Page 5 - North Haven Magazine Issue 8 Spring 2019

by Sally Brockett

When the word ‘maypole’ is mentioned these days, many are puzzled by the
term and ask “what is a maypole?”
his question will be answered on Saturday, May 4, 2019 when a spring
Tfestival is held on the North Haven Town Green. The maypole will be
erected and decorated by the Daytime Gardeners of North Haven. Danc-
ers will perform the maypole dance so our community can enjoy this old-
time ritual. Come to the Green on May 4th to celebrate spring and see a
live maypole dance performed.

The Maypole dance is a ceremonial folk dance performed around a tall
pole decorated with greenery or flowers. The top of the pole may be dec-
orated with a crown of flowers. It is often hung with ribbons that are
woven into complex patterns by the dancers. These dances originated
in Germany, England, and Sweden. The dances are survivors of ancient
dances around a living tree as part of spring rites to ensure fertility. Typ-
ically performed on May Day (May 1), they also occur at midsummer in
Scandinavia and in other countries. In some cases, the maypole is a per-
manent feature, but not used until the May festivities. Many communities
erect the maypole at the time of the festival and remove it at the conclusion.

There are two forms of maypole dances. The first and most popular con-
sists of dancers that perform circle dances around a tall, garland-festooned
pole. Ribbons are not used in this form of the dance. In these ribbon-less danc-
es, the dancers circled the maypole in time with the music. In the second form,
the dancers move in a circle, each holding a colored ribbon attached to the pole.
Ribbons of various colors are used to create beautiful patterns on the pole. During
the dance, the ribbons are woven into a complex pattern. The maypole dance is
typically performed by pairs of boys and girls (or men and women) who stand al-
ternately around the base of the pole, each holding the end of a ribbon. They weave in and around each other, boys going
one way and girls going the other and the ribbons are woven together around the pole until the dancers meet at the base. There are
also more complex dances for set numbers of dancers who perform complicated weaves and unweaves.

The maypole does appear in popular culture, even as recently as 2013 in the
movie Frozen, with a view of the maypole being raised at Elsa’s coronation. The
maypole also appeared in Mad Men, Season 3, when Sally participates in her
school maypole dance to celebrate spring. The British science fiction television
series, Doctor Who, featured a maypole dance during a celebration of May Day in
Episode 5 of “The Daemons” in 1971.

In years past, the maypole dances were taught to children in the United States
and communities celebrated the arrival of spring with festivities and the maypole.
Sometimes, they are presented at Renaissance Faires. Depending upon your age,
you may have fond memories of dancing around the maypole at your school, or
on the North Haven Town Green. I do recall participating in this dance and cel-
ebrating spring when attending Ridge Road School. Archived photos were found
at the North Haven Historical Society which show a large gathering on the North
Haven Town Green, celebrating spring with several maypoles and dancers of vari-
ous ages. Celebrate spring on May 4th with family and neighbors, and you will always remember what a maypole is!

We thank the North Haven Historical Society for locating the archived May Day photos.

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