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Morris dancing is a custom with ancient origins. Many people believing that it is descended from pagan spring and summer fertility rituals or “good luck” ceremonies. Some of the dances we do today still reflect the origins of these ancient ceremonies, with their apparent emphasis on rebirth at May time, the seeking of good health for the crops and animals, and the hoped for guarantee of continuing fertility for all. What is certain is that morris dancers have been performing in the City of Oxford since the 15th century.

The dances survived in the Cotswold region long after they had ceased to be popular elsewhere. Even here the custom almost died out at the end of the 19th century, but for the efforts of folk dance enthusiasts who began to collect the dances. Oxford played an important part in this revival, as the first serious collecting of these dances was carried out by Cecil Sharp in Headington Quarry, after he had seen morris men perform on Boxing Day 1899.

Oxford Morris Men were founded in 1938 and were formed to compensate for the temporary demise of other Oxford sides at that time. The Oxford costume - red and blue ribbons, white clothing and traditional bell pads is based on that worn by the Headington Quarry Morris dancers at the time. Since 1959 we have had the privilege of wearing the City of Oxford crest on our baldrics - thus becoming

As part of the strong twinning links between the Cities of Oxford and Bonn in Germany, we have taken part in many exchange visits with the Brückenberger Trachtengruppe, a folk dance group from Bonn.
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Picture Gallery

• Pictures of Advent Dancing 2001 and  May Morning 2002, taken by Malcolm Austin

May Day - 1st May

The City men, and many other Morris sides, take part in the traditional May morning celebrations in Oxford. The men can be found gathering on the Oxford side of Magdalen bridge to listen to the choir of Magdalen College singing from the top of the college tower. Dancing begins around 6.15 a.m. in Radcliffe Square, beside the famous Camera, and continues for nearly three hours at various locations, including Broad Street, St Giles, and the Kings Arms! After breakfast most of the teams go off to other events around the district. In recent years, the festivities have continued from midday into the afternoon in North Parade, Oxford, just off the Banbury Rd.
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Christmas Programme

2009 Programme

Wed 10th Dec:

8pm    The Plough, Wolvercote
9pm    The Victoria Arms, Old Marston

8pm    The Gardener's Arms, North Parade, Oxford
9pm    The Rose & Crown, North Parade, Oxford

8:30pm    Oxford Folk Club, The Folly Brideg Inn, Abingdon Rd, Oxford.

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Spring & Summer Programme

Events shown in grey are not open to the general public.

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Inviting Oxford City Morris Men to appear at your event.

Please note:  Requests for appearances must be made in good time in order to ensure availability. About six weeks notice is ideal.
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Practices

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Morris links

• The Morris Ring
• The Morris Federation
• Open Morris
• Sides in USA, Australia, New Zealand ...

Other Morris Sides
Morris at Yahoo

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Contacts

Squire:

Mark Pollard

Bagman:

Graham Diggle
8 Collcutt Close
Horspath
Oxford
OX33 1RS

Tel 01865 873949

Many thanks to Brevan Miles for creating this web page in the first place and for hosting it for us for several years after he moved away from Oxford. Any errors or omissions in this edition are the fault of the present Editor, however.