The History of Morris Dancing 1458-1750 (Studies in Early English Drama)

The first reference to a dance called 'morris' dates from 1458, but few early sources have so far been available to the folklorists who have attempted to track down its supposed ancient pagan origins. Now, drawing on material he helped to compile for an archive of documentary records, Forrest has produced a fascinating survey of the dance's early history, which uses a new approach to draw the study of morris traditions into the wider area of communal customs and public celebrations.