White Women
The procession is led by the May Queen and her entourage: four Handmaidens (north, south, east and west) and a cohort of White Warrior Women. The Handmaidens and White Women protect the May Queen and attend to her later in the evening in her otherworldly bower. They are the order and discipline to the red mens' chaos and misrule.
A white woman encompasses many aspects of a warrior. An army of strength and protection to surround and ensure the safety of the court at Beltane. Each white woman is a part of a well-oiled machine, sure and steadfast in her role, each a heartbeat, part of the rhythm of the ritual.
By the time the year reaches it's end at Samhuinn, the white women have shed their stoic, rigid front. After a summer of being wooed by red men, they have aged to reflect the Hag aspect of the goddess, the Cailleach. They appear dressed in shawls and bonnets, they sing a lament to mourn the passing of summer, but also as an affirmation of the year to come when they will once more be reborn with the strength to play their part in securing the cycle of the seasons.