The histories of the Morris in Britain

Abstract

This is a very worthwhile volume. Like any such compilation, the contributions are variable in quality but none are without interest and some are very good indeed. Strong foundations have been laid for English morris dance history, for example, in the writings of Roy Judge, Keith Chandler and two of the writers represented here, John Forrest and the editor Michael Heaney. The book is organized thematically and roughly chronologically into seven sections varying from one to four chapters. It is extremely well presented and edited. After a brief but to-the-point introduction by Heaney, which addresses the plural ‘histories’ of the title, John Forrest contributes a lively and informative first essay, ‘How to Read The History of Morris Dancing’. This essay helps us to think about the important issues pertinent to the whole book. Forrest gives some fascinating background on the way that he, Chandler and Heaney carved up the field of morris dance history, researching different but complementary aspects. Forrest’s essay is peppered with pithy and pointed statements. Writing about the widespread belief that morris was the survival of an ancient fertility ritual (for which there is no historical evidence) he states: