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Another particularly disgusting and antisocial phenomenon in early English history was the despicable practice of mumming. This truly revolting pastime was responsible for much of the spread of disease and social unrest in the middle ages along with morris dancing. Mummers were not an uncommon sight in most English villages in mediaeval times, much to the dismay of ordinary decent people, who often could not leave their hovels without being mummed at in an obscene manner. "The mummers wudde comme in the wynter tyme and did mumme at uf in the ftreete. Af they were mumminge they wudde fucke flugges and fpitte them at uf and we wudde be ficke. They did verily ftinke lyke a midden and were wythe crabbes and lyce. Our beaftes did runne from them in dreadde wythe loofe bowels." It would appear that not everyone, however, was intimidated by their grotesquely nauseating presence: "Amos Platte the dunge feller faid they all hadde pox and did lobbe ftones at their uglie heddes then Madde Kevynne the blackfmythe did runne at them fcreaminge wythe a fticke." It would seem though, that these repulsive social outcasts were not without cunning, and were adept at swiftly pretending a theatrical bent in the presence of any disapproving authority figure. (Mumming was, naturally, frowned upon by Church and State alike.) "Wenne the fquire's menne did comme and fee to the dinne, the mummers did ftoppe mumminge at uf all of a fudden and faye riminge drivel and wudde verily fmile lyke puffes. Amos Platte the dunge feller did calle them morris dansers in fkirts and did twatte one wythe a bricke." Indeed, to this day there is a prevalent but misguided belief that mummers were a form of travelling theatre for the purpose of harmless entertainment. Mumming in its original form is now virtually unknown outside the hallowed portals of certain exclusive gentlemen's clubs, but there exists a whole repertoire of erroneously entitled "mummer's plays" which deluded enthusiasts purport to be of ancient traditional origin. Scientific evidence shows that these were in fact all written as a pointless whimsy in the mid 19th century by an offal and tripe monger from Cleethorpes known as 'One-eyed Wilfred'. *** |
Brampton Folk Festival
~ Traditional folk song and dance event ~
