A Short History of Mumming

The Origin of Mummer Plays is believed to be rooted in the oldest of pagan ceremonies combined with the "Lord of Misrule" customs, and were a traditional part of Christmas at the Court of Edward III (1327-77).  In the early middle Ages the Church introduced Saints and Old Testament Prophets into the drama to produce Christian Miracle Plays, but perhaps it was the other way round. Despite the efforts of the Clergy and the popularity of the Miracle Plays, they never quite succeeded in ousting the old pagan Mumming Plays, which remain popular to this day.  In these the players disguised themselves by blacking their faces or by wearing masks, and garments made from ribbon or strips of paper, a custom that still survives. The practice is based on an ancient belief that if the Mummers were recognised, the magical power of their play would be broken. Although there are many regional variations, the main plot of the traditional mumming play revolves around a battle between Saint George and an enemy who is variously called The Turkish Knight, Bold Slasher, or the Black Prince of Paradise.  The climax comes when one or other of the protagonists is killed.  The Doctor then intervenes and miraculously restores him to life.  This simple story symbolises the eternal struggle of good & evil, light & darkness, fertile spring & sterile winter - an expression of man's preoccupation with the cycle of the seasons.

The Longford Mummers perform the Bampton Mummers' Play, which originates from the South West Oxfordshire village of Bampton. The play has been performed there on Christmas Eve for over a hundred years. The Bampton play resembles many other Mummers' plays and has ten characters - with such characters as Father Christmas, Robin Hood, St. George, a 'Doctor', and a Prussian King - and is performed in two acts, which researchers have shown is unique in itself, since other Mummer plays have only one act. The plot however, seems to be very close to the other plays performed elsewhere, with people being killed, but then revived by the Doctor. The acts of being killed and then being raised from the dead, may have something to do with pagan rituals of the past, and indeed could be an echo of real human sacrifice designed to ensure the return of the sun in times when the nights were longest. Alternatively, it could be linked simply to the death of the old year, and the birth of the new. But the truth is that the origins of the plays have been lost in the mists of time.

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