India  

Pubgoers have brought a 700-year-old tradition back to life by scrambling and fighting with rival villagers - over a piece of LE

Video Credit: SWNS STUDIO - Duration: 01:44s - Published
Pubgoers have brought a 700-year-old tradition back to life by scrambling and fighting with rival villagers - over a piece of LE

Pubgoers have brought a 700-year-old tradition back to life by scrambling and fighting with rival villagers - over a piece of LE

Pubgoers have brought a 700-year-old tradition back to life by scrambling and fighting with rival villagers - over a piece of LEATHER.The annual event sees a large scrum formed by competing teams who then push a 2ft leather tube - know as the hood - to one of four pubs to re-stoke the Medieval ritual of 'The Haxey Hood'.The usually-violent event takes place on January 6 every year and traditionally sees participants representing pubs in Haxey, Lincs., and nearby Westwoodside battle it out to bring the hood home.The hood then remains at the winning boozer until the following New Years' Eve as per tradition.Last year, the rules were modified to turn the contest into a battle between the two villages of Haxey and Westwoodside, as the three competing Haxey pubs - The Kings Arms, The Loco and The Duke William - all closed down.The parish council, which owns the field the contest takes place on, released a disclaimer ahead of this year's event stating it is not responsible for injuries - or even death.According to legend, the contest dates back to the 14th Century and traditionally sees contestants from The Kings Arms, Carpenters Arms, The Loco and the Duke William pubs meet to compete for the hood.The story originates from an ancient tale of Lady de Mowbray, wife of an Isle landowner John De Mowbray, who lost her silk riding hood which was blown away by the wind. A shy farm worker found the hood after 12 others had tried to retrieve the piece of headwear but passed it to a colleague. The worker returned the hood to Lady de Mowbray and she hailed him as "a Lord" - whereas she called the shy farmer "a fool". To show her gratitude she donated 13 acres of land on the condition that the chase for the hood would be re-enacted each year - coining it "The Haxey Hood".In 21st Century terms, a man dressed as the 'fool' makes a traditional speech after being 'marked' with a black pen during a pub sing-a-long ahead of the contest.James Chatwin has taken over the colourfully costumed role this year as previous holder Dale Smith stepped down last year after 25 years.After guiding the group to the parish church, the fool shouts: "Hoose agen hoose, toon agen toon, if a man meets a man nok 'im doon, but doant 'ot 'im" - and the games begin. This translates as: "House against House, Town against Town, if a man meets a man, knock him down but don't hurt him." Before the watered-down version of the violent game - the fool used to be suspended over a fire until he suffocated which was known as 'smoking the fool'. After a bar crawl around the participating pubs, the game begins after a speech from the ceremonial Fool.The hood is then thrown onto Hood Field in Haxey and the "sway" commences.

Pubgoers have brought a 700-year-old tradition back to life by scrambling and fighting with rival villagers - over a piece of LEATHER.The annual event sees a large scrum formed by competing teams who then push a 2ft leather tube - know as the hood - to one of four pubs to re-stoke the Medieval ritual of 'The Haxey Hood'.The usually-violent event takes place on January 6 every year and traditionally sees participants representing pubs in Haxey, Lincs., and nearby Westwoodside battle it out to bring the hood home.The hood then remains at the winning boozer until the following New Years' Eve as per tradition.Last year, the rules were modified to turn the contest into a battle between the two villages of Haxey and Westwoodside, as the three competing Haxey pubs - The Kings Arms, The Loco and The Duke William - all closed down.The parish council, which owns the field the contest takes place on, released a disclaimer ahead of this year's event stating it is not responsible for injuries - or even death.According to legend, the contest dates back to the 14th Century and traditionally sees contestants from The Kings Arms, Carpenters Arms, The Loco and the Duke William pubs meet to compete for the hood.The story originates from an ancient tale of Lady de Mowbray, wife of an Isle landowner John De Mowbray, who lost her silk riding hood which was blown away by the wind.

A shy farm worker found the hood after 12 others had tried to retrieve the piece of headwear but passed it to a colleague.

The worker returned the hood to Lady de Mowbray and she hailed him as "a Lord" - whereas she called the shy farmer "a fool".

To show her gratitude she donated 13 acres of land on the condition that the chase for the hood would be re-enacted each year - coining it "The Haxey Hood".In 21st Century terms, a man dressed as the 'fool' makes a traditional speech after being 'marked' with a black pen during a pub sing-a-long ahead of the contest.James Chatwin has taken over the colourfully costumed role this year as previous holder Dale Smith stepped down last year after 25 years.After guiding the group to the parish church, the fool shouts: "Hoose agen hoose, toon agen toon, if a man meets a man nok 'im doon, but doant 'ot 'im" - and the games begin.

This translates as: "House against House, Town against Town, if a man meets a man, knock him down but don't hurt him." Before the watered-down version of the violent game - the fool used to be suspended over a fire until he suffocated which was known as 'smoking the fool'.

After a bar crawl around the participating pubs, the game begins after a speech from the ceremonial Fool.The hood is then thrown onto Hood Field in Haxey and the "sway" commences.




You Might Like