May 1, 2004

May Day

May Day is celebrated around the world.
It is a festival of happiness,  joy and the coming of summer.


"Come all ye lads and lassies
Join in the festive scene
Come dance around the maypole
That will stand upon the green."

The May-pole is the most familiar feature of May festivities, but it has three distinct interpretations. In some
cultures, the May-pole represented the world center, or alternately, the hub of the Wheel of heaven. In ancient
times, the intricate dance of weaving cords around the pole was a magical attempt to direct Nature, which had
become topsy-turvy over the course of time, back in order. Today the dance is performed by any who wish to
participate in weaving the magic.

In other cultures, the May-pole was the Tree of Life, or a symbol of it. And this tree-- to borrow a phrase from
Billy Holiday-- bore strange fruit. This is where the Savior was sacrificed in order to cleanse the earth. Holy
Communion, eating his flesh and drinking his blood was possibly restricted to the priest class, but symbolic May
Wine was liberally imbibed by the whole community. Hundreds of years later, the Christian lunar festival of Easter
would replace the ancient solar festival as the time of renewal and rebirth.

The third meaning of the May-pole most clearly remains today. It is the phallus, the male principle of
fertilization. Female principles are represented by baskets and wreaths used in the dances around the pole. In past
times, the hand-fasting movements of the dances would give young couples license to 'go into the green' together.
In some regions, a merlin, or renegade friar, would preside over the mock marriages. Even today, unwed couples
consummate the mock marriages performed around the May-pole. Merry-begats, as they were called in England, were
usually not acknowledged by their fathers. These babies were said to have been fathered by god.

Soooooo all thy pagans,  hastily carry thee off to thy nearest green and make merry.  Celebrate,  dare I speak  it aloud,  the coming ... of the season  with  thy excuse to  "dance with a pole" this very day,  the first of May. 

T'would appear that any resulting  begats may be attributed to a  higher power.
 

I wonder, will this create a surge in applications for "greens keepers" ?