Boggarts FAQ
- What the FAQ are you up to?
Right, you know how a FAQ works. 'Ere's a series of questions that you might want answering. If not, read it anyway. You might find out something you didn't know. - Why do people think that Morris is boring?
Because they believe the hype. Almost all coverage of Morris dance in the media is negative, leading to people believing the stereotyped image of Morris as something a little sad. Invariably, when people watch good sides dancing out they enjoy it immensely. And if they don't? Well, we have a dozen or so people, each carrying a b-i-i-i-g stick. Get my drift? - Is it only ageing bearded men who do Morris?
Of course not! Some of our members are male, a few indeed have beards and could even be said to be ageing (although in wonderful condition nonetheless), but we are a mixed gender side with a vast range of ages and even nationalities. We have side members who hail from America, Switzerland and all over the UK and one of our older members has been dancing for almost as long as our youngest member has been alive. We're very diverse and not stuffy stuck-in-the-past types at all.
- What happens at a practice?
Beginning with stepping practice, we move onto teaching for the first hour. This is a chance for newbies to learn new dances and for more experienced Boggarts to learn familiar dances from new positions. After this, we will practise the whole repertoire through. This can be a little frustrating for newbies who may feel they are being left out, but do not worry. Pick a position to study and watch what that dancer does. Before long, after a few teaching sessions, you will be dancing in the the practise hour anyway. You can always pick up one of the instruments and provide a bit of percussion too. For the final 10-15 minutes we have a meeting to discuss upcoming events and any other bits and bats we need to natter about. In practices before big dance-outs, more time may be devoted to practising than teaching, but most evenings will follow the hour of teaching followed by the hour of practising pattern. - Changing with the seasons ... or what we do differently in summer, autumn, winter and spring.
From around September to June we tend to practise at Burton Street, but we do dance out at various events such as The Sheffield Folk Festival throughout the autumn and winter. In the summer, we dance out every Monday at different pubs in Yorkshire and Derbyshire, often joining other sides or inviting them to dance with us. There are many other events that take place throughout the summer. Details of all dance-outs can be found on the entirely appropriately named danceouts page. - Is it a Pagan thing?
No. Despite some people's notions to the contrary, Morris has no religious dimension. We're not going to take sacrifices, stick them in a large wicker effigy and burn them alive while dancing a jig. What do you think we are? Although, that might actually look quite good on bonfire night ... - Does anybody ever get hit by the sticks?
Inevitably, yes, but it is exceedingly rare. Some of the dances we do are quite elaborate and involve not only stick clashing, but stick chucking. But that edge of risk is part of the excitement. Don't worry. Since Boggarts started nobody has had to be rushed off to hospital ... yet. - What kind of sticks do you use?
The sticks are mainly Hazel and Blackthorn if we can get them, and Ash if we can't, but Ash is softer and doesn't last as long. Blackthorn sticks are the best, but they are difficult to get hold of and are harder to prepare, partly because of the big thorns. Hazel is a good alternative because it can be easier to find straight branches and there are no sharp thorns. The sticks are harvested from October to February, with autumn the best time to identify them as at this time of the year the Blackthorn bears sloes and the Hazel shows its nuts (now stop that). In spring, the Blackthorn has tiny white flowers on it much earlier than other trees and Hazel is covered in furry catkins, however by that time it is too late to harvest as the sap has already risen. After harvesting, sticks are aged for between six months and a year in a dry place with good air circulation and are kept vertical where possible. Most of the sticks we use are 80cm (32 inches) long, although in some dances we use shorter sticks. They are generally cut a few inches longer and trimmed after seasoning because this reduces the amount of splitting at the ends. - Wow! Those masks and t-shirts are really cool. Who makes them?
The male and female Boggart masks are created by Rich. He's very clever and at many dance-outs he and his partner Debs will be the ones causing all manner of mischief in said masks. He also designed our snazzy new t-shirts. He is currently working on a Boggart bucket to collect donations. - Why do you collect money, you bunch of scroungers?
To keep the tradition alive. Although not always acknowledged in the mainstream, Morris is a wonderful living tradition, exceedingly good fun and a great workout. It is also a good opportunity to gather outside pubs, befuddling and amusing passers-by in equal measure. We don't get paid personally for doing this, and we all put in a lot of work and money keeping Boggarts going. Any financial help we can get is of huge importance. Actually, I feel a little offended at you calling us scroungers. Here I am, giving you all this wonderful information about us and you start calling us names! Hmph! - Do you do paid gigs?
Yes. Many of our dance-outs are informal, organised by us and unpaid, but we are certainly open to approaches to dance at events where we will be paid. As with donations, money doesn't go to individuals - it helps us to keep the side going. Please contact us with any enquiries about availability and rates. Details are on the contacts page. - How does all this sticking hit the wallet?
We pay subs of 18 quid per quarter. This goes towards rental of our practice space, new sticks, rags and sequins, other sundries, and perhaps most importantly insurance for dance-outs. In order to keep subs low, we also collect at dance-outs. Travelling, accommodation and food are also costs to consider for some of the bigger dance-outs. Then there is beer money and we also have Boggarts t-shirts with Rich's design on them. We usually pay for these ourselves, but it is normally reasonably cheap. Having access to camping equipment is a good idea too.
- Where do you practise?
We practise on Monday nights from 8pm to 10pm at the Capel Building in The Burton Street Project, 57 Burton Street, Sheffield, S6 2HH. There are occasions when we're not there so if you are interested in coming, it is best to contact us first. You can find details of how to get in touch on our contacts page. - What instruments do you use?
Traditionally, Morris dancers used a pipe and tabor to dance to - something like a penny whistle and a drum that could be played one-handed. Nowadays, Morris sides use all manner of instrumentation. In our case, we have several melodeon players, headed by Darren, and a number of drummers. We have even been accompanied by a mandolin. Usually, dancers are expected to play an instrument when they are not in a set for a dance. Don't worry if you can't play melodeon or drum though - we can provide shaky eggs for percussion too. - What is Border Morris?
Border Morris is a traditional British folk dance that originally comes from the counties bordering Wales, namely Hertfordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire. Although it shares similarities with other forms of Morris such as Cotswold or North West Morris, Border differs in several important ways. Stepping is usually a simple single step (a step and a hop), often less complex than that used in other Morris traditions. Border is more raucous than other traditions and dancers do not use hankies as often as in other traditions, more typically using sticks which are clashed in time with the music. This is very exciting as there are few hobbies where you can get away with dressing in rags, painting your face and hitting things with sticks. - Why blue, black and silver?
There are a few reasons for the colours of our kit. Firstly, we are based in Sheffield, so the blue and silver represent steel, while the black represents soot. Our blue is also an allusion to mysterious blue spooklights that have been spotted in the rugged rocky uplands of the Peak District. It is said that on dark and lonely nights, these lights can lead unwary travellers off their path leaving them lost, or worse. Our poem on the front page of the site tells more of the story. There is yet another legend that has it that those same blue lights used to stray down from the tops of the Peaks into villages where they would turn into boggarts to terrorise people in their own homes. I don't know ... tut ... you're just not safe anywhere.
- Why are you looking so blue? (face painting)
In addition to wearing the kit, we paint our faces blue, black and silver. This is in keeping with Border Morris tradition, however in the past Border sides used to paint their faces black. Many people mistakenly think of this as racist, similar to the blackface imagery used by black and white minstrels. In Border tradition, the face was blackened as a disguise as dancers used to supplement their wages by asking for donations from the audience. As this was illegal, it was important that dancers could remain anonymous. Some Border sides still blacken their faces, but we Boggarts enjoy looking flamboyant and colourful. Designs vary from dancer to dancer, some preferring bold, dramatic designs, while others use subtle, delicate details. Either way, we're all very creative and look fantastic! Not sure it works as a disguise though ...
- What is your kit?
The kit consists of a black rag jacket with silver and blue sequins, black trousers (and they must be black - we will have none of that dark brown or dark blue here, thank you very much!), black boots or similar, black leather bell pads with blue bells and a black hat, decorated with rags, feathers and what have you, normally in the colours of the side. Most people wear top hats or bowlers. People normally make their own jackets, but help is available. Hats and trousers are up to individuals to sort out. Bells belong to the side. According to Sue, socks are also good and we're pretty flexible on underpants. - When was the side founded?
Far back in the mists of time (somewhere around April, 2001) a young voyager named Sue came on a terrifying and long journey to the City of Sheffield, a place that, so she had heard, was a Morris mecca where the branches of trees grew as ready made Border sticks with leaves of Cotswold hankies. Sue was searching for a Border side known as the Wicked Stix who were said to inhabit the city, dispensing delight and wonderment to all who saw them. But on her arrival, Sue discovered that Sheffield was not the shining beacon of folk dance she had been led to believe - Wicked Stix had been disbanded, its members dispersed, withdrawing into unknown and mysterious places. All the light had gone from the city, leaving a dank and putrid swamp. Sue wept for weeks, but she had a determined heart and set about finding the former members of Wicked Stix, with the aim of creating a new, more powerful side which would bring Border glory to the city once more.
Fortune shone on Sue, for her quest was true and she soon found three of the elders (elders meaning wise and full of knowledge, not old ... please, stop hitting me ... aaargh!) in a hostelry that went by the name of the Gardner's. But the elders, Val, Gill and David, were soaked in booze with barely a glimmer of their former powers to be seen. Desperation taking a hold, Sue thought to herself, 'What can I do? For if these three elders have descended so far into drunkeness, perhaps my quest will fail.'
Sue was about to give up, supposing that she would leave this rude and misshapen version of Sheffield behind forever. She stepped out of the Gardner's and began walking down the road, but stopping after just a few steps, she realised she could not leave. Entering the hostelry once more, she strode up to the elders and began an incantation (some would call it a nag) that reminded the trinity of their glorious past. One by one, the light of hope came back into their eyes. They would perform Border again, but not as Wicked Stix. A new side would be formed, but first Sue must complete a new quest.
The elders had forseen the future and other people would need to be brought into this new side, a side which would outshine all that had gone before. In her premonition Gill had a vision of a new female member and a strange being known as a Rhino. 'These,' she said, 'will be found among Freaks.'
'Her name will be Mary,' said Val, for she was the Keeper of the Names and knew of many people far and wide ... in the folk scene ... in Sheffield ... and surrounding districts.
'I too have had a vision,' said David. 'I see a woman and a man. They will also be members of this new side and they will lead you to two other members.'
'He will be Alec and she is Sarah,' proclaimed Val.
'The side must be ten strong, otherwise it will not succeed,' said Gill, smiling. The others nodded in agreement. 'We four and these six others will form the new side. But what will it be called?'
'It will be called,' Val paused. A deep rumble of thunder shook the tavern to its very foundations and blue lightning sparked through the windows. Some unkindly said it was the result of the pub's catering, but Val took it as a sign. 'It will be called ... Boggart's Breakfast. Now then, whose turn is it for the next round?'
So, after several ales, a packet of salted nuts and a visit to the loo, Sue set off on the new quest searching first for Mary and the Rhino. As the soothsayers had soothsaid Mary and the Rhino were found among Freaks, happy souls who also enjoyed the dance, practising in the rugged Peaks. With these in tow, Sue set off to find Alec and Sarah, but did not know where to look. Thirst was raging in the travellers' throats as it had been a full three sentences since they had last had a beverage, so they stopped off at a tower owned by a very Fat Cat, hoping to find alcohol inside. To their surprise Alec and Sarah were discovered within, sitting by the fire, and after their purpose was explained, the duo agreed readily to join Sue, Mary, Gill, Val, Alec and the Rhino. They had been having troubling dreams too. 'I saw a tall man, almost as high as the clouds,' Alec admitted.
'And I,' said Sarah, 'Have seen a woman from far, far away.'
'We must send for the elder trinity,' Mary advised. 'They will come here and Val will be able to name them.'
They all agreed and supped heartily from their tankards, then bought a packet of salt and vinegar crisps, another few pints and some pork scratchings, which Mary had, and some scampi fries which nobody ate.
Soon, the members of what was to become Boggart's Breakfast were together at the tower of the Fat Cat. But there were still two missing. Who would they be?
'The tall man of whom you speak is called Elmo,' said Val, gesturing for more draught. 'The woman will be his wife. She is Grace. She is from a far away land called ... Ver-mont. It's like the Peak District, but a bit bigger.'
'If only we knew when they would arrive,' wondered Mary aloud, kind of appropriately as it happens if you take a look at the next sentence.
Just as she said it the door swung open. Leaning low to avoid hitting his head on the lintel, the man called Elmo stepped into the room. By his side was Grace.
'We have travelled far,' said Grace. 'And we are weary. Could you offer us poor travellers hospitality?'
They pulled chairs up to the table and brought fresh ale, some little cheesy biscuit things, one glass of orange and mango, a bottle of red wine with two glasses and a pickled egg, which nobody ate.
Sue looked at the strangers. 'Tell us. Why did you come here?'
'We have had troubling dreams,' said Elmo. Sarah and Alec glanced at one another.
'Visions of blue-faced people, wielding stout sticks, have been flying through our minds,' added Grace. 'They were beckoning us to join them.'
The ten rose to their feet. For a long time, nobody spoke.
Val broke the silence. 'And you have found them.'
With those words, the faces of the gathered Boggarts turned blue and they danced and played throughout the night. Some unkindly said that this was a result of the pub's catering, but in any case Boggart's Breakfast was born in that very room on that very night. Since then, some have moved on to other quests, such as taming giants and teaching them to dance or becoming life drawing models for Albrecht Durer (it's an art joke, folks). Some still remain, passing down arcane knowledge to new members of the side and Sheffield is no longer a swamp. Once again, it is South Yorkshire's folk dancing crown, bejewelled by brilliant, bawdy Boggarts.
So to recap, the decision to form the side was made upstairs at the Fat Cat in April, 2001. - Why are you called Boggart's Breakfast?
The name was dreamt up by Val, one of our founding members. Val had named many Morris sides over the years and sick of thinking up new names, decided on an alliterative variation on dog's dinner, so Boggart's Breakfast was born. A boggart is a malevolent spirit that lives in hills and houses and engages in all manner of mischief. Lost your keys? Milk keeps going sour? Feel a clammy hand on your face in the dead of night? Sheets keep coming off the bed? None of these things are your partner's fault. Stop blaming them. It is the boggart! - What are your favourite beers, just in case I want to buy you one when I come to watch you at a dance-out?
Cornelius Boggart says, "Anything by Bradfield Brewery, Copper Dragon's Golden Pippin and real stouts (not Guiness), though anything that isn't pasteurised and in a keg is welcome, thanks." - Do you know anywhere I can buy a really high-class cake?
GraceCakes is the answer to your worries.