Isca Morrismen Tradition
Morris dancing has a long history and is thought to have originated many centuries ago as part of a primitive religious ceremony. Throughout Britain most villages used to have their own team of Morris dancers with their own dances, costumes and allied characters and this area was no exception.
At Chepstow's second market cross outside the Town Gate where tolls were collected for the local lord, the cross was known as Robin Hood's Cross in 1687 and was referred to again as such in 1759 when it was demolished. Morris dancers were described as crossing the Wye at Whitsuntide "in every antient device (except that of the hobby-horse); the Maid marian and the clown being preserv'd."
Morris dancers had become a local rarity however by the end of the last century and few of these local teams survived. Memories are obviously long however, and as recently as two years ago, the Isca Morrismen were advertised in the literature for a local Arts festival as "overweight, baldheaded, middle-aged drunken men dancing ancient fertility rites, a performance featuring British culture at its very best."
Fortunately the steps and tunes of the ancient dances were noted down by a selection of prominent Victorian folk-lorists from some of the surviving older dancers and in recent years there has been a great revival in the dancing. Unfortunately with the upheavals of industrialisation and the upsurge of the chapels, very few Welsh dances survived to be collected.
The side continues to research into the local dancing history and would be keen to hear from anyone with knowledge of the Morris and associated rituals in the South Wales and Borders area.
The music associated with the dancing uses both ancient and modern tunes, several being popularised in recent years. The traditional instruments were the fiddle, pipe and tabor (drum) and more recently the concertina. Nowadays these are joined by the accordion and other related instruments.
With their colourful traditional costumes and superb musicians, the Isca Morrismen bring history alive adding colour and atmosphere to any occasion.
