Mystery plays (from the Latin "misterium" meaning "occupation") and
miracle plays (they are distinguished as two different forms although the terms are often used interchangeably) are among the earliest formally developed
plays in
medieval Europe. Medieval mystery plays focused on the representation of
Bible stories in
churches as
tableaux with accompanying
antiphonal song. They told of subjects such as the Creation, Adam and Eve, the murder of Abel, and the last judgment. Oftentimes they were performed together in cycles which could last for days. The name derives from
mystery used in its sense of
miracle, but an occasionally quoted derivation is from
ministerium, meaning
craft, and so the 'mysteries' or plays performed by the
craft guilds.