MAX Mummers Play: Who is Pickedy Wick?

The traditional mummers play "Soldiers acting at Christmas" was part of the folk traditions of Change Islands, Newfoundland, and dates to circa 1900. It is a hero combat play, where King George fights the King of Egypt, with a death and revival typical of other mummers plays in Newfoundland, UK and elsewhere.

Towards the end of the Change Islands play, there is a procession of stock characters, one of whom is Pickedy Wick, who enters and states:

Here comes I, Pickedy Wick,
put my hand in my pocket and pay what I thinks fit;
Ladies and gentlemen, sit down to their ease,
Put their hands in their pockets and pay what they please,
And if you don't believe those words I say,
step in Beelzebub and boldly clear thy way.

This year, we've been working with Julia Halfyard and Tim Matson with the MAX theatre program in St. John's. Tim has adapted and updated the mummers play, which the MAX theatre students will perform in December.

One of our brave band of mummers, Caitlin Harte, asked last week about who the character of Pickedy Wick is supposed represent. A fair enough question, really, as many of the characters in the traditional mummers plays are foreign to young audiences today.

I suspect the character is based on the figure of Samuel Pickwick, the hero of the Pickwick Papers, by Charles Dickens. Here is a quote to describe him:

He is a simple-minded, benevolent old gentleman, who wears spectacles, breeches, and short black gaiters, has a bald head, and 'good round belly.'

- Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894 

My thought is that he is in the play to represent the idea of good times, good friends, good food and good cheer - a jolly fellow, perfect for Christmas.

You can come see Pickedy Wick, King George, the Villainous Knight, the Doctor, and all their friends as the MAX theatre students perform their version of the old mummers play as part of the Mummers Festival, at The Rooms, on Sunday, December 8th.

The ICH Mini Forum - you're invited!

The Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador is pleased to announce that next month we will be hosting the ICH Mini Forum on Friday the 13th of December. The mini forum will be an update on the projects carried out by the ICH over the past year. Topics include:

Newfoundland and Labrador’s ICH strategy – 5 years and counting
Bay Roberts ICH projectsHeritage Foundation of NL Poster Contest
A Review of the Baccalieu Trail Heritage Corporation Oral History Collection
Wells and Springs Research Project
The Quidi Vidi Folklore Fieldschool
…. With a few more guests!

MMaP (the old art gallery) in the Arts and Culture Centre

Friday the 13^th of December 2013

1-3pm

If you would like to attend, please click the button below to RSVP! Space is limited, so please RSVP only if you plan on attending. We look forward to sharing chatting with you, and sharing some snacks!

If you have any questions feel free to contact Sarah@heritagefoundation.ca, or call 739-1892 ext 5.

Tuesday's Folklore Photo: A Game of Pitch and Toss

Courtesy of: The Rooms Provincial Archives Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador
 A 7-12. "Pitch and Toss": Children playing pitch and toss, Grey River. There is a description of the game in the Dictionary of Newfoundland English: "You stand away so far, an' you pitch your button. The handiest to the peg, after so many pitches [would win]. C 70-15 The object of the game was to pitch a button from the hole [where you stood] so that the button touched the 'nag' (or stick). C 71-22 Make a mot in the ground with your heel. Stand at a distance from the hole and pitch the buttons."
Photographer: Holloway Studio [1913]

Games and play allow children to develop important social skills and negotiate their world through competition, role-playing, and power hierarchies. Children's games/play evolve over time and reflect how communities respond to social and economic changes. The introduction of electricity, telephones, movies, television, radio and internet has had a strong influence on the game and play repertoire of children. As these technologies grew in popularity, children spent less time outdoors playing traditional games such as Rounders, Hoist your Sails and Run, Pitch and Toss, Duck on the Rock and Bandy Ball. Subsequently, the rules of many of these games have been nearly lost. We would like to document these games and play before that happens. 

In the new year the Intangible Cultural Heritage Office hopes to collect memories from tradition bearers across the province. Our goal is to explore the folklore of children's games/play through contextual information, such as rules of play, gender and age requirements, type of equipment used and when and where each game was played.

If you have memories of playing these games or know a tradition bearer who does, please feel free to get in touch with the Intangible Cultural Heritage Office, we'd love to hear from you! 

For more on traditional games and play in Newfoundland and Labrador check out our collection on MUN's Digital Archive.

-Nicole
nicole@heritagefoundation.ca

Mummers Wish List - do you have any of these items?

Hi all! I need some props for the Mummer's Play we are running with the MAX theatre students. Contact me, or Nicole Penney and we'll arrange pickup in the St. John's area.

- Stretcher or spine board, something that two teenage girls could carry (without a body on it)

- Large black or brown leather old fashioned doctor’s bag (or plumbers bag?)

- Funnel and length of hose

- Foam swords

- A big club or fake barbell, made of foam, so a small person could easily lift it

- two wooden push brooms

A Mesmerizing Miscellany of Marvelous and Majestic Mummers

The Newfoundland Historical Society along with the Museum Association of Newfoundland and Labrador will be holding its annual Gilbert Higgins free public lecture on Thursday, November 28, 2013 at 8 pm at Hampton Hall Lecture Theatre, located at the Marine Institute on Ridge Road

This month’s lecturer will be Paul Smith, and his talk is titled:

“A Mesmerizing Miscellany of Marvelous and Majestic Mummers: The Marketing of a Newfoundland Christmas Tradition.”—Gilbert Higgins Lecture.

This illustrated presentation explores the ways in which commodification of nostalgia has become the focus of some sectors of the market place. The marketing of tradition is by no means a new phenomenon and it has been far more extensive than we perhaps realize. This underestimation possibly stems from the fact that, while we perceive today that marketing is facilitated through some form of corporate broker or entrepreneur, in reality this is not always the case. Instead performers have often taken on this role themselves. Similarly, at the grass roots level local artists and crafts people seeing performances of traditions such, as mummers, have turn those experiences into marketable wares.

Refreshments to follow

Parking is free and everyone is welcome to attend!

For more information feel free to contact Christina Robarts at nhs@nf.aibn.com or call (709) 722-3191. You can also contact Mary Ellen at anla@nf.aibn.com or call (709) 722-9034

The Baccalieu Trail Heritage Corporation and The HFNL

Here at the Heritage Foundation we love to help support the many different heritage groups around the province. Recently, we have been meeting with the Baccalieu Trail Heritage Corporation, and are helping them plan and organize an upcoming forum for the Baccalieu Trail.

The Baccalieu Trail is a 230km touring route in Newfoundland which runs from Markland, to Whitbourne, Heart's Content, Grates Cove, Bay de Verde, Victoria, Carbonear, Harbour Grace, Spaniard's Bay, Cupids, Brigus, and many, many places in between. The over 70 communities and stops along the trail are rich with tradition and heritage, and the Baccalieu Trail Heritage Corporation is organizing a forum to bring them all together, share ideas, and offer support.

The planning is still in its infancy at this point, but we are working together to organize their event, and get things off the ground!

Keep an eye on the blog for updates and news about the Baccalieu Trail Heritage Corporation.

if you're interested in attending on behalf of your community or foundation, please contact sarah@heritagefoundation.ca

Newfoundland and Labrador ICH goes to Korea

ICHCAP (www.ichcap.org) is a UNESCO Category 2 Centre based in Korea, whose main role "is to strengthen 'Information and Networking' in the framework of the 2003 UNESCO Convention."

It supports activities directed toward the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage among the 48 Member States of the Asia-Pacific region with a primary function of disseminating information and building networks in the ICH field.

One of its tools to disseminate information is the ICH Courier newsletter, and in the most recent edition, Volume 17, the work of the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador is highlighted, along with reports from Nepal, Uzbekistan, the Republic of Korea, and Papua New Guinea.

You can read more about the newsletter, and download a PDF version directly from their website.

Rugelach on the Rock: a delicious Jewish pastry-making workshop!

On Sun. November 24th, Memorial University’s Public Folklore class will host “Rugelach on the Rock,” a pastry baking workshop at St. Thomas’ Church Hall. This instructional workshop led by Jonathan Richler will teach participants how to make rugelach (roo-guh-lakh), a traditional Jewish pastry packed with sweet or savory filling. Participants will learn to roll, prepare, shape and bake this crescent-shaped treat with a Newfoundland twist.

The workshop is organized by Folklore 6740: Public Folklore, a graduate student course at MUN on local traditions, in partnership with the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador. Jonathan Richler, a St. John’s native, is president of the local Jewish Community Havura and an organizer of the J-Deli pop up deli at Chinced Bistro.

The event will take place from 2:00pm to 5:00 pm on Sunday, November 24th at St. Thomas’ Church Hall, 8 Military Road, St. John’s. Registration is $20 and includes all materials and detailed instruction. Space is limited. To register, contact Nicole Penney at the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador at 1-888-739-1892 ex. 6 or nicole@heritagefoundation.ca

Tueday's Folklore Photo: A Pretty Ugly Stick

I saw this ugly stick in a cabin in French's Cove over the weekend and was inspired to take a photo. I'm not sure who made it, but it has all the classic ugly stick features: an ugly head, some jangly noise-makers, a rubber boot for stomping, and some decorative flourishes to make it as unique as possible. I am particularly fond of the pretty feathers on this one.

You can make your own ugly stick with help from the upcoming Mummers Festival. There are two workshops that you can sign up for. Click here to learn more, and we hope to see you there!

-Lisa