** The following info, including a route map & audio recording of the
Ol' Charmer-John Barleycorn song and Mummer's Play, is posted on our
website at: http://oldenwilde.org/samhain **
PLEASE READ ALL, AND E-MAIL OR CALL ME TO VOLUNTEER TO HELP US CONDUCT
THESE RITE! -- LP
Samhain 17: Flash Rite Pub Moot with traveling Mummer's Play
Conducted by Coven Oldenwilde, a 501 (c)(3) religious nonprofit
Celebrate the sacredness of the season in a family friendly
flash-rite on Samhain 17, Saturday October 29th 2011, 8 pm - 10 pm, in
downtown Asheville, North Carolina.
This Halloween, we will be introducing this European favorite as
a regular tradition, in hopes it will continue with or without us.
Choose which one of four featured pubs along our route that you
want to start out in, and imbibe, chat, and await our arrival.
(Teetotalers and kids can drink water, coffee, or non-alcoholic
cocktails if they wish.)
The Mummers will begin at The Thirsty Monk at 8 sharp and perform a
quick, funny, sacred play [read Script below] enacting the annual harvest-death of John
Barleycorn, the personification of the reaped hops and grains that
make ale.
Players will then down a 1/2 pint and leave with Craft audience members,
and process to the next pub in turn (Jack of the Wood; then Hannah
Flanagan's; and finally, Pack's Tavern), repeating the play at each.
The rite will culminate in a Spiral Dance around the Magnolia trees beside
Pack's, and free divinations if weather permits.
Mummer’s Play — from the German word Mummerspiel, meaning
'masked play'. (Wear makeup or masks to ensure good luck in the New Year!)
Mummer’s plays are pantomimed and rhymed, and involve traditional characters
jokes, and audience quips.
Based on tradition, here's our annual script:
Mummer Players:
Witch — Lady Passion
John Barleycorn — Need a gregarious male volunteer
Death — *Diuvei
The Healer — Need a volunteer
Ol’ Charmer — Need a strong male volunteer
Gulliver (Ol' Charmer Leader) — Need a volunteer
3 female attendants — Roles already filled
The Beggar — Need a volunteer
4 Fools — Need 1 at each of the 4 pubs, to ensure that the Players
have their 1/2 pints ready to down when the play ends
The play:
Witch leads flash rite, storms into pub with staff and sweeps it
'round to create a small sacred space for the players to perform,
rhyme-singing:
“In comes I… You’ll love our tale —
to cast a space — Of life and loss
I am the Witch Pray if you do
in this Mummer’s play. A coin you’ll toss!”
John Barleycorn enters the scene, swaggering/bombastic, sporting a
cloak pulled back behind his shoulders and corn shucks/wheat sheaves,
etc. poking from his pockets, collar, belt, shoes/boots, etc.,
bragging about his prowess, rhyme-singing:
“In comes I… You brew my ale —
my might to wield — and down my drinks,
I’m John Barleycorn then wonder why
of the sum’r fields. your costume shrinks!”
The Beggar, enters the scene dressed in tattered layers, and uses
broad arm movements to encourage the audience to say in unison:
“It **does** tend to shrink a lit-tle each year!” ;-)
Death enters, dressed in black robe with a scythe, and opposes
Barleycorn’s claims, rhyme-singing:
“In comes I… You all fear me —
to reap this corn With this I’m fine.
I’m Death who causes I’ll cut him down
all to mourn. While in his prime!”
John Barleycorn puts up a dramatic resistance to elicit crowd
sympathy, rhyme singing:
“I am the grain You watch me die —
that lifts your care But seed I plant
but of my pain I’d love to live
you’re unaware. but know I can’t.”
Death taps his foot, unimpressed, then turns his back on the audience
and 'slays' John Barleycorn with his scythe.
John Barleycorn plays out a comically exaggerated death scene,
eventually turning his back to the audience during his throes, and
pulls out red strips of cloth pinned inside his front shirt pocket,
representing spilled blood. He finally wilts ‘dead’ semi-erect against
the wall, clutching his ‘heart’ melodramatically.
The Healer enters, dressed in rope costume as at:
http://celticways.blogspot.
Passion will make this for use by volunteer.] Healer brags in
rhyme-song about their curing ability:
“In comes I… You all trust me —
to cure all woes — to fix your gout —
the bite, the bleed, Got six devils?
the hot death throes.. I’ll cast sev’n out!”
Their pantomimed ministrations yield minimal results.
Ultimately, it takes a spirit to raise one, so our ghost horse Ol’
Charmer (pix at: oldenwilde.org/samhain16) takes pity on John
Barleycorn and nudges Him alive.
Audience/participants cheer and sing/snap fingers/and clap the Ole’
Charmer/Barleycorn chant (hear at: http://oldenwilde.org/samhain):
“Snap, snap! Clap, clap!
Ol’ Charmer is here — John Barleycorn dies
To bring us a boon Our spirits to lift
And give us good cheer. But then he’ll arise.”
Witch closes the play rhyme-singing:
“Barley’s cut We hope you’ve learned
your glass to fill That nothing dies —
but grows again Toss us some coin
on summer hill. We bid you bye!”
Players bow arm-in-arm.
The Beggar goes ‘round the audience with a Witch hat, cajoling
donations in rhyme-song:
If you haven't got a penny,
a ha' penny will do.
If you haven't got a ha' penny, then
What are you doing spending all your money in a pub? ;-)
The Fool(s) [costumed brightly, masked, and carrying a frying pan in one
hand, and a club in the other] ushers Players to their 1/2 pints, and
taunts the audience to reveal his or her identity — but never admits
it.
Players chug 1/2 pint and they and Craft audience depart to the next
pub on the route, repeating the flash rite play at each site.
*** Volunteer Players should consult Lady Passion about their costume
options. Contact: Lady Passion at: 828-251-0343 or:
oldenwilde@oldenwilde.org.
Players must attend 2 brief rehearsals at our Covenstead in West
Asheville: 1 for blocking; the 2nd, a full make-up/dress rehearsal, in
early October. (Volunteers invited to the Afterparty at our Covenstead
in West Asheville!)
Audience participants encouraged to WEAR: Makeup or mask; warm Witchy
black clothes/cape, or costume
BRING: I.D./cash for drinks/donation, and musical iinstruments/noise
makers if desired
ROUTE MAP at: http://g.co/maps/j98d (written-out directions at
http://oldenwilde.org/samhain)
NEEDS: Volunteers; donations of, or for, blue glow-stix to give rite
participants.
Hope you're as excited as we are!
[NOTE: We apologize if you have already received this message or any old messages. This was due to a persistent technical glitch that should, finally, be resolved!]