jones jones;1380589 wrote: Dunno why I'm so nostalgic today.
Do they still celebrate this in England?
Yes, but sadly it is now danced by the women and children where once is was the young men :-
Dancing at Whitsun
(words by John Austin Marshall)
It's fifty long springtimes since she was a bride,
But still you may see her at each Whitsuntide
In a dress of white linen with ribbons of green,
As green as her memories of loving.
The feet that were nimble tread carefully now,
As gentle a measure as age will allow,
Through groves of white blossoms, by fields of young corn,
Where once she was pledged to her true-love.
The fields they stand empty, the hedges grow (go) free--
No young men to turn them or pastures go see (seed)
They are gone where the forest of oak trees before
Have gone, to be wasted in battle.
Down from the green farmlands and from their loved ones
Marched husbands and brothers and fathers and sons.
There's a fine roll of honor where the Maypole once stood,
And the ladies go dancing at Whitsun.
There's a straight row of houses in these latter days
All covering the downs where the sheep used to graze.
There's a field of red poppies (a gift from the Queen)
But the ladies remember at Whitsun,
And the ladies go dancing at Whitsun.
Dancing At Whitsun - Maddy Prior & Tim Hart (cover) - YouTube
Maypole Dance.
Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 4:10 am
by Clodhopper
Yes, but sadly it is now danced by the women and children where once is was the young men :-
Really? Must admit I thought it was a pre-christian relic and the pole was a, um, "fertility symbol" danced around by the unmarried women (originally). Amazing it has survived at all.
Maypole Dance.
Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 2:47 pm
by Bryn Mawr
Clodhopper;1380672 wrote: Really? Must admit I thought it was a pre-christian relic and the pole was a, um, "fertility symbol" danced around by the unmarried women (originally). Amazing it has survived at all.
Yes, I would have assumed it was a hangover from Beltaine but I've just done some lookups and it would appear the the ribbon dancing we currently associate with the maypole was only introduced in the 1880s and that the circle dances used prior to then were mixed sex so it could well be that the history as I know it is wrong.
Maypole Dance.
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 6:56 am
by henrychalder
Where's what we do in England..
Maypole Dance.
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 7:14 am
by jones jones
Is May Pole dancing different to Morris dancing?
Maypole Dance.
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 9:25 am
by gmc
jones jones;1380787 wrote: Is May Pole dancing different to Morris dancing?
Yes you don't have to worry about falling off the bonnet and the bells on the ankles aren't necessary - not sure about the waving hanky though.
Maypole Dance.
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 2:01 pm
by Bryn Mawr
jones jones;1380787 wrote: Is May Pole dancing different to Morris dancing?
Totally. Morris, Molly, Sword, Rapper, etc are costume country dances performed throughout the year by organised sides which is likely to have derived from Spanish "moorish dancing" whereas maypole dancing is specific to mayday, is performed by the whole village and is not generally done in a prescribed costume and is almost certainly a remnant of the old spring festival.
Maypole Dance.
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 2:22 pm
by Hope6
jones jones;1380589 wrote: Dunno why I'm so nostalgic today.
Do they still celebrate this in England?
My mother used to talk about having May Day as she called it here in America when she was a girl, they used to dance around the may pole and stuff, it was always on the last day of school. I've never heard of it being done in my lifetime but it may be because of where I live.
