My World: Maibaum - Aying

[Michael Nagel]

1st of May - a living tradition here in Bavaria.

Aying is a small town south of Munich, also known for its brewery.
The Maypole in Aying is one of the highest (54m) still erected the traditional way.
It is hard work and all movements have to be well-orchestrated and executed.
One important aspect of this tradition is that many people of a village have to work together to accomplish this task.
In some way it is an early form of team-building.

Early:

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Closer:

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Detail:

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Complexity:

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Closer look on the supporting beams:

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Detail:

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Almost done:

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Michael

 

[Antonio Correia]

A work done in straight cooperation !
An excellent work ! Well done.
Thank you for sharing with us.

 

[Jerome Marot]

I should have been there myself... but I did not know they still erected the Maibaum the traditional way. Nice pictures.

I can confirm that their beer is nice, too!

 

[Asher Kelman]

Michael,

I am so impressed with the cooperative technique. No way the cities here in California would allow that occur. There would be fear of an accident and huge liability for hurting folk.

If the crew was a licensed rigging crew and there were police lines preventing citizens anywhere near there, perhaps it could be done.

Likely as not they would demand a crane as backup for this tradition

For myself, I am so impressed as these cooperative skills have been largely lost. Even if fighting, imagine a square formation of Swiss likes or an advancing block of Roman Centurions with shield overlapping and cavalry behind on the hillside to support them?

The best we can do in man to man physical cooperation is for joint moves in a game of soccer, basketball or American football!

This maypole erection is simply spectacular!

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

In school we had a maypole but it was only about 4 meters high. We were in primary school, aged perhaps 7 or 8 and dressed up and each took a ribbon and danced as the teacher played the accordion.

We all yelled and screamed with joy and declared how happy and gay we were!

Asher

 

[Peter Dexter]

Sort of an Amish barn raising.

 

[Michael Nagel]

Likely as not they would demand a crane as backup for this tradition

In the cities, often a crane is used for safety reasons. There are too many people and buildings too close.

I smaller towns and villages it depends on where the Maibaum will be erected and the available space.

During the 80s the Maibaum slipped once in Aying. Nobody got hurt, but a few windows were shattered by pieces of wood.

Michael

 

[Michael Nagel]

Sort of an Amish barn raising.

Very much sort of. The common points are the work done together and a religious (barn) or attributed pagan (Maibaum) aspect and it pretty much stops here and the differences start.

The Maibaum has a symbolic character.
The barn serves a practical purpose.

Depending on the place, the Maibaum is erected (and taken down) every year up to every two or three years.
The barn stays (I hope so )

The Maibaum tradition is older and more widespread (in different interpretations).

The common work is certainly a strong common point of these two traditions, but already the way how this common work is rooted in the different communities differs.

Michael

 

[Asher Kelman]

Are there going to be pictures of the Maypole being used? Do they brew a special beer and are there dances and general celebratory parades!

I can imaging in places like Sienna in Italy a parade with church icons and a chariot race!

But in Germany is it just for children?

Asher

 

[Michael Nagel]

But in Germany is it just for children?

In Germany this is not for children.

Why would you presume that what you described earlier from your youth would be the same in a different country with a different tradition?

Michael

 

[Asher Kelman]

In Germany this is not for children.

Why would you presume that what you described earlier from your youth would be the same in a different country with a different tradition?

Michael

Ignorance and naiveté, perhaps!

?

1. Like the words “marriage”, “gay”, “woman”, and even “Asher”, I thought I knew what they meant after I was “educated” at home and in school.
2. But why would you imagine that any one had heard of old Bavarian Customs outside of Bavaria?

?