The Maypole and the Maypole dance are both long-held and important traditions surrounding Beltane and May Day celebrations. From the pagan perspective, the Maypole was a symbol of fertility, representing the phallus of the God. Fertility is one of the main themes of Beltane as it is representative of the abundance and fertility of the earth. In Wiccan lore, this is the time when the God lies with the Goddess and impregnates her. When the larger part of Europe was converted to Christianity, the Maypole remained a part of secular and Christian May Day celebrations, though it no longer retained its pagan symbolism. In this essay, I will discuss the different parts of the Maypole including its setup and ribbon colors, traditional symbolism of the Maypole, and how it is used in pagan and secular contexts.
The origin of the Maypole is debated by historians, though there are a few viable theories. The first is a Roman origin with an object called a herm. This is a sculpture that has a head and a squared torso. The earliest herms were made of wood, though later herms were made mostly of stone. Sometimes the male genetalia is included at the appropriate height. The faces of these herms were made in the likness of Gods or good spirits. This could possibly be an origin for the fertility theme of the Maypole, as the erect penis was supposed to represent the fertility of the God or spirit portrayed. The herm is also quite long and thin, so it also mirrors the modern shape of the Maypole. These herms were placed at the crossroads for protection to travelers, and during the spring, they were adorned with flower crowns and other greenery. Some sources tell us that later pagan traditions put up their Maypoles at the site of these ancient herms. The second possible origin of the Maypole comes from the Phrygian Pine Tree of Attis. In Phrygian religion, this tree was carried through the town to the temple of Cybele for religious rites. This was slowly incorporated into the Roman festival of Hilaria, which included dancing around a pole similar to that of the Phrygian tradition. When the Roman Empire spread throughout Europe, Germanic and Celtic peoples adopted the Maypole tradition into their own festivals.
In 1644, Parliment outlawed all Maypoles, saying that they were a heathen item that welcomed evil and promoted wickedness. In Italy, the church tried to end May Day celebrations as well by changing the pagan Goddess Maia into the Virgin Mary. This was an attempt to also promote chastity in an otherwise very sexual celebration. After this failed, they then tried to replace May Day with a day in honor of Saint Joseph. He was the patron saint of workers, so essentially May Day would be replaced with Labor Day. Obviously, these attempts have failed and May Day and Beltane have continued.
So how is the Maypole usually set up? The pole part of the Maypole was traditionally a young tree. The wood itself is debated, but various traditions use either ash, birch, cypress, or elm. The wood was sometimes painted in a black and yellow spiral pattern, while others were painted in a red and white spiral. The pole was topped with a wreath, meant to symbolize the Goddess in Wiccan tradition, and the abundance of the earth in early pagan tradition. In modern practice, the Maypole is sometimes topped with a crown instead of a wreath. In these traditions, the pole is also greased, and revelers try to climb the pole to retrieve the crown. Ribbons of different colors were then attached to the wreath and left to hang down. The ribbons were traditionally wither black and yellow or red and white to mirror the colors on the pole itself. In modern day, the ribbons can be any color desired. As we know, different colors represent different things. Many witches and pagans use color correspondences for their own Maypoles to reach their desired outcome. These ribbons are a symbol of protection that originated in the Roman religion. Still more alterations to this format are made based on the traditions of the location of the Maypole. For instance, the people of Bavaria often used a heart at the top of the Maypole to represent love. Their tradition says this is a great time to find a romantic partner, and young men often woo young women during this time.
The Maypole dance is a circular dance that involves the intricate weaving of ribbons around the pole, representing the weaving of fate and the lives of living being on earth. Both male and female dancers participate in this spiral dance, male dancers holding white ribbons and women holding red ribbons. When the music starts, the women turn to the right and the men turn to the left, and they both move in opposite circles, going in and out of each other. When the ribbons are wrapped tightly around the pole, the dancers change directions and unravel the ribbons back to how they were before. The music for the dance is usually determined by location, but most people use the traditional music of their culture.
Because the Maypole is both a pagan and a secular symbol, the purpose changes based on who is taking part in the dance and the festivities. From a pagan perspective, the Maypole will always represent fertility. This can be reflected in the story of the Goddess and God, or the general fertility of the earth in the spring. From a secular and less sexual perspective, the Maypole and the Maypole dance reflect the weaving of human lives and the life of nature. Taking a closer look, both purposes are closely linked. With the secularization and attempted Christianization of the Maypole, the meaning became less and less about sex an fertility and more and more about living things coming back to life after winter. Some sources also say that the shortening and lengthening of the ribbons during the dance represents the cycle of the year, when the days get shorter then longer again with the waxing and waning of the Sun. Most people who partake in secular celebrations don’t even know why or where this tradition came from! However you choose to view the Maypole and its symbolism, it is a staple in any spring, Beltane, or May Day celebration.