Folk As Living Traditions: Morris Dancing
“In the Ramtop village where they dance the real Morris dance, for example, they believe that no one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away—until the clock he wound up winds down, until the wine she made has finished its ferment, until the crop they planted is harvested. The span of someone’s life, they say, is only the core of their actual existence.”
― Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man
What comes to mind when you think of morris dancing? Perhaps your mind's eye conjures up images of old men bedecked in white, legs clad in bells, waving white hankies. Or maybe it’s fantastical costumes, rag or ribbon jackets, feathered top hats, painted faces and clashing sticks? Well, truth be told, you wouldn’t be far wrong, generally speaking of course (it’s not all old men, plenty of women partake of the dance women too, and all of varying ages too).
As May Day and Beltane fast approach, now is the perfect time to talk about morris dancing. As the world seems to slip and slide into despair, it’s probably more important than ever that people find some small ounce of joy and camaraderie wherever they can, and morris is it for me. I suppose it’s one of those things that’s often considered as a little weird and wonderful (I might argue all the best things are), associated with village greens and maypole dancing, but like many folk traditions that can be found on the periphery of mainstream, popular culture, morris dancing tells us about ourselves and hints at our connection to the land.
In the Beginning… When and Wherever That May Be
The origins of morris dancing are perhaps lost to time, but there are several theories. Some sources suggest that it comes from the Moors. While the word morris may have roots in the word ‘Moorish’, there is no definitive proof that morris dancing came from the Moors of Spain. Other origin theories suggest pagan connections, but again, there is no historical proof, other than that people the world over have expressed joy and celebrated seasonal occurrences through the power of movement and dance. It seems that humans always seek to add age to things, to find ancient connections and beginnings, as though the longer they have existed, the more legitimate they are. Much of the idealised assumptions and beliefs about morris dancing seem to hark back towards the idea of ‘merrie England’, an almost utopian image of quaint English country life between the Middle Ages and the industrial revolution. It’s likely, according to some folklorists such as Roy Judd, that the idea of merrie England is nothing more than a nostalgic myth.
By the People, For the People
Whatever its origins, the earliest record of morris dancing in England comes from the 15th century when the Goldsmith’s Company, London, paid a whopping seven shillings to a group of morris dancers. Whether it was once favoured by the courts, morris dancing soon became associated with the common people, and was often looked down upon by higher class citizens. A popular entertainment at local events, such as Whitsun Ales, Maypole dances and Rushbearing events, morris dancing was entrenched in the lives of common people.
Morris dancing today has many different styles, informed by where they are and the people who practise them. Cotswold morris is perhaps the typical morris, what with dancers clad in white with hankies in the air, while border morris sides typically wear black or ribboned jackets.
Perhaps what is often overlooked, is the fact that morris tells, in part at least, the history of the working classes. Many of the popular costumes today, have a history of disguise harking from the days morris dancing was seen as a form of begging. Some dances encode local history, such as the Rufford Poachers dance as performed by Rattlejag Morris (you can read all about it here).
Morris Today
Today it is perhaps enjoying something of a renaissance thanks to the likes of Boss Morris and TV shows like Myth Country. To be honest though, my own interest was piqued when the very lovely and talented folk singer, Angeline Morrison posted a short video of herself doing a small solo dance on Instagram, inspired by the work of folk artist Lucy Wright, who herself has started the new tradition of Dusking. And thanks to Angeline, and seeing Boss Morris in Stroud, performing at the NeoAncient Festival, I joined Trentside Holmes Morris, and have loved every single moment of it! After all, joy and participating in things that bring us joy is an act of resistance, and May Day is the perfect time for the rebel hearted. Have a blessed Beltane folks!
“You can think and you can fight, but the world's always movin', and if you wanna stay ahead you gotta dance.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents
References and Further Reading
Judge, Roy (1991). "May Day and Merrie England"
https://tradfolk.co/morris-dancing/
https://www.rattlejagmorris.org.uk/music-and-dances1
Heaney, M. “The Ancient English Morris Dance”, Archaeopress 2023.
EMMA KATHRYN
Emma Kathryn, practises traditional British witchcraft, Vodou and Obeah, a mixture representing her heritage. She lives in the sticks with her family where she reads tarot, practises witchcraft and drink copious amounts of coffee.
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