Morris dancer phobia

[Disa13]

This is honestly not a joke. I was talking to my friend earlier and she reminded me about her phobia of Morris dancers. It might sound ridiculous but she finds them very creepy. I'd forgotten, but she was telling me about a time she was in a pub and some came in, so she ran downstairs to hide from them, but one came jingling down the stairs to the loo. She described it as "like the scene in Jurassic park." We had a bit of a joke about it and I kept saying "jingle jingle jingle" and she found it very funny.

I ended up reading about them on Wikipedia, I hadn't known much about the tradition or that different types of Morris dancing are from different parts of the country.

I wanted to ask aibu (is my friend being unreasonable) to be freaked out by Morris dancers? Or is it quite reasonable in that it could be likened to clown phobias, which aren't that uncommon. Personally, I can't stand Ronald McDonald, I find him a bit sinister. Now I'm in a silly mood, I wanted to ask if anyone else has a phobia of slightly irrational or silly things.

Also, if anyone has any suggestions to help her overcome her fear of Morris dancers, they would be much appreciated.

Years ago my son found a troupe of them rehearsing in a local park. Disguised in Plain Clothes but with sticks. Wish I still had the video and could give you all a treat. Very surreal

MorganKitten - get your history right about blacking up! The blacking up (or guising) comes from the days when folk would disguise themselves from rich landowners when they were out having a bit of fun and time off otherwise they’d be penalised. The idea that it’s offensive is based purely on ignorance. HOWEVER because it is now seen to be offensive The Morris Federation has banned the use of black and all skin tinted face colouring, though you will still see some Morris dancers using black face makeup in protest of this. Not all Morris dancers use face colouring anyway - me and my side wouldn’t be seen dead in it.

Yes we are the stick sort - it’s called Border Morris and is based on traditional dances from the Welsh Borders. There is also Cotswold (white gear, hankies and very athletic), North West (dancing in clogs) performing dances from North West England plus East Anglian Molly dancers. All are different and huge fun. Sunshine, beer and fitness is what you get outside in the summer after weekly practices in the village hall in winter. All Morris sides welcome newbies - give it a go!

Yes The Brittania Works Coconut Dancers - aka The Nutters are from Bacup and yes they do look a bit odd! But their side has been going for about 100 or so years so very historic.

It's idly occurred to me when I've occasionally seen the NZ rugby team performing the Haka, that the English team should respond with a Morris dance.

To be fair I'm probably far away from the traditional morrisdancing, we do fluffy morris dancing which is shakers and sequins but bloody hard work

@MorganKitten

I find the black face nasty and the whole it a disguise from their bosses while begging and busking during the winter. It is very possible that it was an attempt to mimic the North African dances that were part of the Morris’s inspiration....

So yeah, don’t black up it’s offensive.

You are wrong. I totally accept them not doing it now, or using a different colour, to avoid causing offence but the original reason was disguise.

@ErrolTheDragon

It's idly occurred to me when I've occasionally seen the NZ rugby team performing the Haka, that the English team should respond with a Morris dance.

Now that would be a sight worth seeing.

@somthinginthewoodshed

Yes we are the stick sort - it’s called Border Morris and is based on traditional dances from the Welsh Borders. There is also Cotswold (white gear, hankies and very athletic), North West (dancing in clogs) performing dances from North West England plus East Anglian Molly dancers. All are different and huge fun. Sunshine, beer and fitness is what you get outside in the summer after weekly practices in the village hall in winter. All Morris sides welcome newbies - give it a go!

Cotswold Morris use sticks as well don't they?

Cotswold use sticks and hankies and wear white with baldricks and possibly decorated hats.. Border Morris use longer sticks and wear raggy coats or other outlandish disguises.

@CaptainMyCaptain

Cotswold use sticks and hankies and wear white with baldricks and possibly decorated hats.. Border Morris use longer sticks and wear raggy coats or other outlandish disguises.

Border Morris are our local sides.

One time, I lived in a house where there was a green space across the road. A minibus pulled up on the main road and about 12 Morris Men climbed out in full regalia and did a jig in a circle for a couple of minutes, then climbed back in and drove off. I still frown when I remember it

My house would have been up for sale the next day, for fear that they'd return.

That's an epic overreaction.

I love Morris Men! But they do have certain connotations - partly down nowadays IMO to Midsomer Murders.

We were once watching some at a summer village fair in rural Devon. I remarked to the woman
standing next to me that I was expecting any minute for someone to be shot with a crossbow from behind the tea tent - she said she’d been thinking exactly the same and we both cracked up.

OTOH I find clowns sinister, creepy and repellent.

I HATE Morris dancers and always go out of my way to avoid them. Always have but only the white kind. I don’t mind the green and black ones quite so much.

Thinking about it...the hankies are the worst.

There’s got to be at least one other fan of Elsie J. Oxenham on this thread? I wonder if she ever came across ‘dark morris’?

I love the idea of Rugby Morris. Bring it on, it would make Rugby far more bearable.

FFS My mother was a big fan of Elsie J. Oxenham and named me after one of the characters! I think she has probably still got all the books.

I was thinking of having an Abbey School reread...

@ErrolTheDragon

It's idly occurred to me when I've occasionally seen the NZ rugby team performing the Haka, that the English team should respond with a Morris dance.

I hate rugby but I would pay good money to see that! How do we make this happen?

Did anyone else on this thread grow up in a Folk family? We went to endless Country Dances, watched our parents give displays, including at the Albert Hall, and I have a few memories of dances at Cecil Sharp House. We also went to Folk Camp every summer.
Neither I, nor my siblings, carried this on as adults though.

@FatimaMunchy

Did anyone else on this thread grow up in a Folk family? We went to endless Country Dances, watched our parents give displays, including at the Albert Hall, and I have a few memories of dances at Cecil Sharp House. We also went to Folk Camp every summer. Neither I, nor my siblings, carried this on as adults though.

My parents were both Morris dancers and folk singers so my childhood was a succession of pubs, gigs and folk festivals. They divorced when I was 7 so it all stopped then.

Cocothefirst did neither of them keep it up after the divorce?
Did you take it up as an adult?

Sorry, didn't mean to be rude.