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Thelong sword dance[notes 1] is a hilt-and-pointsword dance recorded mainly inYorkshire, England. The dances are usually performed around Christmas time.
Hilt-and-point sword dances, of which English long sword dance is an example, have been found across northern, western, and central Europe, with records dating from at least the fifteenth and possibly the fourteenth century.[4] It is unclear to what extent the existing continental European sword dance traditions influenced the English long sword dance.[5] In England there is little evidence about the history of sword dancing before the mid-eighteenth century.[6] The first reference to the characteristic "lock" in England comes from 1777, and the earliest references to sword dancing in Yorkshire come from the early nineteenth century.[7]Cecil Sharp and other 20th Century folklorists believed that the dances originated from a religious or magical ceremony that was performed aroundPlough Monday to promote fertile soil;[8] later researchers have cast doubt on such findings.[9]
The long sword dance is related to therapper sword dance ofNorthumbria, but the character is fundamentally different as it uses rigid metal or wooden swords, rather than the flexible spring steel rappers used by its northern relation.[10]
Long sword dances are most commonly found in Yorkshire and the southern part ofCounty Durham,[11] with particular concentrations of dances in EastCleveland, the northern part of theNorth York Moors and aroundSheffield.[12] Outliers were also recorded in the East Midlands and elsewhere in Northeastern England.[13]
Unlike many traditional dances in England, which are mainly performed by revival teams, long sword dances are often still performed by their own village teams, such as Grenoside Sword Dancers,[10] theGoathland Plough Stots[14] and Flamborough Sword Dancers.[15] These teams generally maintain the traditions of their dances, such as traditional performances onBoxing Day or Plough Monday.[16]
Long sword dances vary in the way they are performed, with some being slow and militaristic,[14] such as theGrenoside or performed with pace and speed likeHandsworth dances from near Sheffield. Others have different features including variations of numbers of dancers and distinctive movements.[17]
In addition to performances by traditional long sword teams in their own location, long sword teams also appear at folk festivals such as theSidmouth Folk Festival and theBeverley Folk Festival.
Dedicated long sword festivals have also been held in the UK. The International Sword Spectacular took place inWhitby, England, in May 2004 and was held again inYork in May 2008.[18]
Some photographs of Grenoside Sword Dancers performing the Grenoside sword dance on Boxing Day, the traditional day the dance is performed.[19]
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