Mummers 

Mummers' Plays have been performed in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland for hundreds of years. They are folk dramas based on the legend of St. George and the Seven Champions of Christendom. They were originally mime or dumb shows (Thus mummers from the Middle English word mum, meaning silent.) where all the performers were disguised and known as 'Guisers'. All the characters were played by men who kept the same part for many years. Eventually, dialogue was added, but was passed on by word-of-mouth. Consequently, the 'Chinese Whispers' effect over the centuries and the loss of the real significance of the original story, makes present day performances very entertaining but virtually meaningless to most audiences.

“It was the usual custom on New Year's Day for one's hall door to be suddenly thrown open, without any knocking, ringing or other ceremony, and five or six young men dressed in any eccentric or gay clothing they could get hold of (An old soldier's coat was especially prized), would enter in and then proceed to act a little rough play in the hall. They were always careful not to do any harm, though they pretended to be very wild fellows indeed.

'After a year or two they ceased to come, and their place was taken by a few village school boys, and now these are all grown up and have left the village, and the mummers come no more. Seeing that the custom was likely to die out, like may other relics of the past, I obtained the following words of the play, which I here append. In one or two places the meaning is not very clear, but I write it down as it was given to me, knowing that in the text of the Greek Testament the more difficult reading is usually the more correct one, we may well lose some valuable old allusion.'

I would like to thank the members of the Single Malt Song Society for performing a brilliant Mummers Play at our Hogmanay party.

They produced a marvellous rendition of St George and the Dragon which I belive is lying on the ballroom floor in a pool of blood!

Quick Word about the SMSS. Can you imagine why I would find an instant love of a group named -The Single Malt Song Society who meet to sing and drink (not in that order!)They came to a Burns night and sang some wonderful whisky lyrics and then did some more at a Hogmanay party here.

Here is there crest (translation Sing, Drink or Get out!) and their website.