The Denholm handball game; a rhyme to determine its date; Mr...
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1989.094
Original Tape ID
Summary
The Denholm handball game; a rhyme to determine its date; Mr Wat Crawford's involvement with the game.
Description of the east and west hails [goals] for the Denholm handball game, how the teams are constituted (married versus single men), and what direction visiting teams play in. A rhyme determines the date:
First comes Candlemas, then the new moon,
And the next Monday after is Fastern's Een,
And then the next Monday after is Denholm Ball.
Wat Crawford tells how he hailed the ball on various occasions. He and Mrs Crawford talk about the game, including how the ball is made, how it is decorated with ribbons, who donates the balls (which are exchanged for money prizes after being hailed), who plays, the feat of throwing the ball over the monument, the tactics of strows [scrums] and smuggling the ball, and other towns that have ball games. For their golden wedding anniversary, Mr Crawford threw up a ball he originally had made for their wedding.
Item Notes
Fastern's Een is Shrove Tuesday. The rhyme is based on one for determining the date of Easter.
Item Location
County - Roxburghshire
Parish - Cavers
Village/Place - Denholm
Language
English
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good