May Pole Dancing at Litton Cheney Fete 2005

May Pole Dancing at Litton Cheney Fete 2005

The most well known symbol of May Day (1st May) is the maypole. The custom of dancing around the maypole is an ancient fertility rite, which is still performed today on village greens and at spring fetes.

The origins of the maypole hark back to ancient times when tree spirits were worshiped and indeed the first maypoles were tall slender trees, usually birch, which had their branches lopped off, leaving just a few at the top to be adorned with garlands and blossom: a far cry from the more elaborate designs of today.

The maypole itself is a phallic symbol representing the planting of the god's phallus into the mother earth's womb, there by illustrating the bringing forth of new life. In addition some maypoles are painted with red and white spiral stripes in much the same way as a barber's pole and this too has sexual meaning: the red representing the female menstrual blood and the white the male semen. The sexual symbolism of the maypole and all the immoral revelry that went along with it led the Puritans to out-law the maypole custom in 1644. However, this prohibition was soon repealed after the restoration of Charles II in 1660. Many towns and parishes erected permanent maypoles in celebration, some boasting 80 or 90 feet! These permanent poles were left to stand throughout the year but only decorated and danced around on May Day.

Dancing around the maypole was once a very merry and frivolous affair, yet today's maypole dancing with its colourful ribbons is a relatively modern dance, only dating back to the nineteenth century. However, this new adaptation is now accepted as a very important aspect of the maypole dance. By taking two ribbons and weaving them together the dancers make a new element, thus two makes three representing the sexual union and the offspring.

Discover more Dorset traditions in the book 'Dark Dorset Calendar Customs', by Robert Newland, now available at Amazon.co.uk. Visit the Dark Dorset website, http://www.darkdorset.co.uk or blog http://darkdorset.blogspot.com
and open the door to a world of fascinating folklore and legends.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Litton
• Cheney
• Fete
• May
• Pole
• Folk
• Dancing
• Dark
• Dorset
• Darkdorset
• Folklore
• Customs

[seawind0721]

I just wonder, though, how many of these kids knew they were participating in a pagan fertility ritual? Just saying.

[pipersack]

And with that, Sergeant Howie was off to find Rowan in the village graveyard.

[brianellwood]

Very sweet, but i think our local Maypole dance is more in the tradition, danced by both adults and children, with live music.

[alpenfrauchen]

But the music is not Anglo-Saxon, Germanic or paganism. The first tune is very British and the 18th-century Lady MacLeod´s Reel.

[SakuraDoll]

Wow really. Your so lucky. I would love to dance around the May Pole like you did.

[Jimpsterz]

this comes from a pre christian religion, from germanic paganism,

paganism involes shamanism

shamanism deals with the spirit world and they believed they had the power to control the weather and cure people,

fascinating stuff

[Jimpsterz]

the maypole is related to Germanic paganism,

pre christion beliefs

paganism is to do with spiritual beliefs and Shamanism

shamonism is to do with a communication with the spirit world,

it does ofton get tangled up in the belief in some sort of devil worship , i think it just a very old religion

[allagoo]

One of the few remnants left of our true culture not robbed by the Catholic Church, even if they ridiculed it and still do today. It still makes me shake my head with disbelief when people think we always were a culture with an Eastern Religion. Tom Robbins would be proud of this dancing. Bring on the Morris Dancers!! :)

[6Dark6Dreams6]

I remember doing this when i was younger. Good memories :)

[beachedwhale136]

btw i am one of those dancers!!!!!