Morris dancers seem to get around the blackface ban by painting themselves in very dark colors

Morris dancers who lined the streets of a Cambridgeshire town for the traditional Straw Bear Festival appeared to circumvent their self-imposed blackface ban by using very dark paint on their faces.

The Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival returned over the weekend after a two-year hiatus amid the coronavirus pandemic, which saw more than 250 dances, musicians and performers take to the streets of Whittlesey.

At this year’s event, held today, the Bourne Borderers Morris Dancers and other morris dance groups chose to paint their faces very dark greens and blues, just over a year after the morris dancers celebrated their 500-year blackface – had given up tradition.

It is believed that black soot was once worn by English folk dancers as a disguise so they could beg for money without getting in trouble with the law.

At this year’s event, hundreds of Bourne Borderers Morris Dancers chose to paint their faces very dark shades of green

Performing at the annual festival in Whittlesea, Cambridgeshire, Morris Dancers chose to paint their faces dark shades of color rather than what had previously been traditionally black

A Glory Molly Morris dancer, pictured with a very dark blue complexion under a crown of leaves and berries

The Bourne Borderers Morrismen (pictured) are a mixed border morris team from Bourne in South Lincolnshire

However, in December 2021, the Silurian Border Morrismen voted to eliminate black face paint for their Boxing Day Tour to avoid causing offense in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.

The group settled on a dark green color at the time, although Silurian foreman Ian Craigan admitted that some people felt “that’s a step too far” but that he wanted to be “on the right side of things”. to attract new members to the club .

“It would be foolish to pretend that everyone in the team is happy with the decision,” he said at the time. “There are people who think it’s a step too far or a compromise.

“But the main purpose is to dance and share the tradition that is unique to Silurian, which is more important than what we wear or how we adorn ourselves.”

At Whittlesea, the Bourne Borderers Morrismen seemed to go around wearing black paint, instead choosing dark hues on their faces under straw hats.

Other images show Glory Molly Morris dancers in long black cloaks wearing very dark blue face paint beneath crowns of green leaves.

The Bourne Borderers are a mixed Border Morris team from Bourne in South Lincolnshire. The group was founded more than 30 years ago, in 1992.

The group Bourne Borderers Morris Dancers was formed more than 30 years ago, in 1992

The Old Glory Molly dancers opted for a face paint a very dark blue hue

Some of the morris dancers only painted half of their faces, as is tradition in the movement

Old Glory Molly Dancers were also dressed up for the event, which has been suspended for two years amid the pandemic

Morris dancers performed as part of the event and took part in traditional English folk dancing

The group describes itself as a social club and takes members of all ages to take part in morris dancing, a traditional English folk dance thought to date back to the 15th century.

The dance is based on rhythmic steps and choreographed figures of a group, usually wearing bell pads on their shins. Sticks, swords and handkerchiefs are also used by the dancers in some movements.

Morris Dancing is part of a celebration performed at seasonal festivals and holidays to banish the darkness of winter and celebrate the warmth and fertility of summer. It is also part of the celebrations marking the start of the fall harvest.

The act of walking a straw bear through town dates back to the 1880s, when the Tuesday after Plow Monday (the first Monday after Twelfth Night) was marked by one of the members of the Plow dressing in straw.

The custom fell into disuse towards the end of the 19th century before being revived by the Whittlesea Society in 1980.

Images from this year’s event showed a variety of straw bears lining the streets and waving to the excited crowds who, despite the wet and windy weather, had gathered hoping to see the giant figures up close.

The Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival returned over the weekend after a two-year hiatus amid the coronavirus pandemic

The Red Leicester Morris Men (pictured) also performed during the festival, which took place earlier today

The Straw Bear Festival was revived by the Whittlesea Society in 1980 after being stopped by local police in 1909

Pig Dyke Molly Dancers displayed their impressive makeup skills and artistry at the event

The Pig Dyke Molly dancers in black and white attire with large tufts and black and white makeup

Pig Dyke Molly Dancers showed off their impressive makeup skills and artistry, with one adorning her face almost to mimic a chess board and others sporting giant black and white bows and feathers.

MailOnline has reached out to Bourne Borderers Morris Dancers for comment.