People called "mummers," dressed in guises of chaacters culled from folklore, would parade in a group from house to house. They sang holiday songs and performed seasonal plays or revels in exchange for a bit of holiday cheer: "hot mulled cier, or small beer, and homemade cakes." Before they left a dwelling, the would bestow a blessing on a household and its inhabitants. Those households foolish enough not to provide holiday cheer would receive no blessing and might be cursed with several choruses of purposely, painfully off-key singing until someone coughed up a few pennies. The American custom of Christmas caroling, or wassailing, derived directly from the old English custom of mumming. I may be showing my age here, but I can remember when Chistmas carolers, wandering through neighborhoods, were invited in for a cup of hot cocoa, eggnog, or fruitcake, after singing on someone's front lawn.
The acting in these revels or plays was often not very good. Indeed the word, "mumble," comes from "to mum" one's speech as a mummer. The lines were short, simple, and easy to remember, which leant actors to "hamming it up." The stock characters in the mummer plays were taken from folklore, stories, and contemporary events.
A favorite tale for Christmas mummings in England involved the legends of "Saint George." The stories had nothing to do with the Chrstian celebration of Christmas. However, Saint George was a saint, and the patron saint of England. So the story would be considered Christian enough to keep the medieval English Catholic church from being in much of an uproar about it.
Furthermore, if the story was Saint George and the Dragon, the tale could have the interpretation of Christianity (Saint George) triumphing over Evil (Dragon). Well, that was one way of looking at it, and, interestingly, it is the interpretation touted by most modern scholars. These versions emphasize the virtuous knight, Saint George, saving the helpless princess, who is to be sacrificed to the local Dragon, who is apparently feared as an ancient heathen God. (Anyone remember the movie, Dragonslayer?)
However, if one reads one of the older versions of the tale, a very different story line emerges. Saint George, "that shining hero," was often identified with the sun, who "dies" and is "reborn" at the winter solstice.
For example, the Fool, acting as the revel's Narator in the play on the album, In Celebration of the Winter Solstice, THE CHRSTMAS REVELS, Traditional and Ritual Carols, Dances and Processionals, said:
Saint George shall come and dieThe above lines from a mummer's play referred to the famous English Sword Dance. The pattern of the Sword Dance was an integral part of this version of the Saint George mummer's play. Six dancers encircled a seventh, the "hero," brandishing swords. Finally, they locked their swords into an impressive six-pointed star. The six-pointed star was held aloft by one of the dancers, then lowered around the neck of the seventh, in this case, Saint George, while the dancers drew the weapons out of their six-pointed star lock. (As above, so below.) Saint George was slain and fell motionless to the ground.
By swords that circle round his neck;
As winter dies, so shall he die,
And rise again as spring.
There are dozens of diferent versions. Saint George usually was revived by one of the characters in the revel. In many versions, this was done by the Doctor, representing the village magic practitioner, known as a fairy doctor, or cunningman. Sometimes Saint George was raised from the dead by the Jester/Fool or Father Christmas. In many versions, it was explained Saint George was healed, "not with pills." On those occasions when the Doctor played the role of a church-trained medical doctor, the character of the Doctor was usually represented as a buffoon who claimed something absurd, for example, the deceased had a toothache in his stomach. In all cases, life was restored to the hero by magic.
If Saint George represented the Invincible Sun, the Dragon represented the winter darkness, which overpowered the sun on the shortest day of the year. Yet, the Dragon was often slain by Saint George just before our hero himself was mortally struck down.
However, the Dragon was not the only opponent in the George plays. Different versions portray Saint George battling giants and other monsters. Sometimes Saint George fought an opponent in black armor. During the Crusades, the swarthy-skinned Turkish Knight represented darkness--as politically incorrect as that may be today--Turks made excellent villains in the eyes of 14th century Englishmen. I have read that in some versions, when he battled a human opponent, Saint George would examine the fallen villain and cry, "I have slain my only brother!" (Light Lord and Dark Lord?)
The English colonists brought mumming to these shores, but after the United States broke away from England, George Washington replaced the patron saint of England.
A newspaper article from the Pennsylvania Doyelstown Democrat (1885) recorded the American hero's opening lines:
Here am I, great Washington,His opponent, the Dragon, was also replaced by "Old Noll with his copper nose," who was the English Lord Cromwell, the Puritan leader who outlawed the Christmas celebrations in England. Sometimes George Washington battled old Beelzebub himself. (Bet they neve told you that about the Father of our Country in history class!)
On my shoulder I carry a gun.
Here comes I, old BeelzebubThe custom of mumming may have its roots in the old Pagan Saturnalia, which ran from December 17 to 23. Saturn, the Roman divinity presiding over sowing and animal husbandry, was the God of the vanished Golden Age. During this period of merry making and jubilation, masked revelers paraded in throngs through the streets of Rome. The Saturnalia custom of masking was condemned by the first Christian Trullan Council in 680-81 c.e. and then again in 690-91 c.e. by the second Trullan Council, because this practice was counted as "devilish." It is hard, however, to kill off a popular custom, and apparently masking simply transformed into mumming.
On my shoulder I carry a club.
Those interested in mumming and winter revels in general, should consider viewing one of the Christmas Revels performances in Washington, DC. The Washington Revels is a folklore group connected with John Langstaff's Christmas Revels in Cambridge, MA.
If you'd like to be part of a less professional performance, check out the Neo-Pagan Yule celebration on December 2, 2001 at the UU Church of Silver Spring, MD. This year's family-oriented ritual and party will feature a Yule mummers play adapted from the charming children's book There's a Dragon About, A Winter's Revel, by Richard and Roni Schotter. Our mummer's play will feature a Father Yule, who is a mixture of the modern USA Santa Claus and the kindly old Saturn.
Copyright 2001 Myth Woodling
Sources
Robert J. Myers, CELEBRATIONS, the Complete Book of American Holidays, 1972.
Richard and Roni Schotter, There's a Dragon About, A Winter's Revel, 1994.
In Celebration of the Winter Solstice, THE CHRISTMAS ROVELS, Traditional and Ritual Carols, Dances, and Processionals, directed by John Langstaff, Revels, Inc., Box 502, Cambridge, MA 02139, 1978.
This article was written as a handout for Darkover in 2001 to attract interest in our mummers play and Yule feast.