Morris teams can now be found all over Great Britain, and many new teams have been formed abroad in Canada, the USA, Hong Kong and Australasia. Many people would recognise this essentially English tradition, but exactly what is it?

Origins of Morris dancing

Its origins are vague and many different theories have been expounded on its beginnings. Some believe that the dances seen today are derived from the French Moresque or the Spanish Morisca dancers of the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. Others believe that the dances are the remains of pre-Christian fertility rites for soil and crops. Certainly, by the end of the sixteenth century, Morris dancing had become established as the seasonal celebration of the coming of spring and the autumn harvest.

Different styles

After these times, the dances went through many changes and at least six regional variations developed, each one clearly different. Each one was contained within a particular geographical area of the country. The upsurge in the interest in Morris today has meant that these styles have been taken out of their "home" counties to be performed all over the country, but their origins can still be detected.

The morris of the Cotswold area is typified by the waving of handkerchiefs and the wearing of bells strapped to the dancer's legs. North West morris dancers dance in clogs. Border Morris dancers generally "black up" their faces to keep their anonymity. Longsword and Rapper dances are performed with swords which link the dancers throughout the dance.

Molly dances developed in East Anglia, originally performed in January as part of the Plough Monday celebrations.

Avoiding extinction

After nearly dying out at the end of the nineteenth century, Morris dancing is now enjoying a considerable revival, and there are now over five hundred teams in Britain. The majority of contemporary morris sides have been formed in the last eighty years or so. Each club will have a Squire who is responsible for the performance and the side's leadership, a Foreman who teaches the dances, and a Bagman who acts as its secretary and treasurer.