How did the separatists feel about the maypole?

The separatists, particularly the Puritans, viewed the maypole with suspicion and disapproval. They associated it with pagan rituals and excesses of revelry, believing it promoted immoral behavior and distracted from religious devotion. For them, the maypole symbolized the kind of idolatry and frivolity they sought to reject in favor of a more austere and focused spiritual life. As a result, they often sought to suppress such festivities in their communities.