Classic Christmas Stories (24 page)

The murder by a group of masked individuals of a man named Isaac
Mercer at Bay Roberts on New Year's day of 1861 was a most serious
matter. The Anglican Bishop of Newfoundland, Edward Feild, wrote a
letter to the
Telegraph
decrying the anarchical situation in Newfoundland
and it is a fair guess that those people whose gentile notions and political
angers were disturbed or aroused by the mummers exerted strong
pressure to have the custom banned by law. In fact a law was passed in
the summer of 1861 making it illegal to go into the public streets “dressed
as a Mummer, masked, or otherwise disguised, ” but only if one did so
without a license. The latter clause is important for at Christmas 1862,
if an anti-mummer editorial in the
Ledger
is correct, 150 licenses were
issued but the editorial suggests that many unlicensed youths joined in.
The
Ledger
editorial suggests again that the mummers had friends in
high places who continued to allow what the editor called a “degrading
and brutal” custom. The outraged sensibilities of the “upper classes” are
strongly and triumphantly in evidence in the editorial and it is from this
point on that public mumming in St. John's was very quickly done away
with. In 1863 notices went up in St. John's “prohibiting the use of firearms
and forbidding mumming;” however, “numbers of rollicking boys” were
on the streets “serenading the towns people every night, ” obviously
replacing the banished mummers. A diarist of St. John's in the 1860s
records the demise of the mummers in perhaps unconsciously symbolic
phrasing under the date of the 6th. January, 1864: “Last night and this
morning a snow storm raged with great violence. The afternoon was clear
but threatening, ‘Twelfth Day' . . . but not celebrated as in former years by
numberless fools and mummers on the streets.”

By the 1870s the custom of Christmas mumming was almost dead
in St. John's yet it continued in areas outside the city for quite a period
afterwards. In Brigus, Conception Harbour, Harbour Main and Holyrood
at the Head of Conception Bay, I have recorded recollections of parades
of mummers as late as the beginning of this century and one man in
Holyrood, Jimmy Boland, aged 79 can recall having seen the mummers'
play when he was a boy. Nearer St. John's at Pouch Cove there is a case
recorded of a man named Patrick Whalen having been assaulted by
mummers on St. Stephen's Day in 1879. Whalen's assailants Terrance
Kelly and William Brien “both admitted wearing mummers apparel to
avoid getting a beating from Mummers of Fools.” In 1895 the
Evening
Telegram
reported that “all the mummers are not dead” but that “a party
of young people grotesquely attired were visiting in the neighbourhood
of Lime Street on yesterday” (Christmas Day). That report suggests that
the practice is a novelty and curiosity since it states “the custom had
declined until it has almost appeared to have died out.” There is a quite
similar report of a visitation by mummers in St. John's in the
Evening
Telegram
of January 5th, 1896.

However one has a sense of “deja vu” about a reported beating (in
1896) at Harbour Grace of a young man returning from a New Year's
night dance—the circumstances and the place suggest the incident at
Mansel Alcock's house in 1831. The report of the incident suggests that
mumming in Conception Bay was still alive and still retained some of the
aspects which had led to its outlawing: “The practice of ‘dressing up' and
making friendly visits is harmless and may be all right in its way, but it is
apt to be abused, and persons against whom anyone has a grudge suffer
from the attack of such.”

Mumming in Newfoundland during the period between 1830 and
1861 was a very complex social phenomenon and one is careful not to make
categorical statements about its social significance however, I feel that the
few incidents involving mumming which are on record and the remarks
made explicitly and implicity about it suggests that it had a dimension
of political statement and protest about it; that the incidents involving
violence are all related to political events and to the uneven distribution
of wealth and political power in early 19th. century Newfoundland and
to the increased awareness of that fact after organized forms of political
life were introduced to the island early in the 19th. century.

by Rev. Arthur C. Waghorne

T
HE FOLK-LORE OF CHRISTMAS—The Literature of
our local Christmas Folk Lore.

This must be sought for, no doubt, chiefly in the pages of our
local, and perhaps a few foreign, newspapers, as far as anything of the
kind exists, and in our Christmas numbers of the
Telegram
and
Colonist
,
I have not a complete set of these to consult, but I find a description of a
Labrador Christmas, entitled “Christmas in the Far North” (by L. A. W.), in
the
Telegram
Christmas Number for 1887, page 5; also a vivid description
of a St. John’s Christmas in the old times in the issue of 1886 or 1887,
page 10, entitled “Rambling thoughts about Christmas in Newfoundland
years ago, ” written by Mr. William Whittle, of Boston. What else has been
written on the subject?

I am assured by the Rev. J. H. Bull, that the idea of the 12 days of Christmas governing the 12 months of the year, referred to in the last communication, is currently believed by many old people at Battle Harbor,
Labrador. These 12 days, they believe, make the almanac of the year.

Though not in immediate connection with our subject, the following
taken from a late issue of the
Herald
, may be cited:

“A prominent gentleman in an important Water Street firm, without
being a weather prophet, gives out the following oracular dictum—
’Whatever the weather is on Dec. 8th, so will the winter be.’ He says he
learned this valuable information from a steamer captain eight years ago,
and has always found it correct. He has from time to time imparted it to
various gentlemen who have also observed the remarkable fact, and are
assured of its truth. Why the 8th of Dec. should more than any other day,
set the fashion for the winter’s weather he does not profess to say; but this
winter will be, according to him, moderately cold, and marked by N. N. E.
winds. Treasure this up and see how it results.”

This season is, or was, in many parts of England, at least used by love-sick
maidens for obtaining some glimpse of, or token from, their future or
possible partners in life; almost as many superstitious notions, as to this
matter, existed, as are connected with All-Hallow’s Eve. To the season of
Christmas properly appertains the “salt-egg” spell. About here, at least,
our local nestegg notion does not belong to any particular season; an
authority from Scilly Cove connects it with Midsummer Eve. The idea
seems to be pretty well known, but takes different forms. This is the complete form: Cut hard-boiled egg (first one of pullet) in two, fill it with
salt, and eat it; go to bed backwards, not speaking afterwards; you will
then dream of your sweetheart bringing you a drink (if he is rich, in a
glass; or if poor, in a cup)— [Topsail], (Scilly Cove).—Glass to be placed
ready, and, if offered to you, it must not be taken, else it will poison you—
(Chappel Arm).

I briefly indicate the customs which prevail about here, at least to some
extent, or but lately, disused; and, as far as I can learn, in other parts of
the country.

Some other old customs must be kept for the next communication.
From the two introduction to this subject which you have printed, your
readers will have gained a good idea of the scope and range of Folk-Lore;
and I hope they will perceive that, however absurd and frivolous some matters connected with it may appear at first sight, there is much to be learned
from its study. The ignorant and narrow-minded are not qualified to see
the true meaning and value of many things which to the wise and thoughtful are really full of force, and interest. The poet reminds us that very often
things are not what they seem; on the other hand the old proverb says:

This assuredly is true of Folk-Lore. It is with a painful amusement I
learn that some good folks in this neighbourhood are a little (if not much
shocked) at my writing about such “nonsense.” I suppose such persons, if
they read Mr. Newell’s instructive explanation of the meaning and value
of Folk-Lore, failed to take in his meaning; or as likely as not, though they
knew better than he did about the matter! Such objectors, however, are
probably of the same class as those who about here, regard missionary
meetings as carnal, too unspiritual for their sanctified tastes! So that
the opinions of such persons cannot have much weight. I had intended
to begin my communications with some notes on Weather Lore, and
death and dream omens; but the approach of Christmas invites us to the
consideration of Folk-Lore of the Christmas season.

This is indeed, in all its aspects, an interesting, comprehensive, and
instructive subject. Perhaps there is no richer field of study throughout
the whole region of Folk-Lore than that of the Christmas Festival,
with its rich history, its diverse customs (national, local, ecclesiastical,
domestic, and social), its many superstitions and poetry. Whether here in
Newfoundland we can contribute our full and proper proportion to the
subject-matter of Christmas Folk-Lore remains to be seen. I regret that
my own contributions are very meagre and incomplete, but I trust that
others who have a deeper knowledge of the subject will kindly inform
your readers, either directly to you, or through me, more at large about
the matter.

One solitary item appertaining to this season comes from Old Shop, New
Harbor. “The cock does not crow during Advent, ” is, I am assured, a real
old saying.

“In the southwest of England there exists a notion that the oxen are to be
found kneeling in their stalls at midnight of the Christmas vigil, as if in adoration of the Nativity. The idea is supposed to have originated from the representations, by early painters, of the event as having taken place. But this does
not explain the matter; for the idea preceded the creation of such paintings.”

The Two Oldest Oxen (probably to set a good example to the rest) fell
upon their knees and “made a cruel moan like Christian creatures.” This
fancy seems all the more strange when one recollects that it obtains, or used
to obtain, among the American Indians. In his “Sketches of Upper Canada, ”
Mr. Harrison mentions meeting an Indian, at midnight, creeping cautiously
along in the stillness of a beautiful moonlight Christmas Eve. The Indian
made signals to him to be silent, and when questioned as to his reasons,
replied, “Me watch to see the deer kneel; this is Christmas night, and the
deer fall upon their knees to the Great Spirit and look up!” In various parts
of England bees are popularly said
to express their veneration for the
Nativity by singing, as it is called
in their hives at midnight on the
night of December 24. In some
places, particularly in Derbyshire,
it is asserted that the watcher may
hear the ringing of subterranean
bells. In the mining districts the
workmen declare that high mass
is solemnly performed by beings
not human in the cavern which
contains the biggest lode of ore,
that it is brilliantly lighted with
candles of miraculous material,
and that the service is weirdly
chanted by unseen choristers. We
understand that similar notions
have found their way to this side of
the Atlantic as well.