The Origin of May Day

The Myth of May Day

May Day is a European holiday marked on May the 1st of every calendar, but little is known about it. When I was a little girl, my grandmother told me the story of how my family came to have a day named in our honor. What follows is my own retelling.

Ottokar (II) was the king of Bohemia in the early 13th century. He inherited the crown from his grandfather as a young man, and like most young men, dreamed of conquest, riches, and glory. Almost immediately he set out to conquer neighboring kingdoms. Initially he was successful, but on one of these campaigns that Ottokar was thrown from his horse in a skirmish and injured. Luckily, he was on the land of a kind peasant family, who nursed him back to health, and returned him to his army. Ottokar gathered his troops, and returned to Bohemia. Ottokar was no longer interested in conquest, and ended his wars. In fact, there was only one thing he wanted- beer!

You must understand, in the middle ages, wine was the drink of the elite. Wine was made from grapes and very expensive, so the peasants made bier themselves, with the grain from their fields. As prince, then king, wine was all Ottokar had tasted, until being nursed by the peasants. That was when he discovered something which amazed him: beer has bubbles!

Now being the king, he could have whatever he wanted brought for his pleasure from the farthest reaches of the known world. He had gold from Nubia, jewels from south Africa, expensive spices from India, and silk from China, but none of these riches could compare to the tickling sensation of drinking bubbly liquid.

To the horror of his nobles, their King began to drink peasant beer. He was even serving it to them at feasts! They complained he had made them the laughing stock of Europe, but Ottokar didn't care.

He rewarded the peasants handsomely for saving his life and introducing him to beer. He was happier than ever, and instead of invading other countries, he spent his time enjoying his beer. The peasants were also rewarded by their own king, for introducing Ottokar to beer, which ended the war. In fact he became much loved by his people, who no longer had to fight in his wars, or pay for them with heavy taxes.

But just like all kings, Ottokar did not stay content for long. He started to grow tired of beer. Many nobles were pleased by this, and hoped very soon their king would return the court to the more acceptable wine. They also wished to return to war with their neighbors, because they were greedy for land. They didn't care if the peasants died in their wars.

One young, low-ranking noble who cared much for his people, thought up a clever plan to help the king. He was known as Charles of White (or Weiss), because his family owned the snow covered "White Lands" of the Sudeten Mountains. His mother was a foreign woman from a Germanic tribe in northernmost lands of the Empire, the Mais.

Charles came to the king, and told him of his mother's people. The Mais had a special process that made very light, clear beer- or lager, very unlike the darker beers of Bavaria. But this was not all. The people were skilled in many crafts beside brewing. The Mais had techniques for working in wood, stone, and metal such that their work rivaled the best in the Empire. Then Charles offered the king his hospitality, that he might come to the white lands, and try some of the Mai bier which his mother still made.

The king was enchanted by Charles' elderly mother, Marta. Her blond hair had turned white, but she still had the intense blue eyes of her people. The king honored Marta by seating her to his right at dinner and plying her with questions about the Mai, all the while drinking her delicious bier. He listened intently as she told him of a talented people, artisans and craftsmen of every kind, but their land was cruel. The weather was harsh, the ground frozen, and they lived under constant threat of attack from the sea.

It was then that Ottokar realized how his kingdom lacked the richness in people that other kingdoms possessed. He had no skilled artisans, and his kingdom was not known for creating things of beauty. So Ottokar sent Charles of Weiss to the Mai tribe, and charged him with the task of convincing the Mai tribe to move to Bavaria.

It was lucky for Ottokar that Charles was a very clever young man. Along with the riches and generous terms provided by the king, Charles brought along a storyteller. When Charles arrived at the Mai lands, he came to the chief as a kinsman, and presented him with personal greetings from King Ottokar and lavish gifts. Then, he brought out the storyteller who told of the warm, fertile land of Bavaria, and of Marta being honored by the king for their bier. The people were already in love with Bavaria by the time Charles presented Ottokar's offer. Within Charles' lands, the tribe would be given a large territory that was their own.

Charles of Weiss returned to Bavaria in triumph, accompanied by the Mai. The king rewarded him handsomely for succeeding, and Charles became the king's most trusted advisor and friend. Ottokar was even calling the Mai beer after Charles (Weiss beer).

The Mai tribe were just the first of many northern Germans to move to Bavaria by invitation of the king, and over time the Sudeten Mountains in Bavaria become known as one of the great centers of artisans in medieval Europe. The Mais continued to be prized artisans to the royalty for hundreds of years, and the area is still known for its beer.

Ottokar set aside the first of May (Mai in German) to honor his new people, and the peace and prosperity they brought to his land. The country had become famous for its culture, rather than for conquest.

The End