Black Faced Morris Dancers Banned at ShrewsburyFolk Festival

Suzied I have to defend Morris dancing and other forms of traditional merry making. Every other country is proud of their traditional folk dances, customs etc but much of Britain just scorns ours.

What about originally pagan rituals about "May Queens" virgin girls in church parades.
Burning effiges of Catholics on Bonfire night. That is probably offensive to Catholics but we continue.
Not to mention parading statues of blessed virgins though the streets which could be construed as offensive idolatry, by protestants.

So it's not "traditional " at all then ? I think a lot of things we think of as "traditions" were recreated in the Victorian era. Not saying that's the case with Morris dancers, but I'm sure a lot of"traditions" are not identical to the original. Can't see not having black faces would make a lot of difference to the dance, after all, they aren't actually trying to avoid identification now are they?

Penstemmon I would think that blacking up with soot is probably not a good idea healthwise.

"Soot is a byproduct of the incomplete burning of organic (carbon-containing) materials, such as wood, fuel oil, plastics, and household refuse. The fine black or brown powder that makes up soot may contain a number of carcinogens, including arsenic, cadmium, and chromium."

Added to this potential hazard, I have not lived in a house with a coal fire for years.
Get comperes and the team members to explain the blacking up.

As most articles I have read suggest that early Morris dancers/mummers used soot as a disguise whereas the contemporary pictures of the MDs are using almost solid make up. To look authentic why don't they use soot?? It would look less like a B7W minstrel show & be more authentic!

thatbags one can show cultural appreciation of African/ Caribbean culture without having to 'black up'!

black-face.com/

Well said, Grumppa.

No I can't see a problem with written information on the history, a board and even leaflets. It is important the fear it's a link with slavery.

It has already been suggested on this thread, granjura, and the suggestion did receive support.

yep, give and take and mutual respect.

Could you see anything wrong in a board giving the history of the tradition- or the compère giving one?

When I'm abroad, I try and find out about local customs. My area is very mixed ethnically. My impression is that most of us, from various groups, do our best to understand each other and respect customs. I'm not wishing to sound white and superior but if my neighbours make assumptions, feel offended and don't either ask the Morris dancers why the black face, or read up about the tradition, their for ions won't be widened will they.

Then perhaps have a board explaining the tradition and its origins- or the compère doing so before performing. Easy enough.

The audience cannot be expected to understand this without being told. Easy enough.

Perhaps Grummpa has innocently, or not just come up with next one when he says he is off to a ' black tie event'.

Perhaps it should be a purple tie event but eventually somebody will say it could be racist/prejudiced against an as yet unknown martian tribe.

To use one of my favourite sayings. 'Some people will walk a mile over broken glass in the bare feet to have 'THEIR' feelings hurt'.

POGS totally agree. I wonder sometimes what will be the next thing someone thinks of.

There would be no point whatsoever in painting faces blue, green - if the original point of 'blacking up' was for disguise that reason is irrelevant these days.

However, to lose traditions such as these for the sake of political correctness is wrong especially if the origins are uncertain and lost in the mists of time.

I think it's called virtue signalling. Lot of it in Durham.

Greyduster, glad we can both

By finding evidence of racism on behalf of his/her black brethren/sisters the white protester is asserting his/her own racial supremacy over those less intelligent and sensitive than him/herself.

Oh dear, I'm off to a black tie dinner next month.

The odd thing is it is usually a white person finding undertones of racism/prejudice 'on behalf of' a person of colour.

In the matter of Morris Dancing it is in my opinion annoying and quite possibly more harmful for mulitculturial inclusion as this ignorance of facts puts a distorted slant on things. The indigenous white population see it as an unnecessary attack on their traditions and the coloured population , well my friends and family do, think 'don't talk rubbish on my behalf you are just stirring up trouble'.

It seems at times the ' political correct brigade ' are more interested on displaying their virtue but they 'can' in fact annoy everybody, sometimes those they are purporting to be shielding from a racist/prejudiced occurrence even more.

There are undoubtedly occasions where there is indeed racism/prejudice shown but if everything with the term/use of 'BLACK' is to be abolished/written out of our traditions then I think the plot has been well and truly lost.

I think we all know what racism is. Most of us should know what it isn't too.

Even supposing that Morris dancers' face-blacking is an acknowledgement (a cultural appreciation) of the origin of this type of dancing (if it was Moorish, i.e. north African), it is not racist. If it originated as disguise it isn't racist either.

In a similar way, it is not 'racist' for Japanese people to don kilts and dancing ghillies to do Scottish country dancing. They are, like the Morris dancers, appreciating and keeping alive a dance tradition that arose in a different culture from their own. That is all.

granjura

Agree with suzy about traditions not being fixed forever- and need to adapt at times.

Agree with Pogs too, no difference between the black faces of Morris Dancers and Black Pete/Schmutzli - but there is a huge difference in the audience. But agreed.

As Suzy says, why not adapt slightly but changing the face colour to another- be it green or blue (I know some will say no because of the irish/scottish connotations) - or do the same dances without colouring faces. Would it really change much.

But yes, I also agree with thatbags- and can see it from both sides. Agree with Tegan too that it is an overeaction- but why not change face colour and be done with it? Would it really make much difference.

Greyduster oh FFS!

My understanding of racism is "prejudice plus power". If somebody didn't like me just because I was white, I would be annoyed and upset, but it wouldn't materially affect my life. However, non-white people in a predominantly white society can be subject not only to prejudice because of the colour of their skin but also discriminatory practices in terms of, for instance, access to education, health, jobs, the justice system, etc.

I can't think of anything less exciting than Morris dancing, but each to their own. However, culture is not a fixed concept, it is ever changing through the generations, so if aspects of Morris or any other type of dancing change over time, as I'm sure they have, then that's a natural evolutionary process.

I made a similar point up thread, nfk and was slapped down in the most condescending manner. I hope you are not similarly treated! thatbags, good post.

Good post that bags.