Says Dr. Johnson: “the Morris-Dance, in which bells are jingled, or staves or swords clashed, was learned by the Moors, and was probably a kind of Pyrrhic, or military dance. “Morisco,” says Blount (Span.), a Moor; also a dance, so called, wherein there were usually five men, and a boy dressed in a girl’s habit, whom they called the Maid Marrion, or perhaps Morian, from the Italian Morione, a head-piece, because her head was wont to be gaily trimmed up. Common people called it a Morris-Dance.” Such are the statements made at the commencement of a chapter on this subject in “Brand’s Popular Antiquities.”
It is generally agreed that the Morris-Dance was introduced into this country in the sixteenth century. In the earlier English allusions it is called Morisco, a Moor, and this indicates its origin from Spain. It was popular in France before it was appreciated amongst our countrymen; some antiquaries assert that it came to England from our Gallic neighbours, or even from the Flemings, while others state that when John of Gaunt returned from Spain he was the means of making it known here, but we think there is little truth in the statement.
Our countrymen soon united the Morris-Dance with the favourite pageant dance of Robin-hood. We discover many traces of the two dances in sacred as well as profane places. In old churchwarden’s accounts we sometimes find items bearing on this theme. The following entries are drawn from the “Churchwardens’ and Chamberlains’ Books of Kingston-upon-Thames:”—
| “1508. | For paynting of the Mores garments for sarten gret leveres | 0 | 2 | 4 | |
| " | For plyts and ¼ of laun for the Mores garments | 0 | 2 | 11 | |
| " | For Orseden for the same | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| " | For bellys for the daunsars | 0 | 0 | 12 | |
| 1509-10. | For silver paper for the Mores-dawnsars | 0 | 0 | 7 | |
| 1519-20. | Shoes for the Mores-daunsars, the frere, and Mayde Maryan, at 7d. a peyre | 0 | 5 | 4 | |
| 1521-22. | Eight yerds of fustyan for the Mores-daunsars’ coats | 0 | 16 | 0 | |
| " | A dosyn of gold skynnes for the Morres | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| 1536-37. | Five hats and 4 porses for the daunsars | 0 | 0 | 4½.” |
It is stated that in 1536-37, amongst other clothes belonging to the play of Robin Hood, left in the keeping of the churchwardens, were “a fryer’s coat of russet, with a kyrtle of worsted welted with red cloth, a mowren’s cote of buckram, and 4 Morres daunsars cote of white fustain spangelyed, and two gryne saten cotes, and a dysardd’s cote of cotton, and 6 payre of garters with bells.”
Some curious payments appear in the churchwardens’ accounts of St. Mary’s parish, Reading, and are quoted by Coates, the historian of the town. Under the year 1557, items as follow appear:—
| “Item, payed to the Morrys-Daunsars and the Mynstrelles, mete and drink at Whitsontide | 0 | 3 | 4 | |
| Payed to them the Sonday after May Day | 0 | 0 | 20 | |
| Pd. to the Painter for painting of their cotes | 0 | 2 | 8 | |
| Pd. to the Painter for 2 doz. of Lyvereys | 0 | 0 | 20.” |
The following is a curious note drawn from the original accounts of St. Giles’, Cripplegate, London:—
“1571. Item, paide in charges by the appointment of the parisshoners, for the settinge forth of a gyaunt morris-dainsers, with vj calyvers and iij boies on horseback, to go in the watche befoore the Lade Maiore uppon Midsomer even, as may appeare by particulars for the furnishinge of same, vj. li. ixs. ixd.”