And we use t’always have maypole marches. We had a big high maypole, and they marched round and round that maypole, and I can remember them hands a’goin’ up just as well as if it was yesterday. There was a song we always sang with that. I went t’bed here one night not too long ago and somethin’r ‘nother—I don’t know. Sometimes I can’t sleep. Sometimes I hear a racket that I don’t understand and it kinda undoes me till I get up and see what it is you know what I mean. Now I ain’t afraid, but I still want t’know what it is. And that maypole song come t’me just as plain. Eighty-odd year since I heard it. [Sings]:
Quinine, ginseng, pink root, poke root,
little obedilldock and pennyroyal tea!
They held their hands up till th’end a’th’song. What about that, me as little as I was, rememberin’ that? I’m amazed at myself! I don’t see how I remember that song and remember that motion just as well as if it was yesterday.
—Aunt Arie A Foxfire Portrait
Today’s Thankful November giveaway is a used copy of Aunt Arie A Foxfire Portrait. To be entered in the giveaway leave a comment on this post. Giveaway ends November 19, 2025.
Last night’s video: The Panther on Cold Mountain & Other Stories 3.
Tipper
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I remember May day, but I don’t remember maypole.
It’s amazing what we can remember! Sounds like a fun book.
Miss Tipper, I remember skipping around the maypole, in the school yard. It was a fun occasion marking the end of spring and the beginning of the summer weather. Though my memories are somewhat vague, I know it was a joyous event in our lives back then, something we looked forward to doing every year. Can’t remember when it was another abandoned event, like many of the old ways. Our children, today, will never get to enjoy the experiences we had back in the day. Sadly. Y’all have a great day, hope all are doing okay health wise and for those who are fighting illnesses of whatever kind, prayers are going up for all of you. Hopefully the upcoming holidays will make you feel better and God blesses y’all, bringing families together, to celebrate or just being together enjoying each other. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Blessings to all, hope y’all have many happy memories together this holiday season.
Love this!
Aunt Ari sounds like a wonderful writer. Thank you for sharing this story.
thank you ms tipper i got my book today,,,i love all the old stories in foxfire…i wish i knew which volumn had the old recipes i believe maybe of canning…cant remember as its probably close to 50 years since i saw it
It seems that some people have more vivid memories of their childhood than others. I vaguely remember participating in the maypole dance. It seems like the song we sang started out with “Here we go ‘round the mulberry bush, mulberry bush”. I don’t remember any more of the song from 70 years ago.And, my recollection could even be from some other dance besides the maypole dance. I do remember the crepe paper streamers, too. Thanks for posting Aunt Arie’s memory, Tipper!
I’ve only seen pictures of a Maypole, but I’d love to see it in person. it’s a neat tradition. ♥️
Love remembering the old traditions!
Hope your book signing was wonderful!
The songs I remember best are those I learned between the ages of 4 and 12! I’ve never heard this one though.
During my time as Principal of an Elementary School in Roanoke, we had established a MayDay Festival. The Librarian and a couple of teachers coached a group of kids to wrap the MayPole as they danced and sang while.weaving the broad ribbons around the pole. it was a grand community festival with numerous churches and other organizations involved. A fond memory for many.
Hope you had a good showing today in Granite Falls!
Today was one of the best days of my life! I got to see two family members I thought I was never going to get to see in person. I hope I don’t wake tomorrow and find that today was just a dream.
Very interesting, a subject I know little to none about.
As always, praying for Granny.
I remember seeing an old photo of when my older sisters were in grade school. They had all made long flowing “dresses” from crepe paper and went around a pole they were tethered to with crepe paper streamers. I don’t know if they sang anything though. I’ll have to ask them!
Aunt Arie had an excellent memory for her age! Interesting that the song is about herbs/tonics. Many blessings to you!
I adore the Appalachian traditions. Would love to read more of this.
You can google ‘Maypole Dance lyrics’ and watch a video with the song.
What a vivid memory!
It’s been years since I first fell in love with Foxfire and Aunt Arie. I have several Foxfire books, but I haven’t read this one and I would love to have it!
I don’t remember the song, but I remember wrapping the maypole when I was in Grammar School. (Elementary School for you young folks) A few years ago I saw a cartoon with kids wrapping the pole with CVS receipts. (CVS tries to tempt us into buying more than we go for by giving us a long receipt with coupons for a multitude of other items.) I made copies of the cartoon and gave them to employees at three CVS stores in my area. I had to explain what the cartoon meant. Not one employee had ever heard of a Maypole dance. It was probably about 1950 or so when I participated in the last one. I sent you a text or email with the photo and you didn’t understand and thought it was some kind of prank and deleted it because there were no CVS stores near you.
I’ve never seen, nor participated in a Maypole event. It would be fun to see it reenacted.
I only have a faint wisp of a memory of having a Maypole in elementary school. It seemed like a special event us winding the streamers around. It would have been nice if we would have done it more than once so I could have better remembrance.
True or false? The maypole business started out as spring fertility rites. I haven’t researched it, but I’ve been told it is true. The last Maypole Dance I remember seeing advertised (or perhaps reported?) in the paper was in the spring of 1958.
I’d love to win a copy. The Foxfire books are so interesting.
heck yeah awesome
Tipper,
Did you all have Cake Walks? At the end of our pig trail road on the other side of our house and about one mile was a one room school house called New Erie (New Era) school. In the fall of the year we would have a Cake Walk. I am sure it was to benefit a need in the community or the school. Everybody in the community would bring a cake or pie. They would put a number on your item and boys would be there early or ask for your number. Then they would auction off the pies and cakes. Whoever got your number, you had to go off somewhere and eat with them. You ended up happy, mad or embarrassed. I guess I have been all three. Lol
Drama, we still have cake walks at benefits here but they are different. You can read about them here: https://blindpigandtheacorn.com/cake-walk-to-raise-money/ Thank you!
We celebrated May Day and we had a Maypole up until around the 5th grade we celebrated circling the May Pole and dancing around it. We, who had access and could afford to, brought a cloth bow from home, that was then attached to the long ribbons on the pole, we had a dance that night, the girls asked the boys to dance on May Day at our school. My teacher said however, back during the true May Day celebrations, it was the girls hairbows that was attached to the ribbons, there were competitions that the boys vied in, the boy would pick a bow and whomever that bow belonged to, was who he danced with that night. Thanks for always giving us food for thought.
That sounds like a good time. Unfortunately, I missed out on it when I was younger. I’ve heard of May poles, but have never experienced them. Fun!
We used to swing around a maypole at school. I went to a four room school. The girls would see saw, play Jack’s, swing, jump ropes and such. We had such a good time. God bless.
My second grade class did a May pole dance and we sang the song Tarantella. My dear mother made my costume and I remember feeling self conscious because I thought my skirt was too short. That was 70+ years ago!
Sounds like a great book!
I’ve never seen a Maypole, but I have heard of them. Would like to read more about it. Thanks for the posting.
I’m disappointed we could not make it to Granite Falls today. Check engine light started flashing yesterday. Can’t drive till we get it fixed.
Praying for Granny.
Oh my goodness, I hadn’t thought of that in years. We had ribbons and we would go in one direction until they were wrapped up and then we’d turn and go in the other direction. that would have been in 1957 and 1958. You won’t know in this life what a blessing you’ve been to me.
Aunt Arie was one of their most popular people. She was sharp as a tack, had lots of firsthand knowledge of the old ways and was a friend to all. I think the Fox fire staff just kinda adopted her and some would go see her whether they were working on more of her story or not. About that, being a grandparent now myself I have partly figured out why we are useful. We are seeing life from the “backside” so to speak; after the band has left and the dust has settled. We can look down our back trail and see where we went wrong or right and why then use it to advise younger folks. We also recognize how some things we once thought so important really aren’t. I can’t put this in the best words, but for children I suspect the pair of parents and grandparent let’s them see ‘two sides of the same coin’ of life. And the net effect is to help ground and settle them. Anyway, that’s my take. Thank the Lord for the Aunt Aries of the world. By the way, anybody here remember when it was a tradition to call unrelated elders Aunt and Uncle? I do. Must-have been still alive for aunt Arie.
Enjoyed the story. We never did the may pole march, however, we called a piece of playground equipment a may pole. It was a pole with chains and handle bars. We would hold on, run around and build momentum the fly up in the air. It was great fun. It was banned years ago as unsafe. I guess kids would lose their grip and would fly off but I never saw anyone get hurt. I remember flying in the air! It was great fun!
I will be so blessed to have a memory like Aunt Arie’s if I live to be 80-odd years old. Hopefully, quinine tea was just a line in a song and not something they actually consumed. It sounds poisonous.
Quinine was the only relief for malaria until recently. My uncle Wayne got malaria during WW2 and suffered with it all his life. He was prescribed quinine for the symptoms.
So many memories. Thank you, Tipper
Aunt Arie sounds like a wonderful and interesting woman to read about!
Blessings for Granny, hope she is doing better.
I love this! Love hearing the old stories from the “good old days”. Yes, they were hard, and simpler, but so family oriented and true. Sometimes I wish we could do a reset.
Never had a maypole or a celebration in May. But I would love to learn about it and Aunt Arie. I loved Foxfire 1, 2, and 3.
Prayers for you all! ❤️
I would love to have a copy of Aunt Arie’s A Foxfire Portrait. I can remember the Maypole but I don’t remember the song.
Like many others, I remember so well my Daddy telling me about the giant chestnut trees that grew down south and what had happened to them that killed them all. Even at that time as a young teen, I so wished I could have seen one and that they could be brought back. Praying for Granny, Norman and his brother.
It’s amazing how things we memorize as young children stay with us the rest of our lives.
They had a Maypole at Almond School. Seems like it had different colored crepe paper streamers attached at the top for the girls to hold as they danced around it and sang. As for what they sang, it ain’t come to me yet.
Love her memories!
Would enjoy reading this! God bless!
“I am amazed at myself!” LOL that is so cute and funny. We’re going to slip that into any conversation we can today. We are headed up to Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest south of Louisville to do some hiking. It’s been a rough time lately and we all need our bodies, minds and spirits to be refreshed. Praying for all who watch the channel, post here, and of course the Pressley family. God bless.
Oh I loved reading about the Maypole and song. I can remember doing a few Maypoles growing out up. Fond memories.
I don’t recall much about my childhood but for some reason I seem to remember something about a Maypole from school days. It’s very vague so it could be I just have heard about it & not actually participated in the fun of one.
Praying for Granny from Texas.
As a child I never heard of the Maypole Marches or dances. Sounds like fun, though.
It would be great to read about Aunt Aerie’s childhood.
It’s a cool morning in Monroe, Georgia. I’m loving it. Not a fan of summer so much
Y’all have a great day❣️Prayers for your sweet family❣️
I remember in grade school one grade would do the maypole dance. Walking around the pole with different colored cloths, going over then under, it would make a nice pattern at the end. Yes a song was sung but I don’t remember what it was. Haven’t thought of that in 60+ years. And one of those years I got to help do it.
Good morning everyone. This book sounds so interesting. I very much enjoyed your reading last evening too..and all the recent videos of you and Matt and the Pressley girls. The photo of you and your grandsons looking out the window watching the snowfall was precious. I pray your mama is feeling better and not in pain. ❤️ I think about her often.
That is something I’ve never experienced until about 20 years ago at a German Festival we were playing at. One of the traditional dances that was demonstrated was a maypole dance and it was interesting to watch. Each of the dancers had a wide piece of ribbon that was attached to the top of the pole. They danced around the pole raising their arms up and down. By the time the dance was over with, the ribbon had been woven into a pretty pattern on the maypole.
In the late 60’s and early 70’s my elementary school still performed the maypole “dance”, but I can’t remember the music. Prayers for Granny.
I can remember the maypole game we played in school but I didm’t remember the song Thanks for posting Brings back good memories I also remember my siblings and me gathering pennyroyal to sale for money to buy things we needed
I also remember picking “ bambuds” as we called them to sale. That may not be the proper name, lots of folks never heard of them.
I would love a copy of this book. I’m sure it would bring back a lot of sweet memories
Would love to read about Aunt Aerie’s adventures.
Another great blast from the past. I would like to take a pole of the younger generation to see how many of them have ever heard of the may pole. Going back into the distance spaces in my mind (I’m 80) I can remember girls singing around a pole. I can’t remember the song but I can still picture them today. Have a blessed day.
Ron, I am not a member of the younger generation, only a few years behind you, but the girls in my country grammar/elementary school never played around a may pole. Somewhere in my past I heard about a may pole and know what it is.
One of the members yesterday mentioned 39 and 40 Fords and moonshine. NASCAR and stock racing started from these cars and the moonshiners that drove them. I don’t remember the man’s name, but he had a garage in Atlanta and became famous for his knowledge of getting speed out of the flathead V8 engine in these cars. I read that he would be working on racing, police and moonshiner cars all at the same time at his garage. His motto was “money equals speed,” who ever paid the most money got the fastest car! This comment should be a separate comment, but forgive me for not rewriting it this morning.
We had Maypole dances in the 3rd grade at school and the entire school grades 1 through 12 came outside to watch us.
So many memories. This was 1958-1959 school year.
I remember us having a maypole dance at school, but it’s a very faint memory. I have no idea what we sang. Maybe some of the comments will jostle up and bring something to mind.
God bless all y’all! Praying Granny can do what she feels like doing. That old cancer robs a lot from a body, but there is a lot it can’t. Hope you can cherish every special moment.
now I need to hear the tune to the maypole song please.
Sounds interesting
good morning friends, thank you for praying for me and my brother, God bless you very much, God bless Granny Wilson