No firm conclusions have been come to regarding the etymology of the word "mummer". It is usually believed to have originated from the Middle English word mum which means "silent" (suggesting that the plays were originally silent pantomimes), though some people have suggested a connection with mommo, the Greek word for "mask", or mumme, the Danish word for "mask". Other possible relationships exist with the words "murmur" and "mutter".
Mummers' and guisers' plays were formerly performed throughout most of Great Britain and Ireland, as well as in other English-speaking parts of the world including Newfoundland and Saint Kitts and Nevis. In England, there are a few surviving traditional teams, but there have been many revivals, often associated nowadays with Morris dance and Sword dance groups. Mummers and guisers can be traced back at least to the middle ages, though when the term "mummer" appears in ancient manuscripts it is rarely clear what sort of performance was involved. A key element was visiting people in disguise at Christmas. At one time, in the royal courts, special allegorical plays were written for the mummers each year - for instance at the court of Edward III, as shown in a 14th Century manuscript, now in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. However, apart from being in rhyme, these plays were nothing like the current traditional plays, whose documented history only goes back as far as the mid-18th century.
Although usually broadly comic performances, the plays seem to be based on underlying themes of duality and resurrection and generally involve a battle between two or more characters, perhaps representing good against evil. Usually they feature a doctor who has a magic potion which is able to resuscitate a slain character.
In mummers’ plays, the central incident is the killing and restoring to life of one of the characters. First, the characters are introduced in a series of short speeches in which each personage has his own introductory announcement; then comes the drama. The principal characters, presented in a wide variety of manner and style, are a Hero, his chief opponent and a quack Doctor; the defining feature of mumming plays is the Doctor, and the main purpose of the fight is to provide him with a patient to cure. The hero sometimes kills and sometimes is killed by his opponent; in either case, the doctor comes to restore the dead man to life.
The name of the hero is most commonly Saint George, King George, or Prince George. His principal opponents are the Turkish Knight (in southern England and Turkish Champion in Ireland), or a valiant soldier named Slasher (elsewhere). Other characters include: Old Father Christmas (who introduces some plays), Beelzebub, Little Devil Doubt (who demands money from the audience), Robin Hood (an alternative hero in the Cotswolds), Galoshin (a hero in Scotland), etc. Despite the frequent presence of Saint George, the Dragon rarely appears in these plays; the few instances can all be traced back to a Cornish script published by William Sandys in 1833.
Occasionally, the performers will wear face-obscuring hats or other kinds of headgear, which create the impression of being masked. More often, mummers' faces are blackened or painted red by way of disguise. Many mummers and guisers, however, have no facial disguise at all.
Local seasonal variants
Although the main season for mumming throughout Britain was around Christmas, some parts of England had plays performed around All Souls' Day (known as Souling or soul-caking) or Easter (Pace-egging). In north-eastern England the plays are traditionally associated with Sword dances or Rapper dances.
In some parts of Britain and Ireland, the plays are traditionally performed on or near Plough Monday and are therefore known as Plough Plays. The performers were known by various names, according to area, such as Plough-jags, Plough-jacks, Plough-bullocks, Plough-stots or Plough witches. The Plough Plays of the East Midlands of England (principally Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire usually have a different plot from the Christmastime "St George" type of play and feature several different stock characters (including a Recruiting Sergeant, Tom Fool, Dame Jane and the "Lady bright and gay"). Tradition has it that plough boys would take their plays from house to house and perform in exchange for money or gifts, in a similar way to the American custom of Trick-or-treat; some teams pulled a plough and threatened to plough up people's front gardens or path if they did not pay up.
Christian Mystery Plays
The Christianisation of the folk tradition did not cause the village and street performances to cease, but rather created a second branch of the same tree. The church-sponsored cycles of mystery plays dramatised stories from the Bible for public enjoyment and learning. These include the Passion Play, which retold the story of the Crucifixion.
Other kinds of Mummers
The province of Newfoundland and Labrador, in Canada, has a two-hundred-year long tradition of Mummering or Janneying between Christmas and January 6 (Twelfth Day). In complete disguise the Mummers go from house to house to entertain and socialize. Often men dress as outsized women, but no one is supposed to be recognizable.
Philadelphia Mummers
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Philadelphia has its own tradition of mummers marching on New Year's Day. The Mummers are a fixture of the ethnic communities in South Philadelphia, and organized in a number of social clubs principally located on 2nd Street referred to by local residents as 2 St. There is a Mummers Museum dedicated to the history of Philadelphia Mummers at the corner of Washington Avenue and 2 Street.
About 15,000 mummers perform in the New Year's Day parade each year. The 7 mile long parade up Broad Street to City Hall starts early in the morning and much to the consternation of local officials, lasts until it's done. Thousands of Philadelphians line the route and visit open house parties. As a result, New Year's Day, not New Year's Eve is the day to celebrate in Philadelphia. The clubs participating in the televised parade are judged, and several hundred thousand dollars are awarded in prize money.
The Mummers are organized into four distinct types of troups: Comics, Fancies, String Bands, and Fancy Brigades. All Mummers dress in elaborate costumes. Comics often appear in a type of drag known as a "wench". Many Comic skits are based on current events and can be sophisticated, satirical or exuberantly sloppy. Fancies are comprised of a variety of spectacular costumes, often huge and covered in ostrich feathers. Mummer rules dictate that the wearer be able to move their costume unaided the length of the parade.
Arguably the most popular are the String Bands — large marching bands comprised of saxophones, banjos, violins, string basses, drums, glockenspiels, and accordions with dancers and backdrops. It's a distinctive sound that carries well outdoors. The Fancy Brigades only march in the parade. Since the 1990s they perform a complicated dance routine with elaborate backdrops to prerecorded music at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Both the String Bands and Fancy Brigades have evolved into highly choreographed, professionally costumed spectacles. At their best, it's like watching an entire sparkling Broadway play in 4 minutes; complete with dancers, costume changes, changes in scenery, and explosions of confetti. Both the String Bands and Fancy Brigades chose a theme upon which to base their elaborate routines. Popular past routines have evoked ancient Egypt, OZ, undersea life, Greek gods, Imperial Russia, The Moulin Rouge, and mythical wizards. What makes these spectacles even more amazing is that they must be mobile. Dedicated crews dressed in black roll the backdrops and large props as motor vehicles are not allowed.
The Mummers Parade is one of the last unsponsored events left in America. No corporate logos or sponsorship are allowed.
Adidam Mummery Sacred Theatre
A contemporary Sacred use of the mummery theatre concept has arisen within a small New Religious Movement named Adidam. The founder and Spiritual Teacher of Adidam, named Adi Da wrote a book now called The Mummery Book,(which he first began writing in 1957) expanded over many years into what he calls a “Liturgical Theatre”. It is performed at the Adidam Ashram (or Retreat Sanctuary) named “The Mountain of Attention”, located in Clear Lakes Highland in Northern California, at least once annually and often several times a year. It uses artistically talented formal members of Adidam with some professional help. The central theme, meaning and script content of the The Mummery Book and its theatrical impact appear to be related (most closely) to this definition of mummery "a ridiculous, hypocritical, or pretentious ceremony or performance." [1]
Music
There are several traditional songs associated with mumming plays; the "calling-on" songs of sword dance teams are related:
- The Singing of the Travels by the Symondsbury Mummers, appears on SayDisc CD-SDL425 English Customs and Traditions (1997) along with an extract from the Antrobus, Cheshire, Soulcakers' Play
- It also appears on the World Library of Folk and Primitive Music. Vol 1. England, Rounder 1741, CD (1998/reis), cut#16b
- The Singing of the Travels was also recorded by the Silly Sisters (Maddy Prior and June Tabor). Silly Sisters, Takoma TAK 7077, LP (1977), cut# 6 (Singing the Travels)
- A Calling-on Song by Steeleye Span from their first album Hark! The Village Wait is based on a sword-dance or pace-egg play calling-on song, in which the characters are introduced one by one
- The Mummers' Dance, a song from the album The Book of Secrets, by Loreena McKennitt refers to traditional mummers' play as performed in Ireland
- England in Ribbons, a song by Hugh Lupton and Chris Wood is based around the characters of a traditional English mummers' play. It gave its name to a two hour programme of traditional and traditionally-rooted English music, broadcast by BBC Radio 3 as the culmination of a whole day of English music, on St George's Day 2006 [2]
- The Mummer's Song, performed by the Canadian folk group Great Big Sea, is an arrangement of the traditional song The Mummer's Carol, which details the Mummer tradition in Newfoundland and Labrador
See also
External links
Mummers' Plays Proper
Mystery Plays
Philadelphia Mummers
Other related customs