Caroline Joy Tatem (Indiana University)
I argue that mumming in Dublin has always been localized, and has remained fairly consistent across the last century. My archival fieldwork has provided evidence of the local features of Dublin mummers plays in the early to mid-twentieth century. My contemporary fieldwork during the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrates the flexibility of this tradition to adapt to the changing needs of the local community. I argue that mumming in Dublin shares in the flexibility characteristic of the genre, which has been known to adapt to local characters and topical events in other regions.
Part of 06-15 Place, Folklore, and the Rooting of Identity, Friday, November 03, 2:30 pm–4:30 pm