More Joy of Morris

I was wandering moderately aimlessly around the market square today, after buying two tins of soup and other assorted excitements, when I heard the sounds of aggression, the sounds of fighting.

These are not normally unusual events in this town during the night, but fights during the day are not that normal, unless it's a couple of the town drunks fighting themselves at high volume, but as time went on I realised that no fights 1) went on that long and 2) were accompanied by the sound of bagpipes.

So I traced the sound past the bear baiting post, and onto the little square backing onto the Wetherspoons pub, to find a wide variety of Morris sides performing while a blue faced man dressed as a sailor called out helpful information.

"Why are these people dancing with brooms?" I thought to myself, and as if reading my mind, he piped up, loudly "THIS IS A TRADITIONAL NOTTINGHAMSHIRE BROOM DANCE!!!"

That would explain it then.

After a couple more dances, various scarily dressed mummer types lined up in order to look like the case of The Wizard of Oz on LSD, and scream scarily at us that they would essentially kill us if we didn't give them money. I was in no mood to die so I thought I'd leave before this costume mugging could be enacted.

But as ever, nice to see something that turned out not to be violence outside those particular pubs.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 02.01.16

Line up in line, line up in line

Formation closes in

The blue sailor

Swords now out!

A complex tangle

And a star of swords is made, just like The Wicker Man!

Broom dancers

Brushes to centre!

Mummers mugging

(Considerably More than) Nine Men's Morris

I was just returning from my usual cup of tea and read at Rumbles Cafe on the Park, when I came across a tremendously colourful kerfuffle of ribbons and music at Oscar's pub.

It was a Morris Dancing performance, celebrating the bringing in of the hops.

"The Morris" is attested as far back as the 15th Century, but within the performance are elements of the celebration of life, death, and fertility that go way further back than that. I watched three sides in action, two of which seemed to be of the Cotswold school, and a third from the Border tradition.

When you watch it, and I hate to keep bringing this up, it is easy to be reminded of the more sinister folk traditions explored in "The Wicker Man" film; indeed some Morris does incorporate a hobby horse and a fool in drag rather like the film. There were violent moves, fierce banging of sticks, and what almost could be regarded as a dance ending with a symbolic beheading. There was none of your bells and hankie stuff of legend, this was far more powerful.

Playing in addition to the usual instruments was the strange and powerful call of the hurdy gurdy.

The weather was perfect for it; the sun shone down out of a sky that an hour before had been thick with mist. At 4pm I went cycling to the cafe again, and the mist emerged from the ground again in the space of five minutes. It created a wonderful soft light for me to read Ursula K. LeGuin by.

I didn't run or cycle properly. My back is twingey, and I feel somehow guilty for wasting the day.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 01.11.15

Some long stick dance

Steven Frisby swaps Steampunk for Morris

Border Morris

Much ale was being consumed

A more traditional outfit

Badges

Performance

Dancing commences

Chap with the flower seemed to be the leader of the dance

Promenade

Some serious stick to ground bashing

Beheading

A fresh side

The symbolism of the sashes and ribbons is beyond me

Hurdy gurdy practice

Band in action