Description
Morris dancing, one of the more peculiar of the English folk customs, has been greatly misunderstood. In The History of Morris Dancing, 1458-1750 John Forrest analyses a wealth of evidence to show that Morris dancing does not, as is often assumed, have pagan or ancient origins. He examines early documentation to draw Morris traditions into the wide area of communal custom and public celebrations, showing the passage of dance ideas between groups previously considered folklorically distinct.
Careful, detailed and encyclopaedic, The History of Morris Dancing, 1458-1750, is an essential reference work for specialists in English drama and social historians of the period, as well as offering fascinating insight for those who enjoy Morris dancing.
About the Author
John Forrest is a Professor of Anthropology at State University of New York at Purchase, and has co-authored previous research on Morris Dancing with Michael Heaney.
Contents
Acknowledgments
List of Illustrations
List of Tables
Introduction
1 Theories of Origin
2 The Contexts
3 Earliest References
4 Royal Court
5 Urban Streets
6 Church Property
7 Church Proscription and Prosecution
8 The Public Stage
9 Rural Locations
10 Assemblies and the Country Dance Hall
11 Private Premises
12 Endings
Appendix A: Methodological Issues: The Early Morris Database and Archive
Appendix B: Visitation Articles Banning Morris
Appendix C: Mr Issac’s Morris 1716, Transcription from Feuillet Notation by Allan Terry
Appendix D: Extant Churchwardens’ Accounts
Notes
Bibliography
Index
