Morris dancers outside the Cathedral Photo

Photographer’s Note

I took this photo at the end of a Morris dance festival outside Winchester Cathedral. The group in the photo is the local "blackface" dance group who organised the festival.

Morris dancing is traditional English dancing which originated in the 1400's. It it usually danced with handkerchiefs, but this group dance with sticks. Each dancer carries a stick, which at intervals is clashed vigorously against another dancer's stick; it is believed that this form of Morris dancing is derived from ancient ceremonies to frighten away evil spirits.

Nobody has marked this note useful