On Sunday we were feeling particularly civilized and so went out for breakfast. Amy even asked for a bagel, which made us feel very cosmopolitan indeed. Unfortunately we were eating in a greasy spoon cafe so she had to make do with a toasted currant tea-cake instead. To be honest Huddersfield sophistication has its limits. We still keep coal in the bath you know.
After we had eaten we set off over the moors in search of a playground and ended up stumbling across the Saddleworth Rushcart Festival, the countries largest gathering of Morris Men.
Now how can I describe Morris Dancing to the uninitiated? The truth of is I probably can’t. According to the mighty wikipedia:
Morris dancing is the English national dance dating from the fifteenth century. It is a type of folk dance usually accompanied by music. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers. Implements such as sticks, swords, and handkerchiefs may also be wielded by the dancers.
But that doesn’t truly describe the phenomonon. If I were forced to come up with my own definition I’d say that Morris dancing is a type of dancing done by men who can’t actually dance but can just about manage to skip up and down in a row and bash a few sticks together. In silly costumes. And with bells on their feet. Shouting “YYYEEUP!!” at seemingly random intervals.
Oh it’s no good, i think I’m going to have to resort to YouTube. I’ll give you a pound if you manage to watch all the way to the end:
The English composer and poet Sir Arnold Bax once said “You should try everything once, except incest and morris dancing”. Which I have to admit is pretty bloody funny. But sometimes I feel that morris dancers come in for a great deal of unwarranted stick (if you’ll pardon the pun). After all, these men are keeping an ancient and idiosyncratic piece of our heritage alive. And they are doing so by wearing silly hats and playing sword fighting, which has to be a bonus in anyones book.
Saying that, I’m not too keen on the soft southern white suited Costswald breed of morris dancers, much preferring the theatrics of the rag wearing handkerchief shunning Border morris (oh yes, I know all the lingo). I especially like the morris men who don’t dress in the traditional costumes at all, but go with an updated look of a bowler hat and pinstripe suit or even a pantomime dame. It’s my view that anything that organically and naturally evolves a tradition can only be a good thing.
So would I become a morris dancer myself? Probably not, although I do have the beard for it. But despite my previous jokes at their expense I must admit that I have a healthy respect for morris men and will generally stop to watch if I come across them performing. As street entertainers go, Morris Dancers are certainly more fun to watch than living statues and bagpipe players, although perhaps not quite as fun as this chap (more on whom tomorrow):
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I wanted to write “When can I come and collect my pound?” here, but then I fell asleep at 2:09… Damn.
I found Huddersfield positively leafy and delightful when I was there earlier this annum.
As for Morris dancing, I took Max to see a mate’s dad ‘perform’ on the bridge at, err, Ironbridge. Fancy being woken up in your pushchair by a half-cut man daubed with boot polish, bells and a big stick. He was not amused, nor entertained.
Sir Arnold was right, my mate’s dad is not.
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It would be really funny if one of the Morris Dancers slipped and wacked another guy with his stick. Perhaps it’d turn into a Morris Melee.
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Damn. I was close to watching the entire clip as well. :/
So what do you think of the way morris dancers are portrayed in Chitty, Chitty Bang, Bang?
I hope I don’t offend – but this looks much like ‘square dancing’ that my grandparents used to do….except, no sticks! I actually did watch the whole thing, and it makes me wonder that the Morris dancers don’t get bored with their routine and wander off for a pint of Guinness or some such! But, seriously, in Texas and Oklahoma it’s done in big, wierd looking ruffled skirts and the men wear cowboy boots. Perhaps, it would be more interesting if our couples did have some sticks! tee hee! Lovely blog, Cher
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Was there a Monty Python convention in town?
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One minute thirty one. Exactly a third of the way through. Can I have 33p please?
Lovely traditions, keeping it all alive and all that. But still.
Kath – That’s a real shame because it got really exciting at around 2:09
SingleParentDad – You need to expose Max more so he is able to face his fears. I prescribe a visit to a folk festival every weeknd for at least a year in order to harden him up.
VegasDad – A Morris Melee? Now there’s a tradition I can see a real audience for.
Janina – I can’t actually remember any Morris Dancers in chitty chitty bang bang. Are you sure you’re not thinking of Dick Van Dyke?
Cher – I imagine that American folk dancing and British folk dancing probably share some pretty similar ancestry somewhere down the line.
Whit – Ni!
Oli – I’ll put your winnings towards the postage on that parcel I need to send you that I still haven’t posted. I will tomorrow I promise.
What must foreigners make of our Morris dancers? I dread to think! Hey? Maybe they’ll be a mass Morris dancing section in our Olympics! Think 15,000 guys all dancing in unison – hoorah! ;o)
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I used to watch Morris dancing a lot as I was brought up in a quaint Yorkshire village where it was exhibited every now and again for the foreigners passing through on bus tours. I mentioned it on my blog ages ago but since I am currently sitting in a laundry in the Hol Inn in Florida using my shiney new I touch – caressing it lovingly and all! It’s notso easy to find the link. It’s good but not AS good as a laptop.
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Your pound is safe from me!
“It is a type of folk dance usually accompanied by music.”
Usually?
I wanna see the buggers without music…
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Is there drinking involved? That would make it a hell of a lot easier to take, now wouldn’t it?
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Penelope – It would be a lot better than dragging out some X-Factor winner.
Gail – You are evil, you know that. I hope it bloody snows in Florida.
Ed – Jolly good, I’ll put it towards my new iTouch
Xbox – I’ve seen one, but it could just have been a couple of guys having an epileptic fit.
James – I think their usually is beer involved on the morris men’s part, but the spectators need far stronger means of sedation in order to get through it.
The scary thing is, I can’t see what else we Brits have to offer for the 2012 Olympics Opening show. Blimey. :D
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over 4 minutes was too long for the pound..next to that my first reaction was..wtf!
haha but I’d probably stop on the street to watch for a while too.
Reminds me of one of those Robin hood movies ‘What is this for faggotry?’ ‘This is no faggotry, we’re straight men, straight men in tights.’ (I’m probably not quoting it 100% correctly but who cares)
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Oh wow I just love that video of those guys. They surely are something else. Also I just think that guy in the metal outfit is just the cats meow. So much entertainment comes from this group, they are great. Nice post!
Its great to see such an event published on the internet! Such a large amount of dancers all in one place really let me astonished and impressed!
We could do with more festivities like this one across the country.
Thanks for the post! Was most enjoyable.
Yeah..most like a cultural fest. Not all of the wonderful dances are carried out in one event so watching this in a video is am good alternative.