Morris dance is a form of English folk dance performed by groups, or sides, usually to music from pipe and tabor, fiddle, melodeon or accordion. Dancers often wear bells on their legs and use handkerchiefs or sticks. Recorded in England since the mid fifteenth century, it survived in village traditions, was revived around 1900, and is now performed worldwide.
Morris dance at a glance
| Origin | England; first recorded in the 15th century |
|---|---|
| Earliest record | 1448, payment by London's Goldsmiths' Company |
| Name | Probably from 'Moorish' (Spanish morisco) |
| Main styles | Cotswold, Border, North West, Molly |
| Revival | Cecil Sharp at Headington Quarry, Boxing Day 1899 |
| Organizations | Morris Ring (1934), Morris Federation, Open Morris |
Origins and name
The earliest known reference to morris in England is a payment made in 1448 by the Goldsmiths' Company of London to morris dancers. The word appears in various spellings, such as "moreys daunce," and is generally believed to come from "Moorish," through forms like the Spanish morisco and Flemish mooriske. Similar dances called moresca or moresque were fashionable at European courts in the fifteenth century, and the English morris probably began as a courtly entertainment before spreading to towns and villages.
Why the dance was called Moorish is uncertain. Some writers link it to exotic costume or blackened faces used as disguise, while others think the name simply conveyed something foreign and spectacular.
From court to village
By the sixteenth century morris dancers appeared at church ales, May games and Whitsun festivities, where they helped raise money for parishes. Records mention figures such as a fool, a hobby horse and characters from the Robin Hood plays. Puritan critics attacked such pastimes, and dancing declined during the mid seventeenth century, but it returned after the Restoration of 1660.
Over the following centuries, morris became firmly rooted in rural communities, especially in the south Midlands. Teams danced at Whitsun and other holidays, often touring neighboring villages for money and beer. Industrial and social change in the nineteenth century caused many village sides to fade, though some traditions survived without interruption.
Regional styles
- Cotswold morris: from Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and neighboring counties; usually six dancers with bells, waving handkerchiefs or clashing sticks. Each village tradition, such as Bampton or Headington, has its own steps and tunes.
- Border morris: from the counties along the English-Welsh border; a vigorous, simpler style, often danced with sticks and in ragged coats of strips of cloth.
- North West morris: associated with Lancashire and Cheshire mill towns; processional and almost military in character, often danced in clogs.
- Molly dancing: an East Anglian winter custom connected with Plough Monday.
Related English ritual dances, such as longsword and rapper sword dancing from northern England, are often performed by the same groups.
The revival
The modern revival is usually dated to Boxing Day 1899, when the folk-song collector Cecil Sharp saw the Headington Quarry Morris Dancers near Oxford and noted tunes from their musician William Kimber. Sharp went on to collect dances from surviving traditions and published them in The Morris Book. Mary Neal, who taught dances to young working women at the Esperance Club in London, played a major role in spreading them, although she and Sharp later disagreed about how the dances should be taught.
In 1934 six revival sides founded the Morris Ring, originally an association of men's teams. Women's and mixed sides later formed the Morris Federation and Open Morris. Today there are hundreds of sides in Britain and many in North America, Australia and elsewhere.
Pagan theories and folklore
In the early twentieth century it became common to describe morris as a survival of ancient pagan fertility rites, with the bells meant to wake the earth and the sticks to drive away evil. These ideas owed much to Frazer's The Golden Bough and to the romantic folklore of the period. Historians who have studied the records, such as John Forrest and Ronald Hutton, point out that there is no evidence for morris before the fifteenth century, and that it began as a fashionable entertainment, not a religious ritual.
Many dancers still enjoy the symbolism of spring, luck and community attached to the dance, and it remains part of seasonal celebrations such as May Day. Its place in folklore links it to entries on fairies, the sacred grove of Nemi that inspired Frazer, and the ritual dances of other cultures such as the Sun Dance.
Modern debates
Some traditions, especially in the Border and Molly styles, historically used blackened faces as disguise. From the late twentieth century this custom became controversial because of its resemblance to racist blackface. Around 2020 the main morris organizations asked sides to stop using full black face paint, and many teams switched to other colors or masks. The debate reflects wider discussion about how living folk customs adapt while keeping their identity.
Related entries
Frequently asked questions
Is morris dancing pagan?
There is no historical evidence that morris dancing began as a pagan ritual. The earliest records date from the fifteenth century and suggest it started as a fashionable entertainment at court and in towns. The theory of pagan fertility origins became popular in the early twentieth century but is rejected by most historians.
Why do morris dancers wear bells?
Bells on the legs have been part of morris costume since at least the sixteenth century. They add rhythm and sound to the steps and help make the dance lively and eye-catching. Folklore later claimed they drove away evil or woke the earth, but these explanations are modern interpretations.
Where does the name morris come from?
The word is generally thought to derive from "Moorish," via forms such as the Spanish morisco and Flemish mooriske. Similar dances called moresca were fashionable in fifteenth-century European courts. The reason for the name is uncertain; it may have referred to exotic costume, disguise or simply a foreign style.
Sources and further reading
This entry replaces an article from the original Mystica encyclopedia (online since 2001). It was rewritten from the sources above by The Mystica Editorial Team under our editorial standards. Last reviewed: September 30, 2026.