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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on Aug 25th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
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on Aug 25th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
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.
SingleParentDads last blog post..Why Did I Just Do That?
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on Aug 26th, 2008 at 12:43 am
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on Aug 26th, 2008 at 3:17 am
So what do you think of the way morris dancers are portrayed in Chitty, Chitty Bang, Bang?
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on Aug 26th, 2008 at 5:49 am
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on Aug 26th, 2008 at 6:42 am
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on Aug 26th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Lovely traditions, keeping it all alive and all that. But still.
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on Aug 26th, 2008 at 10:12 am
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.
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on Aug 26th, 2008 at 10:22 am
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on Aug 26th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
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on Aug 26th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
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on Aug 26th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Usually?
I wanna see the buggers without music…
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on Aug 26th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
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on Aug 26th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
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.
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on Aug 26th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
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on Aug 27th, 2008 at 7:21 am
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on Aug 27th, 2008 at 8:40 am
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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on Sep 19th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
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on Feb 9th, 2010 at 4:25 pm
We could do with more festivities like this one across the country.
Thanks for the post! Was most enjoyable.
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on Feb 11th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
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