The Morris Dancers
The Morris Dancers
Arrive at various summer events at Highclere and you might espy a group of performers wearing brightly coloured costumes. Morris dancers were part of my childhood: the sound of the knock of wood on wood, the large handkerchiefs flying up and down, the rhythmic choregraphed dancing accompanied by an accordion and fiddle. Sometimes they appeared at the church fete, hats decorated with flowers and from afar you could hear the tiny bells attached to pads on their lower legs. There is therefore nothing silent about their progress as they walk along to choose a good place to begin their dancing set.
Morris dancers are also associated with May Day. This traditionally marks the beginning of summer, halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice. May Day traditions often include gathering wildflowers and green branches, weaving floral garlands and dancing around a Maypole whilst being entertained by the Morris Dancers. It is a day celebrated along the same lines in much of Europe.
By the early 16th century May Day had become a fixture of Church festivals, suggesting it was part of a much older tradition that was absorbed like so many other dates into the Christian calendar. Of May Day revels, Shakespeare says "as fit as a Morris for May Day" and "a Whitsun Morris dance” whilst in 1600 one famous actor- William Kemp - danced a solo Morris dance all the way from London to Norwich.
Morris dancing is a collection of very traditional old English folk dances. A foreman teaches and trains the dancers, the steps are less complicated than the patterns, its movements based upon circles and processions and there is usually one or more “fool”. There are “capers” and “hops” and some of the dance names reflect older pastimes, for example “Hunting the Hare”. “The Druid” is another example, danced with eight sticks in pattern that is the same as 3 other dances - Hunting the Hare, The Snow Mare and The Crown. It is the action of the sticks that marks the differences.
Morris dancing continued to be popular until Tudor times but fell out of favour during Oliver Cromwell’s more sober Protectorate when all dancing was actively discouraged. It slowly recovered during later centuries and became valued once more in the early 20th century due to several English folklorists who were responsible for recording and reviving the dances.
It is something quintessentially English and thus brings something unique to a summer event. Traditions are all about safekeeping and perpetuating our ancestors’ customs and indeed the name “Morris” may be derived from “mores”, a Latin word for custom or customary.
Of course, dancing has been around throughout the world since man’s earliest civilizations. It has been used for both religious and ceremonial purposes and to tell stories as well as for entertainment. For example, Egyptian tomb paintings depict dances from 5000 years ago whilst the ancient Greeks incorporated dancing into their celebrations of the wine god Dionysus as well as the ritual dances that were part of the ancient Olympic Games.
These days thanks to programmes like Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing on Ice as well as international stars such as Rudolf Nureyev, ballroom dancing and ballet are much better known but this coming May Day perhaps we should all raise a glass to the Morris Dancers!
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51 Comments
Thank you for this delightful post!
Looks like alot of fun, wish I was there.
Thank you
fondly Jenny
Oh my what a coincidence as I attended the 48th Daffodil Festival on Nantucket Island this weekend and a group of them were here! They were dressed similar to your photos of them but white slacks and their bells were at the bottom of them and their hats were covered in beautiful daffodils. Their dances were up throughout the post parade event during the Tailgate event after the parade and fun to see and hear. Lucky you all for the traditions of them there. Enjoy them this May.
Something I have only seen once in person. We left England just after I was 7 in May 1957. Been back many times but never seen the "live" thing. Many times on TV & movies. Definetly means England to me
Thank you for the pictures and the history of Morris dancering. Very informative and entertaining much like the dancing!
Growing up in a village in the UK I remember my parents taking my sister and me to watch the fun at our pub although I was a tad nervous of the ' fool' ,turns out my father knew him and he thought it fun to mess with the children! Don't think I was the only nervous one!
One question, why are they always men that dance?
Wishing you a joyous May Day and hopefully some sun and fun for your visitors.
Summer in Florida is here complete with sun and warmth and some fun on the town green.
Delightful! What an fun history lesson.
Lady Carnarvon,
Thank you for a wonderful, jolly way to start another week! I can just hear the jingles, music and clickety-clack of the sticks!! Such a fun way to start the day with a grin!
Have a lovely week!!
Martha G
Thank you Martha
Lady Carnarvon,
Thank you for the bells and dancing and music in my head! Great start to the week.
Katie Beeh
Several months ago, while visiting Charlottesville, Virginia, we came across of group of "Morris Expats" dancing in the city center. As frequent UK visitors, *we* knew what they were...but most other people nearby were puzzled, to say the least!
David
Thank you for the *Sparkling* post to start the week!
I love it!
Barbara B.
Lovely pictures of the morris dancers did you and lord Carnarvon have a lovely weekend and l am fan of Downton Abbey and lovely highcelere castle thank you for the email
I was born on May Day and my Dad always had a basket of flowers on the front door knob when I returned from school for my Mom! Not only the dances were brought back at the beginning of the 20th century that you mentioned, but the folk songs were collected by Ralph Vaughn Williams and other musicians.
I love the way you incorporate history into your posts as well us sharing what is happening at Highclere each week, thank you.
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
Thanks again for another informative post. Being from the US, I had never heard of or seen Morris Dancers, except as possible background in UK TV shows that I watch in the US, until a trip to the England and France in 2019 as an early commemoration of the D Day Invasion. After lunch in the Golden Lion Pub near Southwick, where Gen. Eisenhower and other Allied commanders spent a lot of time planning Operation Overlord, we emerged to find the car park full of Morris Dancers where a festival/competition was going on. It was really a delight to stay and watch the different groups dance and someone explained what they were and what they were doing. I got some great phone video of the dancers and posed for a few selfies with various people in some very colorful garb. It was a very fun experience and now when I see them on various British shows that I watch here, I
pay a lot more attention.
Another very interesting read ,look forward to my Monday interesting reads
Thank you
I've never heard of Morris Dancers.... thanks for the education!
So interesting! I had never heard of Morris dancers, tho I am familiar w/ May Day. Thank you once again for a most interesting blog!!!!!
Indeed we should raise a glass to the Morris dancers. I suppose the dancers are traditionally all male? I don’t see any women among them. I hope you have a lovely May Day with beautiful weather for the beginning of summer and what I am sure will be a very busy season of events at Highclere.
Suzanne in Georgia (United States)
Lady Carnarvon, raise a glass with a Highclere Gin and Tonic. Cheers. Cheryl.
I think they are fun
I like keeping traditions going
It is just handing down traditions...
I have welcomed ladies groups too..
They are unique!
I really enjoy introducing visitors to them!
Keep them going
There have been women ..
Good to puzzle people
Vaughan Williams was important - in some ways a whole other story..
I rather like the sound of the bells
Lady Carnarvon...............Are the Morris dances the group shown in Downton Abbey at one of the local fairs when Mrs Patmore was "squired" by Just Tofton? It was a short clip but the dances were something I would love to see more of.
I just returned from a cruise on your godship Viking Mars and enjoyed a glass of “White Lady” with Highclere gin, my favorite cocktail (even though I don’t normally indulge.). We had a wonderful group of singers from England. I would love to see the Morris dancers on my next cruise to the British Isles in August! Traditional cultural entertainment always enriches the experience of travel.
What fun! Something else to add to my bucket list. I’d better start on that soon
Lady Carnarvon,
Happy May Day to you and your family! I subscribe to Brit Box and hope I see Morris Dancers on one of the shows I watch!
Here in Dallas TX I used to dance in a Morris team. It was so much fun!
Wow, Lady Carnarvon, thank you for sharing. That looks and sounds like Fun! I definitely believe in keeping customs and traditions alive, while learning from our historical pasts, good and difficult.
Something else to add to my Travel research list.
Warm greetings,
~Anna~
Here in eastern Connecticut we have a group of Morris Men who dance at various events. They have a tradition of climbing a local (big) hill, Lantern Hill, on New Year's Day, the first day of spring, and another day or two, and dancing at the top of the hill. I don't know if it still exists, but there used to be a group of female Morris dancers, also.
I am glad you have the dancers at various events. The more exposure to traditional activities, the more interest, and the more likely they are to be preserved.
How delightful! After recently joining a Morris group, Sharp & Blunt - (ladies only) in Oxfordshire, I am captivated by the history. Thank you for such an intriguing read!
The tradition of Morris dancing is well loved alive in South Australia. In May there's a British Festival in the Adelaide Hills where the Morris Men who have been dancing here for 40 years will be clapping sticks and shaping bells. There's also an all women Morris dancing group who have developed their own creative Morris choreography. Should be fun!
Brilliant
It is tiring too! Good exercise
It is fun
Carpe Diem
I miss Morris dancers, not having seen any since leaving the UK in 1985. I have been back periodically from time to time of course, since family is still there in Suffolk. Here's hoping these lovely and quintessentially English traditions don't die out, though pubs seem to be dropping like flies. (Unfortunate).
Lady Carnarvon, your blogs are a wealth of information and history. I always look forward to reading them.
Mary Mantel
That is very kind!
Seeing any of this would be a bucket list item. You bring it to life with you words and pictures. Thank you for the visions
Lady Carnarvon
Many thanks for an excellent write up on the joys of Morris Dancing. We have enjoyed performing at Highclere on several occasions and look forward to future events.
Ian Sutherland (Squire Yateley Morris Men)
Thank you - I love seeing you here
Dear Lady Carnarvon:
Thank you for this blog, sharing the history of Morris Dancing, and the great pictures.
The May Day event looked interesting and a lot of fun.
Perpetua Crawford
Lady Carnarvon,
What an amazing tradition! I can’t think of a better way to welcome in summer.
what a good show .