English Folk Drama - Hero-Combat Sub-Divisions
Hero-Combat Sub-Divisions
Plays performed at Easter
These are often called ‘Pace-Egging’ or ‘Peace-egging’ - usually had the same structure as other Hero/Combat plays but had different character-names. The Heroes were often given names of real historical people, Lord Nelson, for example, and there was a Bessy Brownbags with eggs in her basket and a ‘fool’ character called Tosspot.
The Soul-cakers of the Cheshire
Performed around Hallowe’en (All Souls) and they often had a Wild Horse character who entertained near the end of the play. A real horse’s skull, or a wooden replica, was mounted on a broomstick or other pole. A man, hidden under a blanket, or other cloth cover, bent forward and grasped the pole, and became the Horse. Another man, his Driver, led him in on a piece of rope and in a rhymed speech described the horse and its antics, while the latter neighed, misbehaved and cavorted on cue.
Robin Hood plays
Quite rare in the tradition were the Robin Hood plays, which not only included characters like Robin Hood and Little John but they also incorporated verses from Robin Hood ballads in their texts.
