Huntingdonshire.
In the village of Glatton, May-day is observed by the election of Queen of the May, and the making of the garland.
The garland is of a pyramidal shape, and in this respect resembles the old milk-maid’s garland; it is composed of crown-imperials, tulips, anemones, cowslips, kingcups, daffodils, meadow-orchis, wallflowers, primroses, lilacs, laburnums, and as many roses and bright flowers as the season may have produced. These, with the addition of green boughs, are made into a huge pyramidal nosegay, from the front of which a gaily-dressed doll stares vacantly at her admirers. This doll is intended to represent Flora. From the base of the nosegay hang ribbons, handkerchiefs, pieces of silk, and any other gay-coloured fabric that can be borrowed for the occasion. The garland is carried by the two maids of honour to the May queen who place their hands beneath the nosegay, and allow the gay-coloured streamers to fall towards the ground. The garland is thus some six feet high.
The following song was sung by “the Mayers” on May-day, 1865, in the village of Denton and Chaldecote, when they went round with their “garland”:—
“Here comes us poor Mayers all,
And thus do we begin
To lead our lives in righteousness,
For fear we should die in sin.
To die in sin is a dreadful thing,
To die in sin for nought;
It would have been better for us poor souls
If we had never been born.
Good morning, lords and ladies,
It is the first of May;
I hope you’ll view the garland,
For it looks so very gay.
The cuckoo sings in April,
The cuckoo sings in May,
The cuckoo sings in June,
In July she flies away.
Now take a Bible in your hand,
And read a chapter through;
And when the day of judgment comes
The Lord will think of you.”—
N. & Q. 3rd S. vol. vii. p. 373.
It is the custom at Warboys for certain of the poor of the parish to be allowed to go into Warboys Wood on May-day morning for the purpose of gathering and taking away bundles of sticks. It may possibly be a relic of the old custom of going to a wood in the early morning of May-day for the purpose of gathering May-dew.—N. & Q. 3rd S. vol. xii. p. 42.