#skansen

The most common generic midsummer pole design.

May/midsummer poles are often considered a typical Swedish symbol for how recognizable it looks. This decorated pole is sure common across Sweden and parts of Finland. However did you know there are also various other designs?

You will notice that I will mention different cardinal direction for the same provinces/Counties since many of them are large such as Småland (despite literally means "small land") and Västergötland.

Most of the photos and their sources comes from Sveriges hembygdsförbund.

Lessebo, Småland, Southeastern Sweden

It looks like those bubble wands with multiple rings (especially the more advanced toys that spins when pushing a button). Source

Northern Bohuslän, Southwestern Sweden

Northern Bohuslän had a very unusual tradition to depict the midsummer pole as a woman by having a paper doll-head with a flower wreath on the top with chained eggshells as a necklace, seemingly called “Kajsa” (common Swedish female name). It has been described since the 1780s. Well that debunks that the pole is a male-centric symbol by male-centric Freudian perverts. They at least didn't put two wreaths to further emphasis on female fertility or motherhood on Kajsa like many cultures does to signal something being a woman. Kajsa just looks like she have what appears to be clutched hands (the old illustration) or mantle during a T-pose for asserting female dominance (on the photo). I don't know the motifs behind this one. She might be a personification of summer and nature in general. Old description describe Kajsa as a "proud lady". Seemingly no specific emphasis on maidenhood or innocence with Kajsa. I don't think it's an effigy where they burn it. Source

Southern Bohuslän, Southwestern Sweden

This midsummer pole looks more similar to the typical cross one. The drawing looks like the man is sitting there playing a violin.

Herrljunga, Västergötland, Southwest Sweden

Based on a description from 1896.

Västergötland, Western Sweden 1865

Polkagrisstång! [Swedish-styled candy cane pole!]. The ultimate lance for jousting!

Brevens bruk, Närke, Central Sweden

Source

Lindekullen, Östergötland, Central-Eastern Sweden

Nynäshamn, Södermanland, Eastern Sweden

Source

Sorunda, Södermanland, Central-Eastern Sweden

Based on a design described in 1944.

Malmköping, Södermanland, Central-Eastern Sweden

I live in the same province and have seen this one before in real life but mistook it as just a random decorative pole after midsummer. The area I live in uses the standard design however with the province's coats of arms on it which is a cool black griffin.

Close up on the pole. This one looks like it has easter eggs hanging on it like Christmas ornament! Source

Seglingsberg, Västmanland, Central Sweden.

This one has been documented since the 1800s. At the start of the 1900s this pole design was briefly discontinued until 1937 where this pole has been used since then.

Seglingsberg, Västmanland, Central Sweden.

It’s common for midsummer poles to have the municipal coat of arms on it like where I live if it’s a larger communal celebration. Although this doesn't look like Västmanland's coat of arms since it has three flames on it. This looks like two intercrossed hammers or other tools. The only coat of arms having something crossed are two crossed arrows in Dalarna's and Närke's coat of arms which is shown on the midsummer pole at Skansen (Stockholm) for some reason.

Nusnäs, Dalarna, Northwest Sweden

The most patriotically Swedish one! Let's appropriate it! The Dala horse is especially significant in Nusnäs.

Gräv, Dalarna, Northwest Sweden

I know place names in Dalarna are weird (this one just means “dig” in English although I have heard far worse unfortunate place names in Sweden). This one has heart symbols on it as well as their coats of arms. I don't know if there's specific symbolism here or if it was just aesthetics but midsummer historically had various romantic and fertility connection akin to Valentine's day however the midsummer pole is ironically the exception of lack of clear historically documented fertility symbolism. This one resembles Skansen's variant of the typical cross-shaped one that attached the hearts and intercrossed arrows on it for some reason (alongside other shapes). Source

Siljansnäs, Dalarna, Northwest Sweden

Yeah, some places still raise poles in the middle of winter and still call it "maypoles" and "midsummer poles". Source

From left to right: Julstång from 1959 from Sweden, Tuomaanristi/Tomaskorset/Korpokorset from Finland

Various variants of Julkorset found in Sydösterbotten, Eastern Finland.

This winter maypole might be related to the obscured tradition of the Yule pole which is called Julstång, Julruska and Tomaskors in Sweden. It's said being more ancient than Midsummer pole. This tradition could have been a national symbol like the midsummer pole! It's a decorated twig that either looks like either a tiny Christmas tree, midsummer pole or a snowflake/star on a pole! It's so sad it fell out of fashion today with very few still preserving this tradition. Likely their decline were caused by Christmas trees became mainstream. It has a Finnish variant called Tomaskors, Korpokors and Tuomaanristi. Another variant is called Julkors(et), which means Yule cross, that exists in both Finland and Sweden, believed to scare away evil spirits. I have recently made a collection of these rare traditions and planning on making a post of it in December.

Skansen, Stockholm

Vintage poster titled "Skansen Stockholm Sweden - Midsommar" designed by Olle Ericson from 1940. Very typical vintage Swedish modernist poster. Source

Postcard estimated between 1955-1969 (I don't know why these specific dates). Source

Skansen continues using these midsummer poles where they just slaps the same random shapes on it like hearts, circles, intercrossed arrows (stealing Dalarna's and Närke's coats of arms!) and stars (some appears to be David's stars although might be coincidental). Although Skansen is an open-air museum showcasing various things from different regions from Sweden even if they are regional-specific. Dalarna tends to be that one specific isolated region getting appropriated the most for being the ones most distinct and niche. I don't think this variant is common elsewhere in Stockholm which uses the most common generic one. I did found unusual designs in Stockholm as well however I can't find them right now.

Swedish-Americans/American-Swedes in Florida

Well, no matter if Swedes got shipwrecked in Florida, they will always desperately craft a midsummer pole out of whatever plant they find for midsummer! Source

I found one photo of another midsummer pole from America in a typical cross design that was unusually really thick like a hedge but can't find it right now. Well, everything in America is thicker.

Various Historical Depictions of Other Midsummer Poles

Left: Jönköping, Småland, Central Sweden. Right: Skara, Västergötland, Western Sweden. Two of the earliest depictions of midsummer poles from 1600s. Full images HERE and HERE!

Various early depictions of variants. Source Usually, these horisontal parts are called "arms" and many has various sets of them.

Well you may have notice in this post that there was no single specific definitive symbolism behind the design of the common cross-like one, neither religious nor male-centric symbolism (F-off Freud!). Even if many has a literal rooster on top of them!

The common cross-shaped one is very likely becoming dominant because it's so simple and practical with only one sets of arms while still very recognizable distinct. It has plenty of variants and older ones resembles these regional ones. I think most of them are either structured to be aesthetically pleasing however most of them resembles trees a lot. I don't know if there was ancient pre-Christian origins with symbolizing world trees like Yggdrasil. I have been taught in school that vikings decorated and worshipped trees. The oldest recordings of a midsummer pole in Sweden was in 1600 and it's commonly believed that it was imported from Germany since their first recordings can be found in the 1200s. Although it was recorded since medieval throughout Europe, including Sweden, to hang wreaths on poles, very much like many of the regional armless examples above.

Also, why we are obsessed with wreaths in Europe could be because it's believed being healthy. I think maybe it's believed it's like putting plants indoor to get more oxygen as well as it smell fresh.

I was originally intended to include Finnish midsummer poles (which are even more diverse) however they were so many of them so I decided to post them in another post instead. I also intended to release this post on midsummer but I decided to do something else for that holiday.

So yeah, you’re in my head. ☺️