Morris Dancing FAQs

An Introduction: Collectibles: Mostly these are things I've seen on Ebay or which have come up in discussion on the MDDL. I don't collect morris objects myself, but I appreciate the urge to do so. Most of the morris-related collectibles seem a bit odd; but I suppose that's simply the view point of the non-collector. If you know of additional (or better) examples, please send me the particulars.; I'm not including instruction books, CDs, or videos in this section as they are covered elsewhere, but I'll include just about anything else that draws my attention. :-); • Categories: Collectibles

FAQ Entry Updated: 2003-12-20

Esperance Morris Book: a manual of morris dances, folk-songs and singing games.: by Mary Neal
3d. ed., London, J. Curwen, 1910-1912.
2 v., Curwen's edition, 5694.

One of the earliest published collections of morris dances, it gathers materials used by Mary Neal in her school in London. Long out of print. Copies appear occasionally on Ebay, especially Part 1.; • Categories: Books : Collectibles : Dance Notes

FAQ Entry Updated: 2004-12-07

FYBs : Funny Yellow Buttons [Badges]: The original FYB, aka "Funny Yellow Button" (or "Badge" on the East side of the pond) was a button that Rich Holmes designed for himself to wear to morris events. However, the allure of the FYB was such that he received many requests from others to receive their very own button. Rich obligingly distributed them for quite a while but, when then team-mate, James Allwright, came up with a Postscript version of the button, Rich was happy to let the new-fangled web become the primary vector of dissemination.; The postscript version of the button has gone through a few versions, including changing the email address from syr.edu to iupui.edu when the listserv changed servers in the early 1990s. The current version is the "official" one and is available in retro PostScript and trendy PDF. Print on bright yellow paper for maximum authenticity.; • Homepage: <http://web.syr.edu/~hytelnet/mddl/fyb.html>; • Maintainer: Tom Keays [Contact Form]; • Categories: Collectibles

FAQ Entry Updated: 2005-03-06

Men Without Hats - The Safety Dance: In 1982, the Montreal band, Men Without Hats, had a music video called "The Safety Dance" featuring morris dancers. The dancers, wearing a kit of white shirts, dark brown breeches, and crossed baldrics of dark brown and gold, have been identified as Chippenham Town Morris Men of Wiltshire. This photo from the video is about as good a look at them as you get.; The question as to who was the morris team in the video was first raised in the early 90s so some of the thread predates the online MDDL archive, but it was some years later that it was finally answered by Peter Contrastano. MDDL (January 5, 2000).; • MDDL: <https://listserv.iupui.edu/cgi-bin/Wa-IUPUI.exe?A2=ind0001&L=morris&P=R3306>; • Chippenham Town MM: <http://www.chippenhammorris.com/>; • Categories: Collectibles

FAQ Entry Updated: 2004-07-07

Morris Dancer Figurine: Cari-CAT-ture: A 4" high, hand painted morris dancing cat figurine made of cold cast resin. From Blythe Collectibles of Stoke-on-Trent England. This appears to be a new collectible not yet often seen on Ebay.; • Source: <http://creative-critters.com>; • Categories: Collectibles

FAQ Entry Updated: 2003-02-05

Morris Dancer Pig: This Morris Dancer Pig figurine (actual model name unknown) was produced by Holland Studio Craft (now a subsiduary of Royal Doulton). It is approx 3.5" tall and hand-painted. No information on material or date of production (I've only seen one on eBay).; • Categories: Collectibles

FAQ Entry Updated: 2003-05-23

Morris Dancing at the Honest John: Produced by Mattebox Multimedia Services, this film documents dancing at the annual Chatteris festival in Cambridgeshire at the Honest John Pub over a five year period. It features Ely Riot, Fenstanton Morris, Stephen Watts of Albion Morris and others. This 78 minute film is available in DVD or VHS in all country codes in NTSC or PAL formats.; I've not seen it but correspondents have not rated the quality of the performances as particularly noteworth. Appears fairly frequently on Ebay at close to list price.; • Homepage: <http://www.media62.com/mattebox/shop/video/mdhj/mdhj.html>; • Categories: Collectibles

FAQ Entry Updated: 2003-02-05

Morris the Dancer: Dean's, Britain's oldest teddy bear manufacturer, issued this collectible bear about 8 years ago (don't have an exact date). Morris the Dancer is a limited edition of 300 pieces. It is 12" high in brown mohair; fully jointed and dressed as a morris dancer, complete with bowler hat and bells. I've only seen one of these on eBay.; • Dean's Bears: <http://www.deansbears.com/>; • Categories: Collectibles

FAQ Entry Updated: 2003-09-05

Pendelfin Morris Dancer Figurine: Hand painted ceramic figurine of rabbit dressed as a morris dancer; part of a series of similarly styled figures. I couldn't find a date of production but, since the series began in the 1950s, this figure probably predates the similar "Bunnikins" dancer made by Royal Doulton. Not commonly traded on eBay.; • Pendelfin: <http://www.pendelfin.co.uk/pendle.htm>; • Categories: Collectibles

FAQ Entry Updated: 2003-03-18

Red Dwarf Memo 9 Rimmer - Morris Dancer Monthly: Red Dwarf is a British SciFi TV series from the 1990s with quite a large fan base. A series of Red Dwarf trading cards produced by Futera in 2002 included the "Memo 9 Rimmer - Morris Dancer Monthly #011/135" card." I had to do a bit of research on RD fansites to get a handle on the context for this collectible although I never found a direct reference to the card itself outside Ebay.; One of the Red Dwarf characters is Arnold (Judas) Rimmer, an annoying sort typlified by geeky interests and hobbies that the other characters ridicule. Morris dancing, of course, is one of Rimmer's passions and he subscribes to "Morris Dancer Monthly". This quote is from Series IV, Episode 5, "Dimension Jump"; RIMMER: I tried to be liked, god knows I tried. I regaled you with amusing stories of when I was treasurer of the Hammond Organ Owners' Society. You never laugh. I offer to talk you through my photo collection of 20th century telegraph poles. You've always got some excuse! None of you like morris dancing! Would that break your hearts, every once in a while, the four of us getting our knees in the air -- the jingle of bells, the clonk of wood on wood? But no, every time I suggest it you all pretend to be ill.; Another quote from Series VIII, Episode 5, "Krytie TV"; KRYTEN: Then there's this: "Morris Dancer Monthly". What a total dweebo, nerdmeister he'll look with those!; RIMMER: They're mine!; You see the card for sale on Ebay at least once a month.; • Scripts: <http://www.mimashigh.co.uk/scripts.shtml>; • Categories: Collectibles

FAQ Entry Updated: 2005-07-25

Royal Doulton - Morris Dancer Bunnykins - DB204: This naff bit of ceramic statuary, a rabbit in morris kit, was issued as a collectible in 2000 for Royal Doulton Events. Whatever that is. Height is 4.25" and it is hand painted. The Charlton Standard Catalogue puts a value on this piece at $70.00, but thankfully it never goes that high. This little sucker pops up at least once a week on Ebay auctions.; • Homepage: <http://www.royal-doulton.com/>; • Catalog: <http://www.charltonpress.com/>; • Categories: Collectibles

FAQ Entry Updated: 2003-02-05