The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 1 of 2): With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes and Methods of Playing etc.Gomme, Alice Bertha
History
The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 1 of 2): With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes and Methods of Playing etc.
Gomme, Alice Bertha
Folklore -- Great Britain; Games -- Great Britain
A ring of chairs is formed, and the players sit on them. A piece of
string long enough to go round the inner circumference of the chairs is
procured. A small ring is put upon the string, the ends of which are
then tied. Then one of the players gets up from his chair and stands in
the centre. The players sitting on the chairs take the string into their
hands and pass the ring round from one to another, singing the lines. If
the person standing in the centre can find out in whose hand the ring
is, he sits down, and his place is taken by the one who had the ring.
The game is sometimes played round a haycock in the hayfield.
Miss Dendy sends a similar rhyme from Monton, Lancashire, where it is
known simply as a marching game. For similar rhymes, see Halliwell’s
_Nursery Rhymes_, p. 3.
See “Paddy from Home,” “Tip it.”
Fippeny Morrell
“Twice three stones, set in a crossed square, where he wins the game
that can set his three along in a row, and that is fippeny morrell I
trow.”—_Apollo Shroving_, 1626.
See “Nine Men’s Morice,” “Noughts and Crosses.”
Fire, Air, and Water
The players seat themselves in a circle. One of the players has a ball,
to which a string is fastened. He holds the string that he may easily
draw the ball back again after it is thrown. The possessor of the ball
then throws it to one in the circle, calling out the name of either of
the elements he pleases. This player must, before ten can be counted,
give the name of an inhabitant of that element. When “Fire” is called,
strict silence must be observed or a forfeit paid.—Cork, Ireland (Miss
Keane).
The players were seated in a half-circle, and the possessor of the ball
faced the others. There was no string attached to the ball, but it was
necessary that it should hit the child it was thrown to. When “Fire” was
called, “Salamander” and “Phœnix” were allowed to be said. The third
time “Fire” was called, silence was observed, and every player bowed the
head. We called it “Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.” A forfeit had to be
paid for every mistake.—London (A. B. Gomme).
It seems probable that a survival of fire-worship is shown by this game.
Fivestones
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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