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The Banchory Ternan Morris Men Banchory Morris Men were formed in 1973 [when an immigrant from John o’ Gaunt Morris Men arrived in Banchory and collided with some members of a local dance group who had been trying to do Morris, but had only books to guide them]. Whilst often thought of as ‘English’, Morris and related dances were popular (as in England and a lot of Europe) in pre-Reformation Scotland, except in the Highlands and Western Isles. However the oldest documented Morris-type sword dance is from the Shetland island of Papa Stour, and the earliest written record of Morris in Britain is from the court of James IV of Scotland. During the 16th and 17th centuries, Morris in all its forms suffered suppression and persecution in Scotland [as it did also in Puritan England], penalties ranging from a 40-shilling fine for ‘dancing maskit and with bellis’ in Aberdeen and Elgin to ‘condemnit ...to be hangit’ in Edinburgh, consequently only the Papa Stour dance survived intact into modern times. This team perform mainly 'Cotswold' style morris but also do some 'Border' and some 'Rapper' (sword) dances and whilst these are established styles and quite well documented, the team also show a number of ‘new’ dances of more recent devising, these ‘reconstructed’ in the light of what little is known of the old Scottish styles [translation: made up in a style that no-one can actually prove to be wrong]. Interested in finding out more? Click here for a list of dances. If you want to come along and dance or learn to dance, we practice here.