History of the Morris

Morris Dancing is part of our English heritage and one of the most ancient of our customs still surviving today. The origins are lost in the mists of antiquity, but are believed to be derived from a pre-Christian Spring Festival. It is known that morris dancing was popular at the time of Queen Elizabeth I.

As a consequence of the Industrial Revolution, morris dancing went into decline, but on Boxing Day 1899 Cecil Sharp saw the Headington Quarry dancers and dedicated himself to finding and noting down dances wherever he could. Gradually morris dancing has revived until today morris men are once more a familiar sight. Today when morris dancers meet, a tankard of ale is always raised to Cecil Sharp's memory. The headquarters of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, Cecil Sharp House, is also named in his honour.

Traditionally, the dances encourage the rebirth of nature after Winter, ward off evil spirits and bring good luck to the spectators. The dances are also fertility dances - and ladies should be particularly careful of ever wearing a morris dancer's hat, or handling one of his sticks! The costumes are both decorative and practical. The bells ward off any evil spirits that may be around, the handkerchiefs accentuate the hand movements.

We wear white trousers and shirt and a green waistcoat with gold braid and small striped pockets with our badge on the back. It shows the side name, with a stream and trees and the three fish of the Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames, where the side is based. Other badges and flowers on hats and waistcoats are purely for decoration.