I saw this in a field in St Brelade’s Bay and wondered what it was. Apparently it is part of a pagan celebration of Midsummer, although I’d not come across it in the traditions I am familiar with. That is not perhaps surprising because it is not a Celtic or Druidic pagan custom, or part of the Western Mysteries traditions, but an import from Sweden that has been appropriated by modern pagan groups.
I should note that there is nothing wrong with adapting rituals of this kind to celebrate an event, as long of course that it does not involve any inappropriate cultural appropriation. In this case, the maypole itself is (as we shall see) not an indigenous Swedish custom but itself an import.
This tradition of what might be called a “Midsummer Maypole” is called midsommarstång.
Byron J. Nordstrom in his book “Culture and Customs of Sweden” describes how it is constructed and used:
“Maypoles are typically like a ship’s mast with one or two cross-spars from which wreaths may be hung. They are wrapped with green branches, and some include floral elements, colorful ribbons, and the like. After decoration, they are ceremonially erected and dancing takes place around them, typically to traditional local fiddle music. This is a time when folk dance groups perform in costume.”
I should note that there is nothing wrong with adapting rituals of this kind to celebrate an event, as long of course that it does not involve any inappropriate cultural appropriation. In this case, the maypole itself is (as we shall see) not an indigenous Swedish custom but itself an import.
This tradition of what might be called a “Midsummer Maypole” is called midsommarstång.
Byron J. Nordstrom in his book “Culture and Customs of Sweden” describes how it is constructed and used:
“Maypoles are typically like a ship’s mast with one or two cross-spars from which wreaths may be hung. They are wrapped with green branches, and some include floral elements, colorful ribbons, and the like. After decoration, they are ceremonially erected and dancing takes place around them, typically to traditional local fiddle music. This is a time when folk dance groups perform in costume.”
In Sweden, Midsummer's Eve and Midsummer's Day used to be celebrated on 23 June and 24 June, but since 1953 the celebration has been fixed to a weekend. It takes place on the nearest Friday and Saturday between 19 June and 26 June with the main celebrations taking place on Friday.
It is one of the most important holidays of the year in Sweden.
Johanna Stapelberg explains how the day unfolds:
“The day starts off at noon by gathering friends and family in the nearest park or in the archipelago to enjoy a small picnic. The maypole is raised in the middle of the park and the trick here is to not let the it fall the first time, as it means bad luck for the rest of the year. After the pole is up, the tradition is to dance around the pole, and the community may organize the first dance with people wearing traditional clothes leading a choreographed performance; then everyone is invited to join in together!”
“Later in the afternoon, it’s time for a long lunch. This special day has of course its own Swedish specialties when it comes to the cuisine! Typical Swedish dishes include marinated salmon with dill potatoes and chives or sour cream and/or toast skagen, a toast with prawns or shrimps. The drinks are also very special and the most important part to remember is the schnapps. Schnapps are a special drink that is often introduced with a song around the table.”
“When the evening enters, most people celebrate with drinks outside if the weather allows it and the night does not end until the next morning. But not to forget one of the most important traditions, especially for the younger children, is to collect seven different flowers and put them under their pillow so they can dream about the love of their life.”
What is clear is that the tradition was dying out when it was revived as part of the Romantic movement in Sweden in the late 19th century. This Romantic movement, as also in Britain, was a backlash against the increased drive towards urban life in cities and away from the countryside, and as in England, this was aggravated by enclosure acts.
Arnold Barton , writing in “Sweden and Visions of Norway: Politics and Culture, 1814-1905” notes that with this revival:
“Middle-class persons now proudly wore folk dress on appropriate, including patriotic, occasions, and joined folk dance groups. The traditional Midsummer festivities with dancing around the maypole decorated with leaves and flowers, which had fallen into disuse in much of rural Sweden, were now revived in all their glory.”
That explains why the origins of the Swedish maypole are usually described as pagan, and there are those who claim it is pre-Christian and is a heathen tradition and phallic fertility symbol. This is a common occurrence when much of the history behind customs has been forgotten, and it was not helped by Frazer's "Golden Bough" which mistakenly saw pagan vestiges in almost every older custom, and was extremely popular. It still exerts a baneful influence on popular culture.
“The day starts off at noon by gathering friends and family in the nearest park or in the archipelago to enjoy a small picnic. The maypole is raised in the middle of the park and the trick here is to not let the it fall the first time, as it means bad luck for the rest of the year. After the pole is up, the tradition is to dance around the pole, and the community may organize the first dance with people wearing traditional clothes leading a choreographed performance; then everyone is invited to join in together!”
“Later in the afternoon, it’s time for a long lunch. This special day has of course its own Swedish specialties when it comes to the cuisine! Typical Swedish dishes include marinated salmon with dill potatoes and chives or sour cream and/or toast skagen, a toast with prawns or shrimps. The drinks are also very special and the most important part to remember is the schnapps. Schnapps are a special drink that is often introduced with a song around the table.”
“When the evening enters, most people celebrate with drinks outside if the weather allows it and the night does not end until the next morning. But not to forget one of the most important traditions, especially for the younger children, is to collect seven different flowers and put them under their pillow so they can dream about the love of their life.”
What is clear is that the tradition was dying out when it was revived as part of the Romantic movement in Sweden in the late 19th century. This Romantic movement, as also in Britain, was a backlash against the increased drive towards urban life in cities and away from the countryside, and as in England, this was aggravated by enclosure acts.
Arnold Barton , writing in “Sweden and Visions of Norway: Politics and Culture, 1814-1905” notes that with this revival:
“Middle-class persons now proudly wore folk dress on appropriate, including patriotic, occasions, and joined folk dance groups. The traditional Midsummer festivities with dancing around the maypole decorated with leaves and flowers, which had fallen into disuse in much of rural Sweden, were now revived in all their glory.”
That explains why the origins of the Swedish maypole are usually described as pagan, and there are those who claim it is pre-Christian and is a heathen tradition and phallic fertility symbol. This is a common occurrence when much of the history behind customs has been forgotten, and it was not helped by Frazer's "Golden Bough" which mistakenly saw pagan vestiges in almost every older custom, and was extremely popular. It still exerts a baneful influence on popular culture.
Ronald Hutton notes in his "Stations of the Sun":
"C. W. von Sydow made a close study of Swedish customs (which had been important to Mannhardt) and discovered absolutely no trace of a belief in an indwelling spirit. Instead he found that the poles, like the fetching of green branches, were simply signs that the happy season of warmth and comfort hadreturned. They were useful frameworks upon which garlands and other decorations could be hung, to form a focal point for celebration."
The real history is more mundane, and it is of more recent origin than ancient times. As Annika Hipple explains:
“The maypole is a comparatively new part of Swedish Midsummer tradition. It came to Sweden in the late Middle Ages from Germany, where the pole was decorated with leaves and raised on May 1 (hence the name). Since spring comes later to Sweden it was hard to find the greenery to decorate the pole on May 1, so the tradition was moved to Midsummer.”
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