Nottinghamshire Guardian (1897a)
Source:
[Anon.] (Auth.)
*LOCAL NOTES AND QUERIES: WHY NEW YEAR'S DAY IS AT THE BEGINNING OF JANUARY [Mummers in Scotland]
*Nottinghamshire Guardian,
2nd Jan.1897
Discussion of the relationship between the start of the
new year and the winter solstice. The article ends as follows:
"Amongst the Romans it was Saturnalia, when, for a period varying
from three to seven days, the whole population surrendered
themselves to feasting and merriment. One day masters and slaves
changed places, the latter sitting at meat and the former attending
upon them. The Lord of Misrule was anticipated by the election of
the king of the feast, who directed the revelries according to his
own caprice and the rule of 'follow my leader.' With a curious
analogy to the practice described in the late Dr. Norman Macleod's
chapter in 'New Year's Day in a Highland Parish', the mummers used
to dress themselves up in the skins of various beasts. But the
connection of the Saturnalia with sun worship is too obvious and
too well established to need enlargement."
The chapter cited appears to be Norman Macleod "Reminiscences of a Highland Parish", London: Strahan & Co, 1871, pp.337-355
Index Terms:
| Locations: |
Highlands, Scotland
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| Years: |
*Publ. 1897
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| Subjects: |
Animal Disguise; New Year's Day; Mummers; Macleod,N. (1871); Saturnalia; Lord of Misrule
|
| Archives: |
TDRG Archive, Ref. TD00147;
Local Notes & Queries Scrapbook, Vol.9, p.123
|
* indicates data that has not yet been validated against the original source and/or has yet to be completely indexed.
Last Updated Jun 2005 by Idwal Jones.
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