>>719093479
What impresses me is the accuracy of the storiographic inspiration. In Elden Ring, you can tell how Miyazaki took direct inspiration from actual traditions and applied it to the lore.
The actual Maypoles represented a tree blooming, a tradition inspired by the paganism worship of nature and trees, disparaged and hated but still tolerated by Catholicism like many myths because losing influence over trying to banish such folk rituals was not worth it. It celebrated the coming of Spring and nature blooming, with a maiden chosen to open the dances and dressed appropriately with a special decorated garb.
The Celebrants take skin from corpses so that their runic spirit is passed on.
The surrounding terrain (and the crosses) are a cemetery full of flowers that bloom where the dead are buried.
Their garb represents Sacred Trees blooming and has the same shape of the Erdtree sigil, but the blue festive garb represents the sacrifices that go towards the Sacred Tree, so the blue Celebrant maiden channeled the power of death to fuel the blooming tree while the other Celebrants danced.