WHAT IS BORDER MORRIS?
 Copyright Mick Lewis 1999
"Border Morris" refers to a style of dance which emerged from the remote “border marches”, the Earldoms of Shrewsbury and Hereford on the Welsh border (now Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire).
It is characterised by wearing rags or rag jackets, and is danced with sticks |
Silhill Morris exemplifying the Border Style
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Somewhere, in a past of harsh winters, out-of-work labourers would dance for their supper by dancing in the street or at big houses, even travelling to other villages and towns to get by. Blackenned faces would disguise the wearer from recognition should the mayhem and begging lead to some local 'misunderstandings' !!
As such the blackenning of faces was not racially motivated, but purely a disguise. Silhill Morris have always been inclusive and never racist, but in recognition of the possibility of misunderstandings, we no longer fully blacken our faces but do retain some black to continue the disguise. Older photos may show members with fully black faces.
An energetic and (in Silhill's case) colourful spectacle the border tradition involves rousing tunes, sticks, rag jackets, bells and disguised faces. The noise and colour are said to ward off bad spirits, welcome good ones and improve fertility in still mysterious ways that even we do not fully understand.
Following a revival in the 1970s many variations of “border” can now be seen all across the country with sides developing their own styles and dances based loosely on the limited records which remain.
As such the blackenning of faces was not racially motivated, but purely a disguise. Silhill Morris have always been inclusive and never racist, but in recognition of the possibility of misunderstandings, we no longer fully blacken our faces but do retain some black to continue the disguise. Older photos may show members with fully black faces.
An energetic and (in Silhill's case) colourful spectacle the border tradition involves rousing tunes, sticks, rag jackets, bells and disguised faces. The noise and colour are said to ward off bad spirits, welcome good ones and improve fertility in still mysterious ways that even we do not fully understand.
Following a revival in the 1970s many variations of “border” can now be seen all across the country with sides developing their own styles and dances based loosely on the limited records which remain.
