‘Rise Up Dead Man and Fight Again’: Reviving and Defining Mumming in County Fermanagh Threase Chrisdina Finnegan-Kessie A dissertation presented by Threase Finnegan-Kessie to the Department of Anthropology in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology Maynooth University Department of Anthropology October 2015 Head of Department: Dr. Mark Maguire Supervisor: Dr. Steve Coleman Table of Contents List of Figures ......................................................................................................................... iv List of Abbreviations ............................................................................................................. vii Declaration ............................................................................................................................ viii Abstract ................................................................................................................................... ix Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................... x Prelude: Is this mumming? ...................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1: Introduction .......................................................................................................... 16 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 16 Aim of thesis ...................................................................................................................... 17 Overview of chapters ......................................................................................................... 17 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 20 Chapter Two: Literature Review............................................................................................ 21 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 21 Mapping the process .......................................................................................................... 21 Irish mumming in an academic context ............................................................................. 22 Impact of literature on the thesis: Methodology, perspective and the concept of time ...... 31 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 34 Chapter Three: Methodology ................................................................................................. 36 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 36 Theoretical perspective ...................................................................................................... 36 Research methodology ....................................................................................................... 40 Data analysis ...................................................................................................................... 45 Ethical considerations ........................................................................................................ 46 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 47 Chapter Four: First impressions of mumming ....................................................................... 48 Encountering mumming ..................................................................................................... 48 Summary of the content of Mummers, Masks and Mischief ............................................. 52 Understandings of the film ................................................................................................. 54 The use of Irish language ................................................................................................... 57 The symbolic use of flags .................................................................................................. 59 Christian and pre-Christian symbols .................................................................................. 62 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 66 Chapter Five: Conflict, the audience and mumming ............................................................. 68 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 68 Explaining the context of the conflict ................................................................................ 68 i Speaking of conflict through silence .................................................................................. 71 Speaking about conflict ...................................................................................................... 77 Audiences affirming their identity ..................................................................................... 86 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 88 Chapter Six: The impromptu revival of mumming in County Fermanagh ............................ 90 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 90 Jim’s role in mumming ...................................................................................................... 90 From the Mummers’ Festival to the Mummers’ Foundation ........................................... 100 The impromptu nature of revivals .................................................................................... 101 The Mummers’ Festival and Competition ....................................................................... 104 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 106 Chapter Seven: The museum and innovation in mumming ................................................. 107 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 107 Advertising the Mummers’ Museum ............................................................................... 125 The Mummers’ Museum and the mumming tradition ..................................................... 129 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 135 Chapter Eight: Dominant functions of the mumming mask ................................................ 137 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 137 The evolution of the mask ................................................................................................ 144 Pre-revival masks: To conceal and mark time ................................................................. 151 Revival masks: False faces, the distortion of “true reality” and symbolism .................... 154 Post-revival masks: The mummer, the character and creating a mask with power ......... 156 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 157 Chapter Nine: Mumming, music and the musician’s role.................................................... 159 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 159 A musician dressed in straw............................................................................................. 159 From pre-revival to post-revival: The role of the musician ............................................. 172 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 176 Chapter Ten: The audience and the mumming performance ............................................... 178 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 178 Make way for the ‘free’ mummers .................................................................................. 178 All Invoices, No Cash: Performances for the tourist audience ........................................ 194 The audience and mumming: Ritual and theatre.............................................................. 199 The role of the audience in a performance ....................................................................... 202 The impact of the audience on the performance .............................................................. 204 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 207 ii Chapter Eleven: Conclusion ................................................................................................ 208 Appendix A: Schedule of interviews and events attended ................................................... 217 Appendix B: Sample topic guide 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