First, I have to admit I’m having difficulty keeping up with my first life, as a philosopher/priest/novelist. So the appeal of Second Life (http://secondlife.com/whatis/?lang=en-US) wasn’t immediately attractive. I was introduced to Second Life by the physicists in the Kira Institute who were trying to work on high level physics theory across the international dateline so they moved into Second Life.
But the character in my novel, Suicidal Maniacs and the Lady of Shalott has a simple goal: She wants to create her imaginary world and mount a medieval play – The Mummers Play. This is a traditional Christmas play which is hard to even consider in this heat wave we’re experiencing across North America, but maybe it’s a way to chill out. Is there a medievalist playwright/Second Life geek out there who wants to collaborate on this project?
Here’s the script from the novel:
Eliza prints out versions of the Mummers play that cover the floor like fresh fallen snow. She plans that she and her friends will perform the cycle of plays:
| 1. When righteous Joseph wedded was,Unto a virtuous/virgin maid, A glorious angel from heaven came,Unto that virtuous/virgin maid, Unto that virtuous/virgin maid. |
| 2. O mortal man remember well,When Christ our lord was born, He was cricified betwixt two theives and crown’ed withe thorn, |
| 3. O mortal man remember well,When Christ died on the rood, ‘Twas for our sins and wicked ways, Christ shed his precious blood, |
| 4. O mortal man remember well,When Christ was wrapped in clay, He was taken to a sepulcre, where no man ever lay, |
| 5. God bless the mistress of this house, With gold all/chain round her breast, Where e’er her body sleeps or wakes, Lord send her soul to rest. |
| 6. God bless the master of this house, With happiness beside, Where e’er his body rides or walks, Lord Jesus be his guide. |
| 7. God bless your house, your children too, Your cattle and your store, The Lord increase you day by day, And send/give you more and more. |
Eliza pours over a cookbook Shauna found, Pleyn Delit; medieval cooking for modern cooks. She begins sewing costumes copying medieval folk dramas, reads everything she can get her hands on about the Mummer’s play.
