About
What is a Dead Horse?
Dead horse is navy slang for work that has been paid for in advance. Sailors would often be paid a months wages in advance to buy clothes required for the trip, although often this would be spent on drink or other vices. Working a dead horse, therefore refered to working for a month with no pay other than food - the infamous "salt house and biscuit".
Who are Dead Horse Morris?
Dead Horse Morris are a Morris side (or team) from Whitstable in Kent. We dance a regional style of the traditional English Morris Dance, although our hobnail boots and sticks lean more towards the "Border" style and "Molly Dancing" than the better known bells-and-hankies Cotswold dances.
We dance around the Whitstable-Faversham area of the North Kent coast, with occasional forays to places like Buxton and Hereford. Our season starts on St George's Day (23 April) and finishes in September, with another outing on Boxing Day.
Our Morris kit of hobnailed boots, corduroys and cheese-cutter caps, with ribbon-decorated waistcoats, is based on the old dress of local fishermen when decorated for special events. In addition to the traditional dance, we are renowned for playing traditional music, singing traditional songs and drinking traditional ale!
What is a Molly?
One of our number is dressed slightly differently. He is the Molly, who wears a dress instead of corduroys and a waistcoat. This tradition dates from dance rituals where one man would attend the fire dressed as a woman.
"You can't beat a Dead Horse"
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