Basque ethnography at a glance

Preparing the Maypole, 2017. José Ángel Chasco.

Peasants today rely on commercial or mutual insurance for compensation of losses caused by hailstorms. However, ancient rites and charms are still practised to provide protection against the hazard of damage to crops, animals and people. On 3 May, the Finding of the Holy Cross, a Maypole (Mayo, in Spanish) is erected in San Vicente de Arana (Álava) to guard cultivated fields and harvests from the ravages of storms and remains in place throughout the summer until it is taken down on 14 September, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

As locals point out, the Maypole needs to be the largest and most beautiful of trees —namely, tall and straight. So an elegant beech tree is felled in the mountain with chainsaw and axe by the community of neighbours, dragged to the village by a tractor , formerly oxen, and its bark removed by axe blows until it is completely clean.

Maypole preparations have for six decades been conducted by Jesús María Pérez de Lecea. Meaningful symbols, both old and new, are attached to the log in the process. Time-honoured symbols: a white cross nailed high on the pole, facing the direction of thunderstorms, a pair of white wooden scissors in the shape of St Andrew’s Cross to cut dark clouds with and thereby prevent hail, the corporal used to cover the altar on Holy Thursday standing for the tunic worn by Christ in the sepulchre, and the virgin bees wax cross to light Jesus’ way to heaven. Modern symbols: the weathercock and the arrow placed on the very top of the pole to indicate the direction of the wind. Three ropes are fastened to the pole by slip knots and frames known as cucañas or horcajas prepared for supporting it as it is hoisted. The Maypole is planted in an open field on the northern edge of the city.

Blessing and hoisting of the Maypole, 2017. José Ángel Chasco.

The planting of the tree is preceded by a peal of bells. The so-called tentenublo or tentenube ceremony will be repeated before the Maypole is taken back down in September, should there be a risk of hailstorm, and the following ritual formulae recited: Tente tin, tente nublo, no te caigas sobre mí. Guarda el pan, guarda el vino, guarda el campo que está florido ‘Tente tin, tente nublo, do not fall on me. Guard the bread, guard the wine, guard the flowering field’. Some humorously add: Dale pan al pobre sacristán ‘Provide bread for the poor sacristan!’. And in other localities this might be heard: Si traes agua vente acá, pero si traes piedra vete allá ‘Come here if you bring rain, but go elsewhere if it is hail you contain’. The ringing of church bells is followed by a blessing to the four directions of the Maypole, after which neighbours proceed to kiss the wax cross.

Well-coordinated by the above-mentioned man in charge, a numerous crowd hoists the pole up to the cry of ¡Arriba Mayo! ‘Up with the Maypole!’. Beneath the various symbols the said three ropes are arranged to be pulled by as many teams. The largest team works in front of the pole and the other two from the sides, thus balancing pulling forces evenly. Another big group of neighbours holds the pole with the scissor-shaped supports while the base of the tree is introduced in a metallic box-like hole. Reaching a height of up to 25 m, the three is safely anchored on-site. In culmination of an intense effort, the authorities hang seven coloured ribbons from a ring representing the seven districts into which the province of Álava is divided, and finally the Maypole is raised.

According to popular belief, hailstorms occur if the Maypole is not planted. As it happened, one year around the mid-20th century, the pole could not be put up due to late, heavy snowfall, so hail ruined the unharvested crops. The Maypole would ward off weather-related calamities and damage by hail, favour high yields of bread wheat and wine grapes, and promote the growth of the grain when the wheat fields are in full bloom.

José Ángel Chasco – Etniker Álava – Etniker Euskalerria Groups

Translated by Jaione Bilbao – Ethnography Department – Labayru Fundazioa

Edited fragment from the Italian film Le quattro volte [The four times], which shows the raising of a Maypole in its entirety: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31AoIqsRkFY.