Abele spelen

German medieval drama

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July 23, 2026

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The Abele spelen are a collection of four 14th-century Dutch plays considered to be among the earliest secular dramas in Europe. These "seemly plays" drew on romantic themes from earlier songs and may have been the first of their kind in Europe, suggesting drama in the Netherlands emerged from mime and song as much as from religious services. The plays are secular, meaning they do not have religious themes, which was a significant development for medieval drama. The term "abele" itself refers to a type of white poplar tree.12

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Dutch literature
Songs, drama, and the rhetoricians
…the first extant plays—the 14th-century Abele spelen (“seemly plays”)—were entirely secular (and may have been the first of such in Europe), incorporating romantic themes from the earlier songs, there is reason to attribute the emergence of drama in the Netherlands as much to mime and song as to liturgical action.…
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…the first extant plays—the 14th-century Abele spelen (“seemly plays”)—were entirely secular (and may have been the first of such in Europe), incorporating romantic themes from the earlier songs, there is reason to attribute the emergence of drama in the Netherlands as much to mime and song as to liturgical action.…
Read More