http://www.info-mine.com/vmm/whatis.morris.html (PC Press Internet CD, 03/1996)

WHAT IS MORRIS?

The Morris is primarily a form of ancient, English, ceremonial dance first recorded over 500 years ago. The dances vary depending on the region of England from which they come:

Cotswold dances from the Cotswold Hills area of the south Midlands (centred approximately on Oxford)
Welsh Border dances from the counties bordering Wales (primarily Shropshire and Herefordshire)
Northwest dances from the Cheshire and Lancashire plains
Sword dances from the north-east of England
"Molly" dances from East Anglia.

Quite closely associated with the Morris is a strange form of "street theatre" called mumming - a short, humorous, bizarre play which retells, in various forms, the death and resurrection story central to many ancient and modern cultures.

Anciently, just as English country life used to follow the seasons of the year, so did the Morris. While the Morris was apparently performed for specific ceremonial purposes (or maybe even ritual purposes, probably to celebrate the changing of the seasons), today it is a very social activity typically involving traditional music and seasonal singing. Numerous pints of real ale are frequently consumed!

The VANCOUVER MORRIS MEN, members of the Morris Ring of England, were formed in 1982 to maintain the traditions of the Morris in North America and to recreate the ritual and social activities of England's pastoral past.

If you want more information on the history and origins of the Morris, click here for the comments of Rich Holmes (of the Bassett Street Hounds, Syracuse, NY).

Vancouver Morris Men
Webmaster: Graham Baldwin
E-mail: gbaldwin@info-mine.com