The Symondsbury Mummers Part 3 - New Year's Day 2009

Towards the end of the last century many English villages had their Yuletide mummers. A number of young men would form themselves into a company, usually of five to eleven members, according to the size of the play. Some plays were much longer than others.

The Symondsbury Mumming Play is the most complete of any of these plays in Dorset. This play has eleven characters, Father Christmas, Room, King of Egypt, St. George, St. Patrick, a Doctor, four warriors, Servant-man, Dame Dorothy and Tommy the Pony. The traditional dress of the warriors was usually a soldier's uniform, decked with ribbons, streamers and sashes. The head-dress was in the form of a helmet with ribbons falling to mask the face completely from view.

The Symondsbury Mummers are still in existence today, their play being performed on New Year's Day every year in the car park of the local village inn The Ilchester Arms at around 8.00pm.

This performances was performed on 1st January 2009

The song performed at the end of the play is called 'Singing the Travels' a traditional Dorset song sung by the mummers. It was once performed by Maddy Prior and June Tabor from the "Silly Sisters" Album.

-Singing the Travels-

Well met my brother dear all along the highway riding
so solemn I was walking along
So pray come tell to me what calling yours may be
and I'll have you for a servant man.

Some serving men do eat the very best of meat
such as cock, goose, capon and swan
and when lords and ladies dine they drink
strong beer, ale & wine
That's some diet for a servant man.

Don't you talk about your capens
Let's have some rusty bacon
and I a good peice of pickled pork
that's always in my house a crust of bread and cheese
That's some diet for a husband man.

When next to church they go
with their livery fine and gay
and their cocked hats and gold lace all around
with their shirts as white as milk and stitched as fine as silk
That's some habbit for a servant man.

Don't you talk about your livery
nor all your silken garmonts
That's not fit for to travel the bushes in.
Give me a leather coat and aye, in my purse a grote
That's some habbit for a husband man.

So we needs must confess that your calling is the best
and we will give you the uppermost hand
so now we won't delay but pray both night and day
god bless the honest husband man.

Discover more Dorset traditions in the book 'Dark Dorset Calendar Customs', by Robert Newland, now available at Amazon.co.uk. Visit the Dark Dorset website, http://www.darkdorset.co.uk or blog http://darkdorset.blogspot.com and open the door to a world of fascinating folklore and legends.

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