Origin of Morris Dancing

Subject: RE: Origin of Morris Dancing
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 04 May 04 - 01:47 PM

How far back do records of Northwest morris go? I have some evidence that they go back much further than the Industrial Revolution.

I will go and check out the reference

Subject: RE: Origin of Morris Dancing
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 04 May 04 - 06:00 PM

The first reference to "moreys dauncers" in English print is 1458 in Will of Wetenhale. It is spelt 'Mourice' in a reference of 1498.

It is still considered possible that the name comes from the Flemish, mooriske dans, also known in other parts of Europe, esp. Greece. Just a dance in the style of the Moors.

There probably are several origins to the dance as performed in the British Isles, including revivals for the hell of it (and beer); the name coming to apply to all of them.

Subject: RE: Origin of Morris Dancing
From: mouldy
Date: 05 May 04 - 02:59 AM

I did hear once that a very early, mediaeval mention of morris dancers is in a church record somewhere and cites the payment of something like "10 pence for ale for the morris dancers".

I can't for the life of me remember where or when it was supposed to have been, but I read it in a book, and it is so long ago that I can't remember which book, either. (Bit useless, really!)

It's interesting that in Nottinghamshire there is a 16th century record of dancers accompanying the procession of representatives from parishes in the Southwell diocese as they travelled around Whitsuntide from the city of Nottingham to the minster to pay the "Southwell pence". This was the annual money paid to cover the cost of the minster. Given that the minster is Norman, it'd be interesting to know when exactly the dancers started to accompany the procession. Dolphin Morris Men revivied the "Gate to Southwell" around 1981. I don't know if it's still on, but the 22 miles was done in relays by the local sides, representing their parishes. On arrival, having been met by the Dean, and after the presentation of the "pence" (in old pennies), there was a short service in the transept, and Glorishears was danced by representatives from 6 of the sides. It's the only time I've seen morris danced inside a church building!

I've got an encyclopaedia of folk customs - Encyclopaedia of Popular Customs by W S Walsh, published 1898. It covers feasts and festivals from all over the world. Morris Dancers are mentioned only once, under a lage section on May Day, as accompanying Robin Hood and his men. There's an awful lot about other May traditions. How things changed after 1899!

Andrea

Subject: RE: Origin of Morris Dancing
From: Mitch the Bass
Date: 05 May 04 - 06:02 AM

The Mediaeval Period is usually defined as AD 1000 - AD 1500.

Early references to Morris are contained in The Annals of Early Morris by Michael Heany and John Forrest and The History of Morris Dancing, 1458-1750 by John Forrest from which some of the following is taken.

The first unequivocal reference to a morris dance is from a will in 1458 (as mentioned before) and there are only two other references in the 15th century (1477 the Drapers' Guild paid 27s 9d for dancers, 1494 Henry VII's accounts record an "Item for Pleying of the mourice dance"). There is also a mention of a Moresk on a silver cup in 1458 and accounts for costume for a Moruske in 1466.

I can find an item in a 1515 church record containing "item for met & drink for ye mores dauncers vpon feyer day" and a 1556 record of Whitsuntide fair - "Item payed for the morrysdauncers and the mynstrelles mete and drink".


Going back to the discussions on NW dancing. Extensive records from the early 20th century collectors are kept in the Manchester Morris Archive. Although there are early (c1600) references to morris in e.g. Chester, there dosn't appear to be a direct link to the appearance of NW dancing as we know it today. (I was the Manchester Morris archivist for a while).

Mitch

Subject: RE: Origin of Morris Dancing
From: GUEST,insight
Date: 05 May 04 - 07:09 AM

Gate to Southwell is indeed still happening. This year it will take place on Saturday 12 June.

At Bromyard Festival there is usually a team dancing in the Sunday service and I think there is dancing in church on the Sunday at Saddleworth Rushcart. - Les in Chorlton, can you confirm this?

Subject: RE: Origin of Morris Dancing
From: Snuffy
Date: 05 May 04 - 08:56 AM

Many Folk Festivals, and almost all Morris Ring meetings have a church service with dancing. I have personally danced in church at Bromyard and Stratford-upon-Avon, and seen others do it at several other places.

Subject: RE: Origin of Morris Dancing
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 05 May 04 - 02:33 PM

Guest with Insight, you will find much about the Men of Saddlworth here:

http://www.morrismen.saddleworth.org.uk/

The later contributers have certaily added some quality info. I have a copy of'Lancashire & Cheshire Morris Dances, collected and edited by Johhn Graham, published by Curwen & Sons. This gives lots of detail and history taking Northwest back around 500 years.

Does this suggest that Northwest evolved into clogs from what we now cal 'Cotswold' perhaps better 'Mediaeval Morris' with the Industrial Revolution?

Subject: RE: Origin of Morris Dancing
From: davidkiddnet
Date: 07 May 04 - 06:42 PM

Morris Girls
As for the fertility aspect of Morris, In our team the hobby-horse was a woodpecker-costume we called the Yeckle. The Silurian Morris Men joked that it was a fertility symbol because everyone who had housed the Yeckle had gained unexpected babies. I thought they were just joking about its four-foot long beak. But when I volunteered to repair it I found that it had been housed for some years by the boys-school teacher who appeared arguably on the gay side. And the consequence was: we had an unplanned daughter within a year.
When I had to move away from Ledbury only the arguably gay boys-school teacher would take the Yeckle back.
Frances is a delightful calm girl who won the baby competition at the county fair, and is now grown up full of talent and smarts.

Subject: RE: Origin of Morris Dancing
From: LadyJean
Date: 08 May 04 - 01:56 AM

Will Kempe danced from London to Norwich. He wrote verses about his nine days wonder, including one where he speaks of a local girl who "was Marian in his Morris dance." and danced beside him through the town.
The local morris team handed around cake, assuring those who ate it that it brought good luck for a year. I ate some of that cake. A week later my cat died. Within the next 52 weeks, my boyfriend developed a tumor, and had to go home to Minnesota for surgery. It turned out to be benign. Of course two days after I got the good knews, my father died. Since then I have avoided morris dancers bearing cakes.    (OH, my boyfriend dumped me. But the year was up by then.)

Subject: RE: Origin of Morris Dancing
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 08 May 04 - 01:39 PM

Three members of Flowers of May (2 of whom were married to members of Cotswold sides) became mothers of twins.....

Kitty

Subject: RE: Origin of Morris Dancing
From: davidkiddnet
Date: 28 Jun 04 - 04:42 PM

W:But what about the MUSIC?
W:This is a music site isn't it?
T:What's this Morris tune called?
W:It goes:
L:1/8
M:2/4
K:Cmaj
Q:120
Gc Gc |BA BA |Gc Gc |Bc d2 |\
Gc Gc |BA BA |G2 AB |cc c2 :|
W:Then it goes off into something like "Rule Britannia".

Subject: RE: Origin of Morris Dancing
From: Snuffy
Date: 28 Jun 04 - 07:20 PM

Not For Jo(Joe)

Subject: RE: Origin of Morris Dancing
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Jun 04 - 02:45 PM

OK, which of the many versions of "Not for Joe"?

Subject: RE: Origin of Morris Dancing
From: Little Robyn
Date: 29 Jun 04 - 03:49 PM

It looks like the version used by HOTS (Heart of the Sun, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand) to dance Dilwyn!

Subject: RE: Origin of Morris Dancing
From: Selchie - (RH)
Date: 30 Jun 04 - 06:54 AM

Not For Joe ~ It is Dilwyn, the Traditional Welsh Border dance ~You'll find the dots on Bassett Street Hounds' site ~

http://web.syr.edu/~htkeays/morris/hounds plus lots of other good Morris info.

Subject: RE: Origin of Morris Dancing
From: Snuffy
Date: 30 Jun 04 - 08:43 AM

Bassett Street Hounds