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Further mentions of Morris dancing occur in the late 15th century, and there are also early records such as bishops' "Visitation Articles" mentioning sword dancing, guising and other dancing activities, as well as mumming plays .
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Morris dance. Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article " Morris-Dance ".
Cotswold Morris: dances from an area mostly in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire; an established misnomer, since the Cotswolds overlap this region only partially. Normally danced with handkerchiefs or sticks to accompany the hand movements. Dances are usually for 6 or 8 dancers, but solo and duo dances (known as single or double jigs) also occur.
In January 2009 the Telegraph published a report predicting the demise of Morris dancing within 20 years, due to the lack of young people willing to take part. This widespread story originated from a senior member of the more traditionally-minded Morris Ring, and may only reflect the situation in relation to member groups of that one organisation.
Your knowledge of Morris dancing might currently be limited but there's plenty of fascinating history behind this unique tradition.
Morris dancing continued to be popular until the industrial revolution and its accompanying social changes.
There are actually quite a few different types of Morris dancing styles and different dances or traditions within each style, typically named after their region of origin.
Many Morris dancers perform a locally collected play during the Christmas season, especially if they are dancing on Boxing or New Year's Day. They are likely to perform a hero-combat play, with Father Christmas introducing himself, then he'll introduce further characters which may include St George, a Turkish Knight and a Valiant Soldier.
If you'd like to watch Morris dancers in action visit The Morris Ring for more information. Alternatively, take a look at the video below...