Hi All,
Would someone be able to tell me a bit more about Mummers. I have searched on Google, and found out they are travelling Mimes, but wonder if it is something to do with religious beliefs as well, as I have come across someone who was apparently disowned for marrying into a Mummers Family.
Karen
Mummers.....
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JustJean
- Posts: 2520
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Hi Karen
What a neat question.....how interesting!! What year did this occur? I've always assumed that the Mummers were akin to those with ancient beliefs grounded in Nature worship like Druids. (Probably most of that assumption came from the lyrics to Loreena McKennit's song Mummer's Dance!) A trawl through the internet gives interesting bits and pieces a few of which appear below.
"A wandering band of nature-worshippers who performed various rituals and dances surrounding their beliefs in a Mother Goddess and the sacred properties of the Earth itself.
In the northern latitudes, midwinter's day has been an important time for celebration throughout the ages. On this shortest day of the year, the sun is at its lowest and weakest, a pivot point from which the light will grow stronger and brighter. This is the turning point of the year. The Romans called it Dies Natalis Invicti Solis, the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun.
The Roman midwinter holiday, Saturnalia, was both a gigantic fair and a festival of the home. Riotous merry-making took place, and the halls of houses were decked with boughs of laurel and evergreen trees. Lamps were kept burning to ward off the spirits of darkness. Schools were closed, the army rested, and no criminals were executed. Friends visited one another, bringing good-luck gifts of fruit, cakes, candles, dolls, jewellery, and incense. Temples were decorated with evergreens symbolizing life's continuity, and processions of people with masked or blackened faces and fantastic hats danced through the streets. The custom of mummers visiting their neighbours in costume is descended from these masked processions.
In ages past, throughout most of Europe, a seasonal festive celebration developed. For those who keep track of such things, it was a variation on the Winter/Spring cycle that figures prominently in modern Wicca. This celebration took several forms, but in the most prominent one, it involved a sacred play in which a main character, representing the current sovereignty of the land, was killed and brought back to life, and thus the land was rejuvenated. There was also a hybrid form of this play in which the band of revelers - also called Mummers - would go from home to home seeking alms for a feast. They would be playing the part of the characters in the play, dressed in their costumes."
Hope this is helpful
Jean
What a neat question.....how interesting!! What year did this occur? I've always assumed that the Mummers were akin to those with ancient beliefs grounded in Nature worship like Druids. (Probably most of that assumption came from the lyrics to Loreena McKennit's song Mummer's Dance!) A trawl through the internet gives interesting bits and pieces a few of which appear below.
"A wandering band of nature-worshippers who performed various rituals and dances surrounding their beliefs in a Mother Goddess and the sacred properties of the Earth itself.
In the northern latitudes, midwinter's day has been an important time for celebration throughout the ages. On this shortest day of the year, the sun is at its lowest and weakest, a pivot point from which the light will grow stronger and brighter. This is the turning point of the year. The Romans called it Dies Natalis Invicti Solis, the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun.
The Roman midwinter holiday, Saturnalia, was both a gigantic fair and a festival of the home. Riotous merry-making took place, and the halls of houses were decked with boughs of laurel and evergreen trees. Lamps were kept burning to ward off the spirits of darkness. Schools were closed, the army rested, and no criminals were executed. Friends visited one another, bringing good-luck gifts of fruit, cakes, candles, dolls, jewellery, and incense. Temples were decorated with evergreens symbolizing life's continuity, and processions of people with masked or blackened faces and fantastic hats danced through the streets. The custom of mummers visiting their neighbours in costume is descended from these masked processions.
In ages past, throughout most of Europe, a seasonal festive celebration developed. For those who keep track of such things, it was a variation on the Winter/Spring cycle that figures prominently in modern Wicca. This celebration took several forms, but in the most prominent one, it involved a sacred play in which a main character, representing the current sovereignty of the land, was killed and brought back to life, and thus the land was rejuvenated. There was also a hybrid form of this play in which the band of revelers - also called Mummers - would go from home to home seeking alms for a feast. They would be playing the part of the characters in the play, dressed in their costumes."
Hope this is helpful
Jean
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tishgibbons
- Posts: 302
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- Location: Galway, Ireland
In Ireland, mummers are people who dress up in fancy dress and go about playing music, dancing and/or reciting poetry usually on St. Stephen's Day (Boxing Day). The tradition may have come from itinerant musicians and it is the itinerant factor which might have caused the scandal you mention.
Tish
Tish
Researching Mitchell Grassick Bowman Farquharson Wilson Allanach Leys Coutts Gauld McNerney from Crathie and Braemar, Strathdon and Glenbuchat and who moved on to Aberdeen, Glasgow, Ireland, Australia, India, Canada.
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HeatherH
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Hi Karen The same is true of mummers in Newfoundland.They go about at christmas in costume and preform.Probably comes from the large Irish population on the island.
HK
HK
Looking for ...but not limited to Haldane ,Keir ,McLauchlan ,Walker ,Torrance , Reid ,Clark ,Johnstone ,Holmes ,Laurie ,Lawrie ,Strachan , McIlwee ,Welsh ,Queate ,Stewert ,McNight ,Steele ,Cockburn ,Young ....whew! That's more than enough for now.
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karenmcc
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- Location: australia
mummers
Hello and thank you all for your answers, I have had a bit of computer trouble so only saw them today.
The man in question was married in 1857 in Cambusnetham. This information was passed down by his granddaughter, So mayby it is just like family folk lore, although the fact that Mummers appear to have their roots in Pagan traditions and the itinerant factor probably did cause problems.
Thanks
Karen McCubbin
The man in question was married in 1857 in Cambusnetham. This information was passed down by his granddaughter, So mayby it is just like family folk lore, although the fact that Mummers appear to have their roots in Pagan traditions and the itinerant factor probably did cause problems.
Thanks
Karen McCubbin