The
May Queen or
Queen of May is a term which has two distinct but related meanings, as a mythical figure and as a holiday
personificationPersonification is an ontological metaphor in which a thing or abstraction is represented as a person.The term "personification" may apply to:...
.
The May Queen is a
girlA girl is any female human from birth through childhood and adolescence to attainment of adulthood. The term may also be used to mean a young woman.-Etymology:...
(usually a
teenageAdolescence Adolescence Adolescence (lat adolescere, (to grow) is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development that occurs between childhood and adulthood. This transition involves biological (i.e. pubertal), social, and psychological changes, though the biological or...
girl from a specific school year) who is selected to ride or walk at the front of a
paradeA parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
for
May DayMay Day occurs on May 1 and refers to several public holidays. In many countries, May Day is synonymous with International Workers' Day, or Labour Day, a day of political demonstrations and celebrations organised by the unions and socialist groups....
celebrations. She wears a white
gownA gown is a loose outer garment from knee- to full-length worn by men and women in Europe from the early Middle Ages to the seventeenth century ; later, gown was applied to any woman's garment consisting of a bodice and attached skirt.A long, loosely-fitted gown called a Banyan was worn by men in...
to symbolise purity and usually a
tiaraA tiara is a form of crown. There are two possible types of crown that this word can refer to....
or
crownA crown is the traditional symbolic form of headgear worn by a monarch or by a deity, for whom the crown traditionally represents power, legitimacy, immortality, righteousness, victory, triumph, resurrection, honour and glory of life after death. In art the crown may be shown being offered to those...
. Her duty is to begin the
May DayMay Day occurs on May 1 and refers to several public holidays. In many countries, May Day is synonymous with International Workers' Day, or Labour Day, a day of political demonstrations and celebrations organised by the unions and socialist groups....
celebrations.
The
May Queen or
Queen of May is a term which has two distinct but related meanings, as a mythical figure and as a holiday
personificationPersonification is an ontological metaphor in which a thing or abstraction is represented as a person.The term "personification" may apply to:...
.
Festivals
The May Queen is a
girlA girl is any female human from birth through childhood and adolescence to attainment of adulthood. The term may also be used to mean a young woman.-Etymology:...
(usually a
teenageAdolescence Adolescence Adolescence (lat adolescere, (to grow) is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development that occurs between childhood and adulthood. This transition involves biological (i.e. pubertal), social, and psychological changes, though the biological or...
girl from a specific school year) who is selected to ride or walk at the front of a
paradeA parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
for
May DayMay Day occurs on May 1 and refers to several public holidays. In many countries, May Day is synonymous with International Workers' Day, or Labour Day, a day of political demonstrations and celebrations organised by the unions and socialist groups....
celebrations. She wears a white
gownA gown is a loose outer garment from knee- to full-length worn by men and women in Europe from the early Middle Ages to the seventeenth century ; later, gown was applied to any woman's garment consisting of a bodice and attached skirt.A long, loosely-fitted gown called a Banyan was worn by men in...
to symbolise purity and usually a
tiaraA tiara is a form of crown. There are two possible types of crown that this word can refer to....
or
crownA crown is the traditional symbolic form of headgear worn by a monarch or by a deity, for whom the crown traditionally represents power, legitimacy, immortality, righteousness, victory, triumph, resurrection, honour and glory of life after death. In art the crown may be shown being offered to those...
. Her duty is to begin the
May DayMay Day occurs on May 1 and refers to several public holidays. In many countries, May Day is synonymous with International Workers' Day, or Labour Day, a day of political demonstrations and celebrations organised by the unions and socialist groups....
celebrations. She is generally crowned by flowers and makes a speech before the dancing begins. Certain age groups dance round a
MaypoleThe maypole is a tall wooden pole erected to celebrate May Day or Midsummer. It may be a semi-permanent feature, standing in position year-round until it has to be repainted or replaced, or it may be a shorter, temporary structure...
celebrating youth and the spring time.
According to popular
BritishGreat Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island. With a population of about 59.6 million people, it is the third most populated island on Earth. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1000 smaller...
folkloreFolklore is the body of expressive culture, including stories, music, dance, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, customs, and so forth within a particular population comprising the traditions of that culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which...
, the tradition once had a sinister twist, in that the May Queen was put to death once the festivities were over. The veracity of this belief is difficult to establish, but while in truth it might just be an example of
anti-paganPaganism is a word with several different meanings.In its broadest definition, pagan denotes all non-Abrahamic religions, that is to say it denotes all religions other than Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.Other usages are:*Paganism may mean Polytheism: The group so defined includes most of the...
propaganda, frequent associations between May Day rituals, the
occultThe word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
and
human sacrificeHuman sacrifice is the act of killing human beings as part of a religious ritual . Its typology closely parallels the various practices of ritual slaughter of animals and of religious sacrifice in general. Human sacrifice has been practiced in various cultures throughout history...
are still to be found in popular culture today.
The Wicker Man, a cult
horror filmHorror films are movies that strive to elicit the emotions of fear, horror and terror from viewers. Their plots frequently involve themes of death, the supernatural or mental illness...
starring
Christopher LeeSir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ is an English actor. He initially portrayed villains and became famous for his role as Count Dracula in a string of Hammer Horror films...
, is a prominent example of these associations.
An Elizabethan account
In 1557, a diarist called
Henry MachynHenry Machyn was an English clothier and diarist in 16th century London.Machyn's Chronicle, which was written between 1550 and 1563, is primarily concerned with public events: changes on the throne, state visits, insurrections, executions and festivities...
wrote:
"The xxx day of May was a goly May-gam in Fanch-chyrchestrett with drumes and gunes and pykes, and ix wordes dyd ryd; and thay had speches evere man, and the morris dansse and the sauden, and an elevant with the castyll, and the sauden and yonge morens with targattes and darttes, and the lord and the lade of the Maye".
Translation: On the 30th May was a jolly May-game in
Fenchurch StreetFenchurch Street is a road in the City of London. It links Aldgate at its eastern end with Lombard Street and Gracechurch Street to the west. To the south of Fenchurch Street and towards its eastern end is Fenchurch Street railway station...
(
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
) with drums and guns and
pikesA pike is a pole weapon, a very long thrusting spear used two-handed and used extensively by infantry both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as a counter-measure against cavalry assaults. Unlike many similar weapons, the pike is not intended to be thrown...
, The
Nine WorthiesThe Nine Worthies are nine historical, scriptural, mythological or semi-legendary figures who, in the Middle Ages, were believed to personify the ideals of chivalry...
did ride; and they all had speeches, and the
morris danceA morris dance is a form of English folk dance usually accompanied by music. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers. Implements such as sticks, swords, and handkerchiefs may also be wielded by the dancers...
and sultan and an elephant with a castle (saddle in the shape of a castle) and the sultan and young
moorsThe description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of Muslim people of Berber, Black African and Arab descent from North Africa, some of whom came to conquer and occupy the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. The North Africans termed it Al Andalus, comprising most...
with shields and arrows, and the lord and lady of the May".
Maintaining the tradition
Many areas keep this tradition alive today. The oldest unbroken tradition is found in Hayfield, Derbyshire
http://www.hayfieldmayqueen.org/MayQ01.html based on a much older May Fair. Another notable event includes the one in the
Brentham Garden SuburbBrentham Garden Suburb near Pitshanger in Ealing was the first garden suburb in London to be built in cooperative principles, predating the larger and better-known Hampstead Garden Suburb by some years...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
which hosts it annually. It has the second oldest unbroken tradition although the May Queen of All London Festival at
Hayes CommonHayes is a place in the London Borough of Bromley, south-east London, England. It has two main areas of activity: the ancient village and suburban Hayes.-The ancient village:...
in
BromleyBromley is a large suburban town in southeast London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It is located southeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically a market town in the county...
is a close contender. A May queen is selected from a group of 13 upward girls by the young dancers. She returns the next year to crown the new May Queen and stays in the procession.
A May Day celebration held annually in
New WestminsterNew Westminster is a historically important city in the Metro Vancouver regional district of British Columbia, Canada. It was founded as the second capital of the Colony of British Columbia .-Geography:...
,
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
has the distinction of being the longest running May Day celebration of its kind in the
British CommonwealthThe Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the Commonwealth and previously as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-three independent member states. Most of them were formerly part of the British Empire. They co-operate within a framework of common values...
. This May Day celebration began in 1870 and is approaching one hundred and forty years of age. Archival film footage of New Westminster's May Day celebrations from 1932-1962 can be seen online at
Quest for the Queens.
Cultural references to the May Queen
- "The May Queen" is an early poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. (It is quoted in a scene in the 1938 movie The Dawn Patrol
The Dawn Patrol is a 1930 World War I film starring Richard Barthelmess and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. It was directed by Howard Hawks and won the Academy Award for Best Story for John Monk Saunders.-Plot:...
.)
- A May Queen is mentioned in the Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in 1968 by Jimmy Page , Robert Plant , John Paul Jones and John Bonham . With their heavy, guitar-driven sound, Led Zeppelin are regarded as one of the first heavy metal bands, helping to pioneer the genre...
song "Stairway to Heaven"Stairway to Heaven" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was composed by guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant for the band's fourth studio album, Led Zeppelin IV . The song was voted #3 in 2000 by VH1 on their list of the 100 Greatest Rock Songs...
". Anti-rock music Baptist preacher Michael Mills believes it is a reference to Aleister Crowley's poem, and he also believes it is in the middle of a Satanic backwards section.
- May Queen is the name of a ketch-rigged trading vessel built in 1867 at Franklin, Tasmania
Franklin is a small township on the western side of the Huon River in the south-east of Tasmania, between Huonville and Geeveston. It was named after Sir John Franklin and his wife Lady Jane Franklin who subdivided a large property there formerly owned by John Price to settle families of modest...
. She had a 106-year working life and is the oldest boat of her type afloat in the world. She is on the International Register of Significant Ships.
- "May Queen" is the title of a song on singer-songwriter
A singer–songwriter is a musician who writes, composes and sings their own material including lyrics and melodies. They often provide the sole accompaniment to an entire composition or song, typically using a guitar or piano...
Liz PhairElizabeth Clark "Liz" Phair is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Phair began her career in the early 1990s by self-releasing lo-fi audio cassettes under the moniker Girly Sound, before signing with Matador Records and becoming one of the leading artists of the 1990s DIY indie rock...
's second album Whip-SmartWhip-Smart is the second album by American singer-songwriter Liz Phair, released in 1994, the follow-up to Phair's critically well received debut, 1993's Exile In Guyville. Despite the strength of the first single "Supernova" on the rock charts, the album received mixed reviews in regards to the...
.
- "May Queen" is the title of a song by Inkubus Sukkubus
Inkubus Sukkubus are a British goth and pagan band formed in 1989 by Candia Ridley, Tony McKormack, and Adam Henderson.-History:Inkubus Sukkubus are a British pagan band who have been releasing albums and touring since their formation as Incubus Succubus in 1989.-Incubus Succubus:Before forming...
.
- "May Queen" is the title of a song by Black Box Recorder on their 2000 album The Facts of Life (music)
- "The May Queen" is the title of an anthology of women's writings about being in their thirties edited by Andrea N. Richesin (Tarcher/2006).
- "May Queen" is the name of a poem by occultist Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley , born Edward Alexander Crowley, was an English occultist, writer, mountaineer, poet, yogi, and possibly a spy...
.
- In the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode, "Out of Mind, Out of Sight
"Out of Mind, Out of Sight", also known as "Invisible Girl", is the eleventh and penultimate episode in the first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.-Summary:...
", Cordelia ChaseCordelia Chase is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer; she also appeared on Buffy's spin-off series Angel...
becomes May Queen.
- A May Queen is mentioned in the Decemberists song "Angel, Won't You Call Me?"
- Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, violist and pianist.-Life:...
's chamber opera Albert HerringAlbert Herring is a comic chamber opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten, his Op. 39. Written as a companion piece for his serious opera The Rape of Lucretia, the libretto, by Eric Crozier, was based on Guy de Maupassant's story Le Rosier de Madame Husson, but transposed entirely to an English...
concerns the unsuccessful search for a suitable May Queen, culminating in the selection of a May King instead.
- The Queen of the May is featured as a sacrificial offering in the book Cowboys for Christ
Cowboys for Christ is a 2006 novel and upcoming film from director Robin Hardy. It is a partial sequel of Hardy's previous film The Wicker Man , dealing with many of the same themes and ideas, namely the clash between paganism and Christianity...
.
- For the May Queen is the title of a novel by Kate Evans.
Kate Evans is an award-winning poet and prose writer. Her debut novel, For the May Queen, was released in 2008 by Vanilla Heart Publishing. Her second novel, Complementary Colors, will be released in 2009....
- The May Queen is the subject of Edward German's opera Merrie England.