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
Mr. Kinahan’s note suggests that “Fivestones” may be an independent
game, instead of a derivative from “Hucklebones.” If this is so, we have
interesting evidence of the spread or transmission of one game from at
least two centres. Professor Attwell, in _Notes and Queries_, 8th ser.,
iv. 201, suggests that “Hucklebones” was introduced into Europe by the
Romans, and was spread throughout the countries which formed the empire
by means of Roman colonists and soldiers. Mr. Newell (_Games_, pp.
190-93) describes a similar game to “Fivestones” played in Boston under
the name of “Otadama,” or “Japanese Jacks.” This game is of Japanese
origin, “Tedama” (that is, “Handballs”) being its proper name. He says
there can be no doubt that the two forms of this amusement are branches
of the same root; and we thus have an example of a game which, having
preserved its essential characteristics for thousands of years, has
fairly circumnavigated the globe, so that the two currents of tradition,
westward and eastward, from Europe and Asia, have met in America.
See “Checkstones,” “Dibs,” “Hucklebones,” “Jackstones.”
Flowers
Sides are chosen; each side must have a “home” at the top and bottom of
the ground where the children are playing. One side chooses a flower and
goes over to the other side, the members of which stand in a row facing
the first side. The first side states the initial letters of the flower
it has chosen, and when the second side guesses the right flower they
run and try to catch as many of the opposite side as they can before
they reach their home. The captives then become members of the side
which captured them.—Bitterne, Hants (Mrs. Byford).
Follow my Gable
[Music]
—Earls Heaton, Yorkshire.
[Music]
—Redhill, Surrey.
I. Follow my gable ’oary man,
Follow my gable ’oary man,
I’ll do all that ever I can
To follow my gable ’oary man.
We’ll borrow a horse and steal a gig,
And round the world we’ll have a jig,
And I’ll do all that ever I can
To follow my gable ’oary man.
—Earls Heaton, Yorks (Herbert Hardy).
II. Holy Gabriel, holy man,
Rantum roarum reeden man,
I’ll do all as ever I can
To follow my Gabriel, holy man.[3]
—Redhill, Surrey (Miss G. Hope).
III. I sell my bat, I sell my ball,
I sell my spinning-wheel and all;
And I’ll do all that ever I can
To follow the eyes of the drummer man.
—Luton, Bedfordshire (Mrs. Ashdown).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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