Some may laugh at strangely dressed men dancing on an English village green, bells strapped to their ankles and waving handkerchiefs but Morris dancing is a quintessential part of the English rural scene which nearly died out at the end of the 19th century.
The Origins of Morris Dancing
There is no definitive history of Morris dancing in England but one popular theory is that Morris is a corruption of the word Moorish. The article “History of Moorish Spain” on the spanish-fiestas.com website explains that Moors comes from the Latin word mauri which was the name given to a group of tribes (originating from modern-day Morocco and Algeria) who conquered the Iberian Peninsular in 711. A style of dancing known as Moorish (or moresk in English) associated with the rule of the Moors in Spain and Portugal subsequently became popular in the courts of Europe.
Morris Dancing in England
A 27th April 2006 article about Morris dancing on the icons.org.uk website says that although the moresk in England was mainly associated with celebrations surrounding the coming of spring, it was also performed at other times of the year from the times of the Tudors. In the following centuries Morris dancing became part of the summer celebrations and there are a number of references to Morris entertainments at Christmas during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII.
Morris Dancing is Pagan and Ungodly
During the reign of Elizabeth 1st Morris dancing was at its height of popularity but with the rise of Puritanism in England Morris dancing was deemed to be Royalist and (as quoted in a 27th April 2006 article on the icons.org.uk website) “pagan and ungodly” and it was eventually banned during Oliver Cromwell’s rule in the 17th century. It was only after the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660 that Morris dancing became legal again.
The Decline of Morris Dancing in the Late 19th century
In spit e of the popularity of Morris dancing after its revival in the 17th century, by the end of the 19th century Morris dancing had almost disappeared. In a June 20th 2008 article in the Oxford Times entitled “County Celebrates a fine Morris tradition” Chris Koenig explains that in the late 19th century Morris dancers were derided and ridiculed for their rural working class traditions. The upper classes also disapproved of their tendency to get drunk at traditional events such as May Day and Whitsun.
The 20th Century Revival of Morris Dancing
Despire the general decline of Morris Dancing there were a number of Morris sides which remained active – quite a few of which were in Oxfordshire. And it was in Oxfordshire that the contemporary revival of Morris dancing began. The Victorian interest in folk traditions inspired folk dance and music collectors to go out and record the surviving music and dances and it was on Boxing Day in 1899 that a now famous collector called Cecil Sharp had a chance meeting with William Kimber.
Cecil Sharp and his family were staying in Headington for Christmas when Sharp saw the Headington Quarry Morris Dancers performing with William Kimber on the concertina. Sharp invited William Kimber to visit him the next day to play the Morris tunes so as he could write them down. Koenig explains how this meeting marked the beginning of Sharp’s lifelong enthusiasm and interest in the English folk tradition.
Many agree that it was Cecil Sharp who saved many tunes from vanishing altogether. Sharp subsequently became one of the most ardent collectors of Morris dances and tunes and in 1911 he founded the English Folk Dance Society to help ensure that the Morris tradition did not die out once again.
Morris Dancing in the 21st Century
There are many Morris sides throughout England today but perhaps the best known Morris tradition was collected and recorded by Cecil Sharp in the villages of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire. There are still traditional Morris sides at centres such Headington Quarry, Bampton and Abingdon in Oxfordshire and some villages in Oxfordshire including Ducklington, Adderbury, Eynsham and Kirtlington have set up revival Morris sides.
Christine Lightfoot - After completing my degree and a postgraduate teaching course my first job was as a secondary school music teacher. However, after ...
