By George Houde
The Irish American Post Chicago Bureau

There are four guys on stage wearing potato sack suits and headpieces made from willow sticks and other bits and twigs, making them look like local witch doctors, or coneheads from Ireland. 

But they are neither, though they are from Ireland. They are the Armagh Rhymers and any bewitching and beguiling they accomplish is done with music, songs and poetry. Their magic instruments include a tin whistle, guitar, bodhran, squeeze box and bones and sturdy Irish voices from Northern Ireland, where for the past 30 years they have taken up the very old tradition of "mumming." 

It’s a form of entertainment almost as old as written history itself, transcending borders, cultures and, in the case of the Armagh Rhymers, political divisions. The group made it a goal to break down political and cultural barriers through their roles as "straw men," as mummers are sometimes called. 

"For 30 years we have been doing cross border projects to bring children together," said Dara Vallely, one of the performers. "It’s those types of small things that have made a difference in the North." 

A well-known folk theater ensemble in their native land, the Rhymers appeared at Milwaukee’s Irish Fest in August, introducing adults and children to the unique performance art of mumming. Besides Vallely, the quartet was composed of Brendan Bailey, Peter J. Shortall and a guest performer from Louisiana, Randy French, who is a member of the Louisiana Rhymers. 

French said the tradition of the straw men goes back more than two millenia and they were a form of local entertainment, showing up uninvited and unannounced at weddings and funerals. They were a sign of good luck for newly married couples and a sign of a proper send-off for the newly dead, according to French. 

Rhymers also were a mid-winter tradition and often would perform in the tried and true Irish venue – the kitchen. Though they would sing and recite poetry and legends, Rhymers would not engage in conversation. 

"They wouldn’t speak or eat or drink," said French. "And one rule of the tradition was protecting your identity." 

Thus the unusual headgear, usually made from straw, flax and willow and often decorated with ribbons or other items. This became particularly valuable after the Catholic Church authorities tried to outlaw the tradition in later centuries, French said. He said the tradition had existed in West Africa and throughout medieval Europe for eons. 

"Everybody and their mother tried to stamp it out, but it’s still here," he noted. 

For their revival of the tradition, the Armagh Rhymers use an engaging combination of poetry, storytelling and music for adult audiences. They take the stage playing a song, do not announce themselves or their identities and never unmask until they’re offstage. They remain mysterious strangers who show up to amuse and engage the audience. 

For children, it’s a different matter. They take the masks off and show them how they are made and explain why they wear them. They invite groups of kids on stage and have them sing songs and don straw masks. Sometimes they give elementary music lessons, having them play in the group and introducing them to a tradition that entertained youngsters before the Dark Ages. Many of their productions are intended for children and include such pieces as "The Enormous Turnip," "The Navan Dragon," and "The Giant’s Garden." 

French was invited on the Rhymer’s trip to Irish Fest through friends, he said. There is a Creole tradition of straw men and he joined in with the Armagh Rhymers in a spirit of international friendship. 

In Ireland, mumming dates back some 2,500 years and the Armagh Rhymers trace their origins to Ulster, where King Conor was said to have straw men as entertainers at the royal fort of Emain Macha. 

Vallely said it is believed the Rhymer tradition is connected to the "wren boys," who were part of ancient Druid folklore and donned similar headgear for celebrations and observances. 

The Rhymers appearance at Irish Fest was part of an emphasis to showcase Irish culture and history for the festival’s 25th anniversary. For more information on the Rhymers, check their website at www.armaghrhymers.com. 

On the site, John Gleeson, of the Center for Irish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, offered this observation of the Rhymers, "This show is the real thing—a glorious example of Irish heritage, a heritage under threat from modern trivialities. As someone who has been bringing groups to Ireland for over 10 years, I know that visitors want to escape the garish, pop culture and find a real Ireland of tradition and gentle folkways. In times in what it is increasingly difficult to engage the genuine, the Armagh Rhymers are a rarity and must be treasured and fostered and encouraged."
 
 

Fans can catch the Rhymers at the following events: 2005 Oct. 24-28 Scoil Seamus Ennis (North Co. Dublin and Co. Louth schools) Oct. 30 Roolaboola Festival, Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar Oct. 31 Ulster Folk & Transport Museum, Cultra Nov. 14 St. Matthew's Primary School, Belfast (EMU w/Sydenham Infants' P.S.) Nov. 16 St. Comgall's Primary School, Bangor (EMU w/Bangor Central P.S.) Nov. 17 Sydenham Infants' Primary School, Belfast (EMU w/St. Matthew's P.S.) Nov. 21-24 Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Cultra Nov. 26 Cos Gallen East Mayo CDP, Charlestown, Co. Mayo Nov. 28-30 Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Cultra Dec. 5-8 Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Cultra Dec. 12 Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Cultra Dec. 14-16 Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Cultra Dec. 17 Millennium Court Arts Centre, Portadown 2006 January 8 National Museum of Ireland—Collins Barracks, Dublin March 3 Loreto Convent Primary School, Omagh (EMU w/Omagh County P.S.) March 13 St. Patrick's Primary School (Aghacommon), Lurgan March 28-30 Elmgrove Primary School, Belfast (EMU w/St. Teresa's P.S.) April 26 Ulster Folk & Transport Museum (Private Event—Evening) June 7 Parkhall Primary School, Antrim (EMU w/St. Joseph's P.S.)