Le miracle marial par personnages dans le ms. BnF, fr. 819-820: Rehistoriciser le jeu par l’étude du codex

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to show the ties between the drama in fourteenth century and the feast of the Virgin in the Parisian urban society. This article analyzes the most important collection of vernacular drama, the Miracles de Nostre Dame par personnages, preserved in a unique manuscript, Paris, BnF, ms. fr. 819-820 (written c. 1382), and compares it with the only liturgical drama of a Marian feast : Presentation of the Virgin Mary in the Temple written by Philippe de Mézières, preserved in the codex held at the BnF, ms. lat. 17330 (written c. 1380). After making a codicological analysis of both manuscripts and discussing the ties between textual poetry and their makers, this article describes the resemblances of textual poetry in the codices. It argues that the writing of devout drama in an urban society is linked to the Marian feast and the royal court.