Wednesday is May 1st also known
as May Day. This is where you will find the tradition of the Maypole. Germanic in origin the Maypole is found
throughout Europe and parts of North America.
From medieval time up through the Early Modern
Period it was part of the festivities of May Day. The origin of the Maypole has
long been lost and forgotten but the tradition has remained. In Germany and Austria it was custom for young
men to erect a small Maypole in the front of the homes of the girls they were
sweet for during the night of April 30.
In 1628 a Maypole was erected near New
Plymouth Massachusetts. An official officer, William Bradford of the king of
England wrote about it.
"They also set up a May-pole, drinking and dancing about it
many days togaether, inviting the Indean women, for their consorts, dancing and
frisking togither, (like so many fairies, or furies rather,) and worse
practises. As if they had anew revived & celebrated the feasts of the Roman
Goddes Flora, or the beasly practieses of the madd Bacchinalians. Morton
likwise (to shew his poetrie) composed sundry rimes & verses, some tending
to lasciviousnes, and others to the detraction & scandall of some persons,
which he affixed to this idle or idoll May-polle. They changed also the name of
their place, and in stead of calling it Mounte Wollaston, they call it
Merie-mounte, as if this joylity would have lasted ever. But this continued not
long, for after Morton was sent for England, shortly after came over that
worthy gentleman, Mr. John Indecott, who brought a patent under the broad
seall, for the governmente of the Massachusets, who visiting those parts caused
the May-polle to be cutt downe, and rebuked them for their profannes, and
admonished them to looke ther should be better walking; so they now, or others,
changed the name of their place againe, and called it Mounte-Dagon."
Bradford, William (1856). History of
Plymouth. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. pp. 237–238
This week we present the Maypole Artz
in honor of this long standing but almost forgotten practice.
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