Difference between revisions of "Mummers of the British Isles"

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'''Mummers: groups of men who perform ritual plays in England and Ireland.'''
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Mumming originated from the Saturnalia festivities of ancient Rome, which arrived in Britain when the Romans occupied the country.<ref> [http://books.google.com/books?id=yBP8a2jJ9A4C&pg=PA81&lpg=PA81&dq=Mummers+in+%22Ancient+Rome%22&source=bl&ots=uSZagAgO7M&sig=NAJtBvqcyLXoVNRpgC7_1jyJu88&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result ] </ref>
  
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Mentioned in the works of Shakespeare, the plays are usually performed at around the time of significant dates e.g Spring Equinox and Winter Solstice, and always involve the death and magical resurrection of one or more of the characters. The symbolism of the dates and the magical resurrection point to the plays being the remnants of pre Christian religious practices and in spite of them often being performed on St Stephens day there are many Christians who view them with alarm.
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==Notes==
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<references />
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A typical Mummers Play will have characters such as:
 
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Betsy Bub – a male/female character who introduces the play and claims to be the mother of the protagonists.
 
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St George – the hero.
 
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The Turkish Knight – the villain.
 
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The Doctor – his magic revives the dead character.
 
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Big Head and Little Wits – a fool.
 
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Betsy Bub (Beelzebub) introduces the characters as her sons and calls St George into the room. He enters and boasts of his prowess. He is followed on by the Turkish Knight who threatens him and typically calls him a ‘Christian Dog.’. They fight and then one of them is slain, much to the distress of Betsy Bub. She calls for a Doctor who, after more boasting of how he can cure the sick and raise the dead to life again, proceeds to give the ‘dead’ man some medicine. This brings him back to life; they sing a song and the Fool passes a hat around begging money for strong drink.
 
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The blasphemous nature of the plays, the suggestion that a Doctor can raise the dead and the practice of the Mummers having their faces hidden from the audience by ribbons or rags and the begging that is associated with the plays has resulted in the past in the practice being illegal.
 
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[[Category:Theater]]
 

Revision as of 12:41, November 27, 2008

Mumming originated from the Saturnalia festivities of ancient Rome, which arrived in Britain when the Romans occupied the country.[1]

Notes

  1. ↑ [1]
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