September 21, 2005 Source: University of Toronto: http://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/050921-1649.asp ‘Bawdy’ and ‘strange’ hallmarks commonly found in early Welsh entertainment Despite many plays performed during the 15th and 16th centuries, only five survived Sep 21/05 by Michah Rynor (about) (email) A salmon eating the testicle of a drunken poet, a grandmother’s rude sexual comments to newlyweds after their wedding night and a sword dancer who stabs a young girl while dancing. These strange occurrences have one thing in common – they are all part of the rich heritage of Welsh dramatic and comedic performances from the 15th and 16th centuries. In the soon-to-be released volume Records of Early Drama: Wales, documents from the period show that many performances were in Welsh and took place in areas of Wales where little English was spoken. And while there is ample evidence that many plays were performed during this time, a scant five survive to this day, says editor David Klausner, professor of English and medieval studies. “Welsh plays still existing include two biblical plays, a moral interlude and a dramatic version of Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde. Plays in English that were performed include amateur family entertainments, such as a bawdy wedding play where grandmother makes remarks to the newlyweds which we would probably see as inappropriate,” Klausner says. The surviving poem in which a drunken poet is attacked by a salmon was actually a roast of a senior poet by three younger colleagues. “It’s quite obscene while at the same time absolutely hilarious. The poets made awful puns attacking the elder man’s (supposedly) damaged manhood,” Klausner says, “but the victim of this good-natured ribbing got to reply in the same obscene manner.” Sadly the records about a young girl’s death were not fiction but fact, he says. “One court record reports how a child got in the way of a sword dance and died. The performer was not only charged but likely hanged for murder,” Klausner says. Records of Early Drama: Wales, the latest volume from the Records of Early English Drama project, is published by U of T Press in conjunction with the British Library and funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Jackman Foundation in Toronto and the National Endowment for the Humanities in Washington. Contact: Professor David Klausner, Department of English and Centre for Medieval Studies, 416-946-7379; e-mail: klausner@chass.utoronto.ca | 