Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/12/08/the-devastating-200-year-old-t.html
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Not sure if related, but strikingly similar: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-greasy-pole-at-saint-peters-fiesta-gloucester-massachusetts
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I’m sure similar events are held around the Mediterranean. If I had to guess, I’d expect it to be North Africa/Moorish (though probably tallow instead of lard in that case). The Mallorquin version has the pole vertical, and the contestants have to climb it, which strikes me as more challenging, although perhaps most challenging is weaving the long pole through narrow, winding medieval streets to the town center.
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I hope they clean the pole before putting it away for the next year. The smell of all that rancid lard would be intense.
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When the British left NYC at the end of the American Revolution, they left a British flag nailed to a greasy pole at the end of the Battery. For a hundred years, the city celebrated Evacuation Day with a big party where kids would climb a greased pole to tear down a Union Jack.
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It looks more entertaining than american football.
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I fail to see any support for the claim it is “devastating”. The articles mention bruises and minor injuries, nothing serious. Not only does it seem more entertaining than american football, it also seems safer.
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My dad used to talk about a greasy pole in the pool at Coney Island when he was a kid.
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That’s not a very high bar.
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That was just creepy
That was probably just creepy old Uncle Syzmon.
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Could someone explain what is “devastating” about this tradition? The probability of beeing more entertaining than some American sport?
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I mean, I can think of one potentially very painful injury that I’d think would happen with at least some regularity, though I thankfully didn’t see it in those videos…
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Some sites mention children also participate in this tradition, so I’m glad they didn’t show any devastating incidents, too.
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Because nothing honours a saint more than firing guns.
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I’ve seen the Gloucester one in person a few times. Some painful falls, but no serious casualties.
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So you’re body shaming the man because he carries a lot of gravity around without having the decency to cover himself to your standards?
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In the video you can see that one guy slipped and fell hitting his back on the pole. I can imagine pretty serious back injuries due to that kind of thing.
Much higher, and the injuries would be worse.
