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Highlights of the Wessex Morris Men mummers play performed at the Royal Oak, Cerne Abbas, Dorset Christmas 2004

Mummers Play

There are two major branches to the tradition of the Mummers’ Play (also known as mumming, and by various other regional names): firstly, the folk tradition of troupes of mummers performing theatre, sometimes in the street but more usually as house-to-house visits and in public houses; secondly, the more formal Christian Mystery plays. No firm conclusions have been come to regarding the etymology of the word “mummer”. It is usually believed to have originated from the Middle English word mum which means “silent” (suggesting that the plays were originally silent pantomimes), though some people have suggested a connection with mommo, the Greek word for “mask”, or mumme, the Danish word for “mask”. Other possible relationships exist with the words “murmur” and “mutter”.

Discover more Dorset traditions in the book ‘Dark Dorset Calendar Customs’, by Robert Newland, now available at Amazon.co.uk. Visit the Dark Dorset website, http://www.darkdorset.co.uk or blog http://darkdorset.blogspot.com
and open the door to a world of fascinating folklore and legends.

Duration : 0:4:57

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