History Of The Morris

Will Kemp

Morris Dancing is considered to be part of our English heritage and one of the most ancient of our customs surviving. For a well written summary of the historical evidence please visit the The Morris Ring. Wisely The Morris Ring avoids a foray into the unknown ground that is history without evidence. So, from what we do know, how old is Morris dancing and where did it come from?

Copy of the Betley windowLegend associates Morris with fertility, the Spring and good luck; and there is evidence that Morris dancers were paid to perform at events that occurred during Spring, as well as at other times. Whether Morris was ever danced to improve fertility I cannot say, and there is no evidence to support the idea.

The oldest historical reference is the accounts of the Goldsmiths Guild in London in 16th May 1448 that records a payment to the Morris Dancers for their annual feast on St Dunstan's Day. It has been suggested that Morris has a European origin, and there is evidence around the mid 15th century that Morris was being danced in France, Germany and Switzerland, as well as Wales and Scotland. Sadly there is no diary entry that states "Invented Morris today!" or "Brought Morris Dancers to teach the English" So for answers we are left with are - How old is Morris Dancing? At least by 1448. Where did it come? It was a pan-northern European dance, including Britain, that survived in the Cotswolds of England, and died out almost everywhere else.

Fools dance We have established that Morris Dancing was first recorded in our area in the Summer of 1507 over 500 years ago, during the reign of King Henry VII. For more information see an excellent investigation of the evidence here.

In more recent times Morris underwent a revival in Kingston for the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911 (Source: Kingston Museum leaflet "The Stained Glass Windows in Kingston Museum - The Betley Window), see the investigation here

Morris Dancing and other folk dance, song and arts declined in popularity until an event often viewed as pivotal in the revival of Morris that occured on Boxing Day 1899 when a folk song collector, Cecil Sharp, saw the Headington Quarry Morris Men dance. Cecil Sharp and Mary Neal, a voluntary social worker amongst the poor of Soho, dedicated themselves to find, note down and teach dances where ever they could. Gradually morris dancing has revived from a hand full of active sides to over a thousand active today and Morris men are once more a familiar sight. Today when Morris men meet, a tankard of ale is always raised in memory to Cecil Sharp.

EFDSS Strikes Back

Morris kit is decorative and practical. Bells give a percussive sound to leg movements, handkerchiefs accentuate hand movements and baldrics show where the Morris man is from - in our case the trees and stream represent Spring Grove, an area of Kingston. Most sides dress in white and the colours, badges and flowers are purely decoration.

Spring Grove dance mainly handkerchief and stick dances in the Cotswold traditions. We were formed in 1977 and in 1984 we joined and danced into the national organising body - The Morris Ring.

In the winter months we practice at St Johns Church, Bloomfield Road, Kingston-upon-Thames every Monday evening from 8.00pm. We always give a warm welcome to new members so if you know of anyone who may be interested then please send them along. Remember, no experience is necessary.