The Maypole in Jamaican Culture
There is probably no more iconic an image of Jamaica Festival than the tall Maypole with its many straps being plaited by children in costume, swinging to an upbeat mento tune. But what exactly is the Maypole and where does it and its accompanying dance come from?
The Maypole is usually a tall wooden pole made out of bamboo, but recent, local manifestations include steel or even plastic. It has its genesis in European (Germanic) countries and is normally an integral part of the celebrations associated with Midsummer festivities and rites, Spring and more recently, May Day or May 1. In Jamaica, the British introduced the dance to the enslaved Africans during the 19th century who, as is customary, added their own interpretation, movements and instruments.
So where the Maypole started out as a tree and its vines, or vines from other plants, were held and plaited as part of a dance to encourage the success of a particular crop(s), and where this was seen as a fertility ritual, the activity and its components took on a different appearance in post-colonial Jamaica.
So where the Maypole started out as a tree and its vines, or vines from other plants, were held and plaited as part of a dance to encourage the success of a particular crop(s), and where this was seen as a fertility ritual, the activity and its components took on a different appearance in post-colonial Jamaica.
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Click here to visit the African Caribbean Institute of Jamaica's website
For further information please contact:
African Caribbean Institute of Jamaica/Jamaica Memory Bank
12 Ocean Boulevard, Kingston
Tel: 922-4793/7415
Fax: 924-9361
Email: acij@anngel.com
 
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