The English Long Sword Dance: A Comparison between Two Contemporary Traditional Teams

Abstract

Almost without exception, men's rituel and ceremonial dances in England are performed with implements (Cawte et al. 1960). Cecil Sharp started notating the morris dances in the early years of the twentieth century, and concentrated his attention on the morris dances of the South Midlands, in the counties of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire (Sharp, 1907, 1909, 1910, 1911a, 1913a). These dances were generally performed by sis men in the period around Whit Monday in May or June. The dancers performed with handkerchiefs or short sticks which were struck together during the dances. Sha.rp largely ignored the morris dances from other areas of England, such as the 'Border' morris from the counties on the border between England and Wales. These dances were performed at the Christmas and New Year period and the dancers used sticks which were struck together during the dances (Cawte, 1963). Sharp completely ignored the morris dances of the north-west of England, from the counties of Lancashire and Cheshire. These dances were generally for eight men, danced in clogs or heavy shoes in a summertime procession. The dancers carried short sticks or pieces of cotton rope which they twirled during the dances (Howison and Bentley, 1960; Buckland, 1984). Although Sharp first saw morris dancing in 1899, he did not start to notate the dances until 1905. In 1910 he was told about the sword dances of the north of England, and in 1911 he published the first of three books of sword dance notations. In total, nine long sword dances and five short sword dances were published by Sharp (Sharp, 191 lb, 1912, 1913b). The long sword dances all came from the county of Yorkshire, from the area around Sheffield in South Yorkshire, from the Vale of York area and from the Cleveland EIills region. The swords are made from wood or rigid metal, about ninety centimetres long by three centimetres wide. The swords are not sharp and have a handle at one end. The short sword dances (the swords are