The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume I Part 54

Hop-score

Game of "Hop-scotch."-Hunter's _Glossary of Hallams.h.i.+re_.

Hop-scotch

A game, the object of which is to eject a stone, slate, or "dump" out of a form linearly marked on the ground in different directions, by hopping without touching any of the lines.-Halliwell's _Dictionary_.

In the plan (fig. 8) the players first lay the stone on the back of the hand, and _walk_ through the plan, stepping into each division, throw it up and catch it. Then the stone is _thrown_ back from No. 7 outside No.

1. Now it is placed on the toe, and the child walks through again, throwing up the foot when out, to catch the stone in the hand. Another way, done on the same plan, is for the player to place the stone in No.

1, leave it there, and hop into each division and back, then place it in No. 2, and repeat the hopping, and so on through all the figures. There is no _kicking_ of the stone, as is usual in London.-Roxton, St. Neots (Miss Lumley).

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 1.

Fig. 2.

Fig. 3.

Fig. 4.

Fig. 5.

Fig. 6.

Fig. 7.

Fig. 8.

Fig. 9.

Fig. 10.]

From Crockham Hill, Kent, Miss Chase sends four versions. In the first plan (fig. 1) the game is:-Throw stone into No. 1. Hop from No. 1 to No.

5 and back. Then pick it up. So on successively. After having thrown it into No. 5, begin to reverse by throwing stone into No. 1 while standing at No. 5-return with it on your thumb. Throw into No. 2-return with stone on your eye. Throw into No. 3-return with stone in your palm.

Throw into No. 4-return with stone on your head. Throw into No. 5-return with stone on your back. In each case, upon reaching the goal without dropping it, throw up and catch it as it falls.

In the second plan (fig. 2) the game is:-Throw stone into No. 1. Pick it up. Hop, not touching lines, from No. 1 to No. 4, and "out." Throw stone into No. 2. Do as before. And so successively into Nos. 3 and 4. Next balance stone on shoe, then on the palm of hand, then on the back of hand, then on the head, then on the shoulder, then on the eye (tilt head back to keep it from falling). In each case walk round once with it so balanced and catch at end.

In the third plan (fig. 3) the game is:-Put pebble in No. 1. Pick up.

Hop, having one foot in No. 2 and the other in No. 3. Step into No. 4.

Hop, having one foot in No. 5 and the other in No. 6. Jump round. Go back as you came. Then with stone on shoe, walk through the figure, kick it up and catch at the close. Place stone on eyelid; walk through the same figure, dropping it off into hand at close. This is called "jumping."

In the fourth plan (fig. 4) the game is:-Throw stone into No. 1. Pick it up. Hop from No. 1 to No. 8, not touching lines. So successively into Nos. 2, 3, 4, &c. Walk into No. 1 with stone on foot, and out at No. 8.

Kick it up and catch it. The same with stone on thumb. Toss it up and catch. Again with stone on your back. Straighten up, let it slide into your hand.

In Stead's _Holderness Glossary_, this is described as a boys' or girls'

game, in which the pavement is chalked with numbered crossed lines, and a pebble or piece of crockery is propelled onward by the foot, the performer hopping on one leg, the number reached on the chalk-line being scored to him or her. At Whitby it is called "Pally-ully," and played with rounded pieces of pot the size of a penny. Divisions are chalked on the pavement, and the "pally-ullies" are impelled within the lines by a hop on one leg, and a side shuffle with the same foot (_Whitby Glossary_). It is sometimes called "Tray-Trip." Atkinson describes the figure as oblong, with many angular compartments (_Cleveland Glossary_).

Jamieson defines "Beds" as "Hop-scotch," a game denominated from the form, sometimes by strangers called squares. In Aberdeen the s.p.a.ces marked out are sometimes circular.

Mrs. Lincoln sends a diagram of the game from Dublin (fig. 6). Addy (_Sheffield Glossary_) under the name of "Hop-score" says it is a game in which certain squares are drawn or _scored_ on the ground. The piece of stone which is pushed with the foot is called the "scotch." Elworthy (_West Somerset Words_) says a piece of tile is kicked over lines and into squares marked on the ground. It is called "Hickety-Hackety," also "Huckety." Cope (_Hamps.h.i.+re Glossary_) says it is played in Hants. Moor (_Suffolk Words and Phrases_) describes this game under the name of "Scotch-hob," by hopping and kicking a bit of tile from bed to bed of a diagram which he gives (fig. 5, here printed). Brockett (_North Country Words_) calls it "Beds." Barnes (_Dorset Glossary_) only says "hopping over a parallelogram of scotches or chalk-lines on the ground." F. H.

Low, in _Strand Magazine_, ii. 516, says the divisions are respectively named onesie, twosie, threesie, foursie, and puddings. It is called "Hop-bed" at Stixwold in Lincolns.h.i.+re (Miss Peac.o.c.k), "Hop-score" in Yorks.h.i.+re (Halliwell, l.c.), and "Hitchibed" in Cleveland, Yorks.

(_Glossary of Cleveland Words_). Strutt describes it (_Sports_, p. 383); and Wood's _Modern Playmate_, p. 32, gives a diagram similar to one seen on a London pavement by A. B. Gomme (see fig. 7). Mr. Emslie has sent me figs. 9 and 10, also from London streets. Newell (_Games_, p. 188) speaks of it as a well-known game in America.

Mr. Elworthy (_West Somerset Words_) says, "Several of these (diagrams marked on the ground) are still to be seen, scratched on the ancient pavement of the Roman Forum." Mr. J. W. Crombie says, "The game of 'Hop-scotch' was one of considerable antiquity, having been known in England for more than two centuries, and it was played all over Europe under different names. Signor Pitre's solar explanation of its origin appeared improbable to him, for not only was the evidence in its favour extremely weak, but it would require the original number of divisions in the figure to have been twelve instead of seven, which was the number indicated by a considerable body of evidence. It would seem more probable that the game at one time represented the progress of the soul from earth to heaven through various intermediate states, the name given to the last court being most frequently paradise or an equivalent, such as crown or glory, while the names of the other courts corresponded with the eschatological ideas prevalent in the early days of Christianity."

Some such game existed before Christianity, and Mr. Crombie considered that it had been derived from several ancient games. Possibly the strange myths of the labyrinths might have had something to do with "Hop-scotch," and a variety of the game played in England, under the name of "Round Hop-scotch," was almost identical with a game described by Pliny as being played by the boys of his day. Mr. Crombie also said he "believed that the early Christians adopted the general idea of the ancient game, but they not only converted it into an allegory of heaven, with Christian beliefs and Christian names; they Christianised the figure also; they abandoned the heathen labyrinth and replaced it by the form of the Basilicon, the early Christian church, dividing it into seven parts, as they believed heaven to be divided, and placing paradise, the inner sanctum of heaven, in the position of the altar, the inner sanctum of their earthly church."

See "Hap the Beds."

Hop, Step, and Jump

See "Half-Hammer."

Hornie

A game among children in which one of the company runs after the rest having his hands clasped and his thumbs pushed out before him in resemblance of horns. The first person whom he touches with his thumbs becomes his property, joins hands with him, and aids in attempting to catch the rest: and so on until they are all made captives. Those who are at liberty still cry out, "Hornie, Hornie."-Lothian (Jamieson).

Jamieson says: "Whether this play be a vestige of the very ancient custom of a.s.suming the appearance and skins of animals, especially in the sports of Yule, or might be meant to symbolise the exertions made by the devil (often called 'Hornie') in making sinful man his prey, and employing fellow-men as his coadjutors in this work, I cannot pretend to determine."

See "Hunt the Staigie," "Whiddy."

Hornie Holes

A game in which four play, a princ.i.p.al and an a.s.sistant on each side. A.

stands with his a.s.sistant at one hole, and throws what is called a Cat (a piece of stick, and frequently a sheep's horn), with the design of making it alight in another hole at some distance, at which B. and his a.s.sistant stand ready to drive it aside. The bat or driver is a rod resembling a walking-stick.

The following unintelligible rhyme is repeated by a player on the one side, while they on the other are gathering in the Cats, and is attested by old people as of great antiquity:-

Jock, Speak, and Sandy, W' a' their lousy train Round about by Errinborra, We'll never meet again.

Gae head 'im, gae hang 'im, Gae lay 'im in the sea; A' the birds o' the air Will bear him companee.

With a nig-nag, widdy- [_or_ worry-] bag, And an e'endown trail, trail; Quoth he.

-Jamieson.

The game is also called "Kittie-cat."

See "Cat and Dog," "Cudgel," "Tip-cat."

Horns

"A' Horns to the Lift," a game of young people. A circle is formed round a table, and all placing their forefingers on the table, one cries, "A'

horns to the lift! Cat's horns upmost!" If on this any one lift his finger, he owes a wad, as cats have no horns. In the same manner, the person who does not raise his fingers when a horned animal is named is subjected to a forfeit.-Jamieson.

Hot c.o.c.kles