Midsommar: The History of The May Queen and the Hårga | Horror History

LET THE FESTIVITIES BEGIN. The May Queen, a symbol of fertility and growth, becomes the center of a disturbing pagan ritual in the isolated Swedish community of Hårga. When protagonist Dani (Florence Pugh) finds herself crowned as the May Queen in Ari Aster's chilling horror film Midsommar, she is unwittingly thrust into a world of unsettling ceremonies and bizarre traditions.

The May Queen and the Hårgans bring a sense of eerie fascination to the horror landscape dominated by violence and fear. Their rituals, while deeply unsettling, also highlight the captivating power of cultural and religious beliefs in shaping human behavior and the lengths people will go to maintain their customs.

In this video, we'll delve into the enigmatic May Queen and the Hårga, exploring the rituals, beliefs, and symbolism that form the backbone of the Midsommar narrative. We'll examine the role of the May Queen as both a figure of hope and an unwitting participant in the cult's twisted practices.

I'll be going over the entire known history of The May Queen, compare and contrast the real life Hårga culture with the what we see in the movie, talk about parallels with Ari Aster's first film, Hereditary, and analyze the meaning behind the insanity that is Midsommar. Furthermore, I'll discuss the Hårgans' influence on the film's characters, Dani, Christian, Josh and Mark – shedding light on the darker side of human nature and the terrifying allure of ancient traditions.

Join us as we dissect the chilling world of Midsommar and unravel the intricate web of beliefs that surround the May Queen and the Hårga, providing a unique perspective on this modern horror masterpiece.

#midsommar #mayqueen #swedishfolklore

Chapters
0:00 History of Midsummer in Sweden
1:49 Intro
2:33 Who Is The Black One?
3:44 Traditions of the Hårgan Cult
6:23 Raycon
7:29 Lifespan of a Cult Member
9:29 Hårgan Economy
9:59 The May Queen
12:57 The Birth of Dani Ardor
14:11 Relationship with Christian Hughes
15:08 Terri's Illness
15:45 Meaning of The Color Yellow
16:36 Dealing With Tragedy
18:20 The Secret Nazi Language of The Uthark
20:11 Travel To Sweden
20:49 Magic Mushrooms
22:56 Arrival in Hårga
25:32 Meaning of Scissors Under Pillow
26:22 The Ättestupa Ritual
28:41 Pelle Makes His Move
29:55 Sleeping In Through Chaos
30:42 Disappearance of Friends
32:41 The Hårgalåten Dance
34:29 Crowning of The May Queen
37:08 Heartbreak
38:17 The Fire Ritual
39:30 Catharsis

About Horror History
Horror History is a series that analyses specific characters, monsters, places or events in the fictional worlds of your favorite horror franchises.

About Midsommar
From writer/director Ari Aster (Hereditary) and starring Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, and Will Poulter. Midsommar follows a group of friends who travel to Sweden for a festival that occurs once every 90 years, only to find themselves in the clutches of a pagan cult.

Other

🎵 Original CZsWorld Music by Jimmy Roman (© CZsWorld)
🎵 Blank Slate - YVEN (CC0)
🎵 Cucumber Halling KNEP - Emelie Waldken (CC BY 4.0)
🎵 Hårgalåten - In Flames (Fair Use)
🎵 Hårgalåten - Traditional (CC0)
🎵 Maypole Dance Midsommar - Carlos M (CC BY 4.0)
🎵 Swedish polska & Norwegian pols - Nyckelharpa - Emelie Waldken (CC BY 4.0)
🎵 The Gentlemen - DivKid (CC0)

CZsWorld is a horror film channel by writer-director Zac Morris. New horror videos every week. Remember to turn on deathbell notifications so you don't miss a video!

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This video was sponsored by Raycon.

[undeadladybug]

Honestly, I like the idea that Dani just completely mentally snaps at the end, and that's why she starts smiling. She already had a history of mental/emotional instability, but even without that, I think most people would lose it if they went through all that in such a short amount of time.

[louthawriter]

I think horror flicks with a cult theme are my favorite movie genre now. I absolutely loved both Hereditary and Midsomar.

[madeleinemei-ling]

I don’t think it’s fair to say that Christian cheated on Danny because he was literally drugged. If anything I’d say he was assaulted. He’s a bad boyfriend but tbh that whole drugged scene wasn’t his fault

[crimsonclover]

Christian was drugged and, in my opinion, assaulted by the cult. The look of horror on his face after finishing says it all. His mind had cleared and he was clearly traumatized. Christian wasn't a good supportive boyfriend and had checked out of the relationship but he didn't cheat on Dani.

[amandasutton]

I think an important part is that, with Christian having had all the drugs, from the tea to inhaling the smoke, I don't think we can count him as entirely able of consent. Dani likely sees it as cheating because she doesn't know how drugged he is. Nonetheless, it's hurtful.

[beyondthefilmfatale]

Trauma dumping? She has a sister with a serious mood disorder, talking about that with your significant other and them supporting you emotionally is how a healthy relationship works.. If she was talking about her sister to the barista at the coffee shop, that would be inappropriate. Christian is emotionally immature and narcissistic, look at the way he treats Josh. This, however, does not make it ok for Dani to have him burnt alive and therapy would be a much better solution than joining a cult.

[skunke]

As a guy who loves Swedish folklore, this was super interesting to watch! I gotta say tho that the reason people put scissors under a child’s pillow in classic Swedish folklore is so the trolls won’t take the kid. Trolls are according to Swedish folklore afraid of steel and scissors are often made of steel, thus protecting the child.

[VVESSEL]

I think the most interesting part about the nature imagery while Dani is tripping is that she always sees grass connecting her to the ground. She's slowly being 'rooted' into the cult.

[awetistic]

Dani's behavior is the opposite of trauma dumping. She retreats to the bathroom or another secluded area almost every time before she breaks down. Even after the ättestupa ritual that must be highly traumatizing after what happened to her family, Christian routinely leaves her alone to tell his friend he's going to copy his thesis topic. This dynamic even is an important plot point - the Harga expressing and sharing their pain is so meaningful to Dani because it allows her to finally grieve in front of others, making her the perfect victim for the cult.

I'm pretty sure the Harga wanted Dani to see what Christian did, knowing perfectly well that it would look like cheating to her. Which it wasn't, but it's no surprise she thought that way after Christian's previous behavior. Not only with Dani, but also with his friends, Christian constantly avoids conflicts with lies and last minute revelations, twists other people's words to shift the blame and doesn't show empathy for anyone but himself. He didn't deserve his ultimate fate, but he should have listened to Dani when she begged him to leave.

[beardedricotheold]

The amount of foreshadowing in the movie with background imagery and the like is insane. Well worth the re-watch to find them all.

[kittyythecat]

Nah, fam. Dani did not "trauma dump" (stupid term if you ask me) and see her boyfriend as an "emotional crutch" when she is going through the hardest times of her life. She wanted support and comfort from someone she trusts, loves. Instead this jerk doesn't want to be there for her by ignoring, being half-assed, and forgetting her birthday

[original_demonic]

In my opinion, Dani was more of a bonus to Pelle and the cult. She wasn’t meant to be going, and without her, the sacrifices would still be the same. Each one of the people chosen are bad people to the cult in some way, some more deserving than others. Mark and Josh are disrespectful to the cult in different ways. Simon and Connie refuse to see their way of life as a different view, and instead see them as wrong. Christian is a bad partner, as well as being generally apathetic and uninterested, even after he says he wants to start his Thesis on the festivities. Dani however never showed any disrespect towards the cult. Yes, she was physically upset at the atterstupa, and has been slowly breaking down, but that’s due to her own emotions. For example, Connie and Simon call the cult insane, while Dani never says anything disrespectful, and instead focuses on her own emotions towards death. She also listens to everyone when they talk about the cults view on life, instead of rejecting it outright.

In this way, she could have theoretically either gone home alive, joined the cult, or been killed if she was disrespectful, outside of the temple. However Pelle has a good character judgement and managed to pick people close to someone needing a new family.

[marinabrodova]

This movie didn't feel like a movie. It felt like art. Like a picture you see at a museum, so full of symbolism and picturesque shots. Absolutely my favourite

[kag]

I assumed Dani is 26 at the beginning of the film and turns 27 in Sweden, the midpoint of her “summer” period in life from age 18 to 36.

[cormacjoy]

The take on Christian here is not great. I don’t think he “cheated” on Dani when he was drugged. And he doesn’t deserve to be murdered. But he wasn’t a GOOD boyfriend trying his best. he was a deeply unsupportive, cowardly, and selfish partner - Dani reaching out to her partner for emotional support didn’t become “more legitimate” after the death of her family.

Right off the bat, Christian doesn’t really care about her - even her legitimate hope for affection or care feels like an imposition. He forgets her birthday ffs

[shainewhite]

This movie was crazy AF! Florence Pugh had a stellar performance in this film.

[BlackFox]

I’m surprised you didn’t mention how that the female attestupa elder looked like an older version of Dani

[MarlowePowerLockman]

Trauma dumping is not the same thing as wanting emotional support from your boyfriend after your entire family has died. Also, her trauma isn't suddenly more valid because of the murder suicide.

[riaglitta]

Dani is turning 27. She is literally at her own midsummer.

[princesscaroline]

I love rewatching this and only paying attention to the Hargans. Just a master class in normalizing strange behaviors & their reactions are so priceless. The fact that not a single Hargan even flinches at Connie’s screams is kind of amazing