Le Mistere du siege d'Orleans

On May 8, 1429, the day of their victory against invading English troops, the French military lords, the civic leaders and the citizenry of Orléans, as well as their heroine Joan the Maid, participated in a spontaneous procession that led them to all the sites relevant to the nine-month long siege. The Mistere du siege d’Orleans is both the theatrical recollection of that siege and the processional commemoration of their decisive victory. In this mystery play, Orléans’s citizens are called upon to participate in the victory celebrations in order to thank God for the victory and in order to remember their role in winning the war against the English. This edition, based on the only manuscript, takes a new look at the possible performances of this uniquely local spectacle by comparing it to the relevant narrative sources and municipal documents.