Judith Dressed as a Bird Mummer at the Brooklyn Ch…
Sancha Dressed as a Bird Mummer at the Brooklyn Ch…
Wench and "Captain" Jack Sparrow at the Fort Tryon…
Judith as a Fox Mummer at the Fort Tryon Park Medi…
Stormtrooper at the Fort Tryon Park Medieval Festi…
Stormtrooper at the Fort Tryon Park Medieval Festi…
Costumed Woman at the Fort Tryon Park Medieval Fes…
Detail of a Costumed Woman at the Fort Tryon Park…
Sancha Dressed as a Devil Mummer at the Brooklyn C…
Detail of Masqueraders by Raimundo de Madrazo y Ga…
Masqueraders by Raimundo de Madrazo y Garetta in t…
Detail of Masqueraders by Raimundo de Madrazo y Ga…
Two Girls in Disney Princess Costumes in Disneylan…
Boy Dressed as Captain Hook in Disneyland, 2003
Jack Sparrow Pirate Costume, 2003
Jack Sparrow Pirate Costume, 2003
Viking Drag Queens in New York City on Halloween,…
Mermaid in Deno's Wonder Wheel Park in Coney Islan…
Mermaid in Deno's Wonder Wheel Park in Coney Islan…
Viking Mermaids on the Boardwalk at the Coney Isla…
Mermaids and Neptune on the Boardwalk at the Coney…
Mermaid on the Boardwalk at the Coney Island Merma…
Mermaids on the Boardwalk at the Coney Island Merm…
Mermaids on the Boardwalk at the Coney Island Merm…
Mermaids on the Boardwalk at the Coney Island Merm…
Mermaids on the Boardwalk at the Coney Island Merm…
Doublemint Mermaids on the Boardwalk at the Coney…
Stilt-Walker at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade, J…
Carnival Girl on Cell Phone at the Coney Island Me…
Clam Shell Mermaid and the Paparazzi at the Coney…
Clam Shell Mermaid at the Coney Island Mermaid Par…
Clam Shell Mermaid at the Coney Island Mermaid Par…
Three Mermaids at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade,…
Starbucks Mermaid at the Coney Island Mermaid Para…
The Coney Island Mermaid Parade, June 2007
Geisha Girl Mermaids at the Coney Island Mermaid P…
Poodle World Float at the Coney Island Mermaid Par…
Poodle World Float at the Coney Island Mermaid Par…
Poodle World Float at the Coney Island Mermaid Par…
The Coney Island Mermaid Parade, June 2007
The Coney Island Mermaid Parade, June 2007
The Coney Island Mermaid Parade, June 2007
The Coney Island Mermaid Parade, June 2007
Turn of the Century Bathers at the Coney Island Me…
The King and Queen at the Coney Island Mermaid Par…
The Coney Island Mermaid Parade, June 2007
Lobster "Retro" Couple and Grungy Ronald McDonald…
Splash Gordon at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade,…
Lobster Girl at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade, J…
The Coney Island Mermaid Parade, June 2007
Another Goth Mermaid on a Cell Phone at the Coney…
Dancing Silver Mermaid at the Coney Island Mermaid…
Hula Guy and Shark at the Coney Island Mermaid Par…
Goth Mermaid at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade, J…
Girl Wearing Stuffed Toys at the Coney Island Merm…
The Coney Island Mermaid Parade, June 2007
Chicken of the Sea at the Coney Island Mermaid Par…
The Coney Island Mermaid Parade, June 2007
The Creature from the Black Lagoon at the Coney Is…
The Creature from the Black Lagoon at the Coney Is…
Jellyfish at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade, June…
Miniature King Nepture and Mermaid Getting Dressed…
Baby Mermaid & Neptune at the Coney Island Mermaid…
Seated Mermaid at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade,…
Portrait of a Mermaid at the Coney Island Mermaid…
TK-421, Show Me the Money!, 2003
TK-421, Do You Copy?, 2003
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In Red, White, and Blue at the Coney Island Mermai…
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Mebdh as a Mummer at the Brooklyn Children's Museum, 2004
Taken with a throwaway camera.
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".
Mummers' and guisers' plays were formerly performed throughout most of Great Britain and Ireland, as well as in other English-speaking parts of the world including Newfoundland and Saint Kitts and Nevis. In England, there are a few surviving traditional teams, but there have been many revivals, often associated nowadays with Morris dance and Sword dance groups. Mummers and guisers can be traced back at least to the middle ages, though when the term "mummer" appears in ancient manuscripts it is rarely clear what sort of performance was involved. A key element was visiting people in disguise at Christmas. At one time, in the royal courts, special allegorical plays were written for the mummers each year - for instance at the court of Edward III, as shown in a 14th Century manuscript, now in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. However, apart from being in rhyme, these plays were nothing like the current traditional plays, whose documented history only goes back as far as the mid-18th century.
Although usually broadly comic performances, the plays seem to be based on underlying themes of duality and resurrection and generally involve a battle between two or more characters, perhaps representing good against evil. Usually they feature a doctor who has a magic potion which is able to resuscitate a slain character.
In mummers’ plays, the central incident is the killing and restoring to life of one of the characters. First, the characters are introduced in a series of short speeches in which each personage has his own introductory announcement; then comes the drama. The principal characters, presented in a wide variety of manner and style, are a Hero, his chief opponent and a quack Doctor; the defining feature of mumming plays is the Doctor, and the main purpose of the fight is to provide him with a patient to cure. The hero sometimes kills and sometimes is killed by his opponent; in either case, the doctor comes to restore the dead man to life.
The name of the hero is most commonly Saint George, King George, or Prince George. His principal opponents are the Turkish Knight (in southern England and Turkish Champion in Ireland), or a valiant soldier named Slasher (elsewhere). Other characters include: Old Father Christmas (who introduces some plays), Beelzebub, Little Devil Doubt (who demands money from the audience), Robin Hood (an alternative hero in the Cotswolds), Galoshin (a hero in Scotland), etc. Despite the frequent presence of Saint George, the Dragon rarely appears in these plays; the few instances can all be traced back to a Cornish script published by William Sandys in 1833.
Occasionally, the performers will wear face-obscuring hats or other kinds of headgear, which create the impression of being masked. More often, mummers' faces are blackened or painted red by way of disguise. Many mummers and guisers, however, have no facial disguise at all.
Local seasonal variants
Although the main season for mumming throughout Britain was around Christmas, some parts of England had plays performed around All Souls' Day (known as Souling or soul-caking) or Easter (Pace-egging). In north-eastern England the plays are traditionally associated with Sword dances or Rapper
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".
Mummers' and guisers' plays were formerly performed throughout most of Great Britain and Ireland, as well as in other English-speaking parts of the world including Newfoundland and Saint Kitts and Nevis. In England, there are a few surviving traditional teams, but there have been many revivals, often associated nowadays with Morris dance and Sword dance groups. Mummers and guisers can be traced back at least to the middle ages, though when the term "mummer" appears in ancient manuscripts it is rarely clear what sort of performance was involved. A key element was visiting people in disguise at Christmas. At one time, in the royal courts, special allegorical plays were written for the mummers each year - for instance at the court of Edward III, as shown in a 14th Century manuscript, now in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. However, apart from being in rhyme, these plays were nothing like the current traditional plays, whose documented history only goes back as far as the mid-18th century.
Although usually broadly comic performances, the plays seem to be based on underlying themes of duality and resurrection and generally involve a battle between two or more characters, perhaps representing good against evil. Usually they feature a doctor who has a magic potion which is able to resuscitate a slain character.
In mummers’ plays, the central incident is the killing and restoring to life of one of the characters. First, the characters are introduced in a series of short speeches in which each personage has his own introductory announcement; then comes the drama. The principal characters, presented in a wide variety of manner and style, are a Hero, his chief opponent and a quack Doctor; the defining feature of mumming plays is the Doctor, and the main purpose of the fight is to provide him with a patient to cure. The hero sometimes kills and sometimes is killed by his opponent; in either case, the doctor comes to restore the dead man to life.
The name of the hero is most commonly Saint George, King George, or Prince George. His principal opponents are the Turkish Knight (in southern England and Turkish Champion in Ireland), or a valiant soldier named Slasher (elsewhere). Other characters include: Old Father Christmas (who introduces some plays), Beelzebub, Little Devil Doubt (who demands money from the audience), Robin Hood (an alternative hero in the Cotswolds), Galoshin (a hero in Scotland), etc. Despite the frequent presence of Saint George, the Dragon rarely appears in these plays; the few instances can all be traced back to a Cornish script published by William Sandys in 1833.
Occasionally, the performers will wear face-obscuring hats or other kinds of headgear, which create the impression of being masked. More often, mummers' faces are blackened or painted red by way of disguise. Many mummers and guisers, however, have no facial disguise at all.
Local seasonal variants
Although the main season for mumming throughout Britain was around Christmas, some parts of England had plays performed around All Souls' Day (known as Souling or soul-caking) or Easter (Pace-egging). In north-eastern England the plays are traditionally associated with Sword dances or Rapper
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