What did I see?
Discussion
I worked with a chap who was one of these type of Morris dancers. He explained that in the past poorer people would dance in neibouring villages whilst begging for money. They would Black their faces and wear non distinguishable attire so they were not recognised/embarrassed for begging. Not sure how much truth in history of it all, but when I went to see them they were well tanked up, so there was a benefit in the hobby.
jackh707 said:
In Chester town centre today, Groups of people dressed in black and orange with black face paint on with bells on their knees, sort of like a weird cross between Jim Crow and Morris dancers.
Anyone know who they were?
Cheers
I passed a group of people dressed like that in Manchester yesterday afternoon, and a separate Morris Dancer in what I'd think of as more traditional get-up.Anyone know who they were?
Cheers
Cotswold Morris is the best known version, white shirts, hankies or sticks,crossed bands across chest called Baldricks.
Blacked up, generally more violent use of sticks is Border Morris, originally from English/Welsh border.
Both have spread beyond the original areas, both involve drinking plenty of beer
Blacking up is usually to prevent being recognised, I guess smugglers and other people doing naughty things would have blacked up so they weren't as easily seen in the dark so maybe borrowed from that - there was a thing in the news not long ago that someone complained that it was racist, but it probably dates back far enough to be before the people doing it had ever seen a black person.
There are also various other traditions - clog aka North West; Rapper - fast stepping sword dancing from North East etc.
All are either maintaining old English traditions or a bunch of annoying t
ts depending on your point of view 
Blacked up, generally more violent use of sticks is Border Morris, originally from English/Welsh border.
Both have spread beyond the original areas, both involve drinking plenty of beer
Blacking up is usually to prevent being recognised, I guess smugglers and other people doing naughty things would have blacked up so they weren't as easily seen in the dark so maybe borrowed from that - there was a thing in the news not long ago that someone complained that it was racist, but it probably dates back far enough to be before the people doing it had ever seen a black person.
There are also various other traditions - clog aka North West; Rapper - fast stepping sword dancing from North East etc.
All are either maintaining old English traditions or a bunch of annoying t
ts depending on your point of view There might be reason to pause and reflect over the blackface aspect, though.
I was reading recently (couldn't quote where now - perhaps it was a TV programme) that the name Morris dancing derived from 'moorish' dancing, and goes back to the time of the crusades. People were coming back to Britain with tales of the outlandish costumes and customs of the people they encountered in the holy lands. The dance might have evolved as a way of replicating these exotic encounters. Black face would have been very natural to adopt in these circumstances. The 'disguise' argument always seems a bit thin to me.
But in any case, it all started 800 years ago, and I don't think we can impose modern sensibilities on a tradition that old.
I was reading recently (couldn't quote where now - perhaps it was a TV programme) that the name Morris dancing derived from 'moorish' dancing, and goes back to the time of the crusades. People were coming back to Britain with tales of the outlandish costumes and customs of the people they encountered in the holy lands. The dance might have evolved as a way of replicating these exotic encounters. Black face would have been very natural to adopt in these circumstances. The 'disguise' argument always seems a bit thin to me.
But in any case, it all started 800 years ago, and I don't think we can impose modern sensibilities on a tradition that old.
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