representation at the time in the Medieval Latin Church, e.g. by Pope Innocents III. 

Henry of Livonia’s mentioned passage also raises questions concerning performative aspects in the described event. Taking this example as a point of departure, and bringing in Erika Fischer-Lichte’s modern theory of performativity, I shall widen the perspective to a general discussion of performativity in devotional ceremonies of the Medieval Latin Church.