Das Andere der Visitatio Sepulchri in Liturgie und Geistlichem Spiel

Abstract

The visitatio sepulchri is an unusual, if not to say ‘strange’ immersion in the liturgy of Easter. The acting persons take roles and turn into ‘actors’. Their clothing and the liturgical instruments they use are turned into costumes and props. Liturgy’s hic et nunc is replaced by a narrative. This kind of ‘play’ is normally performed in the openly accessible part of a church; laymen thus had the chance to somehow participate in the plays. Medieval libri ordinarii prove that the visitatio sepulchri is more than ‘paraliturgy’ (as it has been called by Johannes Janota), which could be added to liturgy or alternatively left out, but it is a fully integral part of liturgy; it was compulsory, and even small parish churches obeyed to the rule and had a visitation sepulchri as part of their Easter liturgy.