mumming play, form of drama developed in England in the early 17th cent., based on the legend of St. George and the dragon. The central theme of the play is the death and resurrection of the hero. The mumming play possibly evolved from some primitive folk celebration. However, it is most closely associated with the medieval sword dance, which symbolized the reawakening of the earth from the death of winter. During the Christmas season a few English villages still present the mumming play.

Bibliography

See A. Brody, English Mummers and Their Plays (1971).

mumming play

or mummers' play

Traditional dramatic entertainment. Mumming plays, which feature the death of a champion who is restored to life by a doctor, are still performed in a few villages of England and Northern Ireland. Originally mummers were bands of masked persons who during winter festivals in Europe paraded through the streets and entered houses to dance or play dice in silence. Thus the name has been connected with words such as mumble and mute and non-English words meaning “mask.” Mumming plays probably have links with primitive ceremonies marking important stages in the agricultural year.

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No references found	At the age of 13 I was a junior member of the Dramatic Society and together with three of the boys, John, Tony and Neil, I was in the Mumming Play in one of the scenes. Devon woman's memory garden; Playing the valley stage by Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England) The New Year's Day mumming play is their main event of the year. A song and dance of New Year by Birmingham Mail (England) Easter is a traditional time for Morris dancers to perform Pace Egg plays - similar to the Mumming plays performed at Christmas. Easter snippets.. by Evening Gazette (Middlesbrough, England)	multivolume file multiwavelength anomalous dispersion multiway deflection multiway merge multiwell gas-lift system MultiWin multizone system Multnomah County Multscher, Hans Mulvian Bridge Mulymia MuMath Mumbai mumblage mumble mumble mode Mumetal Mumford Mumford, L. Quincy Mumford, Lewis Mumia Mumin Khamraev mummer Mummification Mumming mumming play Mummy Mumps mumps orchitis Mumra Mumtaz Mahal Mun Mun, Albert, comte de Mun, Thomas Muna Muna Island Munaily Munch Munch, Andreas Peder Munch, Charles Münch, Charles Munch, Edvard Munch, Peter Andreas Münchäusen Munchausen syndrome München München-Gladbach Münchhausen, Baron Münchhausen, Baron von munching munching squares	mummies mummies mummification mummification mummification mummification of pulp mummification of pulp mummification of pulp Mummification process in egypt Mummification process in egypt mummifications mummified mummified Mummified body Mummified body Mummified Cell mummified fetus mummified fetus mummified fetus mummified fetus mummifies Mummiform mummify mummify mummify mummifying mumming mumming mumming mumming mumming play MUMMS MUMMS mummy mummy mummy Mummy (corpse) Mummy (corpse) mummy bag Mummy brown Mummy Juanita Mummy wheat Mummy's Boy mummy-brown Mummy: the Resurrection mummy’s boy Mummychog MUMN Mumoli Sign MUMP MUMP Mumper Mumpish MUMPO mumps mumps mumps mumps mumps mumps MUMPS (programming language)

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At the age of 13 I was a junior member of the Dramatic Society and together with three of the boys, John, Tony and Neil, I was in the Mumming Play in one of the scenes.

Devon woman's memory garden; Playing the valley stage by Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England)

The New Year's Day mumming play is their main event of the year.

A song and dance of New Year by Birmingham Mail (England)

Easter is a traditional time for Morris dancers to perform Pace Egg plays - similar to the Mumming plays performed at Christmas.

Easter snippets.. by Evening Gazette (Middlesbrough, England)