Sunday, June 10, 2007

human maypole

I was thinking this morning, as I tried to lead the kids in a song at church, that my blogger name is more apt than I realized. My daughter grabbed my hand (the one without the microphone) and proceeded to spend the entire time I was in front of the congregation circling around me (letting go of the hand when necessary, just to grab it again as she came around).

And there I was, a human maypole.

4 comments:

Beck said...

Kids are so wacky... I've always wanted to make a real maypole, but stupid reality keeps getting in my way.

Sharon L. Holland said...

This image made me laugh. It sounds like something my kids would do.

niobe said...

I've just realized that I have no idea how real maypoles work. Do you just twirl the ribbon things round and round or is there some actual game/competition going on?

I guess I could look it up.

painted maypole said...

from Wikipedia:
The maypole is a tall wooden pole (traditionally of hawthorn or birch), sometimes erected with several long coloured ribbons suspended from the top, festooned with flowers, draped in greenery and strapped with large circular wreaths, depending on local and regional variances. What is often thought of as the "traditional" English/British maypole (a somewhat shorter, plainer version of the Scandinavian pole with ribbons tied at the top and hanging to the ground) is a relatively recent development of the tradition and is probably derived from the picturesque, Italianate dances performed in mid-19th century theatricals. It is usually this shorter, plainer maypole that people (usually school children) perform dances around, weaving the ribbons in and out to create striking patterns.