Page "Mummers Play" Paragraph 25

The custom attested for early modern Germany and France seems to have parallels also in late medieval England.

According to History and the Morris Dance ( 2005 ) by John Cutting ( page 81 ), there was a curious event in 1377, where 130 men on horseback went " mumming " to the Prince of Wales ( later Richard II ).

They threw some dice, which appear to have been loaded dice, and so lost several gold rings.

The rings were effectively presents for the prince.

In 1418 a law was passed forbidding " mumming, plays, interludes or any other disguisings with any feigned beards, painted visors, deformed or coloured visages in any wise, upon pain of imprisonment ".

In the first case the event was on February 2, nine days before Ash Wednesday, and may well have been a carnival practice.

In the second case, the law was applied to " the Feast of Christmas " ( Cutting page 83 ), not related to the ordinary period of carnival preceding the Christian fasting of Lent, yet maybe related to Christmas fasting, which went ordinarily from November 11 to January 6.