ABSTRACT
The procession is one of the oldest forms of outdoor theatricality. As an integral part of all ritual it could be said to be as old as religion itself. Traditionally it has two main aspects-the symbolic and the educational. In ritual, the sacred objects are displayed in close physical proximity to the worshippers. These may be functional objects such as chalices or objects of worship such as a cross. The educational aspect offers a reminder (but not a telling) of an important religious story-tableaux from the lives of gods or saints. At a later stage these static, silent tableaux began to be animated with movement and speech, leading to the simple dramas of the mystery and miracle cycles of medieval Europe. The aims of the religious authorities were much the same as those of today’s outdoor theatre communicators; that is, to take out to the ordinary people that which is usually hidden away inside and shown only to an elite. So popular appeal through size and spectacle is an important element in procession.
