THE POWER OF THE ARTIST

Artists are recognized in many societies as people with considerable personal power. In Polynesia, for example, an artist who was working on the carving of sacred images would be said to have a particular spiritual strength.

CEREMONY AND PERFORMANCE
The visual arts, theatre and religion are often bound closely together in a sacred ceremony. Traditional forms of theatre, such as mime, pantomime and animal dances are closely related to the world of rituals. They often re-enact ancient myths and legends, like the Chinese lion dance or the European mystery play, and they often use traditional masks, as in the Italian commedia dell’arte. Their use of archetypal images and timeless symbols links them more closely than any other type of performance to the displays of shaman and the priest.

A well-known example of use of mystery plays as a form of communal artistic expression can still be seen in Oberammergau in the Bavarian Alps. In 1633 the village were miraculously saved from the plague. As a result, the community vowed to perform every ten years, in thanks for their deliverance.