Christmas Rhymers

A few weeks ago, whilst researching a article on Halloween for my newspaper column. I came across several brief accounts of the 'Christmas Rhymers'. I happened to mention this largely forgotten tradition to a few friends fae tha Ards. The next day I was rewarded with an email from Mr Thompson with an attachment containing several pages from a book entitled 'Six Miles from Bangor' wherein there is a description of the Christmas Rhymers as remembered by the author from his childhood in Donaghadee.
Intrigued I began to research this local tradition and was surprised to find that many texts still exist detailing various versions of the play.
The play was brought to Ireland by English and Scottish settlers in the 1600s (despite what fanciful notions you may read on other websites) and is related to the medieval mystery plays.
The mummers play is an example of the Hero-Combat play, one of the prototypes of English folk drama and deals with the theme of death and revival.
Costumes varied from place to place but were not (contrary to some websites) all straw and wicker work. One character would wear a top hat, another armour, yet another a cardboard nose. Only one was in the full straw regalia and he was called, surprise surprise, 'Jack Straw'.
For more information on Christmas Mummers and Rhymers in Ireland you can click on the link below, where you will find a comprehensive study of the tradition by Alan Gailey
http://www.folkplay.info/Ron/Gailey1968.pdf

Having stumbled across this important piece of our past I was impressed upon by Mr Anderson to revive this tradition. To this end I have compiled and arranged a Christmas Rhymers play, which Mr Anderson is currently promoting in the Ards.
Please check out Mr Anderson's blog for details of forthcoming performances.
http://abalmoralperspective-hma.blogspot.co.uk/

Halloween is Cumin'

Halloween Is Cumin'

Halloween is cumin' tha goose is gettin' fat.

Wud ye please put a penny in tha oul man’s hat.

If ye havnae got a penny a ha’pney wull do.

If ye havnae got a ha’pney God bless you.

And tha oul man to.

Ay, Halloween is cumin' bit A doot ye’ll hear oany rhymers at yer dure. Yer mere lichtly tae fin a clatter o' weans dressed up es super heroes shootin', 'trick oor treat' an houlin oot plastic bags fer sweets. Maebe it's jist me bit A cannae wairm tae thon Amerikan idea o' Halloween. This notion o' gie es hanfus o' chocolate oor wu’ll dae simthin oan ye seems a puir excuse fer oor ain traditions whur apples an nuts oor a wheen o' pence wus handit oot tae weans efter they'd gin ye a rhyme oor a sang.

Years ago naeboady haed elaborate ootfits bocht fae shaps an folk didnae feel tha need tae dae up thur wundas wi mak believe cobwebs an spiders oor plaster tha ootside o' thur hoose wi orange an bleck decorations. Half tha fun cum fae makin' yer ain costume oot o' oul claes an bleck'nin' yer face wi a drap o’ soot fae tha fire.

Aff coorse oanyin o’ a mere mature vintage wull tell ye that even tha Halloween rhymers ir a racent edition an that tha verse at tha stairt shud bae, 'Christmas is cumin’ tha goose is gettin' fat'. An thur nae wrang fer maist o' oor Halloween rhymes cum fae tha oul Christmas mumming plays. A tradition that haes aa bit disappear't iver tha last faftie year. Ay, A doot thur's oanyin left wha haes mine o' Room Room, Devil Doubt oor Johnny Funny, tha wee man that collects the money. Jist es in a wheen o' years thur bae naeboady left wha haes mine o’ carvin' turnips oor bobbin' fer apples.

Ach weel A suppose wae hae tae accept that things change es time gans oan. Stillanaw A cannae help bit think wae haed mere fun.

Like a Gander oan a Stook

Anither yin fae hame.
If oanyin is perched up high oan simthin then thur-
like a gander oan a stook

Coul es Clash

If simthin is wile coul. Then it's:
es Coul es Clash

Tha ither nicht A left a cup o' tay behind me an whun A haed mine o' it, it wus 'coul es clash'.

Ma twa minutes oan Kist

If ye hae twa minutes tae spare ye cud click oan http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01nd5vz
an gan tae 15.30 oan the timeline.
Tae regular listeners o Kist yer stuck wi me ivery ither week tae aboot christmas.

Anither Inconvenient Truth

Anither Inconvenient Truth 

A wunner hoo mony o’ ye hae herd o' a film caa'd 'An Inconvenient Truth' aboot tha former United States Vice President Al Gore's campaign tae edyecate folk aboot global wermin'. It wus yin o' tha maist successful films o' twa thoosan an seiven. It won twa Academy awerds an is use’t aroon tha wurld tae edyecate weans.

Stillanaw iver faftie percent o' Amerikans dinnae believe in tha idea o' global wermin'.

A suppose thur's sum folk hoo jist cannae bae edyecated. Wether it's tae mitch boather, oor jist plain thranness, thur jist naw willin' tae appen thur mind tae tha truth, even an undeniable yin. Aff coorse thur's aye thon wi an interest in hidin' tha truth. Pooerfu organisations hoo profit fae tha ignorance o' ithers.

Ay, A can sympathise wi Mr Gore fer oor ain leid haes becum anither yin o' thon inconvenient truths. Tha Ulster-Scots people alang wi thur culture an language hae bin aroon fer iver fower hunner year. Yet accordin' tae twathry creeters, wi access tae a keyboord, bit no tha Internet it wud seem, tha Ulster-Scots language is a racent invention.

Hoo the' managed tae ignore tha screeds o' evidence tae tha contary is beyon’t me. A’m dumfoonthered es tae hoo tha fail’t tae cum acroass wurks sitch es tha poems o’ tha weaver poets published in Irish newspapers throughoot tha late seiventeen hunners oor tha popular scrievens o' W. G. Lyttle in tha nineteenth century, aa o' whuch haes bin republished in tha last wheen o' years.

An a wee skelly oan tha internet wull inform oanyin aboot tha humorous an at times poignant buks o' Archibald McIlroy, sitch es, 'When Lint was in the Bell' (1897) an 'The Auld Meetin Hoose Green'. (1898).

Ay, aa o' tha abine ir fill't wi tha hamely tongue, wi oor ain undeniable leid. Efter aa hoo dae ye think I learn’t tae spell aa thon Ulster-Scots wurds. Tae oanyboady hoo haes a notion tae scrieve in tha hamely tongue oor if yer jist lukkin’ tae fin oot mere aboot tha Ulster-Scots ye can gan tae, http://lowcountrylad.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/anither-inconvient-truth-links.html

Anither Inconvient Truth - Links

In this weeks 'Fae Tha Pen o' an Aul Han' (published in the Belfast Newsletter 06/10/12) I directed those who wanted to find out more about the Ulster Scots people and their language to my blog.

Now to quote the words of Andy Dufresne, "...if you've come this far then maybe you're willing to come a little further".
In this case to those with a more experience than myself:

To find out more about the Ulster-Scots people click on the link below
http://clydesburn.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/what-is-ulster-scots-people-and-their.html

To find out more about how to address those ill informed doubters and detractors click on the link below
http://clydesburn.blogspot.co.uk/2008/05/ulster-scots-and-platypus.html

To find out more about the Ulster-Scots language click on the links below
http://www.ulsterscotsagency.com/what-is-ulster-scots/language/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ulsterscots/learn/lesson/1