
Home Page Abingdon Morris The Mayor of Ock Street The Ock Street Horns Recent events Coming events Abingdon Mummers The Morris Ring Abingdon Mummers Mummers plays have had a traditional place in Christmas festivities for hundreds of years, indeed their origins may well date back to the dawn of civilization itself. Believed to bring good luck to performers & onlookers alike, they tell in simple ritualistic terms the magical re-enactment of the eternal struggle between the powers of good & evil, or of light & darkness as the shortening days of Autumn submit to Winter, in turn followed by the re-awakening of life as Spring returns. The plays were usually passed on by word of mouth & inevitably they have become altered, only half remembered & sometimes so garbled as to be almost incomprehensible, yet always the simple message can be discerned. As there would appear to be no Abingdon version of the play still remembered, the Abingdon Mummers perform the Sunningwell Play as written down in 1948, & dress accordingly in the traditional disguise of costumes covered with strips of paper. Father Christmas (First Man) introduces a swaggering King George (Persian King) who is challenged & slain by Bold Slasher (The French Officer). The Magical Doctor is summoned to revive him & in the subsequent fight Bold Slasher is defeated, only to be brought back to life by Mrs. Finney the ever reviving Phoenix, or even Mother Earth. After a verse of mystic doggerel the Mummers circle round singing "We wish you a Merry Christmas" before collecting money for a charitable cause & departing to re-enact the performance elsewhere.		2008 Proceeds from 2008's appearances (Ł438.60) will go to Abingdon Young Peoples' Drop-in Centres (aka "The Bridge") - Registered Charity No 1038182. For more details contact Leslie Argyle on Abingdon (01235) 526732.

Abingdon Mummers

Mummers plays have had a traditional place in Christmas festivities for hundreds of years, indeed their origins may well date back to the dawn of civilization itself. Believed to bring good luck to performers & onlookers alike, they tell in simple ritualistic terms the magical re-enactment of the eternal struggle between the powers of good & evil, or of light & darkness as the shortening days of Autumn submit to Winter, in turn followed by the re-awakening of life as Spring returns. The plays were usually passed on by word of mouth & inevitably they have become altered, only half remembered & sometimes so garbled as to be almost incomprehensible, yet always the simple message can be discerned. As there would appear to be no Abingdon version of the play still remembered, the Abingdon Mummers perform the Sunningwell Play as written down in 1948, & dress accordingly in the traditional disguise of costumes covered with strips of paper. Father Christmas (First Man) introduces a swaggering King George (Persian King) who is challenged & slain by Bold Slasher (The French Officer). The Magical Doctor is summoned to revive him & in the subsequent fight Bold Slasher is defeated, only to be brought back to life by Mrs. Finney the ever reviving Phoenix, or even Mother Earth. After a verse of mystic doggerel the Mummers circle round singing "We wish you a Merry Christmas" before collecting money for a charitable cause & departing to re-enact the performance elsewhere.

2008

Proceeds from 2008's appearances (Ł438.60) will go to Abingdon Young Peoples' Drop-in Centres (aka "The Bridge") - Registered Charity No 1038182.

For more details contact Leslie Argyle on Abingdon (01235) 526732.