Context:

Location: Coxwold, Yorkshire, England (SE5377)
Year: Publ. 1930
Time of Occurrence: [Not given]
Collective Name: [Not given]

Source:

Douglas Kennedy
Observations on the Sword-Dance and Mummers' Play
Journal of the English Folk Dance Society, 2nd Series, 1930, No.3, pp.38

Cast:

Text:

No.1.

In comes I, Beelzebub,
On my shoulder I carry my club,
In my hand a frying pan,
And I think myself a jolly old man.
A jolly old man as I can be,
For I've three sons the same as me
If you don't believe one word I say,
Step in King George and clear the way.

No.2.

I'm King George, a valiant man,
Who shed his blood for England's clan,
England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.
If you don't believe one word I say,
Step in Brave Soldier and clear the way.

No.3.

I'm Brave Soldier, Valiant Slasher is my name.
Upsides, bucklesides, I'll meet you in the game.

No.2.

Meet me in the game, Sir; I don't think you're able.
My back is made of iron and my belly's made of steel,
My hands are made of knuckle-bones,
And that'll make you feel.

{He knocks down No.3.}

No.1.

Doctor!

No.4.

I'm the Doctor.

No.2.

What's your name?

No.4

Es-vo I-vo Ick-tick-tay.

No.2.

Where do you come from?

No.4

Itty-titty, wher there's neither wall nor city,
And little pigs run about singing 'God save the King',

No.2.

What's your fee?

No.4.

Eleven pounds, eleven shillings, and elevenpence three farthings.
{He kneels down and examines the dead man.}
Broken jaw-bone with eating fat bacon,
Cramp in his belly,
And Tic-taleroo in his big toe-nail.
I have a little bottle here called Im-cum-curum,
Take one sniff-snaff-jiff-jaff.
Rise up and walk.

{The dead man rises.}

Notes:

Kennedy's introduction:

"The sender of this fragment added the following note: 'The play was performed just a few days before Christmas. The Valiant Soldier wore a red sash crosswise over this shoulder, and the Doctor had a top hat. There was another character, now dropped out, called the Bride, who wore a lace curtain as a veil.'"

File History:

2001-01-01 - Entered by Peter Millington
2021-01-15 - TEI-encoded by Peter Millington

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