With Mayday coming up, I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on how we know about some of the common traditions and festivals.
Each year I see the flowers, and occasionally the odd maypole, but it's hard to work out where the real traditions end and the made up begin.
There are countless brief articles on the internet about jacks in the green, may garlands, may queens etc, but I haven't found a single one that links to a reliable source.
Does anyone know any books or sources where I can read about the history of these events and beliefs? I'm particularly interested in history books, but any articles with sources would be a great improvement.
Ronald Hutton's "The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain" has a few chapters dealing with May Day/Beltane. He does very good work, and I strongly recommend his books.
Carmina Gadelica, a collection of Scottish folklore, also has a small section with a little introduction explaining a couple customs.