Why were mystery plays popular in Brittany for centuries?

Mystery plays were a significant component of Breton literature for centuries, serving as a primary medium for religious and moral instruction. Their popularity was rooted in several key factors:123

• Religious and Moral Education: These plays were essential for teaching biblical subjects, the lives of saints, and Christian doctrine to the public. Works such as Buez santez Nonn ("Life of St. Nonn") and Burzud bras Jesuz ("The Great Mystery of Jesus") were central to this tradition.13
• Cultural Integration: By utilizing the vernacular language, these performances became accessible to the common people, allowing religious themes to be integrated with local customs, idioms, and folk traditions.42
• Community Engagement: As the production of these plays moved outside the church, they became a communal, civic affair. The elaborate nature of the performances—which included sophisticated machinery, special effects, and dramatic storytelling—provided a powerful form of public entertainment that united audiences through a shared faith.45
• Persistence of Tradition: Even as literary trends shifted, the tradition of mystery and miracle plays remained a staple of Breton culture, continuing to be produced and revived by playwrights well into the 19th and early 20th centuries to impart moral lessons.13