Le Miracle de Théophile (The Miracle of Theophilus) is a thirteenth century miracle play written in Langues d'oïl

Langues d'oïl

The langues d'oïl or langues d'oui , in English the Oïl or Oui languages, are a dialect continuum that includes standard French and its closest autochthonous relatives spoken today in the northern half of France, southern Belgium, and the Channel Islands...

, circa 1261 by the trouvère

Trouvère

Trouvère , sometimes spelled trouveur , is the Northern French form of the word trobador . It refers to poet-composers who were roughly contemporary with and influenced by the troubadours but who composed their works in the northern dialects of France...

 Rutebeuf

Rutebeuf

Rutebeuf , a trouvère, was born in the first half of the 13th century, possibly in Champagne ; he was evidently of humble birth, and he was a Parisian by education and residence. His name is nowhere mentioned by his contemporaries...

.

The play is a religious drama, drawn from traditional accounts of the lives of the Saints

Hagiography

Hagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...

 and the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the play, Théophile sells his soul

Deal with the Devil

Deal With The Devil is the fifth studio album by the American heavy metal band Lizzy Borden released in 2000 .A return to form, featuring a cover by Todd McFarlane.2 covers were recorded...

 to the Devil

Devil

The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...

. Overcome by remorse, he prays to the Virgin Mary, who delivers him from the cursed pact.

The play refers to the legendary history of St. Theophilus of Adana

Theophilus of Adana

Saint Theophilus the Penitent or Theophilus of Adana was a cleric in the sixth century Church who is said to have made a deal with the devil to gain an ecclesiastical position. His story is significant as it is the oldest story of a pact with the Devil and was an inspiration for the Faust legend...

, who according to traditional saints' legends made a pact with the Devil and repented of it.

This play is the original source of an influential invocation to the Devil (in an unknown language). The original text from the French play is given to the character Salatin — apparently a version of Saladin

Saladin

Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...

— who in this play is labelled a sorcerer

Magician (fantasy)

A magician, mage, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, enchanter, enchantress, thaumaturge or a person known under one of many other possible terms is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources...

; Salatin uses these words to invoke

Invocation

An invocation may take the form of:*Supplication or prayer.*A form of possession.*Command or conjuration.*Self-identification with certain spirits....

 the Devil

Devil

The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...

:

(Ci conjure Salatins le deable.)

Bagahi laca bachahé,
Lamac cahi achabahé,

Karrelyos.

Lamac lamec bachalyos,
Cabahagi sabalyos,

Baryolas.

Lagozatha cabyolas,
Samahac et famyolas,

Harrahya.

Another French miracle play from the same time period by Jean Bodel

Jean Bodel

Jean Bodel, who lived in the late twelfth century, was an Old French poet who wrote a number of chansons de geste as well as many fabliaux. He lived in Arras....

, Jeu de Saint Nicolas, also contains an invocation to the Devil in an unknown language.