probably not. In romania we have a dance very similar (călusul) registered at UNESCO, known to be at the roots pagan and pre-roman, with magical and ritualistic elements. and a masked dancer who represent the evil trying to bring chaos. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rbCpa9CczMi5qWw.html kzfaq.info/get/bejne/nZ2Bl7Rpt5umhYk.html

Well said, Bobby.

Never realized fishnets and army boots were ancient Celtic

It has been lost though, this is a modern revival. It’s not authentic.

They only started doing blackface in the 1800s, specifically to be r@cist. This isn't history, it's revisionist pro-colonial nonsense.

@@noahboddee5238 Yeah, this is some of the most modernised Morris dancing out there (you can tell because it's actually enjoyable to watch, where the authentic stuff is crap to modern tastes). That's not bad, it's the only way to survive if it's still a relevant product of contemporary society rather than a relic, but it's also not particularly ancient.

I think Morris dancing has just slowed down too much,especially as young people tended to mock it,but it was always a joyful dance,a jig!

me too

The blood of our ancestors still flows in our veins!

@@enzedbrit thats so true

Morris dancing was invented in the 1400s. It was created under the influence of visiting Spanish dancers, doing popular dances from Spain, and turned into something new. Nothing pagan about it. Morris was actually....Moorish. Hence the blackface.

@@toomanymarys7355 This isn't true at all.

This is just sad

Threetails For any art form to survive, it must evolve. This is exciting stuff!

it was originally sailors who took to begging when it began and now there professional street performers doing it

Threetails reenactment or recreation may serve as a launchbay for revitalizing dead traditions, since the performers often start to add to or create from what the did as an reenactment.

@@user-kh9ki3kq8m because this tradition existed before black people were sensitive AF about everything. This tradition has nothing to do with black people. Shocking as it may be to your millennial sensitivity, not everything is about minorities. In fact, if you wanna get technical about it, whites are a planetary minority, so maybe people should be more sensitive to whites and leave our traditions alone.

@@4490676 The ironic thing is the Morris Dance has everything to do with black people. "It is indisputable that this dance is the invention of the Moor. Its negro origin is further seen in that white dancers blackened their faces to dance it." - Sir John Hawkins No one is going to "be more sensitive" until the "planetary minority" stops claiming things that did not originate from them and stop teaching so much false history.

That's where it comes from, James the 6th of Scotland brought it over to Scotland then England.

@@buidseach That's wrong. It was John of Gaunt who brought it to England - House of Lancaster.

@@buidseach According to all the anti-white racists on these videos, we just "stole" and "immitated" this dance from the "Moors" LOL.

Portugal = Port of Gauls

@@jillyb710 No evidence for that story.

You do know they're imitating the black moors that ruled Europe in the "dark ages". Moors were black.

@@davidmilton5887 No the Moors DID NOT Rule Europe. The Muslim Moors Invaded and conquered part of Spain and when they tried to come further North were defeated by a Frankish Army and were eventually kicked back to their Desert shithole.

@@geordie114 You're deluded by the lies taught in schools. The "Crusades" were racial wars, disguised as religious wars,all part of a Caucasian rise began in Austria and ending in the "UK" with the British Civil War. The Irish caucasians that helped the Negroes of Briton were shipped to Barbados.Known as "Redlegs" they still reside on Barbados,nearly 500 years later. The "black" Muslims didn't leave Spain until 1491. Alhambra fell in November of 1491,the "black" Jews of Spain were given 3 months to convert or leave. Christopher Columbus set sail in the.spring of 1492,with 3 "black" Jew translators,for the "New World" (which was known of), Columbus was arressted for taking 200 "black" Jews to Jamaica,which was given to him as a gift for his "discovery",in order to escape persecution in Spain. Christopher Columbus was "black".In parts of Asia they teach that Columbus was "black".

@@davidmilton5887No I said "The Muslim Moors did not conquer( Europe ) you have it wrong, They Invaded the Iberian Peninsular in 711 AD and they did not leave they were forcibly removed by 1492 when Granada was retaken. Jews and Christians could only practice their religion by paying a tax so I do not care if the people of the time forced muslims to convert or leave. The Crusades came about to Retake Jerusalem from The expansion of the Muslim Seljuks Empire which had Invaded. I am deluded by thinking I can come on you tube to enjoy some of my countries morris dancing without meeting freaks spouting garbage.Enjoy whatever floats your boat,If you don`t like Morris dancing vote it down and go to something that you do enjoy. Go away.

@@geordie114 Did you google: black coat of arms ? A couple of links(they're being removed from the intetnet): www.alamy.com/stock-photo-the-republic-estonia-tallinn-old-town-pikkstrasse-black-head-house-122974628.html Moors: www.journeytothesource.info/moors.html

Perfect comparison!

They are...

It's under threat because stupid people are claiming it's racist.

Except Beltane isn't English.

@@aidanwalsh2545 Gaelic cultures in Britain have been heavily influenced by English culture with English settlers moving to all corners of the isles spreading their traditions for example in Wales the of majority native Welsh people have an English ancestor because of how interlinked Englishism is with the Isles.

@@radec1566 you attempt to lecture a Gael on Gaelic culture. Latha buidhe Bealltainn, ain't English.

@@aidanwalsh2545 You deny English influence, is this some form of Anglophobia?

Google rag coats or tatter coats for details on how to make them.

Thanks!

Essentially, blackened facial features were used because Morris was outlawed in Post Industrial Britain and therefore they weren't recognisable by the authorities, giving them time to run away when they knew the law spotted them from a distance.

I read it's to pay homage to the Moors

Actually Finnz 7 is right. Morris dance was originally an imitation of North African and Middle Eastern stick dances. Even the name "Morris" comes from the word "Moorish". That being said it's quite possible that people fused it with local folk dances which could very well have pagan roots. While the facial makeup is undeniably blackface it didn't stem from the same racist tradition as later performances which were explicitly meant to mock people of colour

This is The Way

I’m blackfacing to go the asda now

not doing yourself any favours by referring to it as 'blacking-up' there, chief

Saw a post on Facebook that the “blacking” was known as night face

@@gallantisimo771 this was related to poachers who would black their face so as not to be seen by game keepers or land owners

@@gallantisimo771 You brainwashed freaks realize that Black exists as a color, outside of SKIN color right?

It’s long been a way of disguising yourself,since pagan times and black can easily come from soot.

Lol, someone who can reference Steeleye Span and Terry Prachett w Morris dancing in one comment

@@catherineplunkett7241 Steeleye Span and Terry Pratchett did a wonderful album called Wintersmith.

This is the way

Its too late, all these groups have caved in and have changed their colors. And as you can see from the comments on every single Morris Dancing video, it is FULL of Anti-White creeps trying to destroy and subvert our culture. They're even trying to say this is a "African" dance that they are "immitating" LOL. Even though stick dances like this one, are one of the oldest types of folks dances all throughout Europe..... and found almost EXCLUSIVELY in Europe.

Not when I studied Latin! Morris isn't a Latin word. Traditum means traditional. The truth is.....nobody knows the origin. About the origin, there is an old saying "Ask six different Morris men you will probably get five different answers. The sixth man will say nothing as he is the fool and the wisest of men".

its of African origin "Morris dance] Afric (Africa) or Moorish dance. a la moresca, It (italian) Fr. (french) moresque: hence corruptly Morris dance. this kind was much used by our ancestors" Two Ancient Scottish Poems, the Gaberlunzie-Man, and Christ's Kirk on the Green By John Callander books.google.com/books?id=B9hLAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA121&dq=morris+dance+moorish&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjy_rfJ17DcAhUD3IMKHZmdCCEQ6AEITDAG#v=onepage&q=morris%20dance%20moorish&f=false

I haven't got the link but there is definitely similar dances in Spain and the Basque country.. I saw another sequence on a film of a festival in the south of Spain. The 6 dancers in Cotwold like costumes were lined up either side of what looked like a canal. Very Monty Python.

Check out Loreena McKennitt - this tune can be found on one of her albums. The name is also Huron ''Beltane'' Fire Dance and there is an awesome live performance video here on the tube.

DarthAmerind not a Hurdy Gurdy and they are playing a violin and guitar....Hurdy Gurdy has a handle on the bottom.if you look at the end of the video the guy is playing the strings on guitar.but that is a pretty awesome instrument!!

Tnt Mami good observation, thanks

tudgemyster - Don't think so!

at first it didn't mean anything, it was just a way to make musical tunes, since music instruments were expensive and who wasn't able to find some stick along the path. Later it also became a defence weapon against law men and others trying to interrupt them. That's at least the part I know, hope it helped ye

The banging was to chase away unwanted winter spirits. Same with the shouting.

Tiamat951. Exactly. There exist historical references to the noise made by pagans to chase away bad spirits. The church used its church bells.

Usually the noise scared evil spirits away

​@@Foxglove963 But none of this is pagan - the sticks are there just to make a noise.

In Wales we call a ceilidh a twmpath, but it's the same sort of thing.

a Ceilidh tends to refer to the whole event being held, at which musicians and dancers would perform, and much drinking ... wonderful events, wherever they are held.

Hi it's from Loreena mckennett' beltane Fire Dance Track

+Douglas Latham Loreena McKennitt is a Canadian :D