h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A648001

An entry on Morris Dancing as the guide lacks one.

Firstly, I have to declare an interest.

I am preparing an entry on the Rochester Sweeps festival and have already submitted: http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A645699 on 'In comes I: mumming, pace-egging and souling folk plays', which is currently awaiting some perceptive scout to recommend it. Big links to morris dancing in both.

I know there isn't an edited entry on morris dancing: I looked, and I think there should be.

I would like to see something about the Britannia Coconutters and possibly the Abbotts Bromley Horn Dance. I think they're sufficiently special to warrant a mention.

I also recently contributed to a University of Life project on the Greek Myths, and was struck by the underlying fertility rituals and the parallels between the ones in classical times and our own pr-Christian ones.

Although the links mention morris sites, I think it would be useful to say that anyone interested in becoming a morris dancer can find about what groups are in their area by looking at the sites.

Have you also checked the net for sites in other countries?

I haven't mentioned particular sides or dances because it's impossible to mention everything and I wouldn't want to be biased.

From what I've read about the Celts there were a lot of similarities between their practices and beliefs and the beliefs of the Greeks, Persian, Babylonians, etc. A lot of traditional dance from all over the world shares similar themes and styles, eg. the idea of dressing as and even becoming someone/thing else while you dance. I'll have a think about how to include this.

I'll also mention that info on local sides can be found by looking at the sites and I'll try and find some links to tohr countries.

Nice Entry

Apparently there are some tenuous links between morris dancing and the age old board game Nine Men's Morris. In the board game each player has nine pieces, there are supposed to be nine Morris Dancers in each troupe. Er, that's where the connections cease I think

As luck would have it, I'm currently in the process of writing a Nine Men's Morris entry, as a side project from my honours year assignment on programming a version of the game in java.

entry Deackie

And nicely timed too to coincide with Samhuinn, the ancient Pagan quaterday festival which along with Beltane, Lusannagh and Imbolc, has been reincarnated by the Beltane Fire Society in edinburgh in recent times (First 'modern' Beltane at edinburgh was 16 years ago I think).

But why am I going on about beltane? Because one of the many different sets of characters in the ritual/perforance of the modern day beltane is the White Woman. It is their job to escort the Cailleach and the Green Man, and as the protectors of natural order, ensure that summer is born out of winter every year. The White Woman are all drssed in white (shocking eh?) with bits of greenery woven into their costumes, and (relevant bit alert ) all carry sticks. These sticks are used to ward off the forces of chaos, and are brandished in very rythmic movements throughout the ritual.

Beltane is of course a fire festival (Beltane means fire in ancient celt language, although no doubt spelt a bit different(?)), a big point of which is to ensure fertility for all your cattle and family by driving cattle and family between two fires.

Beltane used to be dated by lunar calendar I think, but always occurs these days in edinburgh on the night of may eve -30th April I guess that would be.

Sadly the BFS web site is down at the moment for refurbishing, but when it comes back, it should be packed with historical background for the beltane and possibly informative speculation on origins of white woman.

catch ya later deackie
vp

Nice one .

I was surprised by what you said about the industrial revolution's effect. I ignorantly thought some dances came from that period. I think I must be confusing Morris with other types of 'country' dance - clog dances maybe?

Clogs are used in North West morris and some types of Border Morris.

Clog dancing itself is mostly a solo activity, once performed in competitions on a board with the judges listening underneath so that they could judge the clarity of the taps and hear whether any dancer had put his heel down at any time. Dancers' arms should be straight, just like Irish dancers and the dancers dance just on the ball of the foot - very tiring!

This one sent a series of shivers down my neck! The ancient rites of driving out the ghosts of winter / fertility rites etc... seem to be the same all over the world - see the 'history' section of 'Carnival in Germany', http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A517655 !

thumbs up!

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Congratulations!

yay nice one deackie

Thank you. That's 3 now. I'm a bit pleased about that really

Woohoo! Congratulations . I'm really pleased.

I was thinking of doing something about ancient sacrificial rites and their transformation into the festivals we see today. Are you interested in collaborating?

It sounds like a really interesting project and I'd love to help - now here is the 'but' bit. I'm very busy at the moment and not online very often and I'm away without internet access for a fortnight starting at the weekend. I've also got 3 essays due in after Xmas that should be getting more attention than they are. However, if you don't mind the entry taking a while, my h2g2 addiction can't keep me not doing stuff here so I would be pleased to collaberate. I'll come and start a conversation on your personal space and we can discuss it there