පාස්කු නාට්‍ය

Passion plays

Blessed Joseph Vaz introduced Passion plays in Sri Lanka on the model of puppet shows he had witnessed in Goa. Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez wrote "Dukprapthi Prasangaya" - a series of sermons to be chanted while the dumb show was on. To break the tedium of listening to sermons he composed "Pasan" or lamentations to be recited in a plaintive tone. Even today Pasan introduced by Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez are sung in churches and in homes during the season of Lent.

"Veda Kavya" is the best Sinhala poetry work of Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez. This deals with the creation of the world and the life of Christ. As Christian poets in the West have been influenced by Greek and Latin mythology in this work. Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez denotes the influence of Hindu mythology and Sinhala Maha Kavyas. However in presentation, language and style he has followed popular works like Guttialaya, Budugunalankaraya and Kusajathakaya. It is a splendid attempt at a synthesis between Christian themes and Sinhala poetic diction.

(WTA FERNANDO)