The History of Morris Dancing

Back in 1500 it probably all started as a Royal Pagent! So Morris Dancing is at least 500 years old. There are also very interesting Shakespearean connections. Some still insist on the fertility myth. Some even wangle a Celtic Connection! Streetswing.com announces that Morris had a Moorish origin!

For present day Morris dancers (and there are a lot of them around) it is a good story to spin - good for a collection for a pint or two of beer. You could check out Roy Dommett's views!

If you see Morris Dancers, ask them how and from whom they learned their dances, and whether they know who taught their teacher. Morris genealogy. Whilst there are written notes on the dance this form of dance is still largely learned by example - an aural-oral art form still learned by imitation. The difference from other more modern dances is that Morris certainly goes back many hundreds of years for its origin. Yes, 'lost in the mists of time'. This leads to many possibilites and variations of 'Morris Dance'.

Some Local History's

• John Clare: Helpston Moris Dance Drama - 1825, a Mumming play, but with Morris?
• Fieldtown Morris History Draws on Manning information, link to Dommett is dead so use link above to his notes on Fieldtown.
• A Very Celebrated Banbury Character
• History of Bath City Morris by Steve Bazire
• Morris Dancing & May Day Games
• Note on Oddington

Morris Relics

• The Betley Windows
• The Munich Figures: Munchner Moriskentanzer and the dancer statues
• Not Morris! But bizarre! From Aix en Provence:

  Lou Juec doou Cat

  Le jeu du Veau d'or, appelé plus ordinairement lou juec d'oou Cat par le peuple, parce qu'un des Juifs qui adorent le veau d'or jette en l'air un pauvre chat enveloppé dans un sac de toile, ayant soin toutefois de ne pas le laisser tomber par terre ; ce jeu, disons-nous, représentait le Veau d'or adoré par les Juifs qui, en roulant autour de lui, paraissaient mépriser le Grand-Prêtre et Moïse leur montrant les Tables de la loi, et leur criaient ouhoou ! ouhoou !
  Cérémonies de la fête-dieu .
• Tanzende in der Buchmalerei. A new collection of Medieval Dance Pictures, has promise, but not much yet. English and German.