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MORRIS ON MAYDAY
The first of May approaches again,
and once more Leicester Morrismen will be celebrating with traditional
English dances, starting early in the morning at Old John in Bradgate Park.
Why? Because we want to keep
alive one of England’s oldest traditions, as we have done for over half a
century. Nobody knows how old the Morris is, since its origins are lost
in history, but it has for centuries been linked with Mayday. Indeed
Shakespeare mentions the connection as being perfectly obvious and
normal, when he writes: “As fit as … a pancake for Shrove Tuesday, a
morris for Mayday”. We cannot say how the two things got joined together,
but in old Celtic times Mayday was regarded as the first day of summer
and it seems that the Morris has always been something to do with the
changing seasons, getting the crops to grow and making sure the sun
shines.
Today Leicester Morrismen
regard it as the start of their busy season of dancing, when all the hard
work of practising through the Winter months pays off. For many, many
years they have celebrated this moment by performing at the high spot of
Bradgate, by Old John Tower, at 7 o’clock in the morning. Many people
regularly turn up to watch the show, and are rewarded by a glorious view
of the surrounding countryside as well as the spectacle of the Morrismen
in all their finery, waving hankies, clashing sticks, rattling bells to
the music of fiddle, melodeon and concertina.
Come and join us!
Image copyright Adam Bartlett
www.adamandlyn.co.uk
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