Maypole

 

 
maypole
  
 
Maypole
  

.		 A lot of you will probably remember doing this at school. It is a tradition that goes way back to around the 14th Century. In those times a tall straight tree was selected from a wood or estate and brought into the village for use as a maypole. They cut the branches off, just leaving a few at the top. Sometimes it was ceremoniously hauled to the village green by a team of oxen whose horns were decorated with flowers.

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Some maypoles were permanent fixtures, and tended to be taller, some reaching around eighty feet in height. These days, the standard height is normally around 10-15 feet. In earlier times there would have been no ribbons, it was just used as a focal point of celebration. The poles did not acquire their now familiar ribbons until the late C18th.


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 Since then dancers have devised intricate ways of weaving and plaiting them. Some of these patterns are a lot harder to dance than you might think, and it is very easy to end in a tangled mess! I often think the art of undoing the tangle is part of the fun, especially if it is a young group.


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