Mummers Plays As We Know Them Today, Have a Very Convoluted History

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Mummers Plays As We Know Them Today, Have a Very Convoluted History 1 Sermonette A Millennia of Mummers I was first introduced to the Christmas concept of the mummer’s plays while serving as minister in the Wakefield Mass UU congregation, who created their own version of this ancient script and opened it to the public just before Christmas, over 10 years ago and it has become a very popular and well attended annual event. I would like to share some background on the play you will be seeing this morning. The word Mumming comes from the word mime which began initially as a folk play, a silent pantomime or mum dramatic performance. In time words were added to enhance the story. Its origins also come from the Greek term for mask known as “masking” or “guising”and costumes were later created and worn, which went along with the story being told. Over the years mummers in The British Isles and across Europe acted out a number of ritualized folk tales which date back a thousand years to the pagan rituals of fertility, death and revival. Historically the Mummers Plays as we know them today, have a very convoluted history. They are rooted in the practices of the early pagan societies of Europe and have been adapted by the early church fathers to reflect the legend of St. George and the Dragon. The story has been elaborated upon over the years and is filled with mysticism, and silliness, all with religious undertones, depending upon the country of its origin and the purpose the actors have attributed to their performance. To give you a bit of early history beginning with St. George- from an article by Tom Homes, he writes “There is almost nothing known of the early years of Saint George's life. He was born sometime in the year 263AD, in the city of Lydia near Jerusalem… Ancient storytellers told of legends of an Eastern city called Salem where a terrifying dragon lived in a swamp nearby. The dragon demanded a daily 2 tribute of sheep and cattle. Soon, after exhausting these food supplies, the dragon demanded the sacrifice of two children a day. A lottery system was devised to pick the victims. Cleodolinda, the daughter of the King, was chosen for that day's sacrifice. As Cleodolinda was sadly proceeding to her doom, along came the knight George. Seeing the dragon about to gulp down the lovely princess, George promised the citizens deliverance from their troubles. After making the sign of the cross, he transfixed the dragon with his lance and wounded it with his magic sword Ascalon. George then had the princess bind the beast with her girdle. The dragon then became docile and tame, and followed the princess and George back to the city. There in the market square, George killed the dragon with his lance. As George was killing the dragon, he told the city citizens that this act was to show the power of God. Not only was the princess saved and the city relieved, the people gave up their idols and accepted Christianity. George was said to have married the princess and lived happily ever after. George was canonized by Pope Gelasius in 494AD. St. George was said to exemplify courage, devotion, piety, leadership, truthfulness and dedication. Crusaders venerated him and wore his cross (red on a white background). Which we see so often in the movies! King Edward III of England chose George to be the patron Saint for the Knight of the Garter. During this time he also became the patron Saint of Portugal and Italy. Czarina Catherine II founded the Russian Order of Saint George. Lord Baden Powell founder of the boy scouts also choose St. George as the patron saint of the Boys Scouts. If you think of this tale as an allegory rather than a legend; with Saint George representing Christianity and the dragon as paganism, this shows us how good triumphs over evil.” 3 End of quote… So, you might be asking, ‘what does the story of St. George and the Dragon have to do with mummers plays?” Actually, the root of our Christmas celebrations and rituals are decidedly pagan in origin and have remained so to this day. In 400 BC, the Romans used mumming to honor the God Saturn and to celebrate the harvesting of crops which began on December 17th. It was a day of visiting friends and exchanging gifts to celebrate the feast of Saturnalia. On the British isles, mummers celebrated the end of the year and the return of spring, their folk dramas focused on the theme of death and rebirth as part of their winter Celtic rituals. Many of these local mummers plays were passed on by word of mouth and the few that were actually written down have been lost. After the rise of Christianity, Pagan rituals and ceremonies were forbidden and punishable by death, however they were difficult to obliterate completely and were co-opted by the Early Christians for their own purposes. The Celtic message was revised to lash out against paganism. Due to the proximity of the winter pagan rituals to the declared birth of Jesus in December, the plays took on a decidedly Christian theme and Father Christmas was injected into the play. During the middle ages, the mummers added dialogue and the poorer citizens would appear on the streets in costume during the 12 days of Christmas and go door to door, dramatizing the story and would receive nuts, fruit or cakes in return for their performance. The legend of St. George continued to be a focal point of the impromptu dialogues and the message appeared to weave back and forth from the death of the dragon as representing the destruction of the evils of paganism, to the more modern version in the 19th century as the resurrection and preservation of the dragon lending hope to the value of compromise and good will at Christmas time. Again, it all depended upon who was scripting the play, and for what purpose it was being presented. 4 This morning the First UU theatre Group has adapted their mummers play from the Wakefield Ma. version, In the mummers tradition, preserving yet re-inventing the main characters of; The Fool who usually serves as narrator, Father Christmas who in medieval times wandered around knocking on doors and feasing with families, bearing no gifts and never slid down chimney pots as they were much too small for his hefty physique! There is Johnny Jack, who in midlevel times asked for money from the rich to give to charity, then of course there’s St. George himself who slays the dragon of evil, and the quack doctor, who through no particular skill or training revives the dragon! Naturally the theater group included their own unique dialogue and interpretation. With no further commentary I am delighted to present our own Mummers play, “St. George and the Dragon of Procrastination.” A Mummers Play: “St. George and the Dragon of Procrastination” Adapted and Presented by The First UU Theatre Readers Group .
Recommended publications
  • Definition of Pantomime: ​A Theatrical Entertainment, Mainly for Children
    Definition of Pantomime: A theatrical entertainment, mainly for children, which involves music, topical jokes, and slapstick comedy and is ​ based on a fairy tale or nursery story, usually produced around Christmas. A typical Pantomime storyline: Normally, a pantomime is an adapted fairytale so it is usually a magical love story which involves something ​ going wrong (usually the fault of an evil baddy) but the ending (often after a fight between good and evil) is always happy and results in true love. Key characters in Pantomime: The female love interest, e.g Snow White, Cinderella etc The Handsome Prince e.g Prince Charming The evil character e.g the evil Queen in Snow White The faithful sidekick - e.g Buttons in Cinderella The Pantomime Dame - provides most of the comedy - an exaggerated female, always played by a man for laughs How to act in a pantomime style: 1. Your character is an over-the-top type’, not a real person, so exaggerate as much as you can, in gesture, voice and movement 2. Speak to the audience - if you are a ‘Goody’, your character must be likeable or funny. If you are a ‘Baddy’, insult your audience, make them dislike you from the start. 3. There is always a narrator - make sure she knows speaks confidently and knows the story well. 4. Encourage the audience to be involved by asking for the audience’s help, e.g “If you see that naughty boy will you tell me?” 5. If you are playing that ‘naughty boy’, make eye contact with the audience and creep on stage.
    [Show full text]
  • Hutman Productions Publications Each Sale Helps Us to Maintain Our Informational Web Pages
    Hutman Productions Publications Mail Order Catalog, 4/17/2020 P R E S E N T S: The Very Best Guides to Traditional Culture, Folklore, And History Not Just a "good read" but Important Pathways to a better life through ancient cultural practices. Each sale helps us to maintain our informational web pages. We need your help! For Prices go Here: http://www.cbladey.com/hutmanbooks/pdfprices.p df Our Address: Hutman Productions P.O. 268 Linthicum, Md. 21090, U.S.A. Email- [email protected] 2 Introduction Publications "Brilliant reference books for all the most challenging questions of the day." -Chip Donahue Hutman Productions is dedicated to the liberation of important resources from decaying books locked away in reference libraries. In order for people to create folk experiences they require information. For singing- people need hymnals. Hutman Productions gathers information and places it on web pages and into publications where it can once again be used to inform, and create folk experiences. Our goal is to promote the active use in folk experiences of the information we publish. We have helped to inform countless weddings, wakes, and celebrations. We have put ancient crafts back into the hands of children. We have given songs to the song less. We have provided delight and wonder to thousands via folklore, folk music and folk tale. We have made this information freely accessible. We could not provide these services were it not for our growing library of 3 publications. Take a moment to look them over. We hope that you too can use them as primary resources to inform the folk experiences of your life.
    [Show full text]
  • Merry Krampus: Alternative Holiday Praxis in The
    MERRY KRAMPUS: ALTERNATIVE HOLIDAY PRAXIS IN THE CONTEMPORARY UNITED STATES by KIRK ANDREW PETERSON A THESIS Presented to the Folklore Program and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts June 2019 THESIS APPROVAL PAGE Student: Kirk Andrew Peterson Title: Merry Krampus: Alternative Holiday Praxis in the Contemporary United States This thesis has been accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts degree in the Folklore Program by: Daniel Wojcik Chairperson Doug Blandy Member and Janet Woodruff-Borden Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School Original approval signatures are on file with the University of Oregon Graduate School. Degree awarded June 2019 ii © 2019 Kirk Andrew Peterson This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (United States) License. iii THESIS ABSTRACT Kirk Andrew Peterson Master of Arts Folklore Program June 2019 Title: Merry Krampus: Alternative Holiday Praxis in the Contemporary United States Since the early twenty-first century, individuals in the US have discovered the enduring winter tradition from Alpen Austria known as Krampusnacht. These events center around the figure of the Krampus, a beast-like, punishing “devil” that accompanies St. Nicholas on December 5, the eve of his feast day. By 2010, groups of people in US cities were staging their own Krampusnacht processions in downtown areas, referencing the European enactments while simultaneously innovating their embodiments to meaningfully interact with the Christmas season in the United States. Participation in these events increases annually and the Krampus figure’s presence online and in popular media is on the rise.
    [Show full text]
  • English Christmas Pantomime: Theatre Or Community Activism
    Journal of Literature and Art Studies, July 2016, Vol. 6, No. 7, 804-810 doi: 10.17265/2159-5836/2016.07.011 D DAVID PUBLISHING English Christmas Pantomime: Theatre or Community Activism Pete Reader, MFA Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, USA How is English Christmas panto community activism? The structure of pantomime has not changed in a hundred years, but allows for local creativity to work within its framework to be both family entertainment and social satire. This basic structure is founded on a children’s story like Puss’n’boots or Cinderella. The story and character types remain the same; but the community can add their own jokes and commentary to make the play relevant to themselves and their community. What is added by the community says a lot about who they are and what they care about. The company Price-Waterhouse-Coopers produces their pantomime as management training and team building while engaging the community. The Basel Swiss panto raises money for African Charities. The Maplewood, NJ panto raises money for the homeless and the Jaguar Charity panto in Birmingham performs to disadvantaged children and adults. The productions can be extravagant or threadbare, but share the same goal of raising cheer and goodwill to the benefit of the community. What is it, then, about panto that brings a community together in such civic mindedness? Keywords: English Christmas pantomine, community engagement, theatre, activism Historical Overview English Christmas Pantomime is an odd form of theatre that serves as a vehicle for local communities to come together, in a form of civic activism, to present plays for the benefit of the community and local charities.
    [Show full text]
  • Viaduct 1.15
    1 pg. 4-5 Article Message from the Seneschel Pg. 7-10 Pg. 11 1 st Thursday of each month at Sachem Public Library (Holbrook) at 7:30pm For additional information please contact Master Jean Xavier [email protected] Take the Long Island Expressway at to Exit 61, Patchogue-Holbrook All are welcome. Officers are encouraged to attend. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Road, CR-19 towards Patchogue/ Holbrook. Merge onto Hawkes Reache Expressway Drive South, turn left Every other month as follows: at Holbrook Road. The January, March, May, July, September & November. library is at 150 Holbrook Road 631-588-5024 Contact Seneschal Lady Michele the Ubiquitous . January 2018 2 Baronial Officers Baron & Baroness [email protected] 75 Aloma Road Rocky Point, NY 11778 Baron Titus Aurelius Magnus m.org [email protected] (Kevin Dowd) *Deputy Knight Marshal* (516) 810-3108 (before 9pm) Deputy (Fencing) *Deputy* [email protected] Lord Eanraig the Bonesetter Chronicler Baroness Sorcha Of (Jim Best D.O) Lady Hermina de Pagan Stonegrave Rockhill Road (Bettilou Torres) (Pamala J. Jacques) Rocky Point, NY, 11778 (631)428-0699 (516) 318-3203 (before 9pm) 631-849-4066 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] g Seneschal Deputy (Archery) Chatelaine Master Jean Xavier Boullier Lady Genevieve Velleman Lady Onóra Ingheann Ui (Peter Boullianne) Deputy (Thrown Weapons) Rauirc (631) 603-7138 before 10pm Lord Magnus de Londres (Michelle Sanchez) [email protected]. (Paul Holm) [email protected] org 23 Skylark Ave g *Deputy* Holtsville, NY 11742 631-972-5195 (texting preferred) Lady Elisaid *Deputy* Webminister Historian Mistress of Arts & Sciences Saravit of House Three Skulls Baroness Mistress Suzanne Oda Lally (Saravit Chuapraset) Neuber de Londres (Courteney Bennett) [email protected].
    [Show full text]
  • Twelfth Night Study Guide.Qxd
    Twelfth NightTeacher Director Guide ISBN 978-0-9738655-3-0 Copyright for the Shakespeare Out Loud series The copyright for the 12 plays of the Shakespeare Out Loud series are owned by Shakespeare Out Loud INC. Pdf scripts may be downloaded from our website, printed and distributed to students and actors for free. The scripts may not be sold or marketed in any way, in any country, in any medium (in whole, in part or adapted) without the express written consent of Shakespeare Out Loud INC. For schools or school boards wishing to print and sell scripts to students, educational re-distribution rights may be purchased by contacting [email protected]. Shakespeare Out Loud INC owns the performance rights for all twelve texts and charges a $25/performance fee for all productions where admission is charged. The performance fees are due before the first paid performance. Rodger Barton Shakespeare Out Loud INC www.shakespeareoutloud.ca [email protected] 1 Table of Contents Introduction 2 - 11 Day 1 12 Day 2 1,1 - 1,3 notes 15 Day 3 1,4 - 1,5 notes 21 Day 4 & onwards Act 2 - Act 5 notes 28 - 49 Practice pieces 50 - 75 Tests 76 - 99 Casting sheets 100 - 103 Scene by scene synopses 104 - 108 Daily participation grades 109 Reading, vocabulary and other test scores 110 Rhetorical devices 111 - 113 A Shakespeare timeline summary 114 - 116 Photocopying the contents of this publication is permitted only for the use of students employing the texts of the Shakespeare Out Loud series. © Shakespeare Out Loud INC. 2 SHAKESPEARE OUT LOUD All English teachers want their students to play with Shakespeare's language.
    [Show full text]
  • Newsletter of the Barony of Bright Hills December 2018 • Volume 32
    The Yeoman Newsletter of the Barony of Bright Hills December 2018 • Volume 32, Issue 13 The Story Behind the Cover Image In This Edition Important in the celebration of Christmas was the banquet, which necessarily varied in sumptuousness The Story Behind the Cover Image .............................. 2 with the resources of the celebrants. The menu varied Baronial 12th Night ....................................................... 2 with soups and stews, birds and fish, breads and A Note from your Chronicler ........................................ 2 puddings, but a common element was the Yule boar, an Greetings from their Excellencies ................................ 3 animal for those who could afford it or a pie shaped like Minutes of the Bright Hills Board Meeting ................... 4 a boar for more humble tables. Churches and houses were decorated with ivy, mistletoe, holly, or anything Atlantian Calendar ........................................................ 6 green, which remained up until the eve of Candlemass. Upcoming Events ......................................................... 7 The gift-giving of the season was represented by the Lore from the Larder: Christmas Feasts: ........................... 8 New Year Gift, which continued a tradition of Roman Seven Medieval Christmas Traditions ........................ 10 origin. Seasons Greetings ..................................................... 14 Books of Knowledge ................................................... 15 Calendar page for February in British Library MS Practices
    [Show full text]
  • LITTLE LIGHT of LOVE
    LITTLE LIGHT of LOVE By the Rev. John Wintermute Performance Rights It is an infringement of the federal copyright law to copy or reproduce this script in any manner or to perform this play without royalty payment. All rights are controlled by Eldridge Publishing Co., Inc. Call the publisher for additional scripts and further licensing information. The author's name must appear on all programs and advertising with the notice: "Produced by special arrangement with Eldridge Publishing Co.” PUBLISHED BY Eldridge Publishing Company PO Box 14367 Tallahassee, FL 32317 95church.com © 1991 by Eldridge Publishing Company Download your complete script from Eldridge Publishing https://95church.com/little-light-of-love LITTLE LIGHT OF LOVE -2- STORY OF THE PLAY Here's an unusual and touching candlelight service. Guardian angels Gabriel and Agnes are confused when they hear God is sending the Prince of Peace to earth as a baby. A baby!? No army, no muscle, no clout? Then the Child will certainly need the best home and education to succeed. As they argue over the details, they realize He has already been born. The two angels then help the only way they can. From one stable candle they start lighting candles of the congregation to "light the waiting hearts of all those who stand in the dark." Performance time approximately 20 minutes. LITTLE LIGHT OF LOVE -3- PRODUCTION NOTES The two angels may stand, one behind the pulpit and the other behind the lectern, or if there is no lectern, then both can stand behind the pulpit with the telephone and telescope on the top of the pulpit.
    [Show full text]
  • Drama Revision Guide Year 7: Pantomime
    Drama revision guide Year 7: Pantomime The History of Pantomime Pantomime literally means “all kinds” of “mime” (panto-mime) . It is generally acknowledged that British pantomime is modelled on the early masques of the Elizabethan and Stuart days. In the 14th century the early masques were musical, mime or spoken dramas, usually performed in grand houses although by the 17th century they were really no more than an excuse for a theme party. The timing of the British pantomime at Christmas and the role reversal of the lead characters (the principal boy being played by a girl and the Dame by a man) may have also evolved from the Tudor “Feast of Fools”, presided over by the Lord of Misrule. The feast was an unruly event, involving much drinking, revelry and role reversal. The Lord of Misrule, normally a commoner with a reputation of knowing how to enjoy himself, was selected to direct the entertainment. The festival is thought to have originated from the benevolent Roman masters who allowed their servants to be the boss for a while. Social Context Pantomimes take place around the Christmas period and are nearly always based on well known children’s stories such as Peter Pan, Aladdin, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty etc. Pantomimes are performed not only in the best theatres in the land but also in village halls throughout Britain. Whether a lavish professional performance or a hammy local amateur dramatic production, all pantomimes are well attended. Pantomimes are a family show that aim to make both the children and parents laugh. There are recurring characters (stock characters) in Pantomimes.
    [Show full text]
  • Christmas on Stamps That Is. Ever Since the Words 'Xmas 1898' Appear
    Christmas has been around for over a hundred years – Christmas on stamps that is. Ever since the words ‘Xmas 1898’ appeared on an issue from Canada, over 150 countries have issued stamps to honor this holiday. Due to the high volume of stamps, in 1989, the American Topical Association asked Dorothy Henderson, then President of the Christmas Philatelic Club (CPC), to recommend someone to compile a list of Christmas stamps, which they could add to their collection of Topical CHECKLISTS. Everleigh (Ev) Foster (CPC #179), with the assistance of James (Jim) Bie (CPC #876) undertook the task, which took two and a half years to complete. It was published by the ATA in 1991 and listed every stamp (each with its own individual description) from 159 countries, from the earliest date of 1898 until 1990. It is currently still available from the ATA as "Christmas Stamps of the World" -- ATA Handbook 120. After 1990, an annual update was submitted by Mr. Foster and published in bi-monthly issues of CPC's newsletter, the YULE LOG. This continued until his death in 2000. After his passing, Christina Howland-Stitt (CPC #810) took over the task that had proven so helpful to Christmas stamp collectors. It is unfortunate that circumstances prevented Christina from being able to continue the work she had so ably undertaken. The current updates -- from 1991 on -- are now done by Patricia Prevey CPC #971. These have incorporated information taken from YULE LOG issues since the last entry in Ev Foster's "Christmas Stamps of the World", after which recent issues by country as they appear in Scott Magazine Monthly are used as the basis for the updated list appearing on this web site.
    [Show full text]
  • If He's the Man Who Are You?
    1 0 0 2 y l u J Restoring the hearts of the fathers to the children Don’t Know the Truth? Why Not Make It Up? But the monsters of the deep and the birds of prey are a similitude of covetous men and transgressors. For as the fish and the fowls are of one nature,–some indeed abide in their natural state, and do no harm to those weaker than themselves, but keep the law of God, and eat of the seeds of the earth; others of them, again, transgress the law of God, and eat flesh, and injure those weaker than themselves: thus, too, the righteous, keeping the law of God, bite and injure none, but live holily and righteously. But robbers, and murderers, and godless persons are like monsters of the deep, and wild beasts, and birds of prey; for they virtually devour those weaker than themselves. The race, then, of fishes and of creeping things, though partaking of God's blessing, received no very distinguish- ing property. And on the sixth day, God having made the quadrupeds, and wild beasts, and the land reptiles, pronounced no blessing upon them, reserving His blessing for man, whom He was about to create on the sixth day. The quadrupeds, too, and wild beasts, were made for a type of some men, who neither know nor worship God, but mind earthly things, and repent not. For those who turn from their iniquities and live righteously, in spirit fly upwards like birds, and mind the things that are above, and are wellpleasing to the will of God.
    [Show full text]
  • TWELFTH Nightphiladelphia Area
    THE MISSION OF THE PHILADELPHIA SHAKESPEARE THEATRE IS “TO BE A WORLD-CLASS SHAKESPEARE COMPANY, AND TO BRING OUR EDUCATION PROGRAMS TO EVERY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT IN THE REGION.” Each year, our education program, The Open Door Project, SCHOOL TOUR reaches 5,000–6,000 students in over 70 campuses in the Greater Our school tour brings live theatre into auditoriums, cafeterias, TWELFTH NIGHTPhiladelphia area. In the last twenty years over 80,000 high school and gymnasiums. Our 75-minute adaptations of Hamlet and and middle school students have been served. Our curriculum is Macbeth are performed by four professional actors and are approved by 10 area school districts and complies with the common followed by a discussion with the actors. Many students say core curriculum. The Theatre received a Resolution from the City seeing the play performed live helps them to not only understand STUDY GUIDE Council of Philadelphia honoring the theatre for its commitment the plot and language, but to feel emotions that they could not to producing excellent Shakespeare productions and education access when the words lived only on the page. programming, and making both accessible to all. We also received the Excellence in Theatre Education and Community Service Award, TEACHER WORKSHOP sponsored by the Virginia and Harvey Kimmel Arts Education Fund Each fall (November) we partner with The Folger Shakespeare for The Open Door Project. Library to present The Shakespeare Set Free Workshop to demonstrate a new way of teaching Shakespeare and offer a wealth STUDENT MATINEES of practical resources for teachers. The workshop provides teachers Each school year, we offer 50 full-scale matinee performances with ACT 48 Credits, free tickets to our shows, a Page to Stage (Spring and Fall productions) complete with original music, sets Handbook, DVDs, and a flash drive loaded with teaching resources.
    [Show full text]