Cotswold Morris dances, the type that HuMP perform, were originally practised roughly in the region known as the Cotswold Hills of England. Most of the dances currently performed were first written down around the end of the 19^th century or early in the 20^th. Others have been invented more recently and others still are invented even now, Morris-dancing being a living oral tradition passed down from generation to generation.

But Morris-dancing is much older than that! The earliest record of it dates back to 1458 when a Will states:

No real description of any actual dances exists, but there are suggestions that early Morris was performed in circles and was therefore a different form from ‘modern’ Morris. Shakespeare refers to Morris-dancing in Henry V in a way that suggests it was already an ancient art form even then and that it was performed by both men and women!

Many of the early records relate to payments made to dancers for performances at fund-raising church fairs or to buy things like bells. The church gradually became more anti-Morris, as the Puritans objected partly because of its association with the Catholic church and partly because they disapproved of anything felt to be frivolous or fun.

Current dances bare similarities to bits of Playford dances published in the 18^th century so it’s quite possible that ‘ancient’ Morris was modernised then, or had been forgotten and was reinvented.

And that’s about all we know. There is speculation that the early Morris may have derived from ‘Moorish’ dancing brought to England from Spain or North Africa by the Moors and spread through the medieval courts of Europe. But speculation is all it is. There are dances that look strikingly similar in other parts of Europe but whether there is any actual link is unclear.

HuMP once had a booking cancelled because the church minister thought we were a group of pagans. Morris-dancing has no more connection with religious activities than it does with knitting, in my opinion, although I have been to Morris events which include (optional) church services laid on especially for the dancers! Indeed there are some sides that number clergymen amongst them! Of course, there may be pagans who dance Morris just as there may be some pagans who knit. There are also committed Christians and atheists. And knitters, perhaps! You’ll often hear talk of ‘fertility rites’ and encouraging the crops to grow. This is possible and all makes for entertaining banter while the dancers get ready for the next dance but there’s no real evidence for it.

Far more well-read people than I have written and published more about the history of Morris. Here are some links for you:

A book:     'Morris History 1458 – 1750'

www.richholmes.net/morris/realhistory.html

www.richholmes.net/morris/earliest.html