This thesis makes accessible an unedited and hitherto unpublished text of great value for the
history of literature and theatre. It was written c. 1450-1500. and consists of about 25.000 lines. It is an
unique document of its time, as there is no other hagiographic mystery play of this size or importance
with a woman as the central character. The play contains numerous stage directions that make it even
more compelling for a historian of theatre.
Barbara is arguably the most celebrated female saint of the 15th and 16th centuries. Too often,
specialists of the period choose the high-profile Saint Catherine to exemplify their work. Here I argue
that Saint Barbara is central to the understanding of popular devotion of the period. Le Mystere de
sainte Barbe en cinq journees helps us to shed light on that very devotion, as this text is meant for the
stage : to be performed before an audience from all walks of life. The fifth day presents us with a
prime example of what a Mystery play could offer. It contains diableries. the final tortures of the saint
and her death, numerous miracles and a farce, and a holy war between pagans and Christians.
The language of the manuscript is also very interesting. For example, the use of suvmes and
quel. the many infinitives in er and ir written repectivelv ez and iz, the consistant use of ~ou where -o
is found in modem French, to name but a few. I suggest also that the versification and the didascalies
should be understood in such a way so as to help the reader break the text in smaller, more convenient
sequences without imposing a modem structure onto the Mystery play.
The body of this thesis is the edition of the fifth day. which consists of 5531 lines. It is
preceded by an introduction comprising: a description of the manuscript; a section on the legend and
devotion to Saint Barbara; a survey of the dramatic texts and productions related to the saint; a review
of the sources used by the author; a guide to reading the mystery plays (making use of the Pausa) and
more specifically the Mystere de sainte Barbe en cinq journees, together with a summary of the fifth
day; a study of the farcical elements found in the text; and a reflection on the importance of Cyprus
and the later Crusades. Chapters are also included on linguistics and versification. A bibliography and
a few pages on editorial conventions completes the introduction. The edition is accompanied by an
exhaustive glossary , a repertoire of all the proverbs and locutions, a list of characters and a list of
proper names
