A group performance of the folk custom, circa 1910. 

Origins of the Mari Lwyd

Often mistakenly referred to as an "ancient" custom, the Mari Lwyd's history actually cannot be traced back further than 1800, where its first mention in the written record occurred in a botanical and agricultural guide to North Wales (Cawte 1978, 94; Howell 2018, 67). Its origins remain a mystery and, even in the past, different variations of the Mari Lwyd existed; like all culture, it has never been stagnant, but always subject to change. Other European traditions bare similar characteristics to the Mari Lwyd, such as mumming, which also involves the use of costumes, and groups of people visiting and challenging their neighbors. Practices such as these make use of the concept of inversion, temporarily suspending conventional ideas of normalcy and acceptable behavior (Handelman 1984, 249). Versions of the custom have been recorded as taking place in the past during Christmastime, Hallow's Eve, All Souls' Day, and at New Year's (Ettlinger 1944. 91-92). While it began in Wales, it eventually began to spread outward to other parts of the British Isles.