Mummer

A member of a travelling troupe of actors originally from the British Isles that performed seasonal folk plays. They occasionally perform in the streets, although their more usual style is house-to-house and in public centers. They are also known by other names (mostly regional) such as rhymers, pace-eggers, soulers, tipteerers, galoshins, and guisers. The word & concept was recently brought back into American pop culture's attention with the 1997 release of Loreena Mckennitt's hit song "The Mummer's Dance" on her album The Book of Secrets.