Twelfth Night

Our 2010 performances postponed to Sun 17th becuase of the snow. The late adoption of our current calendar system, technically makes the 17th the original Twelfth Night - see the Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar#Adoption_in_Europe) for the details.

Named for being the twelfth day after Christmas Day [1], UK tradition has it that it is unlucky to leave Christmas decorations up after the 6th January. In common with many other Morris sides, Pilgrim Morris perform a traditional play on the night, visiting several local pubs and also singing traditional songs.

Origins

Prior to the Industrial Revolution [2], agricultural workers had a hard time making ends meet over the winter. So a tradition evolved of performing a folk play and passing the hat round for donations from the landed gentry who had been entertained. However, since begging was illegal, it became common practice for the players to disguise themselves, wearing clothes covered with cloth tatters and blacking their faces with burnt cork.

The plays are typically performed in rhyme, feature a selection of common characters, and sometimes contain short dances and songs. There are two websites solely dedicated to Mummers plays, [3] & [4], as well as a Wikipedia page [5], but the BBC's H2G2 guide [6] is nice and succinct.

The Guildford Tiptearers

Return to the Diary page for our itinerary.

The gathering

If you can, it's worth arriving early so that you can see the various characters and followers as they come in. And we really appreciate it when you dress up for the occasion. Since you might not have a tatters coat in the back of your wardrobe, anything from Elizabethan to Victorian finery, or just some tinsel wrapped round your neck will help the party along.

The King of Misrule

Most things work better when someone's in charge, so the person who finds the hard bean in the cake is the King of Misrule for the night - mind your fillings! One year a stranger found the bean, did a good job of keeping us in order, and then joined the side. He's still with us.

The play

When the character with a broom starts rhyming and sweeping, pay attention - the play has commenced.

The crosses

Have you seen chalk crosses like these in any of Guildford's pubs? They were put there by the King of Misrule to ensure good luck for the coming year.

The singing

If you haven't already, consider downloading the song sheets, linked from the Diary page. It makes all the difference when you can join in.

The Wassail bowl and procession

Once the players are suitably refreshed with a sup from the Wassail bowl [7], we all move on to the next venue. The exact contents of the bowl are a closely guarded secret, but we can reveal that it contains alcohol and brings luck to the drinkers. Take a sip, say "Wassail" and pass the bowl on.

Links

Note: These links open same tab/window, unless you hold the Ctrl key down as you click.

Morris dancing — you know it makes sense